Car And Driver Announces 10 Best For 2009

The crazy kids over at Car And Driver announced their annual "10BEST" cars for 2009 and, would you believe, they went out on a limb and put the Honda Accord on the list. Having sampled the best sub-$71,000 offerings the editors ranked all cars on a 1-100 scale to determine the best vehicles for sale next year. The Accord and the BMW 3-series made the list for the 23rd and 18th time, respectively. Eight of the cars on the list have been there before and two are brand new to the Top 10. What was cut out of last year's crew above? What was added? You'll have to peak below to find out.

Car And Driver 2009 10BEST
• BMW 3-Series/M3

• Cadillac CTS

• Chevrolet Corvette

• Honda Accord

• Honda Fit

• Infiniti G37

• Jaguar XF

• Mazda MX-5

• Porsche Boxster/Cayman

• Volkswagen GTI

It looks like the Mazda3 and Chevy Malibu are out in favor of the Infiniti G37 and Jaguar XF. Sorry guys, better luck next year.

CAR AND DRIVER ANNOUNCES "10BEST" CARS FOR 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Car and Driver magazine, the world's No. 1 automotive enthusiast publication, today announced its 27th annual list of "10Best" cars sold in America. The industry may be in a state of upheaval but, when selecting the world's most coveted automobiles, some things have managed to stay the same.

Car and Driver selected eight of ten repeat winners from a year ago, with several models appearing for the umpteenth time. General Motors claimed two spots, but imports once again dominate the list, which is featured in the January 2009 issue hitting newsstands in December.

Following are the 2009 Car and Driver 10Best winners (in alphabetical order), followed by the number of times each model has made the list:

• BMW 3-Series/M3 (18)

• Cadillac CTS (2)

• Chevrolet Corvette (15)

• Honda Accord (23)

• Honda Fit (3)

• Infiniti G37

• Jaguar XF

• Mazda MX-5 (10)

• Porsche Boxster/Cayman (10)

• Volkswagen GTI (4)

Newcomers to the 10Best list include the Infiniti G37 premium high performance sports sedan, which underwent extensive changes to enhance its performance and handling. Also joining the group for the first time is the Jaguar XF, hailed by many for its modern styling and beautiful lines that distinguish it in its category. And the Honda Fit that made the list this year is a redesigned version of the car that had been selected to the list twice previously.

For the second consecutive year, General Motors was the only American manufacturer to make the 10Best rankings, placing two vehicles on the list. The Cadillac CTS has made its mark among drivers of luxury sports sedans and is on the list for a second year in a row. The Chevrolet Corvette, continues its reign in the sports car category, selected for a 15th time.

Other venerable returnees include the Honda Accord, recognized for a record 23rd time, and the BMW 3-Series, making its appearance on the Car and Driver list for a record 18 consecutive years. The Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Mazda MX-5 are on the 10Best list for the tenth year each. Rounding out the winners is the Volkswagen GTI, honored for the fourth time.

"The industry is evolving, but some things stay the same, including the intense competition between domestic and foreign manufacturers making this contest tougher to judge every year," said Csaba Csere, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver.

A panel of 19 Car and Driver editors determined the winners by rating them on a scale of 1-100 with a focus on functional performance, driving satisfaction and value. Vehicles considered for the award must be available in the United States by January 2009 and priced below $71,000, or 2.5 times the average transaction price as of summer 2008. Winners from the previous year are re-nominated if still available under the price cap.

Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at matt@jalopnik.com.

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