Topic: TestFest Report: 2014 AJAC CCOTY Luxury and Performance Cars

[Autos_Editor]

Autos.ca editors and contributors descended on Niagara Falls to test the latest 2014 models in a variety of competitive categories. Our final entry covers luxury and performance vehicles.

Read More...

[Noto]

Another wonderful summary of the bits we readers would never otherwise hear/read - thank you!

My opinions:
-CLA really is the winner in under $50k - especially at $10k under the limit!  I wonder why they wouldn't offer the 2.1L diesel...similar in size, similar in performance...but would make the thing insanely efficient.  The time to love diesels is now, and even MB knows that - so why stick with a 208hp 2L turbo gas when you have such a similar offering with way better fuel economy?!
Still, not really understanding the lack of boundaries in this category - 'luxury'?  Kia's top luxe dog vs MB's entry-level model?!  And Lexus's?!  I almost wish it were just called "awesome car under $50k."  Hybrids vs Turbos...?!

-Luxury over $50k - again, with no upper limit, this is just getting a bit out of hand.  I'll leave it to say that at $55k, the RLX makes the most sense.  If it were not about money, just the best beast out there, the Jag is the clear-winner to me...it just has that feeling of pure perfection in attention-to-detail.

-Luxury over $75k - hmm...the XF and CTS in the Luxury over $50k are also over $75k...see where I'm going with this?  These categories are just ridiculous.  Since money is clearly of no concern, the S-class is the clear winner for its comfort, though the XJR is a beast in its own right (on a track...not on Toronto city streets).

-Sports/Performance - as much as I hate GM, the Corvette is like the Jeep Grand Cherokee - "the best of what we're made of."  and it shows.  Good job, GM, on the C7.  Sort of amazing, though, that the Cayman was the one nobody really cared about in comparison...shows that, like Apple, you can't rest of your laurels - move forward, or be left behind.

[wing]

It will be sad if the Corvette doesn't win.  Sure it doesn't have the cargo capacity of an E63... but that's not the point!

And if anyone of "normal" income levels that had to spend their own money on a car, it's a no brainer.

[jyarkony]

-Sports/Performance - as much as I hate GM, the Corvette is like the Jeep Grand Cherokee - "the best of what we're made of."  and it shows.  Good job, GM, on the C7.  Sort of amazing, though, that the Cayman was the one nobody really cared about in comparison...shows that, like Apple, you can't rest of your laurels - move forward, or be left behind.

it's not quite true that 'nobody' cared about the Cayman - perhaps i got carried away - the Cayman still has its devotees who are not blinded by power and deafened by the glorious notes of the LT1 V8.

 

[Fobroader]

Man, you guys are oh so lucky....I wish I to debate whether the C7 Vette or the E63 were better cars....after thrashing on them on a track......I say Vette takes this by a landslide.

[jyarkony]

Man, you guys are oh so lucky....I wish I to debate whether the C7 Vette or the E63 were better cars....after thrashing on them on a track......I say Vette takes this by a landslide.

not really a full track - a too-small handling course and a too short derestricted speed limit road... but hey, that was better than just driving public roads fearing the cops...

[Fobroader]

Man, you guys are oh so lucky....I wish I to debate whether the C7 Vette or the E63 were better cars....after thrashing on them on a track......I say Vette takes this by a landslide.

not really a full track - a too-small handling course and a too short derestricted speed limit road... but hey, that was better than just driving public roads fearing the cops...

To be able to crack open and let loose the dogs of war on an AMG Merc and to not have to fear the Polizei, yeah, thats a whole lot of awesome.

[wing]

The handling course looked sad.

[tooscoops]

i'm still stuck in the old days where the vette just doesn't do it for me. too many cars now have actual practical values combined with some damn impressive performance. i wouldn't be able to forgo those extra doors, trunk, manners, etc even though the car is a beast.

i'm not gonna lie, i would never take the car on the track. i'd open it up on some roads and take it on some twisties, but the level i'd be driving it at, many other cars will give me a similar level of performance. and from the guys i talk to with some impressive cars at the golf club, they are the same. they wouldn't be able to tell you where a close track is.

anyway, opinions... cla (with the lincoln putting in a good effort)... i like the xf... panamara for practicality combined with style and speed... the vette will win, but i would only be a purchaser if i already had a driveway with over $200,000 worth of more practical fun.

