Car and Driver 10Best is a list annually produced by Car and Driver (C/D), nominating what it considers the ten best cars of the year. C/D also produces the 5Best list, highlighting what it considers the five best trucks of the year.
All production vehicles for sale in that calendar year are considered with these restrictions:
- The vehicle must be on sale by January
- It must be priced below 2.5 times the average price of a car that year
- The manufacturer must provide an example for testing
- Only substantially changed or new vehicles and the past year's 10 best winners are nominated
The magazine sometimes selects a specific trim and other times a whole family of vehicles.
Top Ten Marques
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From 1983 through 2008, the following marques were represented on the list the most times, including both the car and truck lists (except for the 2008 trucks).
Top Manufacturers
Further breaking down the marques into their controlling manufacturers amplifies Honda's dominance of the contest over the last 25Â years.
Note that this number is skewed by the multiple products picked over the years. For example, the Chrysler minivans were picked three times, totalling 8 "points" for Chrysler from three wins. The Diamond-Star cars were a similar problem, double-dipping "points" for both Mitsubishi, Plymouth, and Eagle. These situations were not "fixed"; rather, they are left as-is, skewing the totals.
Note also that changing ownership can affect the count. Chrysler and Dodge products from 1999 through 2007 were counted for Daimler-Benz/DaimlerChrysler/Daimler AG, as that company had wholly acquired Chrysler in that period. Similarly, Saab's post-2000 products, had they won a place on the list, would be counted for General Motors. Despite strong corporate ties through this period, Mazda remains separate from Ford, Subaru from General Motors and Toyota, Nissan from Renault, and Mitsubishi from Chrysler.
Top Ten Models
From the 1983 start of the 10Best, the following individual models were represented on the list the most times...(in 2007, Honda's Odyssey and Pilot vehicles appeared in the top ten, a first for any truck).
1983
For the 1980s, Car and Driver picked four domestic and six import cars.
Fastest car tested: Jaguar XJ-S HE, 142Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
- Ford Escort
- Ford LTD
1984
Instituted the price cap at $30,000.
Fastest car tested: Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole, 144Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Cavalier
- Ford Escort
- Ford LTD
1985
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette, 150Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Cavalier
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Celebrity
1986
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Porsche 944 Turbo, 157Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Celebrity
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1987
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari Testarossa, 176Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Escort
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1988
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari Testarossa, 173Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Corsica/Beretta
- Ford Taurus
1989
Imports and domestics chosen by marque, not by place of manufacture.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: 750iL V12, 158Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Ford Escort
1990
Eliminated half domestic/half import rule as impractical.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 175Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1991
New rule: No more than two places per marque.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 176Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Toyota Camry
1992
Price cap: $40,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F40, 197Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1993
Price cap: $40,000
Fastest car tested: Lamborghini Diablo, 204Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1994
Institution of the 2.5x price cap, now at $43,000.
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 179Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Ford Escort
1995
Price cap: $46,000.
Fastest car tested: Lamborghini Diablo VT, 185Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1996
Price cap: $48,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F355, 179Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1997
Price cap: $54,000
Fastest car tested: Dodge Viper GTS, 177Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1998
Price cap: $55,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F50, 194Â mph
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1999
Price cap: $59,000
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
2000
Price cap: $61,000
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
2001
For 2001, Car and Driver created a separate "Five Best Trucks" award with a single winner in each of five categories.
Top-selling vehicles:
- Ford F-Series
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Ford Explorer
10Best Cars
Price cap: $62,000
5Best Trucks
2002
Top-selling cars:
- Ford F-Series
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Toyota Camry
10Best Cars
Price cap: $66,000
5Best Trucks
2003
10Best Cars
Price cap: $66,000
5Best Trucks
2004
10Best Cars
Price cap: $69,000
5Best Trucks
2005
10Best Cars
Price cap: $70,000
For 2005 and 2006, the magazine named one winner in each category.
5Best Trucks
2006
10Best Cars
Price cap: $70,000
5Best Trucks
2007
10Best Cars
Price cap: $71,000
Car and Driver considers the Porsche Boxster and Cayman to be the same car.
5Best Trucks
2008
10Best Cars
Price cap: $72,000
Car and Driver considers the Porsche Boxster and Cayman to be the same car.
5Best Trucks
2009
10Best Cars
Price cap: $71,000
Beginning with the 2009 list, Car and Driver considered the Porsche Boxster and Cayman to be the same car.
"Dishonorable Mention"
In conjunction with the 2009 10Best Cars list, Car and Driver issued a list of what it called "The 10 Most Embarrassing Award Winners in Automotive History", spotlighting cars previously honored by a major automotive magazine (including CD itself) that, with the passage of time, it considered to be anything but award-worthy.
2010
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000
2011
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000 This year marks the first appearance of an electrically powered car, the Volt, as well as the first appearance of a Korean automaker, Hyundai, on C&D 10Best.
2012
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000
2013
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000
2014
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000
2015
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000
2016
10Best Cars
Price cap: $80,000