Car and Driver: Annual 10 Best Cars List

[bmwrules]

Here's Car and Driver's annual 10 best cars list. I'd scan the article but they don't say much about each. It's just a 3 or 4 paragraph blurb for each car about why the car made the list.

Also note that this is cars only, no SUVs or trucks. Also, only previous winners and other cars that are all-new or significantly upgraded for 2007 are evaluated for the 10 best list. Cars they've considered in previous years don't get invited back until they meet their redesign threshold. All nominees must also have a base price no higher than 2.5 times the average new-vehicle transaction price. Last's year the number was $71,000. I can't find this year's number. Eligible cars must also be promised for sale no later than January 2007, and the manufacturer must deliver an example for evaluation.

BMW 3 Series - A record 16 consecutive years.
Chevrolet Corvette
Chrysler 300
Honda Accord - On this list 21 of the 25 years Car and Driver has been doing this.
Honda Fit
Infiniti G35 Sedan
Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata)
Mazdaspeed 3
Porsche Boxster and Cayman
Volkswagen GTI

Complete list of nominees:

Acura TL
Acura TSX
Audi A3
Audi RS4
BMW 3 Series
BMW M coupe
BMW M roadster
BMW Z4 coupe
Chevrolet Aveo
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Chrysler 300/300C Hemi/300C SRT8
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Caliber
Ford Mustang GT
Ford Shelby GT500
Honda Accord
Honda Civic Si sedan
Honda Fit
Hyundai Accent
Hyundai Elantra
Infiniti G35 sedan
Kia Amanti*
Kia Optima
Lexus ES350
Lexus GS450h
Lexus LS460
Lincoln MKZ
Lotus Exige*
Mazda MX-5
Mazda RX-8
Mazdaspeed 3
Mazdaspeed 6
Mercedes Benz CLS550
Mercedes Benz E320 Blutec*
Mercedes Benz E550
Nissan Altima
Nissan Maxima
Nissan Sentra
Nissan Versa
Pontiac G5*
Pontiac G6 convertible
Pontiac Solstice GXP*
Porsche Boxster/Boxster S
Porsche Cayman/Cayman S
Saab 9-3*
Saab 9-5*
Saturn Aura
Saturn Sky*
Saturn Sky Red Line
Toyota Camry (Motortrend's 2007 car of the year)
Toyota Yaris
Volkswagen Eos
Volkswagen GTI
Volkswagen Rabbit
Volvo C70
Volvo S80*

* These cars met eligibility requirements, but test examples weren't available for evaluation.

 

[Bruce]

The Accord and the 3 series are regulars and in my opinion they should be, the Corvette has been on the list for quite some time as well. Glad to see the Boxster/Cayman on the list

 

[chonkoa]

BMW 3 series for 16 consecutive years!- splendid if you ask me.

 

[Giannis]

BMW 3 Series - A record 16 consecutive years.

it is a true winner. no one can deny that

 

[siko]

Nice to see the GTI make the list.

The 3er is a given with C&D.

 

[meisocool]

wow no merc and audi ...but Chrysler 300 and even mazda speed 3.

that's weird if u asked me....

as for 3 series....well that car is best in class by a long shot,so deserved it IMO

 

[cawimmer430]

BMW 3 Series C&D's Love Child, a GIVEN
Chevrolet Corvette Ok
Chrysler 300 Huh?
Honda Accord As long as it's not the Camry, I am happy!
Honda Fit WHAT!?
Infiniti G35 Sedan Ok
Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata) Redesigned, better looking, but still nothing revolutionary or special...
Mazdaspeed 3 ???
Porsche Boxster and Cayman Ok, I guess...
Volkswagen GTI A legend with cult following. About time it made the list.

 

[Mr. M]

BMW 3 Series C&D's Love Child, a GIVEN
Chevrolet Corvette Ok
Chrysler 300 Huh?
Honda Accord As long as it's not the Camry, I am happy!
Honda Fit WHAT!?
Infiniti G35 Sedan Ok
Mazda MX-5 (aka Miata) Redesigned, better looking, but still nothing revolutionary or special...
Mazdaspeed 3 ???
Porsche Boxster and Cayman Ok, I guess...
Volkswagen GTI A legend with cult following. About time it made the list.

