Car of the Year 2006

It means Australia's own has won the only truly national newspaper Car of the Year contest.

KEVIN HEPWORTH, The Daily Telegraph, Sydney"It seems that even $1 billion will not buy you perfection - but it does get you a lot of things to like. While it has its shortcomings, the Holden Calais V V8 is a car of some considerable distinction ... and one which is well worth getting to know."PAUL GOVER, The Herald Sun, Melbourne"At first I was going for the Porsche Cayman, because it is such a neat car and a wonderful drive. Then I slipped into the Toyota Aurion and realised how much extra work has gone into the car in Australia to move it up and beyond the basic Japanese Camry. But a back-to-back run between the Aurion and the Calais proved almost instantly that Holden has produced the best car of 2006."JAMES STANFORD, The Herald Sun, Melbourne"The dirt track and bumpy country tarmac roads of the test route really did showcase the big Holden's true road-holding capability; it simply is the best car for Australian conditions."GORDON LOMAS, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane"The Calais is simply the best car in the Commodore range that boasts the type of ammunition needed to fight Euro marques on their terms, but at less than half their price."BRYAN LITTLELY, The Advertiser, Adelaide"Class, comfort and performance ... the Calais V has it all and delivers faith that the future of Australian auto design is in good hands."STUART MARTIN, The Advertiser, Adelaide"Holden has boasted about being world class before, but this time they have done it; great dynamics, a decent ride, good core body strength and a handsome shape add up to an A-grade package."KEITH DIDHAM, The Mercury, Hobart"All those behind the Holden badge; the designers, the engineers and those right down the production line can stand tall. The Calais proves we can do it here. At the end of the day, the winner of Car of the Year is the one that best blends driveability, safety, style and value for money. The Calais feels solid, looks terrific, and offers a rewarding drive. What more do you want?"NEIL DOWLING, The Sunday Times, Perth"Attributes expected of a European car costing twice the price - comfort, high build quality, performance and balanced styling - make the Calais V a perfect winner and an easy decision. That's without needing a hint of patriotism."

Now it's down to the judges to decide which of the 10 finalists will win the award to be announced in a special edition of CARSguide next Friday.Our top 10 has been achieved after an extensive search and culling process covering all cars launched in Australia in the past year.The judging criteria included assessing styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance.Our motoring experts, motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun in Melbourne, The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, The Advertiser in Adelaide, The Mercury in Hobart and The Sunday Times in Perth extensively tested the 10 finalists earlier this month. The three-day back-to-back testing, included a full day's driving at Wakefield Park in Goulburn.The finalists were driven in a wide mix of environments and road conditions, including wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country roads.Fiat Punto EmotionJudge Keith Didham's comment:Fiat returned to the Australian market in August after a 17-year gap. The Punto is one of Europe's biggest sellers, but can that success be replicated here?Fiat reopened the batting Down Under with four variants, with a choice of five-door or three-door manual hatches powered by 1.3 or 1.9-litre turbo diesel or a 1.4-litre petrol motor. Fiat last month added two more smart sequential automatic variants to round out the range to six. Prices range from $19,990 for the Dynamic to $27,990 for the better-equipped Emotion as tested here.The cute Giorgetto Giugiaro styling comes with a strong hint of Maserati about its nose, while the cabin is unmistakably Italian, so the car appeals to the buyer looking for something out of left field from the bevy of small-car clones. The Punto's biggest attractions, however, are its frugal fuel economy, comfortable four-seat cabin and five-star crash rating.The perky diesel feels robust once you get it up and running and riding the torque wave.It's a strong performer, with plenty of grip and good dynamics, but the trade off can be a harsh ride, while the steering sometimes lacks feedback.The Punto is premium priced, but standard kit includes electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, height and reach adjustable steering wheel, cloth trim, cruise control, a decent CD audio system, remote locking, airconditioning and power windows.Holden Astra CDTiJudge Bryan Littlely's comment:There is a very straightforward reason for the Holden Astra CDTi's inclusion in the CARSguide Car Of The Year Award - and that is its diesel engine.The stylish, imported Astra is the first diesel passenger car to wear the badge of an Australian manufacturer in more than 20 years, a wise move by Holden given the surge in popularity of diesel powered vehicles amid rising fuel prices.But the Astra is an attractive option for much more than its powerplant. It has the styling that would appeal to a wide range of car buyers and, at $29,990 for the six-speed manual, it is very competitive with European brands on price.The Holden Astra offers good ride and handling in a comfortable and practical package that is fun to drive - if not all glitz and glamour - and it certainly proved its worth during the judging.Holden still has some issues to overcome with this car if it is to convert car buyers from petrol to diesel but, overall, it offers a solid package and a good entry point for buyers wanting to make the shift to diesel-powered vehicles.Hyundai Elantra EliteJudge Kevin Hepworth's comment:Once the whipping boy of poor build quality, Hyundai has turned around its reputation to the point where it is now winning quality surveys in major international markets.A fine example of that new attention to detail was the action the company took after criticism of the Elantra's woolly steering at its Australian release. Within days a team of engineers was flown from Korea to recalibrate the cars.While it is still not perfect it is a huge improvement and a credit to Hyundai's determination to improve wherever it can. And while there may still be the odd question mark over styling - the curved crease-line down the car's flanks comes readily to mind - the Hyundai Elantra Elite offers a comprehensive package for its $24,990 sticker price.Not the least of the attractions in the Elite is the included safety pack of electronic stability control and six airbags.The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, coupled to a five-speed manual, puts out a reasonable 105kW and the Elantra offers a good quality ride for a car in its segment.The finalists1: Audi Q7 TDI 4WD, $85,7002: Fiat Punto Emotion diesel $27,9903: Ford Focus XR5 5-cyl turbo hatch, $35,9904: Holden Astra CDTi diesel $29,9905: Holden VE Calais V8 V-series sedan, $58,4906: Hyundai Elantra Elite $24,9907: Mazda3 MPS 4-cylinder turbo hatch, $39,9908: Porsche Cayman S 2-door coupe, $148,5009: Toyota Aurion Presara V6 sedan, $49,99010: VW Passat wagon 4-cylinder turbo, $44,990The winner will be announced next Friday.

