Which cars didn’t quite make the cut for the MotorTrend Car of the Year? Only one receives this honor, but many others are worthy of your attention.
The MotorTrend team whittles its list down to ten cars before selecting the final winner. Those other nine cars are impressive and meet the criteria for this award that began in 1949. To be eligible, a car must be all-new or significantly revised while meeting six key criteria: safety, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, efficiency, and performance of intended function. Let’s take a look at the nine cars that didn’t make the cut for the Golden Calipers.
2024 Acura Integra Type S
This new high-performance version of the Integra brings the chops to be considered for this award. The Integra has been in the running for the past three years, with the regular model and Type R forms in consideration for the past two years. The new Type S is a higher-performing model than the other two, making it a serious contender but not the winner.
2024 Ford Mustang
The latest version of the Ford Mustang continues to sing the song we love to hear. This car was in the running for the Car of the Year Award, which the Mustang won 30 years ago. The incredible howl of the Coyote engine and impressive manual transmission make this car something special. This new Mustang uses the heavily reworked S550 platform, making it one of the top choices in the market. Could this new Mustang be the right muscle car for you?
2024 Honda Accord
The redesigned Honda Accord is stylish, offers impressive driving manners, and has a list of great powertrains to make this car one of the top choices in the contest for this award. The new 2024 version might not be as advanced or impressive as the older version of the Accord, but it is still more than good enough to be in the running for the award.
2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE
The time is here when electric cars become part of the conversation when looking for the Car of the Year winner, or at least the contenders. The AMG EQE Sedan is one of the most fun and active electric cars in the market. This Merc isn’t remotely cheap, but that doesn’t keep it out of the running for this award. The EQE sedan includes options like carbon ceramic brakes and the Air Balance package, which adds impressive tech and air-cleaning features.
2024 Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 was up for the Performance Vehicle of the Year award, but it didn’t make the cut in that evaluation. This electric car has been around long enough for a midcycle refresh to be part of the mix. While it’s an improved and more advanced model, this Polestar electric sedan hasn’t come far enough to win the award. Still there are new motors across the range, with the standard dual-motor AWD model that makes 421 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque.
2023 Porsche 911T
When you want to drive a Porsche 911 that’s made for regular drivers, the 911T is the perfect choice. This Porsche is part of the Car of the Year list and hits many of the marks desired by the judges. The T model brings a full package of immersive diving hardware to the road, making it easy to toss the car into the corners at high speeds.
2024 Subaru Impreza
The latest version of the Impreza includes the RS trim, which returns as a hatchback model, providing a bit more utility in this version of the Impreza. This trim also comes with the more powerful 2.5-liter boxer engine, giving drivers the desired power and performance while out on the road. Standard Symmetrical AWD is still part of the mix, making the Impreza RS one of the best options on any road.
2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid
The affordability and efficiency of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Hybrid puts it in contention for MotorTrend’s Car of the Year award. This small Toyota hybrid is more affordable than the Prius, while saving fuel while out on the road. The front and rear fascias are upgraded to look more aggressive, and it’s now offered with AWD to give drivers the benefits of power at all four wheels.
2024 Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown has been alive and well in Japan but not in the United States until now. This new entry into the market is a big five-passenger sedan that stands tall while utilizing a hybrid powertrain and standard AWD. There’s a Hybrid Max powertrain for the Crown, which enables this large car to produce 340 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque while delivering 29 city/32 hwy mpg.
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