2007 North American Car & Truck Finalists!

[Flybrian]

2007 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced

By DALE JEWETT | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 12/13/06, 12:30 pm et

Link to Original Article @ AutoWeek

DETROIT -- The Honda Fit, Saturn Aura and Toyota Camry are the finalists for the 2007 North American Car of the Year award.

Finalists for the 2007 North American Truck of the Year award are the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford Edge and Mazda CX-7.

The finalists for both awards were announced today here. The winners will be named Jan. 7, at the start of press preview days for the North American International Auto Show.

The finalists were culled from a candidate pool of 12 cars and 14 trucks. The finalists were determined by the votes of 49 auto journalist jurors. The jury includes Automotive News Executive Editor Edward Lapham and Senior Writer Dale Jewett, and AutoWeek Editor Dutch Mandel and Road Test Editor Natalie Neff. Both publications are owned by Crain Communications Inc.

In a new procedure for the 2007 awards, jurors will vote a second time to choose a winner from among the three finalists in each category. In previous years, the top three vote getters in each category were named finalists, with the top vote-getting vehicle named the winner.

[siegen]

Honda Fit, Saturn Aura and Toyota Camry

I wonder who's going to win....

[thegriffon]

If the fit wins they can really crow—it's already 5 years old.

[Flybrian]

The Fit doesn't even belong in the running.

[Sixty8panther]

I'll have a FIT if that happens. That little dustmite

has to the the 3rd ugliest new vehicle on the road

today. The first being the Ridgeline and Second

being the Element.... hey I did not realize until

I just typed that how the three vehicles I think

have the worst styling are all HONDAS.

[Hudson]

My money is on the Camry and Silverado.

[79VetteZ06]

The son of a pig Tundra is not there?

AND THE WINNERS ARE............

SATURN AURA AND CHEVROLET SILERADO

[siegen]

The son of a pig Tundra is not there?

227298[/snapback]

Pretty sure it won't be out soon enough. Come next year, I'm sure it will be in the running.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

COTY will go to the Camry and TOTY will go to the Silverado (What about the T900 SUVS?!?!)

Actually, I'd bet an outside chance on the CX-7 getting TOTY.

As for the son-of-a-pig Tundra... No worries, it'll win next year! (FOR SURE) as well as MT TOTY and C&D 10 Best.

[AxelTheRed]

So, who else is bored as hell of the Camry?

[Z-06]

COTY will go to the Camry and TOTY will go to the Silverado (What about the T900 SUVS?!?!)

I think I second that. Rationally speaking, I think Silvy has a good chance. Credit should be given to GM to build this truck full 13 months ahead of schedule, when the SOP Tundra and for that matter Toy-boy-ta is pushing it back. It is a very good truck and I think it has an impeccable interior and quality. About the Aura it is there but not really there, may be the 2008 Bu will.

As for the son-of-a-pig Tundra... No worries, it'll win next year! (FOR SURE) as well as MT TOTY and C&D 10 Best.

227410[/snapback]

I am surprised it did not make it when it already is the most significant vehicle from crapmunds, Crapper's Reviews, and other "Important" publications.

[thedriver]

The Ford Edge and Mazda CX-7 shouldn't even be in the running, they aren't trucks.

Even by admission of their own manufacturers, they are "car based crossovers".

I know the Fed Gov has "definitions" of what is a truck and what isn't, but come on. . .

[Nick]

It would be great if the Silverado won, but in reality I see the CX-7 and Camry winning.

[Hudson]

I think I second that.

Am I on ignore here?

[GoneFishin]

So what they're saying is that if you want to do something like drive down to the local landscape supply and have them dump a half ton of gravel in the back for that paver patio project I'm going to do next summer, the CX-7 is possibly the best truck to do the job?

Edited December 14, 2006 by GoneFishin

[Robert Hall]

It would be great if the Silverado won, but in reality I see the CX-7 and Camry winning.

227591[/snapback]

Yes, that will probably be the outcome..the Camry win was pre-ordained when the '07 was first announced.

[Silverado03]

Yes, that will probably be the outcome..the Camry win was pre-ordained when the '07 was first announced.

227772[/snapback]

Well anything made overseas will win. The automotive press loves to beat on American cars and trucks.

I have drove the new Silverado, it was amazing, quiet, smooth, plenty of power, great interior, fit and finish way better then my friends 06 Tundra. Heck my 03 Silverado beats his Tundra in ride, comfort, power and mpg. I found his Tundra to have more road noise and the ride a little stiff. It does have nice seats, but hey I'm pretty happy with the 03Silverado Classic with only 100,000 miles and still going strong.

I do believe that Honda's and Toyota's are the most over-rated cars and trucks in the world. I have been in plenty over the years and really they are nothing special.

So I guess we will wait and see what wins the big prize. I'm hoping Saturn and Silverado.

[Hudson]

So what they're saying is that if you want to do something like drive down to the local landscape supply and have them dump a half ton of gravel in the back for that paver patio project I'm going to do next summer, the CX-7 is possibly the best truck to do the job?

227752[/snapback]

How do you figure? It's not "pickup" of the year..and truck encompasses more than a vehicle with the ability to haul "a half tone of gravel in the back." Edited December 15, 2006 by Hudson

[Regalguy01]

COTY will go to the Camry and TOTY will go to the Silverado (What about the T900 SUVS?!?!)

Actually, I'd bet an outside chance on the CX-7 getting TOTY.

As for the son-of-a-pig Tundra... No worries, it'll win next year! (FOR SURE) as well as MT TOTY and C&D 10 Best.

227410[/snapback]

I agree with this prediction. They will likely pick the Toyota Blandry and it is up for grabs as far as the pickups go; that is the one segment where they will admit that Japanese are not automotive manufacturing GODS.............

[Z-06]

Am I on ignore here?

227731[/snapback]

LOL ignorance of me to skip your quote

Modified: I THIRD that

[GoneFishin]

How do you figure? It's not "pickup" of the year..and truck encompasses more than a vehicle with the ability to haul "a half tone of gravel in the back."

228236[/snapback]

It's just me I guess. Someone says truck, and I'm thinking pickup truck.

[RangerVT]

Yes, that will probably be the outcome..the Camry win was pre-ordained when the '07 was first announced.

Doesn't it just put a sour taste in your mouth to know that these "...... of the Year" Awards always seem to default to imports? Domestics can score out just as well or better than their competition, but simply receive honorable mention. For the record, my hopes are on the Aura and Silverado. Oh and can you say 2008 Malibu as "Car of the Year"?

[Hudson]

Doesn't it just put a sour taste in your mouth to know that these "...... of the Year" Awards always seem to default to imports? Domestics can score out just as well or better than their competition, but simply receive honorable mention. For the record, my hopes are on the Aura and Silverado. Oh and can you say 2008 Malibu as "Car of the Year"?

Not at all. There are three (I count the Chrysler Group) domestic manufacturers and there are more than a dozen manufacturers based in other countries selling their wares in the US. When the domestic industry is outnumbered like that, you've got to assume that there will be more import brands introducing new products than domestic brands. "Car of the Year" and "Truck of the Year" awards are usually based on what is new or significantly improved that year. How many new cars can GM, Ford, and Chrysler put out in one year? And wouldn't that number pale in comparison to the number introduced by all of the other companies?

Now you're at a loss in sheer numbers of introductions, what are the odds that one of the other companies introduced something more dramatically better in its segment than the Big 3 did?

I'll state it again, I believe the winners should be the Camry and the Silverado this year...they are much better than the other choices.