Performance: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Design: Chevrolet Camaro Value: Kia Soul Fuel Efficiency: Toyota Prius Versatility: Subaru Outback Fun to Drive: Hyundai Genesis Coupe Off-Road Ability: Ford F-150 Raptor Technical Innovation: Lexus Remote Touch Luxury: BMW 335d Workhorse: Ford Transit Connect
Each year, to determine the winners of the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards, PM’s editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process.
Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category.Those selections are put to a vote and the top vote-getters in each category win an Automotive Excellence Award. The auto team is led by automotive editor Ben Stewart, working with Detroit editor Larry Webster and senior automotive editor Mike Allen, the magazine’s contributing editors, and editor-in-chief James Meigs.
Full coverage of the 2010 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards winners can be found in the December issue of Popular Mechanics, on newsstands Nov. 10, 2009.
Press release courtesy of www.popularmechanics.com.
Article Last Updated: March 27, 2026.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.