2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists Announced

Three car finalists, the Cadillac ATS, the Ford Fusion, and the Honda Accord, tallied more votes than other nominees on a shortlist consisting of the BMW 3-series, Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Dart, Lincoln MKZ, Nissan Altima, Scion FR-S, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota Avalon. On the truck/utility side, another three finalists—the Ford C-Max, Mazda CX-5, and Ram 1500—gathered more votes than the nominated Acura RDX, Audi Allroad, BMW X1, Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti JX35, and Nissan Pathfinder. All six are decent vehicles, to be sure; the winners will be announced this January 14 at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

TheATS is the smallest, lightest Cadillac since the early-’80s Cimarron. It’s a true, compact rear-wheel-drive sedan with the size, chassis, and speed to run with the 10Best Cars-winning BMW 3-series, narrowly losing a head-to-head comparison test. Demerits include the lack of a V-6/manual-transmission combo (although the manual isn’t very satisfying where it is offered), a peaky four-cylinder turbo, the small back seat and trunk, some confounding switchgear, and the distracting and somewhat reticent CUE infotainment system.

The Fusion displays a design flair Ford cribbed from its once-captive Aston Martin subsidiary that makes it look more expensive than it is. Along with a wide selection of powertrain choices, including two turbo fours and two hybrid systems (one being of the plug-in variety), the Fusion gets high marks for its sharp steering, stiff structure, pinpoint brakes, and excellent body control. We don’t like the snug back seat, narrow trunk opening, smallish fuel tank, and ungainly MyFord Touch infotainment system. Still, it’s pretty good: It finished second to the Honda Accord in a recent six-car comparo.

Honda’s all-new ninth-generation Accord secured another 10Best trophy for 2013. Marking a return to form, we love the all-new Accord’s well-balanced, agile handling; sharp steering; and capacious rear seat and trunk, as well as the small-on-the-outside, big-on-the-inside packaging; well-tuned CVT; and sharp-shifting manual transmission. We’d prefer more exciting styling and better fuel economy, but this car is sweet.

The Ford C-Max is sold in North America only as a hybrid. Based on the Focus platform, the C-Max shares that car’s DNA in its well-damped suspension, sharp steering, firm brake feel, and stiff structure. Acceleration is lively for the class, too. However, stopping distances are on the long side and fuel economy drops sharply when you deign to drive it like a real car.

Mazda’s CX-5 is our current small crossover champion, having bested five other recently redesigned stuff-haulers. A fantastic chassis, great sightlines, and class-leading fuel economy are key reasons we love it, but with only 155 hp to move its 3500 pounds and a fuel-economy-oriented shift schedule, it’s awfully slow. Good thing the 2014 will offer a larger, more-powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder.

The Ram 1500 pickup is the sole actual truck among the NACTOY finalists, although its plush ride (especially with optional air suspension) and quiet, carlike comfort are pretty damn coddling. A slick-shifting eight-speed transmission and refined Pentastar V-6 add to that perception. On the minus side, the Ram’s new rotary shifter takes some getting used to and, like every full-size pickup on the planet, the bottom line can swell big time once you get frisky with options.