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MotorWeek Names Winners

CHICAGO February 10, 2006; MotorWeek, the original weekly automotive series now celebrating 25 years on television, today announced the Honda Civic as the 2006 MotorWeek Drivers Choice Award winner for Best of the Year. The entire Civic line-up of redesigned models was selected as the best overall winner from 12 individual categories. This is the first time Honda has won Best of the Year. Announced at the Chicago Auto Show, the 2006 MotorWeek Drivers Choice Awards are presented by The Stanley Works, and are sponsored by Dunlop Tires and cars.com.

Honda has outdone itself by rolling out a sterling suite of Civic models, where style and engineering, form and function converge to create a reliable yet cool looking compact-car series, said John Davis, host and executive producer, MotorWeek. The new Civic has no peers in appeal, with its concept-car styling, wide-open interior, strong yet efficient power, fine handling and advanced safety features. For Honda to innovatively cater all at once to just about everyone who is thinking about buying an intelligently sized car perfectly fits the hallmark of the MotorWeek Drivers Choice Awards.

The new Civic line-up includes both sedan and coupe models, blanketing the compact car segment from commuter four-door to the high-performance Si coupe to a new generation super fuel-efficient hybrid model. Add to the line-up Honda's proven reliability, advanced safety features such as standard side-curtain airbags, affordable prices starting in the mid-teens, and the fact that Civic also delivers a fun driving experience, said Davis, and it is easy to see why MotorWeek is convinced that the 2006 Civic has jumped more than a generation ahead of competition.

This year a team of 15 judges, comprised of the writers, producers and crew of MotorWeek evaluated more than 150 cars and trucks, focusing on key features of superior performance, technology, practicality and dollar value. The resulting 12 categories reflect the current buying trends in a market flush with outstanding vehicles. The vehicles selected for a 2006 Drivers Choice Award made it through the grueling gauntlet of road and track tests as well as a comprehensive comparison to competitors. The resulting list of winners represents what MotorWeek considers the best in each category.

1.       Best Small Car - Honda Civic

2.       Best Family Sedan - Hyundai Sonata

3.       Best Minivan - Honda Odyssey*

4.       Best Convertible - Pontiac Solstice

5.       Best Luxury Sedan - Infiniti M

6.       Best Sport Sedan   BMW 3-Series

7.       Best Performance Car - Ford Mustang*

8.       Best Small Sport-Utility Vehicle - Toyota RAV4

9.       Best Family Sport-Utility Vehicle - Ford Explorer

Mercury Mountaineer

10.    Best Pickup Truck - Ford F-150*

11.    Best Eco-Friendly  - Toyota Highlander Hybrid

12.    Best Dream Machines -  Chevrolet Corvette Z06

                              Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
                              
                              Ferrari F430

Special category: Most Jane Car -  BMW 3-Series
                                

*Denotes repeat winner from 2005
MotorWeek will feature the Drivers Choice Award winners on a special episode to air on PBS, beginning February 10 (check local listings), and on PEE Channel.

A special category was added this year to give readers of Jane magazine a targeted pick for its single, fun-loving twentysomething female readers. Selected for its winning combination of style with an attitude, superior performance, and pure driving pleasure, the Most Jane Car winner is featured in the magazine's March issue.

With so many more driver demands for meeting lifestyle needs, Americans want answers to their driving challenges, said Davis. We approach the MotorWeek Drivers Choice Awards with a great sense of responsibility for recognizing what drivers want and honing in on the best choices available.

MotorWeek has the enviable position of putting their quality brand to work for consumers, and their Drivers Choice Awards reflect such a mark of excellence, said Scott Bannell, director of corporate marketing for Stanley. As a like-minded company involved at all levels of the automotive world, Stanley is honored to present the 2006 MotorWeek Drivers Choice Awards.

Stanley's innovative consumer and industrial products help people utilize their skills, express their creativity and realize their visions on work sites around the globe. Brand names include Stanley®, Husky®, Goldblatt®, Bostitch®, Jensen®, Mac®, Proto®, La Bounty®, Vidmar®, CST, David White and ZAG®. Security Solutions brands include Stanley, Best, Blick and Frisco Bay. More information can be found at www.stanleyworks.com.

Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships. For more information, visit www.dunloptires.com.

MotorWeek, the original automotive magazine series on television, celebrates its 25th year of providing consumers with timely automotive industry news and entertainment features. The award-winning series, seen on PBS, PBS HD and PEE Channel, is nationally sponsored by The Stanley Works, Dunlop Tires and cars.com. Now in its 24th year, the annual MotorWeek Drivers.

Choice Awards are coveted by driver enthusiasts as the definitive list of best automotive picks for a range of lifestyle needs. For information, visit www.pbs.org/motorweek.