2009 CarSPIN Award Winners

[SVT666]

OFFICIAL WINNERS LIST

1. 2009 Best Car (TIE)
Nissan GT-R
Hyundai Genesis


2. 2009 Best New (for 2009) Car
Nissan GT-R


3. 2009 Best Styling
Alfa Romeo 8C


4. 2009 Best Economy Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
VW Rabbit


5. 2009 Best Mainstream Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
Pontiac G8 GT


6. 2009 Best Luxury Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V


7. 2009 Best Mainstream SUV/Crossover
Ford Flex


8. 2009 Best Luxury SUV/Crossover
Range Rover


9. 2009 Best Pickup
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra


10. 2009 Best Minivan
Honda Odyssey


11. 2009 Best Sports/GT Car Under $50K
Chevy Corvette Z51


12. 2009 Best Sports/GT Car Over $50K
Audi R8


13. 2009 Best Supercar/Exotic
Bugatti Veyron

[SVT666]

6. 2009 Best Luxury Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

9. 2009 Best Pickup
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra

13. 2009 Best Supercar/Exotic
Bugatti Veyron

I can't agree with these ones, but I can't argue with the rest.

[Rich]

I can't agree with these ones, but I can't argue with the rest.

I can't really agree with the best economy car getting worse mpg than any other front drive economy car either but I can't do much about it

[SVT666]

I can't really agree with the best economy car getting worse mpg than any other front drive economy car either but I can't do much about it

I'm just stating that I don't agree with them, and frankly, I can't figure out how anyone else voted for them.  The Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra, and F-150 are all arguably better trucks then the Chevy/GMC twins.  The Cadillac CTS can't possibly be the best luxury car on the market, when it can't even win a comparo with a 3 Series.  The Bugatti Veyron is far from the best supercar.  It's an engineering marvel, but there are much better cars out there in that category.

[ifcar]

I'm just stating that I don't agree with them, and frankly, I can't figure out how anyone else voted for them.  The Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra, and F-150 are all arguably better trucks then the Chevy/GMC twins.

They're also arguably worse than the Silverado/Sierra, which pulls off the best blend of comfort and utility (per the spec sheet at least) of its class.

The Cadillac CTS can't possibly be the best luxury car on the market, when it can't even win a comparo with a 3 Series.

Do you agree with every comparo result?

The Bugatti Veyron is far from the best supercar.  It's an engineering marvel, but there are much better cars out there in that category.

Yet it's easy to see why someone would disagree and be impressed with it.

(And to make it clear: I didn't vote for any of the three.)

[the Teuton]

OFFICIAL WINNERS LIST

1. 2009 Best Car (TIE)
Nissan GT-R
Hyundai Genesis

Good picks.  I voted for the Genesis because it is a more relevant player, but no complaints on either.

2. 2009 Best New (for 2009) Car
Nissan GT-R

Can't complain, again.

3. 2009 Best Styling
Alfa Romeo 8C

It looks like it came from the 1990s.  It's nothing new.

4. 2009 Best Economy Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
VW Rabbit

Bwahaha!  Morons!  Every one of you!

5. 2009 Best Mainstream Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
Pontiac G8 GT

Good pick.

6. 2009 Best Luxury Car (hatch, sedan, liftback, wagon)
Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

Good pick again, but a little on the porky side.

7. 2009 Best Mainstream SUV/Crossover
Ford Flex

The safe choice.

8. 2009 Best Luxury SUV/Crossover
Range Rover

It's getting a little long on the tooth, don't you think?  I think the Land Cruiser is now a better overall package.

9. 2009 Best Pickup
Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra

Once again, solid choice.  It's better than the Tundra.  That's for sure.

10. 2009 Best Minivan
Honda Odyssey

It's the best van on the market, period.

11. 2009 Best Sports/GT Car Under $50K
Chevy Corvette Z51

Best sports car value anywhere.

12. 2009 Best Sports/GT Car Over $50K
Audi R8

May I ask why?

13. 2009 Best Supercar/Exotic
Bugatti Veyron

Better options exist, imo.

[2o6]

Good picks.  I voted for the Genesis because it is a more relevant player, but no complaints on either.

Can't complain, again.

It looks like it came from the 1990s.  It's nothing new.

