Player4
12-31-2004, 05:51 PM
<B>The Spies critique the Automobile Magazine 2005 All-Star awards<br></B> <br>12/29/2004<p><I>Here's who we'd have picked in each category...First their picks and then ours below each choice<p><B> Automobile of the Year:</B> Chrysler 300C - At a time when the American auto industry needs heroes, the 300C wins the medal of honor, hands down. Chryslers 340-hp, Hemi-headed honey has taken America by storm. <p>Agreed<p><B> All-Star Coupe:</B> BMW M3 The M3's 333 hp is a lot, and so is nearly $50,000 - but the M3 is worth every penny because it rewards every bit of skill a driver puts into it. <p>Agreed, but add two doors or slighty modify this category and it's an Audi S4<p><B> All-Star Family Car:</B> Subaru Legacy The Legacy beat out the competition because it can be all things to all people: a refined, high-quality, comfortable freeway cruiser and a sporty back-roads car, with fine steering and brakes and a sweet shifter. <p>2005 Honda Accord Hybrid<p><B> All-Star Luxury Sedan:</B> Audi A8L The A8L is impossible to ignore, to resist, or, for the foreseeable future, to surpass. Driving it is a no-fuss experience, and it engagingly does anything and everything asked.<p>None- We're bored with all of them...A8, 745, S, LS, Q...a shining star is needed here to take this category to the next level and that will be the the next S-class.<p><B> All-Star Minivan:</B> Honda Odyssey Toyota, Nissan, and Chrysler have threatened the champ's reign, but the all-new 2005 Odyssey delivers another knockout punch to the segment.<p>Toyota Sienna Limited<p><B> All-Star Pickup:</B> Toyota Tacoma The new Tacoma is the best truck in its set, offering more configurations than any competitor, with refinement and impressive engineering.<p>Tie: Toyota Tacoma, Ford F-150- a lot to like about both<p><B> All-Star Small Car:</B> Mazda 3 This compact sedan has an attractive price and a spacious cabin, and enthusiastic drivers can enjoy it on roads where poise matters more than trunk volume.<p>Tie: MINI, Mazda 3, Scion coupe<p><B> All-Star Sports Car:</B> Chevrolet Corvette The sixth-generation Corvette yanks at the heartstrings of enthusiasts and turns heads wherever it goes. The car is so good that anyone can be a hero in it.<p>Agreed<p><B> All-Star Sport-utility Vehicle:</B> Cadillac SRX With edgy styling that distinguishes it from its boxlike brethren, the driver-centric SRX is an uncompromising blend of performance and utility.<p>Volvo XC90- Best balance, package and safety of anything offered + the new V8 makes it even nicer.<p><B> All-Star Sport Sedan:</B> Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR This vehicle offers major grunt, great gobs of grip, four doors, five seats, visceral performance coupled with a remarkably supple ride, and great fun, all at a price your CPA could love.<p>Agreed. It's only problem is that it's a Mitsubishi<p><B> All-Star Design:</B> BMW 6-series This dramatic, functional, and exciting automobile stands out like a swan in a gaggle of geese.<p>If this is the design winner then Sandra Bernhard is the next Victoria's secret model. Our choice is the Porsche 997S...timeless<p><B> All-Star Technology:</B> Audi DSG The Audi TT is the first to market with what could be the transmission of the future: the Direct-Shift Gearbox designed by BorgWarner, which combines the best features of manuals and automatics.<p>Tie: Acura RL live traffic based navigation system, BLIS Blind Spot Information System-Volvo</I><p>Source: AutoSpies<br>