Two Mazda models, the perennial favorite Honda Accord and several sports cars and sedans have been selected in Car and Driver’s 32nd annual 10 Best list of 2013 cars with prices less than $80,000.
Car and Driver this year recognized five all-new cars to redefining excellence for the entire industry. Half of the 10 vehicles selected have starting costs of less than $25,000.
Car and Driver writes, “These are the vehicles that offer the most value, that elegantly and comprehensively fulfill their missions, and that engage their drivers in spirited conversation. They are not always the newest or the trendiest, but they are the consistent overachievers.”
The 32nd Car and Driver 10Best and publication’s comments:
Porsche Boxster/Cayman – “The secret to this duo’s success is that they somehow manage to feel so organic, so genuine, in a world full of simulated, electro-distant experiences. That they achieve this while employing the same technologies that make other cars feel synthetic is a type of magic…You simply cannot find cars any more satisfying to operate than this duo. Oh, and they’re gorgeous, too.”
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray – “The thing is just so well honed. Not only is its electrically assisted steering system unexpectedly sensitive, you can practically feel the thousands of man-hours spent developing its Michelin tires, its stiffer structure, and, on Z51 models, its electronically controlled limited-slip differential.”
Cadillac CTS – “… has stuck with the CTS, making each successive model a more refined and entertaining sports sedan. The CTS is now unequivocally the best-handling car in the mid-size luxury segment.”
BMW 3-/4-Series – “From the start, the 1977 BMW E21 3-series and its successors have been built the way common-sense enthusiasts would build their cars… No inches or pounds are wasted, and nothing but an inline engine will do. Even as others have yielded to the temptations of a V-6 or front-drive, with their inherent packaging benefits, BMW has stuck to its formula.”
Honda Accord – “Once again, the Accord became the standard by which the largest and most competitive class of passenger cars is judged.”
Ford Fiesta ST – “At 2750 pounds, the ST is light and tossable, with a highly competent chassis that can out-party cars costing twice as much…The company claims the ST has 164 special components, including most everything that matters. The result is as good as fun, cheap driving gets.”
Mazda 6 – “The 6 not only looks like a million bucks inside and out, it drives like it. Mazda’s long-held reputation for selecting suspension bushings is on prominent display in the 6, which has an imperturbable chassis that is always comfortable and controlled. Its steering, suspension, and structure coordinate deftly.”
Mazda 3 – “Whether it’s the hatchback or sedan, we can’t stop admiring the long hood and Italianate grille of the new 3, which hides its front-drive underpinnings as well as anything since the original Oldsmobile Toronado. Interior appointments, including an excellent infotainment system with a central command knob, set a new, Audi-like standard for the class.”
Audi A6/S6/A7 – “There’s nothing the Audis don’t do well…No matter the task, an overwhelming sense of solidarity and unflappability pervades every move these Audis make. They are as crisply designed as they are engineered, with deceptively simple exterior styling. And their interiors are not just well ordered, but meticulously and artfully so.”
Volkswagen Golf/GTI – “It doesn’t matter whether our German brothers dub it a Golf or a Rabbit or a pine marten. What we have here, folks, is a winner with momentum. This is the eighth consecutive year that the VW Golf lineup, the lone GTI, or both have earned 10Best laurels. What Belushi and Aykroyd did for rumpled black suits, Volkswagen has done for hatchbacks.”
Article Last Updated: April 22, 2014.
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