2004

We pick the best cars in the nation.

Half a decade on and the Australia's Best Cars (ABC) program has cemented its reputation as the most credible and objective provider of new car purchase advice to Australian consumers.

Story by David Rose

Photos Mark Horsburgh, Peter Wilson & Dirk Klynsmith

The fifth year of ABC was the most volatile in terms of the number of new winners. After a sustained period of successive victories, a number of vehicles were toppled by 'new kids on the block'.

Seven of the 12 gongs on offer went to newcomers, which is an indicator not just of the number but of the quality of new vehicles emerging this past 12 months.

It was another big year for the Australian auto industry, with dozens of new players entering the local market. It was again the task of the experienced ABC judges and their associates from the state automobile clubs to assess these vehicles throughout the year and add them to the list of established vehicles in the ABC scoring database.

But it is the week-long 'Grand Final' session in late October, where the final numbers are crunched by the senior judges from each club who drive all finalists back-to-back over a variety of terrain and road surfaces.

After three years in Victoria, the final showdown returned to the scene of the very first ABC grand finale in 2000 - the warmer climes of southern Queensland. But shorts made way for raincoats when the Best Cars crew arrived at the same time as several days of drought-breaking rains.

But the show must go on, and, the Best Cars judges climbed in, out-of and around the 36 finalists -- three from each of the 12 categories -- collectively worth around $2 million. All new passenger vehicles were eligible for the awards, provided they were not limited edition models, were on sale by October 7 (the first day of the Australian International Motor Show), and were available for testing by ABC judges.