The Big 3

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/07/whaa-big-3-wins-big-in-wards-interior-of-the-year-awards/

Whaa? Big 3 wins big in Ward's Interior of the Year Awards

Quote :

"When did the day come that interiors designed by our own domestic automakers were being celebrated as the best in the biz? After decades of dull designs, cheap materials and poor fit and finish, that day would be today. Ward's Auto has released the results of its 2007 Interior of the Year Competition, in which both its own editors and members of the auto industry at large choose the best inner sanctums in seven vehicle classes ranging from Economy-Priced Car to Premium-Priced Truck. Shocker: Domestics cleaned up, being awarded 11 out of 14 class awards between the editors' choices and the popular vote (and that's not including the Volvo S80's editor award for Premium-Priced Car). The Saturn Aura and Chevy Silverado, in particular, were singled out for their fine furnishings by both judging bodies in their respective classes, just like they were in the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards last January. Ward's also awarded prized for Best Brand Expression to the Jeep Wrangler, Best Interior Trim to the Infiniti G35, Best Cup Holder to the Chrysler Sebring and Best Overall Comfort to the Lexus LS 460L. Check out all the award winners after the jump, and pontificate on the state of affairs that led us to this day when domestic interiors are getting props aplenty."

Award Category Ward's Editorial Staff Industry At-Large Vote

Economy-Priced Car --- Honda Fit --- Dodge Caliber
Popular-Priced Car --- Saturn Aura --- Saturn Aura
Premium-Priced Car --- Volvo S80 --- Lincoln MKZ
Popular-Priced CUV --- Honda CRV --- Saturn Outlook
Premium-Priced CUV --- Cadillac SRX --- Cadillac SRX
Popular-Priced Truck --- Chevy Silverado --- Chevy Silverado
Premium-Priced Truck --- Lincoln Navigator --- Cadillac Escalade
Best Brand Expression: Jeep Wrangler
Best Interior Trim: Infiniti G35
Best Cup Holder: Chrysler Sebring
Best Overall Comfort: Lexus LS 460L.

6/11/2007 1:55:14 PM

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...didn't see this coming.

6/11/2007 2:10:28 PM

More like

Best Cup Holder: Toyota MR2

6/11/2007 3:34:42 PM

uh, someone got PAID off. the caliber has the most disgustingly cheap and unergonomic interiors of any car I've seen on any dealer's lot recently... Riding in my sister's scion this past week was really a revelation. That car has cleverer use of materials than anything I've ever seen at that price, and my car stickered for more than 2x! Is the Acura RSX with the smallest engine too pricey for this category? If so, it ought to be in the popular priced category and would spank that field too...

s80... ok... definitely high quality plastics and scandinavian funkiness....
MKZ... that is nothing but a trendy, looks good on paper, wailing wall of a dashboard masquerading as a thoughtful interior that I would hate to look at and sit in after a week. Tons of people thought the MKZ was the replacement for the LS, and though I knew the difference, I thought I'd go sit in one.... ugh... the seats are lame, the buttons are in merely cosmetically appealing locations, and the gauges have no rhyme or reason. And not only is it not a good interior, ... where is the 3-series/a4/s60/TL/TSX/a6..... there are SO many cars with amazing interiors at this price. The s60r might have the comfiest perch and static placement of controls of any car in production.

Aura... might look good when you consider its platform-mate, the chevy malibu, but c'mon now... was a toyota avalon not a competitor? How about an Acura TSX? How far down do you have to go to be included in "popular-priced"? How about a subaru legacy or nissan altima or maxima?


"Best Brand Expression"... who the fuck are they kidding with this?! I mean, if you think of what Jeep means as an icon, the image you come up with is probably closer to a willys than the current compromise, regardless of whether the wrangler is still the closest thing in production to that original.

I think this has to go to Toyota, for the Corolla... Nothing says "we don't give a damn but you'll buy it anyway" than mouse-hair gray cloth and contrasting peppered equipment from other cars that doesn't seem to fit like electroluminescent gauges. The current Corolla and Camry are more Toyota than Toyota has ever been before, whereas the Jeep is a lovely attempt to keep what is nearly unproduceble still somewhat around...

Premium Priced Truck... Yet another joke. Someone go sit in an x5 or a Touareg or q7 or FX45 and then hop in a navigator and tell me how that's a "better" interior

6/11/2007 7:32:30 PM

what kinda faggot would start a stupid fuckin thread like this?

7/5/2007 8:40:15 PM