Bwahaha!  Morons!  Every one of you!

Good pick.

Good pick again, but a little on the porky side.

The safe choice.

It's getting a little long on the tooth, don't you think?  I think the Land Cruiser is now a better overall package.

Once again, solid choice.  It's better than the Tundra.  That's for sure.

It's the best van on the market, period.

Best sports car value anywhere.

May I ask why?

Better options exist, imo.

Golly, you're opinionated.

[SVT666]

They're also arguably worse than the Silverado/Sierra, which pulls off the best blend of comfort and utility (per the spec sheet at least) of its class.

The 2009 Dodge Ram and F-150 are easily the best pickups on the market.  The GM twins are the oldest of the bunch.  The Ram now rides better then the GM twins and hauling capabilities were not hampered at all by the new revolutionary rear suspension (on a truck).  Sorry, I don't buy it that the three newest trucks on the market are arguably worse then the GM twins.

Do you agree with every comparo result?

Not always.  But I haven't seen anything the suggests the CTS is anywhere near the luxury car a BMW, M-B, or Jaguar is.

Yet it's easy to see why someone would disagree and be impressed with it.

(And to make it clear: I didn't vote for any of the three.)

Oh absolutely, but besides the acceleration, the car can do nothing that a Lambo, Ferrari, Pagani, etc. can't do better.

[the Teuton]

Golly, you're opinionated.

Just trying to create some conversation...

The Rabbit does suck, though.

[Raza]

Just trying to create some conversation...

The Rabbit does suck, though.

Have you even driven a car on that platform?  Or is 170hp too much without AWD?

[the Teuton]

Have you even driven a car on that platform?  Or is 170hp too much without AWD?

I can live with 23 mpg in the city with AWD.  What's it like to do the same with a manual transmission and FWD?

[2o6]

Have you even driven a car on that platform?  Or is 170hp too much without AWD?

I don't think HP is always the issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXAEsl0LxCc


Motivated by a 1.0L 133HP engine. The Boon is not a Kei car or small car either, it's the same size/weight of a Yaris.

[565]

Oh absolutely, but besides the acceleration, the car can do nothing that a Lambo, Ferrari, Pagani, etc. can't do better.

Yes it can.  In fact it does the most important thing a supercar can do better than the others, which is to be a supercar.

Nothing Ferrari or Lambo or even Pagani makes comes close to pushing the envelope or capturing the imagination like the Veyron.  All those other cars are "been there done that."  Light chassis with a big engine mounted midship, haven't we seen that formula again and again since the dawn of time?  Italian crazy styling in carbon fiber?  Everyone's got it now.  Those other supercars use formulas that we've seen a million times before, they push no envelopes and make no great strides forward in any meaningful direction.  In the world of weapons those other cars will be fighter jets and the Veyron would be the ***king Death Star.

For those that need visual aid.
Other supercars.




Veyron




Since owning any of those cars is basically impossible, the actual joy of ownership of a supercar is irrelevant.  What really matters for a true supercar like the Veyron is if it captures the imagination like no other, if it is the car that little kids dream about and recognize, if it pushes the limits of what we thought was possible.  I've seen lambos and ferraris rumbling down the street,  when I see a Pagani I'll be impressed no doubt, but I wouldn't go crazy.  The day I see a Veyron speeding past on the highway I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life, and I dare say even those Veyron haters will be giggling with excitement.  The Veyron is great for the same reason that the Mclaren F1 is great, it truly embodies what the best supercar should be.  It isn't a car like the Enzo or Carrera GT where the maker thought, "okay so this worked for us in the past, let's just make it better."  It isn't a car like the Pagani or Ascari or Gumpert where a small maker thought "okay so what worked for Ferrari or Lambo and how can we make it more extreme?"  This is a car like the Mclaren F1 where they started with an absolutely blank sheet and blank preconceptions and untainted ideas.  They thought to themselves "okay how do we make a super machine unlike any other, where price is no object, where the limits of engineering is no object, where if some technology doesn't exist, we'll simply develop it first"  There is nothing like the Veyron.  Sure other cars may be more sensible, or better to drive for less money, or more cost effective, but those are the exact reasons why they can never be as great a supercar as the Veyron.

