Automotive media company names 'Best Cars to Buy' for consumers, performance/luxury enthusiasts, and green-car fans

MENLO PARK, CA--Nov. 12, 2013: High Gear Media today named four cars as its "Best Cars to Buy 2014" – the Subaru Forester, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and Porsche Cayman, and the Honda Accord Hybrid. 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 Subaru Forester was named The Car Connection's "Best Car to Buy 2014" out of a field of 15 nominees. Candidates were judged using the site's unique "TCC Rating," a clear numeric rating value based on a 10-point scale that reflects the overall opinion of our automotive experts on any vehicle. The TCC Rating rolls up scores given to each vehicle across sub-categories including safety, comfort and utility, fuel economy, performance, and styling.

"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," according to Marty Padgett, editorial director of High Gear Media. "The Subaru Forester gets the nod this year, topping other brand-new vehicles such as the Acura MDX, Cadillac CTS, Kia Cadenza and Mazda 6," added Bengt Halvorson, deputy editor for The Car Connection. "It's one of the safest cars you can buy."

High Gear Media's luxury and performance site, Motor Authority, took the unusual step of choosing two winners this year. It named the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG as its "Best Performance/Luxury Car to Buy 2014" --and also named the 2014 Porsche Cayman its Best Car To Buy 2014. The Cayman's win recognizes its close relationship to last year's winner, the Porsche Boxster. Motor Authority editors selected the cars from among all luxury/performance vehicles priced higher than $50,000 that appealed to enthusiasts most strongly with styling, features, acceleration, and handling--even value.

"The CLA45 AMG is an exceptional performance buy--it's 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." The CLA45 AMG and Cayman were selected over the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, with other close finishers including the Jaguar F-Type and the Audi RS 7.

Green Car Reports, High Gear Media's destination for green cars, electric cars, fuel-efficient cars and hybrid cars, named the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid as its "Best Green Car to Buy 2014." Green Car Reports editors choose 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.

The other nominees were the BMW i3, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, the Chevy Spark EV, and the 2014 Mazda 3. "Honda has gone back to the drawing board for a completely new hybrid sedan that delivers excellent gas mileage," said Green Car Reports Editor John Voelcker. "It makes one of the best family sedans one of the most environmentally responsible choices."