The Subaru Forester is the “Best Car to Buy 2014” and the Honda Accord Hybrid the “Best Green Car to Buy 2014,” according to editors of High Gear Media publications.
The Forester was one of 15 cars nominated for the honor, the Honda one of five.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and Porsche Cayman were named best luxury/performance cars.
The winners were named by expert editors from High Gear Media’s car shopping and automotive news sites The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports.
“The 2014 Subaru Forester is, hands down, the most versatile vehicle we drove this year. It doesn’t skip any steps in winning us over and that includes performance,” said Marty Padgett, editorial director of High Gear Media in this week’s announcement of the winners.
Bengt Halvorson, deputy editor for The Car Connection, called it “one of the safest cars you can buy.”
The Forester topped a field of 15 nominees, scoring 8.4 points on a 10-point scale that “reflects the overall opinion of our automotive experts on any vehicle.” That combines scores given to each vehicle in sub-categories such as safety, comfort and utility, fuel economy, performance and styling.
The Forester’s score was beaten only by luxury nominee Acura MDX (8.6) and luxury/performance nominee Porsche Cayman (8.8) and equaled by the luxury Cadillac CTX and hatchback nominee Kia Soul.
Other nominees by The Car Connection by category and followed by points awarded are:
Luxury nominees: Acura MDX (8.6), BMW 4-Series (8.2), Cadillac CTS (8.4), Infiniti Q50 (8.2), Kia Cadenza (8.2), Lexus IS (8), Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class (8.2), Porsche Cayman (8.8)
Sedan nominees: Chevrolet Impala (8), Mazda 3 (8), Mazda 6 (8.2)
Crossover nominees: Kia Sorento (8.2), Subaru Forester (8.4)
Hatchback nominees: Kia Soul (8.4), Mazda 3 (8)
Truck nominees: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (8), GMC Sierra 1500 (8.2)
Meanwhile, Green Car Reports editors named the 2014 Honda Accord “the most significant new green car made available to shoppers during the 2014 model year, taking into account new technologies, their practicality and their impact on the environment.”
“Honda has gone back to the drawing board for a completely new hybrid sedan that delivers excellent gas mileage,” said John Voelcker, Green Car Reports editor. “It makes one of the best family sedans one of the most environmentally responsible choices.”
Other nominees were the BMW i3, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, the Chevy Spark EV, and the Mazda 3.
The luxury/performance category was so close, editors named two cars a winners: the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and Porsche Cayman. “The CLA45 AMG is an exceptional performance buy, an unequivocal blast to drive on the street or on the track,” said Motor Authority editor Nelson Ireson, “while the Porsche Cayman simply sets the bar for sports-car handling and styling.”
“We can’t recall a single year when so many all-new and redesigned luxury vehicles have taken form; and as we put together our list of nominees,” according to The Car Connection. “It’s no surprise that there were a few more contenders here than in other categories.”
Other nominees in the luxury/performance category were: Audi RS 7 (NA), Cadillac CTS (8.4), Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (8.8), Jaguar F-Type (9.2), Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG (8.2), Mercedes-Benz S Class (9.4), Porsche Cayman (8.8), Porsche Panamera (8.4).
Written by:
Mark Macesich is an experienced writer and editor whose background includes six years in marketing communications with national auto lender Santander Consumer USA, where he works on several consumer/customer and business-to-business blogs and other customer- and dealer-facing content. He has…
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