[ifcar]

The 2009 Dodge Ram and F-150 are easily the best pickups on the market.  The GM twins are the oldest of the bunch.  The Ram now rides better then the GM twins and hauling capabilities were not hampered at all by the new revolutionary rear suspension (on a truck).  Sorry, I don't buy it that the three newest trucks on the market are arguably worse then the GM twins.

The Ram also has the lowest towing capacity, and pickuptrucks.com said it didn't handle even that well. I voted for the Ram myself because it drove the best unloaded on the road, but the Silverado does seem to be the better balance of utility and comfort even if it is a whole two years older.

Not always.  But I haven't seen anything the suggests the CTS is anywhere near the luxury car a BMW, M-B, or Jaguar is.

Sharp looks and a decent drive. That's the same thing the XF offers at a higher price point.

Oh absolutely, but besides the acceleration, the car can do nothing that a Lambo, Ferrari, Pagani, etc. can't do better.

An exotic is about evoking desirability. And the voting here seems to indicate the Veyron pulled that off better than the others.

[Raza]

I can live with 23 mpg in the city with AWD.  What's it like to do the same with a manual transmission and FWD?

Yes. because all there is to owning a car is the fuel mileage. 

You're being dense on purpose.

[2o6]

Yes. because all there is to owning a car is the fuel mileage. 

You're being dense on purpose.

But, if you're buying an "Economy" car, then it should be economical, right?


I could get a Nissan Altima which gets the same MPG's, has more room and is just as fun.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

The list seems pretty good to me. Al the cars listed are solid choices.

[ifcar]

But, if you're buying an "Economy" car, then it should be economical, right?


I could get a Nissan Altima which gets the same MPG's, has more room and is just as fun.

What do you think is a bigger difference: fuel costs between a Rabbit and Mazda3 or Civic, or monthly payments between a Rabbit and Altima?

[2o6]

What do you think is a bigger difference: fuel costs between a Rabbit and Mazda3 or Civic, or monthly payments between a Rabbit and Altima?

Still, that doesn't deny the fact that the Rabbit isn't getting good MPG's for something so small. (Or something that claims to be an "economy" car)

[hotrodalex]

The 2009 Dodge Ram and F-150 are easily the best pickups on the market.  The GM twins are the oldest of the bunch.  The Ram now rides better then the GM twins and hauling capabilities were not hampered at all by the new revolutionary rear suspension (on a truck).  Sorry, I don't buy it that the three newest trucks on the market are arguably worse then the GM twins.

But is a quality truck like the GM twins? While it looks like Chrysler improved that aspect, we don't know yet.

[SVT666]

But is a quality truck like the GM twins? While it looks like Chrysler improved that aspect, we don't know yet.

Since I owned one for 3 years and put it through hell, my answer would be yes.  I've had Fords, Chevys, and a Dodge, and the Dodge was the most reliable.

[SVT666]

Yes it can.  In fact it does the most important thing a supercar can do better than the others, which is to be a supercar.

Nothing Ferrari or Lambo or even Pagani makes comes close to pushing the envelope or capturing the imagination like the Veyron.  All those other cars are "been there done that."  Light chassis with a big engine mounted midship, haven't we seen that formula again and again since the dawn of time?  Italian crazy styling in carbon fiber?  Everyone's got it now.  Those other supercars use formulas that we've seen a million times before, they push no envelopes and make no great strides forward in any meaningful direction.  In the world of weapons those other cars will be fighter jets and the Veyron would be the ***king Death Star.

For those that need visual aid.

