North American Car of the Year

[Otto Puzzell]

AutoWeek, the used-to-be-weekly news magazine covering the the auto biz and racing (before shrinking to a content-poor publication of not much more than pamphlet thickness) has published the finalists for the North American Car of the Year, which will be voted on by automotive journalists. (Their picks for the North American Truck of the Year are a complete kludge, so I won't waste anybodies time with that. What is a kludge? A kludge (or kluge) is a 'solution' for accomplishing a task, originally a mechanical one and usually an engineering one, which consists of various otherwise unrelated parts and mechanisms, cobbled together in an untidy or downright messy manner).

I think the membership here puts most automotive journalists on the trailer. I'm much more interested in the opinions of our assembled experts, who have not been wined, dined and junketed into favoring one car over another. So, please vote for your NACOTY here. When voting, please tell us three pro's  and at least one con  for the car you picked.   

Thanks!

[Stephen M]

I have driven none of the nominees... which makes me just as qualified as the next auto-rag hack! Let's see... looking at the contenders, we have exactly 0 pulse-quickeners, and 3 snooze-increazzzzzzzz........

Sorry, dosed off for a bit. Looks like the entries are based not on outstanding design or revolutionary technology, but rather based on perceived industry impact. There's the Fit, chosen presumably as an exemplar B-segment car, the market explosion of which will happen any day now. The Aura, a generally competent and competitive car from a maker not generally known for such. And the Camry, the face of the company poised to take over the #1 spot, sales wise, any day now. And I suppose it could also be said to be bringing hybrid to the mainstream masses, though I might argue hybrid civics and accords have already done such.

In other words, I read it as three cars the manufacturers have the most riding on. What better way to solicit advertising dollars during the voting period? 

I was going to vote "other" out of protest, but looking at the wider list of eligible cars there really isn't much of interest. Maybe it was just a down year for the enthusiast. So be it. My half-assed vote goes with the Camry. I mail in my +3-1 reasons as:

+ Driving dynamics will put the kids in the back seat to sleep.
+ Eco Ego friendly
+ No one will question your purchase decision

- Driving dynamics may put the driver to sleep.

Blah. Humbug. Maybe the Detroit show will have something redeeming for next year.

EDIT: "And with 1 of 75 districts reporting, it's the Camry in a land slide, 1-0-0!"