car- Fit, Mazda6, Flex, in that order. (mainly because the Fit is good mpg)
truck- Ram or Vue hybrid (ram because of new rear suspenders), or F-150 if Ford is bribing the right people.
Contenders for 2009 Car of the Year include:
Audi A4 - nice but not any better than its competition
BMW 1-Series -small heavy and pricey
Cadillac CTS-V too much hp great car but seriously its not green
Dodge Challenger cheap interior and exterior wasnt quite good enough plus its not green
Ford Flex - could win points for being a 'game changer' and signifies ford improving its product
Honda Fit - they toned it down and kept the mpg and utility...i bet it wins
Hyundai Genesis - not enough style to win
Jaguar XF - too lavish, although if it did win i wouldnt be surprised
Lincoln MKS - kudos but not enough WOW
Mazda Mazda6 - the latest state of the art in practical midsize, which is why i think it wins
Nissan GT-R - no one wants this to win. its a cartoon car.
Pontiac G8 - last year, maybe, this year no.
Toyota Venza - yuck.
Volkswagen Jetta TDI - nice idea but even with diesel its not like a VW diesel is a new thing
And the contenders for the 2009 Truck of the Year include:
BMW X6 -fat and ugly
Chevrolet Traverse - could surprise but we already have the outlook and acadia
Dodge Ram - the new rear suspension will win this category
Ford F-150 - they didn't outdo dodge
Honda Pilot - too bad its a freakshow.
Infiniti FX 35/50 - gluttonous
Kia Borrego - dull and too big
Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec again its only a diesel not like we havent seen that before
Nissan Murano - popular vehicle but not that different than before
Saturn Vue Hybrid - dual mode is the distinction that might win it, good vehicle otherwise
Subaru Forester - nice ride but its just another asian cute ute brings nothing new to the table
Volkswagen Tiguan - no cargo space, why its on here i dont know