The Honda Fit is a great car as a city runabout, it's probably the most practical car of the lot. Best car for being good at what it is supposed to be... A budget car. Perhaps they took a car from each segment or something.

I think the MX-5 offers a good experience for a budget roadster. After all, it's the world's best selling roadster. Can't go wrong with that.

The 300C shouldn't be in that list.

 

[Merc1]

Honda Fit WHAT!?

More like ***! A joke of a car and ugly as hell too. I'd rather have a Yaris if I had to buy a tin can on wheels.

M

 

[Merc1]

wow no merc and audi ...but Chrysler 300 and even mazda speed 3.

that's weird if u asked me....

as for 3 series....well that car is best in class by a long shot,so deserved it IMO

Well the only Benzes eligible were the CLS550 and E550, and the E320 Bluey, which wasn't on hand in time. Price rules out a lot of the best Mercedes, BMW and Audi models. I surprised the RS4 didn't make the list though.

M

 

[Mr. M]

More like ***! A joke of a car and ugly as hell too. I'd rather have a Yaris if I had to buy a tin can on wheels.

M

I don't how this car can be ugly.

I don't know you can call this car a joke when it does so well as a budget car.

Unless you just have a thing against all Japanese cars in general.

 

[Merc1]

Nope, nothing agains Japanese cars in general, but that thing is ugly. Tall, unproportioned, it looks like you're driving a phone booth down the road. The design may be brilliant as far as function goes but the form looks like something a kindergarten class put together.

M

 

[meisocool]

I don't how this car can be ugly.

I don't know you can call this car a joke when it does so well as a budget car.

Unless you just have a thing against all Japanese cars in general.

Agreed...Honda Fit(or Honda Jazz in southeast asia) is a a great car,my brother have one,it's a very good budget car.

 

[Mr. M]

Nope, nothing agains Japanese cars in general, but that thing is ugly. Tall, unproportioned, it looks like you're driving a phone booth down the road. The design may be brilliant as far as function goes but the form looks like something a kindergarten class put together.

M

Well I don't know if you've ever seen one before but my opinion differs on how it looks. I actually think it looks rather sleek (it's barely higher than the Phaeton is). Unproportioned, I can agree with that, but you can't expect everything with a tight budget, yeah?

I still think the Fit deserved that award.

 

[Mr. M]

Agreed...Honda Fit(or Honda Jazz in southeast asia) is a a great car,my brother have one,it's a very good budget car.

What a coincidence... My sis has one, in yellow.

 

[cawimmer430]

The Honda Fit is a great car as a city runabout, it's probably the most practical car of the lot. Best car for being good at what it is supposed to be... A budget car. Perhaps they took a car from each segment or something.

I think the MX-5 offers a good experience for a budget roadster. After all, it's the world's best selling roadster. Can't go wrong with that.

The 300C shouldn't be in that list.

C&D is usually so performance biased, I am surprised they picked the slow Honda Fit. Even if it isn't a sports car, C&D will usually tear cars like this apart.

The 300C should have been on the last list, but not this one. I agree, it's nothing special anymore. A nice decent car, but nothing revolutionary or improved about it these days.

 

[Mr. M]

C&D is usually so performance biased, I am surprised they picked the slow Honda Fit. Even if it isn't a sports car, C&D will usually tear cars like this apart.

The 300C should have been on the last list, but not this one. I agree, it's nothing special anymore. A nice decent car, but nothing revolutionary or improved about it these days.

Ah, I never knew about them being performance biased. Perhaps they changed their formula?

 

[cawimmer430]

Ah, I never knew about them being performance biased. Perhaps they changed their formula?

Trust me, they still are.

 

[Matt]

Is that a 3 series sedan or coupe? or is it the 3 in general?

 

[cawimmer430]

Is that a 3 series sedan or coupe? or is it the 3 in general?

3-Series sedan I believe.