Since owning any of those cars is basically impossible, the actual joy of ownership of a supercar is irrelevant.  What really matters for a true supercar like the Veyron is if it captures the imagination like no other, if it is the car that little kids dream about and recognize, if it pushes the limits of what we thought was possible.  I've seen lambos and ferraris rumbling down the street,  when I see a Pagani I'll be impressed no doubt, but I wouldn't go crazy.  The day I see a Veyron speeding past on the highway I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life, and I dare say even those Veyron haters will be giggling with excitement.  The Veyron is great for the same reason that the Mclaren F1 is great, it truly embodies what the best supercar should be.  It isn't a car like the Enzo or Carrera GT where the maker thought, "okay so this worked for us in the past, let's just make it better."  It isn't a car like the Pagani or Ascari or Gumpert where a small maker thought "okay so what worked for Ferrari or Lambo and how can we make it more extreme?"  This is a car like the Mclaren F1 where they started with an absolutely blank sheet and blank preconceptions and untainted ideas.  They thought to themselves "okay how do we make a super machine unlike any other, where price is no object, where the limits of engineering is no object, where if some technology doesn't exist, we'll simply develop it first"  There is nothing like the Veyron.  Sure other cars may be more sensible, or better to drive for less money, or more cost effective, but those are the exact reasons why they can never be as great a supercar as the Veyron.

If 4500 lbs and the agility of a BMW 7 series are your idea of a supercar, then you can have it.  Yes, it is an engineering marvel, and yes I would probably freak out if I saw one on the freeway (but only because of it's rarity and expense), but cars like the Ferrari F40, McLaren F1, Pagani Zonda F, Ascari A10, Lamborghini Diablo, etc, are far more appealing and a far better definition of a supercar.  The Veyron, to me, is nothing more then a mid engined GT car.

[565]

If 4500 lbs and the agility of a BMW 7 series are your idea of a supercar, then you can have it.  Yes, it is an engineering marvel, and yes I would probably freak out if I saw one on the freeway (but only because of it's rarity and expense), but cars like the Ferrari F40, McLaren F1, Pagani Zonda F, Ascari A10, Lamborghini Diablo, etc, are far more appealing and a far better definition of a supercar.  The Veyron, to me, is nothing more then a mid engined GT car.

Don't confuse sports car with supercar.  Some sports cars aren't supercars, and some supercars aren't sports cars.  The Ascari and all the other garage contraptions like it aren't supercars.  Tiff Needell said it best,  people think you can shove any big engine into a light chassis and call it a supercar, but I'm sorry you cant.  The Veyron may not be a sports car, but it is a supercar in every sense of the word. 

[the Teuton]

What do you think is a bigger difference: fuel costs between a Rabbit and Mazda3 or Civic, or monthly payments between a Rabbit and Altima?

But let's look at a Civic, for instance.  It is cheaper to operate, cheaper for the same level of options, has a similarly-powerful engine, and has Honda reliability versus questionable VW reliability.

The only reason I'm not considering a B5 A4 anymore for a next car is because of that amazing VW reliability.

[SVT666]

Don't confuse sports car with supercar.  Some sports cars aren't supercars, and some supercars aren't sports cars.  The Ascari and all the other garage contraptions like it aren't supercars.  Tiff Needell said it best,  people think you can shove any big engine into a light chassis and call it a supercar, but I'm sorry you cant.  The Veyron may not be a sports car, but it is a supercar in every sense of the word. 

None of the cars I listed are sports cars, but they are all supercars.  The Veyron is a supercar, but it's more like a GT then it is a hardcore performance car.

[ifcar]

But let's look at a Civic, for instance.  It is cheaper to operate, cheaper for the same level of options, has a similarly-powerful engine, and has Honda reliability versus questionable VW reliability.

Yet your choice has the same lack of economy and doesn't drive as well as the Rabbit. The Rabbit's more reliable than the Impreza too, according to Consumer Reports.

[MrH]

Wow, I disagree with quite a few of those.

[the Teuton]

Yet your choice has the same lack of economy and doesn't drive as well as the Rabbit. The Rabbit's more reliable than the Impreza too, according to Consumer Reports.

1) My choice is not the best car in the class.  Once again, I think that distinction goes to the Mazda3.

2) Bullshit.  Maybe now, but over the long-run, I guarantee there will be a higher percentage of Imprezas on the road than Golfs, especially the Mexican-built ones.

[omicron]

I'm quite happy with that list, for the most part.

[ifcar]

1) My choice is not the best car in the class.  Once again, I think that distinction goes to the Mazda3.

2) Bullshit.  Maybe now, but over the long-run, I guarantee there will be a higher percentage of Imprezas on the road than Golfs, especially the Mexican-built ones.

The current Rabbit isn't Mexican-built, to my knowledge.

And the Mazda3 s is rated at 22 city/29 highway.