Mike the loser: I agree with you. The GT-R is what everybody wants, but the genesis is more lokely to impact the market.

kitko: Mazda6 is also a good choice.

johnnycanuck: I think the CTS-V is disqualified because the regular CTS came out last year.

RaineMan: The Fit is the icon for $4 gas. It shows that honda was smart to bring it stateside. X6 is not a truck at all.

tzu13: I’d call the Flex and Pilot trucks.

shaver: We’ve all seen muscle cars before.

Need more oil for GM: most of list list is very good.

Patriot
* Audi A4 – Nothing special/vlass-topper

* BMW 1-Series – Nothing special/very nice

* Cadillac CTS-V – Most notable for performance in its segment I guess/This is probably the best car America has ever built, but I have a problem with giving the award to a new trim level.

* Dodge Challenger – Why?/It’s great, but not a game changer.

* Ford Flex – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for the ugliest vehicle ever./It’s polarizing — doesn’t work for me.

* Honda Fit – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for boring/The right car for $4 gas.

* Hyundai Genesis – Strong contender because of what it represents for Hyundai’s growth/I agree

* Jaguar XF – Ermm, it’s a Jaguar, who cares??It should be a volvo

* Lincoln MKS – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for utterly RETARDED COMMERICIALS. However, this is the most advanced car Ford has ever made. /Doesn’t work for me.

Mazda6 – Decent contender, great looking car./Great contender.

* Nissan GT-R – Too niche, but certainly shook up the high performance category the most./You’re probably right.

* Pontiac G8 – Errrm, why?/Don’t sell it short, but I’m not sure what the market is — poor man’s BMW?

* Toyota Venza – LOL!? A Ford Edge rip off. Only on here because it’s a Toyota./Crap. skip it.

* Volkswagen Jetta TDI – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for being dumb enough to pursue a technology path that will be obsolete in 5 years…/Mpt bad, but clearly no favorite here.

oldraven: Diesel should only grow. People are forgetting those Horrid GM diesels of yesteryear.

oldraven: “We need a variety of forms of energy storage.” You’re right.

And 2) EVs are great and all, but again, some people like to travel. Imagine going from Vegas to L.A., and having to stay overnight because you need to charge your car. It’s only a 280 mile trip, which could be done in a few hours, but because the EVs can’t go as far (and probably never will due to weight and space), the few hours becomes a few days.

Fuel cells are a long way off. They will be coming in big around the time my 5-year-old gets her license…

…maybe…

…if the cars aren’t driving themselves by that time…

What I want in my garage is:
A nice diesel truck for pulling my boat (Big ol’ truck with lots of torque and lots of seats)
A small EV daily driver (Smart ForTwo or something similar)
A long range family car or minivan for traveling (Volt, maybe? Or Flex?)
A decent toy car (Audi R8 would be good)

Of course, I’ll be really old before I can afford that lineup…

Besides, the last thing we need to do is replace one Monopoly (oil) with another (batteries). We need a variety of forms of energy storage, not just one to fit all situations. Otherwise, what’s to stop the world from forming another OBEC (Organization of the Battery Exporting Countries) and playing us all the same way they have for decades?

Trucks:
No Touraeg? WTF.

I wouldn’t suggest the Genesis because it’s just an egotistical rip off of many other vehicles at a lower price. Nothing new, nothing groundbreaking, I don’t care if it’s a good value, and obviously people are taking note of it’s less than obvious styling ripoffs.

For truck of the year… Infiniti FX45. They had a theme and had the balls to stick with it. They beautifully executed the vehicle. It’s definitely one of the highest performing SUV’s on the market, and arguably one of the best looking. The X6 would be another notable mention, but only appeals to a small niche that nobody else would be willing to gamble in.

Motor Trend, Automobile Magazine, Emmy, Oscar, CMA, MTV, Mexican TV……everyone gives out awards.

Diesel, when all is said and done, is not significantly better than gasoline. The better mileage is offset by the higher cost of diesel, and the extra cost of the hardware needed. In the long run, the mechanical simplicity of the drive trains of electric vehicles will make the more reliable, lower maintenance, and easier to build.

Diesel is no more a stepping stone than current generation hybrids are.

Every dollar invested in diesel and bio fuels is a dollar wasted which COULD have been spent on electric vehicle energy storage/production systems instead.

By the time diesel overcomes the cultural hurdle it needs to in order to be popular in America, more and more Volt-like cars will be available and will put cars like the Jetta TDI to shame.

* BMW 1-Series – Nothing special

* Cadillac CTS-V – Most notable for performance in its segment I guess

* Dodge Challenger – Why?

* Ford Flex – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for the ugliest vehicle ever

* Honda Fit – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for boring

* Hyundai Genesis – Strong contender because of what it represents for Hyundai’s growth

* Jaguar XF – Ermm, it’s a Jaguar, who cares?

* Lincoln MKS – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for utterly RETARDED COMMERICIALS. However, this is the most advanced car Ford has ever made.

* Mazda Mazda6 – Decent contender, great looking car.

* Nissan GT-R – Too niche, but certainly shook up the high performance category the most.

* Pontiac G8 – Errrm, why?

* Toyota Venza – LOL!? A Ford Edge rip off. Only on here because it’s a Toyota.

* Volkswagen Jetta TDI – Sure, if you’re giving out awards for being dumb enough to pursue a technology path that will be obsolete in 5 years…

I’d go with CTS-V, XF, and 6 for car contenders. For trucks the Ram (new suspension design), Vue Hybrid, and ML320 BlueTec (both for their engines).

Vue or Traverse

Everything else is merely mediocre, far too unreliable and seriously lagging behind their GM superiors

I especially hope no one votes for the Tiguan as that vehicle is breaking no new ground.

I think it’s either Challenger or CTS-V. G8 is the dark horse.

If I were to vote without conscience, GT-R … giant killer without having to break the bank (relatively speaking)

My fantasy pick and longshot however would have to be the Challenger.

I’m not convinced the Genesis is revolutionary. Yes, it offers a lot of luxury for the money, but it isn’t THAT inexpensive. It is a $40k+ automobile after all, and its generic styling kills it as a revolutionary player on that alone, IMO.

Mazda 6 for “going light and low drag” policy that’s evident in a Mazda2 and Euro/JDM Mazda 6 and that was transfered also to the US version. All that while increasing safety, power and comfort in a beautiful, clean but at the same time distinctive and unmistakable design package.

Hyundai Genesis for being revolutionary in many ways and for showing all the snobs that you can enjoy all the luxury and technology in a inovative and reliable car for half the money.