2010

In the best of Australia’s Best Cars tradition, 2010 produced some of the closest results in the 11-year history of the awards, with a number of repeat winners and a handful of new models taking first place on the podium.

The awards were expanded from 12 to 15 categories this year to cater for the rapid growth in the popular light and compact/mid-size SUV vehicles and make categories more readily relevant to buyers. You will notice a number of name changes.

From an initial field of 300-plus vehicles, it came down to 47 finalists and a week of back-to-back testing and number crunching by the 10 judges from all state auto clubs, including the RACQ, to finalise scoring for the nation’s best cars.

But it doesn’t all happen in five days. While the final week provides judges with an opportunity to closely compare all the leading contenders, Australia’s Best Cars (ABC) is an ongoing new car assessment process, with models tested and scored throughout the year.

The volume seller of new passenger vehicles are eligible for the awards providing they are on sale by the first day of the Australian International Motor Show (October), and are available for testing by ABC judges.

Consumer focus is the cornerstone of the ABC program, which looks at ownership issues such as servicing, insurance and warranty rather than just the car’s on-road ability.

Each vehicle is assessed, given a ‘raw’ score from one to 10 for each criteria and then weightings (Low, 0.2; Medium, 0.4; High, 0.8; Critical, 1.0) are applied to yield the final score. These weightings can vary from category to category, based on research and feedback from car-buyers emphasising the things they say are important for each class of vehicle. For example, pricing is weighted as Critical in People Movers but only Medium in Luxury SUVs.

Anything that can be measured is. This includes interior space, computer assessments of acceleration and braking, safety ratings, interior noise levels, pricing, depreciation costs, running and repair costs, fuel consumption and standard features.

So, if you want comprehensive information on the nation’s best cars, it’s as easy as ABC.

RACQ's Judges

Technical Researcher John Ewing and Editor of The Road Ahead Barry Green are RACQ's representatives on the ABC judging panel, which is drawn from motoring clubs around Australia.

Think the judges have got it wrong?

No worries, just go to the ABC website www.australiasbestcars.com.au and click on the My Best Car tool. Simply select the category that best describes the type of vehicle you wish to buy (e.g., Small Car), then adjust the weighting of each criteria, based on what’s important to you. My Best Car will calculate and identify the three cars that score highest according to your personal requirements.

Another good read

The 2011 Australia’s Best Cars magazine is the definitive read for anyone in the market for a new car. Profiling more than 300 vehicles, the magazine is available from RACQ branch offices and agents or online at www.racq.com, at the special member price of $7.95 (plus postage and handling if applicable).