AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES 2005 ALL STARS
Editors Award Outstanding Performance in 13 Categories
ANN ARBOR, MI December 20, 2004) AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, Americas leading automotive lifestyle publication, today announced the winners of the 2005 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Stars awards, recognizing outstanding performance in 13 categories. The recipients are featured in the 2005 February issue, on newsstands January 11, 2005.
The industry as a whole has really stepped up to the plate with some of the most innovative and exciting vehicles and ideas weve seen in a long time, said Jean Jennings, editor-in-chief of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE. Were proud to recognize this years All-Stars for their outstanding contributions to the evolving automotive industry and to our daily lives.
For 2005, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE created a new category, the All-Stars Team, honoring seven industry leaders for their significant contributions:
Ulrich Bez CEO, Aston Martin Ralph Gilles Design Director, Chrysler Tony Kanaan IRL Champion Mike Neal Development Engineer, Chevrolet Corvette Jim Press Executive VP and COO, Toyota Motor Sales David Richards Former Team Principal, BAR-Honda Michael Schumacher Formula 1 ChampionThis year, top honors went to vehicles from Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Toyota. The 2005 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Stars are:
Automobile of the Year: Chrysler 300C - At a time when the American auto industry needs heroes, the 300C wins the medal of honor, hands down. Chryslers 340-hp, Hemi-headed honey has taken America by storm. All-Star Coupe: BMW M3 The M3's 333 hp is a lot, and so is nearly $50,000 - but the M3 is worth every penny because it rewards every bit of skill a driver puts into it.
All-Star Family Car: Subaru Legacy The Legacy beat out the competition because it can be all things to all people: a refined, high-quality, comfortable freeway cruiser and a sporty back-roads car, with fine steering and brakes and a sweet shifter.
All-Star Luxury Sedan: Audi A8L The A8L is impossible to ignore, to resist, or, for the foreseeable future, to surpass. Driving it is a no-fuss experience, and it engagingly does anything and everything asked.
All-Star Minivan: Honda Odyssey Toyota, Nissan, and Chrysler have threatened the champ's reign, but the all-new 2005 Odyssey delivers another knockout punch to the segment.
All-Star Pickup: Toyota Tacoma The new Tacoma is the best truck in its set, offering more configurations than any competitor, with refinement and impressive engineering.
All-Star Small Car: Mazda 3 This compact sedan has an attractive price and a spacious cabin, and enthusiastic drivers can enjoy it on roads where poise matters more than trunk volume.
All-Star Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette The sixth-generation Corvette yanks at the heartstrings of enthusiasts and turns heads wherever it goes. The car is so good that anyone can be a hero in it.
All-Star Sport-utility Vehicle: Cadillac SRX With edgy styling that distinguishes it from its boxlike brethren, the driver-centric SRX is an uncompromising blend of performance and utility.
All-Star Sport Sedan: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR This vehicle offers major grunt, great gobs of grip, four doors, five seats, visceral performance coupled with a remarkably supple ride, and great fun, all at a price your CPA could love.
All-Star Design: BMW 6-series This dramatic, functional, and exciting automobile stands out like a swan in a gaggle of geese.
All-Star Technology: Audi DSG The Audi TT is the first to market with what could be the transmission of the future: the Direct-Shift Gearbox designed by BorgWarner, which combines the best features of manuals and automatics.
Criteria and Evaluation
The AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Stars are chosen by the AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE staff, its worldwide bureau chiefs, and its contributors, following a three-day test drive of the year's most innovative and important new cars. Vehicles eligible to be considered for the Automobile of the Year award combine the following traits:
Redefines an existing category or creates a new market segment Offers excellent value and performance for the money Is an exceptional design Offers pure driving enjoymentThe award decisions are not made through an instrumented test process. After the 1000-mile road trip, winners are determined by a round-table discussion that results in a vote for the winner.
About AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, a PRIMEDIA Inc. publication, was founded in 1986 by veteran automotive journalist David E. Davis, Jr., and has a circulation of 645,000 and a total readership of 4 million. Recipient of more editorial awards than any other major automotive publication, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE is designed to appeal to the interests of passionate automotive enthusiasts. Its diverse editorial mix includes behind-the-wheel experiences in the worlds most fascinating cars, as well as personalities, travel destinations, automotive art, vintage cars and industry trends.