
TCC Best Car to Buy 2011
Our flagship site, TheCarConnection, will announce its Best Car to Buy 2011 award in conjunction with the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the press on November 17, 2010. On the same day, our MotorAuthority and GreenCarReports destination Web sites will name their winners as well. (To follow along via Twitter, use #BestCarToBuy and #LAAS.)
Why another "best" award? TheCarConnection has been rating vehicles according to style, performance, utility, safety and features, since 2008. This year, we've added a new green score to the overall rankings, too. With these ratings in hand and live on our pages, TheCarConnection is one of the easiest, most user-friendly car reviews sites for shoppers thinking about purchasing a new car.
The rules
The selection process begins as editors evaluate all new vehicles introduced or significantly updated for the 2011 model year. To be eligible, vehicles also must be available for purchase by January 31, 2011, and must be made available to our editors for a full review prior to November 1, 2010. This eliminates very few contenders, while bringing you the best information as soon as possible.
We apply a $50,000 base-price cap on entries, because that focus on mass-market vehicles cuts through the clutter of ultra-luxury vehicles that should be winners on most levels, by virtue of price alone.
We rank the remaining vehicles by the numeric scores found on TheCarConnection's full vehicle reviews. Finally, we choose the most important new vehicle from the top of the rankings based primarily on its rating, with ties resolved by High Gear Media editors considering other factors such as availability and consumer significance.
A total of 40 new vehicles have made the list to earn TCC's first Best Car to Buy honors. They include vehicles of all stripes, from crossovers to economy cars, green machines to minivans. All have been rated by High Gear Media editors--a team that drives more than 200 new vehicles each year, and has driven each nominee making the final cut.
The nominees for TCC's Best Car to Buy 2011 are:
Sedans, Hatchbacks and Wagons
2011 Acura TSX Wagon
2011 BMW 5-Series
2011 Buick Regal
2011 Chevrolet Cruze
2011 Chrysler 200
2011 Dodge Avenger
2011 Dodge Charger
2011 Ford Fiesta
2011 Hyundai Elantra
2011 Hyundai Sonata
2011 Infiniti G25
2011 Infiniti M37
2011 Kia Optima
2011 Mazda2
2011 Nissan Juke
2011 Scion tC
2011 Toyota Avalon
2011 Volkswagen Jetta
2011 Volvo S60
SUVs/Crossovers
2011 BMW X3
2011 Dodge Durango
2011 Dodge Journey
2011 Ford Edge
2011 Ford Explorer
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2011 Kia Sorento
2011 Kia Sportage
2011 Lincoln MKX
2011 MINI Cooper Countryman
2011 Volkswagen Touareg
Minivans
2011 Chrysler Town & Country
2011 Dodge Grand Caravan
2011 Honda Odyssey
2011 Nissan Quest
2011 Toyota Sienna
Green
2011 Chevrolet Volt
2011 Honda CR-Z
2011 Lexus CT 200h
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
2011 Nissan Leaf
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