Tag: iward

Ward’s Automotive picks best car interiors of 2011

Filed under: Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Toyota, Volvo

Audi A8 interior

Wards Automotive 10 Best Interiors of 2011 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Wards Automotive takes its 10 Best Interior awards seriously. The industry mag tested 51 vehicles to come up with this year’s winners, which span three luxury vehicles, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, a family sedan and an SUV. Ward’s AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter says the publication has never tested so many vehicles, adding, “Every auto maker wants the freshest, highest-quality interior possible for all the vehicles they sell.”

Showing just how much the world of interiors has changed over the years, Chrysler was the only automaker to take home two awards, thanks to the Dodge Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee, while Kia and Hyundai could technically say the same since the Elantra and Optima each took home honors. At the same time, both Toyota and Lexus were shut out, as was Honda’s Acura luxury brand and Mercedes-Benz.

Among the first-time winners for 2011 are the Ford Focus Titanium and Chevy Cruze. Click on the image above to browse through all 10 winners, or you can head over to Wards Automotive for the complete scoop.

What do you think – Did Wards get it right? If not, what was left out and what should it replace?

Gallery: Wards 2011 10 Best Interiors

2011 Audi A82011 Audi A8BMW X3BMW X32011 Chevy Cruze 2LT

[Source: Wards Automotive]

Ward’s Automotive picks best car interiors of 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Power Stroke wins Ward’s diesel shootout

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Work, Dodge, Ford, GMC

2011 Ford Super Duty

2011 Ford Super Duty – Click above for high-res image gallery

Wards Auto has crowned its king of the 2011 diesel pickup engine crowd. The editors pitted the mills in the 2011 Dodge Ram HD, Ford Super Duty and the GMC Sierra Denali HD against each other in one epic battle royale at the Robert Bosch LLC test track, and while each of the three oil-burners did a smart job of hauling payloads and the like, Wards clearly favored one above the rest. The publication said that the powerhouse 6.7-liter turbocharged V8 in the Super Duty was the clear winner, despite being the most expensive of the three engines.

The editors chose the Ford over its competitors because of its ridiculous 800 pound-feet of torque, quietness and effortless towing, even though the 6.6-liter turbocharged Duramax V8 in the GMC produced faster 0-60 times in tests. Interestingly enough, Pickuptrucks.com skipped the Powerstroke in the Super Duty in favor of the Duramax Sierra. Given the obsessively thorough testing by Mike Levine and the rest of the Pickuptrucks.com crew, we’re a little more inclined to agree with those results. Still, you know what they say about opinions and elbows.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

[Source: Wards Auto]

Ford Power Stroke wins Ward’s diesel shootout originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward’s: Scion tC derivatives possible, including five-door

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Scion

2011 Scion tC

2011 Scion tC – Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota’s MC platform supports a range of the company’s models from the Corolla to the Venza, and it also does duty under the Scion tC. With Scion having just introduced the new 2011 tC, it looks like the company might also want to do more with it. Scion vice president Jack Hollis told Ward’s Automotive that a Tc with five doors is “possible.”

It would make sense to provide a Tc with more doors. After all, Scion is designed to be a feeder brand that encourages owners to eventually move into Toyotas. The tC coupe is important, because it draws customers with Scion’s youngest average age: 26. Giving them another point of entry into the brand, and offering those with bigger needs a sporty four-door (neither the xB nor xD fit that description) would not be a bad thing.

At this point it’s all merely talk, but it’s talk that makes sense. And if Scion isn’t going to daringly style its way to a new customer base, more doors on a proven, flexible platform might be the next best thing.

Gallery: 2011 Scion tC: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL
[Source: Ward’s Auto]

Ward’s: Scion tC derivatives possible, including five-door originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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