2011 Canadian Car of the Year Category Winners

2011 Canadian Car of the Year Category Winners

AJAC Awards declare 11 'Best New' vehicles for 2011

More than 150 different vehicles were brought to the Niagara Drive Centre for AJAC's annual TestFest during October 2010.

A total of 70 of Canada's top automotive journalists, including those from CarTest!, spent the week of Oct. 25-29, 2010, in the picturesque tourist town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON -- but not for the scenery or the wine tasting. Journalist members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) were there for the purpose of determining the 'Best New' cars and SUV/CUVs in 11 different vehicle categories, as part of AJAC's annual Canadian Car of the Year Awards program.

The four days of intensive, back-to-back testing and evaluation are known in the automotive industry as TestFest. The results of the journalists' test-drive evaluations were revealed Oct. 29 during a press conference wherein the category winners were announced. The press conference was held at the Niagara Drive Centre, located at the Niagara District Airport, where TestFest is staged each year. The winners are as follows.

Best New:

Small Car under $21,000: Ford Fiesta

Small Car over $21,000: Chevrolet Cruze

Family Car under $30,000: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel

Luxury Car over $50,000: BMW 5 Series Sedan

Prestige Car over $75,000: Porsche 911 Turbo S

Sports/Performance Car: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

Minivan: Toyota Sienna

SUV/CUV under $35,000: Hyundai Tucson

SUV/CUV $35,000-$50,000: Ford Edge

SUV/CUV over $50,000: Volkswagen Touareg. 2011 crossovers (CUVs) are tested back to back under the same conditions on the same day in AJAC's TestFest to select the best new model of the year.

2011 crossovers (CUVs) are tested back to back under the same conditions on the same day in AJAC's TestFest to select the best new model of the year.

The results were compiled by the international accounting firm KPMG and kept confidential even from AJAC until the press conference. The winners were determined from more than 40,000 individual data points established in the testing of 59 models totalling 144 different vehicles.

The purpose of the AJAC awards is to provide consumers with a valuable resource they can use when researching the purchase of a new vehicle -- one that includes a broad range of comparative information on vehicles that are new to the market. That information includes not just specifications and features but actual performance data and subjective ratings on up to 23 different characteristics, from interior roominess and comfort to ride quality and handling ability.

The AJAC journalists' vote results -- including all of the comparative test data amassed this week - are on the association's website for use as a consumer resource buying guide. Consumers that want to compare a Ford Fiesta to a Mazda2 or a Volkswagen Jetta or even a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Honda Accord Crosstour need look no further than the AJAC website: www.ajac.ca. Look under Canadian Car of the Year Awards/Results.

The 11 category winners listed above now go on to compete for the honour of becoming the 2011 Canadian Car of the Year or the 2011 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year. These overall winners will be announced on Feb. 17, 2011, at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, ON. Award winners for Best New Design and Best New Technology, presented by Shell Canada, will also be announced at that time. Click here for the story on the final winners.

For CarTest! readers still looking to buy a 2010, 2009, or even an older vehicle, AJAC archives the comparative test data and vote results from previous years on its website. Check it out at www.ajac.ca > Vehicle Comparisons.

For more information on the 2011 Canadian Car of the Year Awards, either visit the AJAC website, call the AJAC office at 705-924-3444, or send an e-mail to: beth@ajac.ca.

Posted Oct. 29 2010. Bill Roebuck, CarTest.ca. Photos courtesy AJAC.

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