We announced the first four finalists on our Top 10 list last week and the final three finalists will be revealed next Friday.Our top 10 finalists have been achieved after an extensive search and culling process through all cars launched in Australia over the past year.Our motoring experts, motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Herald-Sun in Melbourne, The Courier-Mail in Brisbane, The Advertiser in Adelaide, The Mercury in Hobart and The Sunday Times in Perth have joined CARSguide's search for Australia's car of the year - the best of the best for 2006.Earlier this month the 10 finalists were tested extensively over three days, including a full day's driving at Wakefield Park at Goulburn, to find a winner.The judging criteria ranges across styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance.The finalists were driven in a wide mix of environments and road conditions, including wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country roads.The 2006 CARSguide Car of the Year will be announced on December 1.Mazda 3 MPSJudge Gordon Lomas' comment:In an age where hot hatches have staged a big revival on the new-car landscape, the MPS makes the final list on the strength of its sheer point and squirt capability.Point because it steers as though it has German blood, and squirt because it is the hottest four-potter in production at Hiroshima. The MPS is raw, mean and keen. It offers enormous bang for your buck with this $40,000-odd package delivering stunning levels of performance.If the WRX was the turbo cult car of the 1990s, then Mazda has come up with the next big daddy of the hot four-cylinder world.It has the tricky differential - torque management keeping a lid on the MPS's boost in first and second gears so the driverwon't have any nasty surprises when some steering angle is wound on.The MPS is a tough car that is practical as well as being armed with attributes for those seeking track day enjoyment.Porsche Cayman SJudge Stuart Martin's comment:The Boxster S platform doesn't need a solid roof to compensate for any platform deficiencies, but put one on it and the result - Cayman S - retains the droptop's serious abilities, with extra platform strength.Gorgeous curves (to most eyes) cloaka chassis that is entertaining, challenging and communicative - so much so it feels as though it could use more horsepower.Porsche were accused of limiting outputs to preserve the 911's position, but the Cayman S is a different beast. Mid-engined balance, luggage space front and rear, the two-seater puts a smile on the face of any driver.On road, the suspension copes with broken bitumen, but once on a favourite back roador at a track, the Cayman S hunkers down and yowls seductively, with myriad options to sharpen its claws.The most expensive in the field might not be a commuter tool, but there's plenty to like about the svelte coupe.Ford Focus XR5Judge James Stanford's commentA Ford hot hatch with the heart of a Volvo was an easy pick for the Car of The Year finalists. The XR5 exploded on to the road in April and the waiting list has been growing ever since.Instead of using a four-cylinder engine as other hot hatches have, the XR5 has a five-cylinder engine with a turbo strapped on.The potent engine, which has 166kW and 320Nm of torque, came straight from Ford's Swedish friends at Volvo.It is a cracker engine, with low-down urge and a wonderful meaty exhaust note thanks to a large muffler that takes up the space normally used by a full-size spare (it now has a space saver).The XR5 has chunky 18-inch wheels, sports suspension and styling that means it is instantly recognised as a performance car.With a starting price of just $35,990, the XR5 is a strong contender for this year's biggest award.The finalists1: Audi Q7 TDI 4WD, $85,7002: Holden VE Calais V8 V-series sedan, $58,4903: Toyota Aurion Presara V6 sedan, $49,9904: VW Passat wagon 4-cyl turbo, $44,9905: Ford Focus XR5 5-cyl turbo hatch, $35,9906: Mazda3 MPS 4-cyl turbo hatch, $39,9907: Porsche Cayman S 2-door coupe, $148,5008: TBA9: TBA10: TBARemaining three finalists to be announced next Friday.

