This is the fourth and final behind-the-scenes look at our 2012 10Best Cars competition; you can read the rest of the posts here. Don’t forget to come back next Tuesday, December 6, to see the full list of this year’s winners.
As we begin the final day, a staffer holds up his thumb and forefinger an inch or so apart and says, “There’s about that much difference between most of these cars [in terms of general competence and quality].” That said, by now, a few cars have clearly been eliminated from contention, including Honda’s disappointing new Civic and the woefully bad Nissan Versa.
With the weather mild and the roads dry, it’s time for a second or even third look at some of the cars on the list, particularly the current 10Best titleholders. Do they still measure up, or have they been bested by new stuff? Three in particular appear to have retained their places—we won’t know for sure until the ballots are tallied—the BMW 3-series models (shocker), the Cadillac CTS-V, and Porsche’s Boxster/Cayman. On the other end of the price scale, we’re impressed with the obvious value of sub-$20K cars like the Chevy Sonic, VW Golf, and Honda Fit.
And then there are the cars we like but that are somehow flawed. The Lotus Evora S addresses the base car’s power deficit and balky shifter, and it delivers incredible handling and the most visceral experience of the bunch, but its fit and finish, refinement, and ergonomics fall short. The Mini coupe drives as well as or better than its brethren, but its punishing ride, compromised practicality, and goofy styling are demerits. And the Hyundai Veloster simply doesn’t drive as interestingly as it looks.
By lunchtime on the last day, our numbers begin to dwindle as the out-of-towners head for the airport and the tech department heads for the track to get hard numbers on some of the cars in the field. The ballots are handed in and another 10Best session is in the books.
Day 4 Standouts: Cadillac CTS-V, Honda Fit, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG coupe, Volkswagen GTI
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