It's far from seventh time lucky for the painstaking process that is Australia's Best Cars.
The nation’s motoring clubs devote countless hours to find the standout new cars from hundreds of possibilities. In 2006, Australia’s Best Cars (ABC) reflects buyers becoming more demanding, more focused on economy, safety and the environment and less parochial.
Just four of the 12 winners from last year defended their titles successfully, as a wave of new products altered the motoring landscape. Petrol vehicles dominated, although this year diesels wrested three awards and the hybrid cause gained a champion.
ABC delivers practical, thorough and objective advice for new car buyers, with a minimum of sentiment. We have more impartial scores than subjective scores and any part of a car that can be measured is measured.
As a final stage of confirmation, the leading contenders are driven back-to-back.
Best Cars is not a car-of-the-year award; rather it brings together all mainstream rivals, and delivers verdicts on their class credentials. For full details of the scores and how they are determined, visit the Australia's Best Cars website.
Best Small Car
Despite the emergence of a serious competitor in the revitalised Mazda2, Volkswagen’s diesel Polo picked up a second consecutive Best Small Car award.
Best Mid-Size Car Under $28,000
Buyers looking for a mid-size car under $28,000 have never had it so good, with such a wide range of excellent vehicles from which to choose.
Best Mid-Size Car Over $28,000
In the most hotly contested Best Cars category, the new Ford Mondeo has scored a narrow victory over the Volkswagen Jetta.
Best Large Car
Winning consecutive awards isn’t an easy task for any manufacturer, even the likes of Toyota, but for 2007 Toyota’s Aurion AT-X reigns supreme.
Best People Mover
Despite stiff competition, Honda’s Odyssey retained its Best People Mover title for the fourth year in a row.
Best Sports Car
With its all-wheel-drive and 3.2-litre V6 engine, the new-generation R32 hatch is a sufficiently different performance model in the Golf range to demand attention in its own right.
Best Luxury Sports
It was always going to be an interesting stoush this year in the battle of the affordable supercars. Previous winner, Audi’s V8 RS4 sedan had to contend with a much revised BMW M3 coupe.
Best Prestige Car
Last year, Subaru’s Liberty was pipped at the post by the new Lexus IS250 in this class. It was a case of déjà vu in 2007.
Best Luxury Car
Buyers in this category are looking for the best of everything, including engine technologies, but not at the expense of refinement.
Best Recreational 4WD
They say that the more things change, the more they stay the same, and this is true of Nissan’s X-Trail.
Best Luxury 4WD
One of the longest winning streaks in ABC history has ended, with four-time winner the Lexus RX 330/350 knocked of its perch by the latest BMW X5 diesel.
Best All-Terrain 4WD
Once again, Land Rover's Discovery 3 diesel won the most rugged class of all.
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