TTAC's Ten Best Automobiles for 2007: So Far, So Good

Nominations for our Ten Best Automobiles for 2007 proceed apace. So far, you’ve nominated 96 different [sold as] new vehicles, from the A3 to the Z4. We thought you might appreciate some fresh cyberspace in which to nominate, elucidate and participate in this automotive love-fest. Nominations are open until midnight (EST) this Friday; feel free to forward any further contenders or add your comments up until the deadline. Our writers will then select twenty finalists so you can choose the Ten Best. Meanwhile, here are some highlights from your nominations for the best of the best.

In nominating the Ford Crown Victoria, Ingvar stated, “I am not American, and I haven’t been to the USA. But if I went there, I would buy one just to feel as American as possible. This and the Town Car should be put up in the MOMA or the Smithsonian as examples of true heroes of American industrialism.”

Matthew Sullivan explained how the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution earned his respect. “At first, I had no idea what I was getting… [Then] I got seat time in some of the greats in all prices ranges: Vette, Viper, M3, M5 (the new one), Boxster, S4, Mini Cooper JCW, Miata, Golf GTI, Civic Si, Euro Focus ST, etc… Eventually I came to realize that the Evo was my ‘price is no object’ car.”

There were plenty of paeans to more prosaic machines. Steven Lang nominated the Toyota Corolla. “I know this is a shocker from a sports car enthusiast. However I have to tip my hat to a model that represents the pinnacle of reliability, fuel efficiency, design efficiency, and just plain common sense. As a commuting device the Corolla simply makes more sense than any other compact car.”

As this part of the process does depend on the weight of numbers, I haven’t totaled up the number of nominations for each car (if someone wants to…). It seems fairly clear that the Mazda MX-5 and Jeep Wrangler are well-loved and respected favorites.

Steve Green spoke for many when he praised this most quintessential of American off-roaders: “A great vehicle is neither more nor less than exactly what it needs to be. By that measure, the new Jeep Wrangler is a damn good vehicle. The new Wrangler distills 60 years of tradition into unheard-of off-road skills, and better on-road manners than anyone could reasonably expect.”

HawaiiJim was positively poetic in his ardor for the Subaru Forester.

Not too wide and not too tall,

Several commentators wanted to know why readers were nominating cars they had never driven, owned or otherwise personally experienced. As Virgil said, they can because they think they can. And they’re right. There are a lot of good reasons for nominating a car for a the Ten Best: looks, sound, specifications, technological prowess, pedigree, reputation, etc. Besides, in these YouTubular times, personal experience comes in many forms.

Ryan remarked: “When all these nominations are rounded up, it’d be interesting to see how many cars were nominated for both Ten Best and Ten Worst.” So I dug out the list of Ten Worst Automobiles nominees and had a look. They are the best of cars; they are the worst of cars.

Acura TL

This bi-polar poll demonstrates our readers’ catholic (small c) tastes. Which brings us to ole’s observation: “Do you guys even know how great this is, that 122 people have commented and stayed on topic, and haven’t abused each other for their opinions? How cool and [unfortunately] rare.”

Even though the delete button did see some service, I echo that sentiment. TTAC has the best group of readers in cyberland. While the comments on many other automotive websites often degenerate into flame wars and sophomoric name-calling, we can count on you, our faithful, literate readers to provide well-informed and thought-provoking insights, no matter what the subject.

Thanks to all of you for your part in making TTAC a safe haven for dangerous thinking. I look forward to revealing the 20 finalists and your 10 winners. Oh, and look out for a major surprise in the next day or so. We’re taking this bad boy to the next level. Our treat.