The carsguide car of the year 2008 finalists have been announced. Check out the videos, photo galleries and stories.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Eligibility is for cars launched on the market from November 1, 2005, to November 1, 2006, regardless of the price.* The contenders must be either new models or be substantial upgrades, including major engineering updates.* A garage of 20 cars was pruned down to 10 after careful consideration by News Limited's national judging panel.* There are no second chances - 10 finalists will come down to one winner, which will be announced on December 1.How we tested the field:* Eight drivers examined 10 cars through exhaustive testing across three days.* Each judge painstakingly pored over every car in relevance to interior functionality, fit and finish, build-quality, space and ergonomics.* The field was driven on a wide mix of environments and road conditions: wet, dry, city, freeway, highway and country towns.* Each car was also let loose on Goulburn's Wakefield Park race circuit.* There were no stop watches, hence no lap times as this was no fast and furious exercise.* The object of the exercise was to see how competent all cars were in critical driving situations - steering, handling, braking, acceleration - within the legal confines and safety of a closed environment.* From the racetrack activity, testers were able to better assess grip thresholds, tyre balance, chassis performanceand suspension.How the winner is determined* From 10 criteria, judges are asked to award marks out of 10.* Judges come up with an aggregate for each car.* They then list their choices from 1-10 (1 being the best).* The winner is determined on a points basis after all judges' scores have been collated.

After an exhaustive search and culling process through all cars launched in Australia over the past year, our motoring experts have selected their top 10 best cars to become this year's finalists.Utilising input from motoring editors and senior motoring writers from The Daily Telegraph, Melbourne Herald-Sun, Brisbane Courier-Mail, Adelaide Advertiser, Hobart Mercury and Perth Sunday Times, CARSguide has begun the search for Australia's car of the year - the best of the best for 2006.Last week the 10 finalists were tested extensively over three days, including a full day's examination at Wakefield Park at Goulburn, to find a winner.Judged on criteria ranging across styling, safety, innovation, value, functionality, build quality and performance, the finalists were dissected and scored in a variety of situations.With votes being counted, today we introduce the first four finalists as we head to the announcement of 2006 CARSguide Car of the Year on December 1. Three more finalists will be revealed next Friday.AUDI Q7 TDIJudge Neil Dowling's comment:Historically, vehicles like the five-metre-long Audi Q7 rarely make Car of the Year contention. That it made it into the top 10 is an outstanding achievement.Partially, it was down to Audi's remarkably effective trans-continental promo in a fleet of 15 Q7s. The vehicle shrugged at Australia's Outback and showcased its reliability, build-quality and sheer guts.The Q7 diesel boasts high levels of comfort, space, fuel economy, towing capacity, safety, driving dynamics and features. Though not demonstrating new technology, the Q7 package is impressive.Big it may be but the Q7 - particularly in its turbo-diesel version - is spectacularly efficient. Few SUVs come close.HOLDEN VE CALAISJudge Stuart Martin's comment: The most important new car launched this year was never in any doubt of being in the running. Stronger, faster and better by a mile, V8 Calais V has what it takes to rule the local large car roost and take on the Euros.Although the V8 can return good fuel figures, it's a little thirsty when pressed, but the quality of Holden's billion-dollar baby makes up for it.The chassis provides ride compliance with handling composure, with ample room for adults within its more compact-looking shape.Track time allows the big Aussie sedan to show off its new-found balance, with all-new steering and front suspension a worthwhile part of the engineering budget. The VE package is a major step forward for Holden.TOYOTA AURION PRESARAJudge Paul Gover's comment: Australia's No.1 carmaker was always going to get something on to the shortlist. For 2006, there were three obvious contenders: the all-new RAV4 four-wheel drive, the family Camry and the V6 Aurion.Each made a case, but with only 10 spots overall it was the Aurion that was best of the best for brand T. The Aurion is the first realistic showroom rival to the big-six heroes, Falcon and Commodore, and arrived after an extensive local development program.It shares basics with the Camry but has unique styling, a 3.5-litre V6 with six-speed automatic and changes to many minor things, including the seats and steering column.The highlights include 200kW of power and fuel economy of 9.9 litres/100km, numbers that trump the base Ford and Holden on both fronts. Prices start at $34,990 and there are five models, including two Sportivo cars with tuned suspension and a body kit.Toyota will also have a TRD Aurion with a supercharged engine producing around 230kW, even tauter suspension, huge brakes and more aggressive body kit, as previewed at the Sydney motor show.VW PASSAT WAGONJudge Kevin Hepworth's comment: The very idea of a family wagon making it to the top 10 in Car of the Year judging could be bewildering to many who remember them only as semi-industrial load-carriers built off sedan platforms.Well, welcome to the 21st century.VW's Passat wagon is a stylish, refined and extremely enjoyable way to pack up a family of five with luggage.Powered by the velvet-smooth, four-cylinder 2.0-litre FSI turbo, the Passat has all the legs necessary for long-distance travel and enough off-the-line punch to compete well in the city rat-race.It also returns reasonable fuel economy.For $44,990 (plus on-road costs) the Passat comes stacked with safety and comfort inclusions - you have to respect a car that has an umbrella holder (complete with umbrella) built into the driver's door.There is also the added prestige of a European badge.