No-san's predictions:
Small CarHonda Civic.
The Jetta's new engine is a real peach, but VW will have a fresh reputation issue to deal with, and beyond that, the interior of the Jetta is...well...still low-rent. A very nice car, but the changes to the Civic make it a whole new ballgame - let's also not forget that it, too, gets a whole new turbocharged engine.
Family CarVolkswagen Golf Sportwagen (1.8 TSI)
The Volt is a great car, and would win a green car award hands down, but as a family car it lets down a bit in terms of space and utility. The nail in the coffin is that this is a "family" category - not the Volt's strong point, in my opinion. While the Volt will 'work' as one, the wagon's cargo space, reasonable performance (knocking out the mommy-mobile feeling), great outward visibility, and easy to live with nature all make it a winner in terms of the category.
The Sonata gets a notable mention for having a full trunk with 60/40 splitback and larger dimensions, but the higher price of entry is tough for younger families to eat. Wagon for the win.
Sports/Performance (under $50,000)This is between the Golf R and the MX-5 for me. The Veloster is cute and quirky, but it's certainly not the definition that the "sports/performance" moniker commands. The Camaro is just a beastly amount of power, but it can't hold a dime to the R or Miata's performance. Brute strength is not the category for me, and I therefore give my full props to the Golf R. However, given that it's about sports/performance on a 'budget', I'd actually say the Miata is going to win this one - and there's my vote.
Sports/Performance (over $50,000)Having read Motor Trend's issue regarding most of these cars, I think it's a fairly easy determination as to which will not be in the running. The ATS-V will not beat out the Corvette, nor the Lexus RC. Between the Z06, if it's functioning (
), and the C63, it's sort of a tough call. I'd put my wager on the C63 taking the cake though. The big question here is what will the Shelby will do. On the track, it'll be an absolutely killing compared to the others here, but what about other factors? Off Mosport, will the Shelby continue to impress? I think not. My vote remains on the C63. The 'vette is very, very good...but I hear the C63 has really upped the ante.
Prestige/Performance (over $75,000)Same issue here after the MT article - but here, the GT4 comes into play. I'm wondering how the scoring will be weighted, though. It's prestige and performance - so there has to be some of both, I'd think. On that basis, the Benz and CTS-V go ahead of the GT4, and RCF falters a bit on outright performance now that a track day is included.
I'm putting my vote down for the Benz, though the CTS-V, I'm told, is quite the contender. This will be a very, very difficult category for the judges - it may warrant double the time for testing
SUV/CUV (under $35,000)Sadly, and it's against my choice, but the HR-V is going win this one. The Outlander still has a lot of issues to overcome, and the CX-3 is just too tight. The 500X is really rough around the edges, and the Renegade is too 'niche' for its own good.
My personal vote goes to the CX-3, but objectively the HR-V will get the award. Who knows, Outlander could shock us, but I think that about as likely as the Blue Jays winning the World Series this year...
SUV/CUV ($35,000-$60,000)This one would be a fun contest.
The Tucson is great, but its transmission (surely the 1.6T will be featured here) is going to really put a dent in the car's scoring. The new X1 is something to be seen, and the NX200t is a really important vehicle for Lexus. Likewise, the Pilot and Edge are much improved, and the Sorento has its goodies, too.
I'm going to put my vote down for the NX200t here, though I'm likely to be wrong. The X1 will be really interesting, and it may very well be the Pilot - I don't see the Edge winning out here, though.
SUV/CUV (over $60,000)XC90, but the GLE will give it a good run for its money. My vote is for the overly complex twin-charged engine
. The GLE will likely be well-loved, but its pricing will likely weigh it out of competition (my thoughts, at least).
Pick-upVoting for the underdog Taco, but 100% the Canyon's winning this one.
Testfest kicks off next Tuesday, October 26,
Does it start on Monday October 26, or Tuesday October 27?
