Best New Sport Compact
AJAC Nominees: Ford Focus ST, Kia Spectra5 Pkg. 1, Mazdaspeed MX5 Miata, Saab 9-2X, Saturn ION Red Line, Toyota Corolla XRS, Volvo S40
AJAC Winner: Volvo S40
The CRANK's Choice: Kia Spectra5 Pkg. 1 Yes, I know--a Kia! First off, I still can't forgive Ford for killing the Focus SVT hatch, so bye-bye neutered ST sedan. I know the marketing folks at Saab and Volvo would like the words phat and sweet to form part of their older buyer's lexicon, but these cars are just too darn pricey for a typical hard-up-for-cash sports compact buyer. Same for the Miata. The ION is too unrefined, and the Corolla, is well, too refined. As a reward to sticking to one of this genre's basic principles of bang-for-the- buck, it's the Kia
Best New Sports / Performance Car
AJAC Nominees: BMW 645Ci Coupe, Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 Roadster, Ford Mustang, Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG
AJAC Winner: Ford Mustang
The CRANK's Choice: Chevrolet Corvette This is too easy. If we're talking all-out performance, it's the new Chevrolet. Think of it this way: could any other car in this list challenge the all-mighty Porsche 911? There you go...
Best New Station Wagon
AJAC Nominees: Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, Chevrolet Optra Wagon, Dodge Magnum RT, Jaguar X-TYPE Sport Wagon, Mazda6 Sport Wagon, Subaru Legacy, Volvo V50
The CRANK's Choice: Volvo V50 The Maxx is not a wagon, and the Optra is not new. It's hard to rationalize the Jag, unless you really, really want a leaping cat on your hood. With FWD only, the Mazda is out. The Dodge earns respect for its muscular drivetrain and "Wow, look at me" factor. And the Subaru, especially the GT, is a refined, practical and sporty choice. They just can't match the overall refinement and fun-to-drive aspects of the Volvo
Best New Convertible
AJAC Nominees: Audi S4 Cabriolet, Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler PT Touring Convertible, Mercedes SLK350, MINI Cooper S Convertible, Saab 9-3, Toyota Solara
AJAC Winner: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350
The CRANK's Choice: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Early exits: The Toyota, Chrysler and the Saab are just too vanilla compared to the tiger tails of this bunch. The Audi loses out because of its avoirdupois, and the Chevy because of its literally "rag" top. If this was our money, the MINI wins. But if we had just won the lottery, we'd take the keys to the Mercedes. The M-B raodster's slick retractable metal roof, plus its new-found driving soul conjured up by the lusty vee-six and delightful six-speed stick make it more than just a convertible: the Mercedes is a true all-season sports car
You can obtain a copy of the comparative test and performance data as well as the actual "Best New" vote results for all of the AJAC selections by visiting www.ajac.ca.
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AJAC Winner: Volvo S40
The CRANK's Choice: Kia Spectra5 Pkg. 1 Yes, I know--a Kia! First off, I still can't forgive Ford for killing the Focus SVT hatch, so bye-bye neutered ST sedan. I know the marketing folks at Saab and Volvo would like the words phat and sweet to form part of their older buyer's lexicon, but these cars are just too darn pricey for a typical hard-up-for-cash sports compact buyer. Same for the Miata. The ION is too unrefined, and the Corolla, is well, too refined. As a reward to sticking to one of this genre's basic principles of bang-for-the- buck, it's the Kia
Best New Sports / Performance Car
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AJAC Winner: Ford Mustang
The CRANK's Choice: Chevrolet Corvette This is too easy. If we're talking all-out performance, it's the new Chevrolet. Think of it this way: could any other car in this list challenge the all-mighty Porsche 911? There you go...
Best New Station Wagon
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The CRANK's Choice: Volvo V50 The Maxx is not a wagon, and the Optra is not new. It's hard to rationalize the Jag, unless you really, really want a leaping cat on your hood. With FWD only, the Mazda is out. The Dodge earns respect for its muscular drivetrain and "Wow, look at me" factor. And the Subaru, especially the GT, is a refined, practical and sporty choice. They just can't match the overall refinement and fun-to-drive aspects of the Volvo
Best New Convertible
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AJAC Winner: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350
The CRANK's Choice: Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Early exits: The Toyota, Chrysler and the Saab are just too vanilla compared to the tiger tails of this bunch. The Audi loses out because of its avoirdupois, and the Chevy because of its literally "rag" top. If this was our money, the MINI wins. But if we had just won the lottery, we'd take the keys to the Mercedes. The M-B raodster's slick retractable metal roof, plus its new-found driving soul conjured up by the lusty vee-six and delightful six-speed stick make it more than just a convertible: the Mercedes is a true all-season sports car
You can obtain a copy of the comparative test and performance data as well as the actual "Best New" vote results for all of the AJAC selections by visiting www.ajac.ca.