Interlink Media, LLC (SIM) announces today that AUTOMOBILE Magazine, America's leading automotive lifestyle publication, has chosen its 2014 All-Stars. Only ten cars are honored each year from the vast number of vehicles that are sold in the United States. This is the 25th edition of the Automobile Magazine All-Stars awards, which officially began in 1990.
AUTOMOBILE Magazine chooses its All-Stars from the complete array of vehicles on sale in the U.S. for the 2014 model year, including passenger cars, sports cars, sport-utilities, minivans, and trucks. The magazine's collective editorial staff and contributors cast their private ballots after three days of driving a variety of 2014 contenders at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan, as well as on public roads.
This year, for the first time, the magazine's staff took all ten winners on a great American road trip, from AUTOMOBILE'S editorial offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to New Orleans. "We could think of no better way to celebrate our All-Stars than by hitting the road," notes Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-Chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine. "From the Heartland of Ohio and Indiana, to some of our favorite driving roads in Kentucky and Tennessee, and on to the charms of the South, we were able to spend some prolonged quality time with our favorite cars of 2014."
Associate editor David Zenlea's story about the weeklong road trip through eight states is now live at automobilemag.com/2014allstars. It will also be published in the June 2014 issue of Automobile Magazine, available on iPad on April 22, and on newsstands on May 2, 2014. The complete story may be found at http://www.automobilemag.com/features/awards/1404-2014-automobile-magazine-all-stars-road-trip/
The winners of the 2014 AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star awards include:
2014 Audi A7/S7/RS7
The A7 was Automobile Magazine's 2012 Automobile of the Year, and as Audi's sleek four-door "coupe" evolves, adding ever more powerful versions, the magazine's editors continue to be charmed by its combination of speed, utility, style, and long-distance comfort. The newest, most powerful version, the 560-hp RS7, came along on our Great American Road Trip.
2014 BMW 3 Series/4 Series
The BMW 3 Series is a perennial Automobile Magazine All-Star award winner, with this being its eighteenth year on the list. For 2014, the 3 Series name refers to four-door models, while coupe and convertible versions get the 4 Series badge. The 3 Series/4 Series sums up a lifetime of automotive hopes and dreams for generations of American automotive enthusiasts.
2014 Cadillac CTS
The latest CTS, which was in the final running for Automobile Magazine's 2014 Automobile of the Year award (which went to its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Corvette), has been named an All-Star for its all-around dynamic excellence and its modern, leading-edge technology. The CTS is a big car, but thanks to its stretched platform based on the smaller Cadillac ATS, it feels light and lithe. The moment you climb into the supportive front seat, you know you're in a car designed for driving.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST
Small, high-technology hot rods like the Fiesta ST have helped make fast driving possible even for buyers with modest budgets. It's a bullet on the road, with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sounds like a mini-Ferrari when flogged, supportive Recaro seats, and clean shift action. Designed and engineered collaboratively by Ford's U.S. and European operations, it's a testament to the success of the One Ford global development philosophy.
2014 Honda Accord
The magic formula of the Honda Accord-European styling, American convenience, and Japanese ingenuity-continues with the latest generation. In the hypercompetitive mid-size sedan segment, the Accord stands out for its refined powertrains (especially the available slick manual gearshift), its ergonomics, and its overall attention to detail. Accord is affordable, fun to drive, and as reliable as an old friend.
2014 Jaguar F-Type
The F-Type, Jaguar's modern take on its iconic, 1960s E-Type, captivated us with its svelte body, its available supercharged V-8 engine, and its exhaust note that sounds like machine-gun fire. Did we mention its looks? With its extravagant styling, the F-Type attracts the attention of people everywhere it goes and has done more than any other Jaguar to make the brand relevant and desirable again.
2014 Mazda3
The third-generation Mazda3 breathes new life into the crowded compact-car arena. Its gracefully mature yet modern styling, its refined, efficient powertrains, and its crisp driving dynamics make it worthy of a coveted Automobile Magazine All-Star award. Compact cars aren't supposed to feel this sophisticated, but the Mazda3 does.
2014 Porsche Boxster/Cayman
A longtime favorite of Automobile Magazine, with eleven All-Star awards to its credit, Porsche's mid-engine sports car continues to wow us. Both novice and experienced drivers feel at home behind the wheel, and it's the rare sports car anyone would be happy to drive coast to coast. Both the Boxster roadster and the Cayman coupe are also downright stunning.
2014 Ram 1500
The 2014 Ram pickup continues a spirit of innovation that began in the mid-1990s, when Chrysler introduced the big-rig grille, reinventing the way pickup trucks look. Then the Ram reimagined the cabin of the pickup truck, with convenience features and utility not seen before. Now the Ram has the best chassis in the business, with air spring suspension that delivers precision and ride comfort, not to mention a full range of models and powertrains, including a new diesel.
2014 Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ (joint award)
Scion and Subaru jointly receive All-Star awards for their virtually identical, co-developed sports cars, the FR-S and the BRZ. Simple, modestly powered, and chuckable, these rear-wheel-drive coupes offer communicative steering, athletic chassis, and a pure driving experience for a new generation of driving enthusiasts. They also look great and are priced for the common man or woman.
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