[Snowman]

The categories do not work here at all IMO. There is no way in hell a Mercedes-Benz E 350 Coupe should be in the same category as a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 

[Fobroader]

The categories do not work here at all IMO. There is no way in hell a Mercedes-Benz E 350 Coupe should be in the same category as a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 

Where would a E350 coupe go?? What are its competitors?? Only one that comes to mind is the 6 series BMW. I dont think that coupe belonged in this test because it really didnt fall into any category....especially anything having to do with sporty.

[Noto]

I just think having several entrants of the same car is somewhat dubious - the E-class, in particular, is a bit ridiculous in this regard. 

E250 cuz it has a diesel...E350 coupe because it lost two doors...and E63 AMG because AMG used its midas touch?   So every time a car comes out with a different profile, engine, or a performance package, it should get more than one entrant?  Sure, all manufactures can enter equally, but without limits on what can be entered, what's the point?  This is great, completely cheap advertising for MB - I don't blame them.  I also don't blame AJAC for hosting this - they either make some money, or have fun doing it.  Either way, there's benefit.  Still, to have proper meaning, this competition should have what all competitions have - stringent rules.

Ok, so let's bring in the Forester 2.5i and the Forester XT - totally different cars!; Lincoln MKZ 2.0T, MKZ Hybrid, and 3.6L; the RLX currently has the 3L V6, but will have a sport-hybrid soon...so that should definitely be in there; the Q50 hybrid should be alongside its 3.7L V6 bro (or does that violate the bro code?); the Jag XF comes with 3 engine options; and let's not forget the BMW 4-series...same chassis is used for what, the 1-series (including coupe, M-coupe, 128, 135), the 2-series, 3-series, 4-series, and all associated engines/M packages?!

That's why I like what autos.ca is doing here by listing attributes about each entrant and why it helps the vehicle shine (or not shine, as is the case with the MKZ with loose interior bits).

[Snowman]

This is just crazy. AJAC need a new strategy for categorizing,testing, and rating cars. There are trying to fit square pegs in round holes and it's not working. I understand its a small market and AJAC has insufficient resources to properly test cars and must rely on the manufactures.

Only having new cars in a category is forcing them to group cars where they don't belong. I would establish categories with strict criteria and continue comparing to the current category winner and existing models to the new entry. This will provide information to potential buyers that the new kid on the block might not necessarily the best in the category.

[DriverJeff]

Any "deficiencies" in the AJAC system simply enables comparison tests to be executed by the outlets themselves (such as the one we're doing next week with an epic of compact cars).  The significance of the AJAC CCOTY Awards isn't so much in the individual categories or their winners, but from the overall, big picture and selecting the overall CCOTY from a very impressive offering across the board.  If this year's overall winner isn't a Mazda, I'll be quite surprised. 

As for the Cayman being totally forgotten?  Not at all.  If I didn't think I would've made a scene, I would've spent an extra half hour kissing and caressing it after my drive.  Sure I'm a Porsche-lover, but the Cayman is just so freakin' right.  And kudos to Porsche for submitting entries with virtually no options on 'em.  Not often a Porsche comes in 10 grand LESS than a Vette.  Those cars were no worse off for not having colour-coded seat belts or even the Chrono package.  They were just pure, unadulterated modern sports cars.  Their relative lack of power simply gave drivers the opportunity to actually enjoy them a bit on the open road.  Revving up and down through the gears is such magic that I really didn't miss the power at all.  That said... I wouldn't MIND a Cayman S.   

However, that ten grand does get a whole bunch of extra car in the Vette.  Its finishes inside and out are quite impressive and really (finally) make it look and feel the world class car it is.  The drivetrain is delicious too, enhanced all the more by the glorious soundtrack emitted from those pipes.  What's more, the Vette is finally so well sorted that it's really easy to drive fast now.  Hats off GM, you've really nailed it.  Hopefully the quality proves to be there over time. 

[jyarkony]

The categories do not work here at all IMO. There is no way in hell a Mercedes-Benz E 350 Coupe should be in the same category as a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 

Where would a E350 coupe go?? What are its competitors?? Only one that comes to mind is the 6 series BMW. I dont think that coupe belonged in this test because it really didnt fall into any category....especially anything having to do with sporty.

that's why i don't understand why they even spent the fee and the money on three models to enter it - maybe they do it as a favour to dealers to get demo models into showrooms... if it belonged anywhere, it was in a luxury class, but i think those categories get weighted too much in practicality for the coupes to rank well.

i don't think we have to be as strict as snowman proposes, but I think there are times when we should turn away a competitor that does not fit a category even if it does meet eligibility criteria. one thing I'd especially like to see is if a pickup or minivan comes out one year with no competition, defer the category to a future year so that a more complete range could be compared, and to focus on true competitors rather than hard price points, but it can get real tricky and a slippery slope, like what if Benz or BMW refused to enter in the same category as an Equus or Genesis - then you have a whole subjective mess. we need someone with a sweet sales pitch to be able to sell the manufacturers on AJAC having a greater say on trims and categories - that will be one monumental task.

[jyarkony]

I just think having several entrants of the same car is somewhat dubious - the E-class, in particular, is a bit ridiculous in this regard. 

E250 cuz it has a diesel...E350 coupe because it lost two doors...and E63 AMG because AMG used its midas touch?   So every time a car comes out with a different profile, engine, or a performance package, it should get more than one entrant?  Sure, all manufactures can enter equally, but without limits on what can be entered, what's the point?  This is great, completely cheap advertising for MB - I don't blame them.  I also don't blame AJAC for hosting this - they either make some money, or have fun doing it.  Either way, there's benefit.  Still, to have proper meaning, this competition should have what all competitions have - stringent rules.

Ok, so let's bring in the Forester 2.5i and the Forester XT - totally different cars!; Lincoln MKZ 2.0T, MKZ Hybrid, and 3.6L; the RLX currently has the 3L V6, but will have a sport-hybrid soon...so that should definitely be in there; the Q50 hybrid should be alongside its 3.7L V6 bro (or does that violate the bro code?); the Jag XF comes with 3 engine options; and let's not forget the BMW 4-series...same chassis is used for what, the 1-series (including coupe, M-coupe, 128, 135), the 2-series, 3-series, 4-series, and all associated engines/M packages?!

That's why I like what autos.ca is doing here by listing attributes about each entrant and why it helps the vehicle shine (or not shine, as is the case with the MKZ with loose interior bits).

 oh, it's got stringent rules - Subaru could not enter both the 2.5i and the XT because both run on gas - not enough differentiation in powertrain - same reason Mazda couldn't re-enter a CX-5 with the 2.5, because they punched their ticket with the 2.0 last year. i was mystified as to why Infiniti idn't enter the regular Q50 and went all in with the hybrid - they could have entered both as Lincoln did with the MKZs...

[dirtyjeffer]

i've been drooling over a car the last few months...it is my "if i win the lottery" car...i wasn't sure if it was coming to Canada, then low and behold, i happen to visit the manufacturers website and there it was...you can't "Build and Price" it yet, but it is there.

please, for the love of God, get your hands on it and share the experience with us...had it been available to you guys, my guess is it would have won...it has everything...handling, speed, power, and practicality.

see here if you dare, but don't say i didn't warn you: 

http://www.audi.ca/ca/brand/en/models/RS7.html

[jyarkony]

i've been drooling over a car the last few months...it is my "if i win the lottery" car...i wasn't sure if it was coming to Canada, then low and behold, i happen to visit the manufacturers website and there it was...you can't "Build and Price" it yet, but it is there.

please, for the love of God, get your hands on it and share the experience with us...had it been available to you guys, my guess is it would have won...it has everything...handling, speed, power, and practicality.

see here if you dare, but don't say i didn't warn you: 

http://www.audi.ca/ca/brand/en/models/RS7.html

Wing drove it the fatherland.

http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2014-audi-rs-7-sportback/

and there may have been some RS7s involved in this trip:

http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2014-audi-rs-5-cabriolet/

but we're working on something else as well... stay tuned. and Jeff, don't give it away...

[wing]

RS7 oh so amazing!

[DriverJeff]

i've been drooling over a car the last few months...it is my "if i win the lottery" car...i wasn't sure if it was coming to Canada, then low and behold, i happen to visit the manufacturers website and there it was...you can't "Build and Price" it yet, but it is there.

please, for the love of God, get your hands on it and share the experience with us...had it been available to you guys, my guess is it would have won...it has everything...handling, speed, power, and practicality.

see here if you dare, but don't say i didn't warn you: 

http://www.audi.ca/ca/brand/en/models/RS7.html

Wing drove it the fatherland.

http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2014-audi-rs-7-sportback/

and there may have been some RS7s involved in this trip:

http://www.autos.ca/first-drives/first-drive-2014-audi-rs-5-cabriolet/

but we're working on something else as well... stay tuned. and Jeff, don't give it away...