Every year the entire Car and Driver staff gathers at a rural site about 30 miles west of our home office in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a week of evaluating all the new cars and, hopefully, avoiding cops. We didn't do very well with the latter this year, receiving a record number of speeding tickets that, unfortunately, cannot be expensed.
We judge each car in three general areas, the first being how well the vehicle performs its intended functions. We expect sports cars to be fast and exhilarating, whereas we presume a family sedan will be frugal and practical. Second, we show a preference for the more engaging cars in each category, be it athletic driving manners, a seductive look, or a powerful engine sure to induce a grin every time we climb behind the wheel. Finally, we are suckers for a good deal, so an inexpensive car that’s fast, fun, and practical will certainly rise to the top of our list.
The invite list works as follows: Last year’s winners are automatically invited back, as well as other all-new or significantly upgraded machinery for 2008. Each car gets only one shot at making our 10Best list, but many stay on it for years. This year, all cars had to have a base price no higher than $72,000, which is 2.5 times the average new-vehicle transaction price as of August 2007. Eligible cars must be on sale no later than January 2008, and the manufacturer must, of course, deliver an example for our evaluations.
Read on to see the 10 we selected for 2008.
2008 BMW 3-series - 10Best Cars
Elevating the benchmark.
Last year this bread-and-butter family of Bimmers scored its 16th-straight 10Best trophy, a record unmatched in the history of this event. And en route to its 17th-straight appearance, the 3-series added a new model, BMW’s first-ever hardtop convertible, and took top honors in two comparison tests: “Winds of Change?” [April 2007] and “40-Somethings” [June 2007].
The formula for these cars seems disarmingly simple: Ample power from a pair of ultra-smooth straight-six engines, one of them force-fed to the tune of 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque; suspension tuning that confidently combines supple ride quality with autocross responses; classic coupe and sedan proportions that have evolved gracefully since the 325i made its first 10Best appearance in 1992; supportive seats that could serve a trans-Nebraska cruise on I-80 or a BMW-club track day.
Simple, right? But in 17 years, no other carmaker has quite managed to package these attributes as successfully as BMW, although many have tried. Which is precisely why the 3-series continues to be the perennial benchmark of the entry luxury-sports-coupe, -sedan, -convertible class.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine; rear- or 4-wheel-drive; 4- or 5-passenger; 2-door coupe, 2-door convertible, 4-door sedan, or 5-door wagon
BASE PRICE: $33,175–$49,875
ENGINES: DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 230 hp, 200 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 300 hp, 300 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 108.7 in
Length: 178.2–180.6 in
Width: 70.2–71.5 in
Height: 54.1–55.9 in
Curb weight: 3400–3800 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 17–18 mpg
2008 Cadillac CTS - 10Best Cars
Finally ready for the big time.
This second-gen CTS conclusively fulfills General Motors’ goal of turning Cadillac into a world-class luxury competitor. It does so by building on the strengths of the first CTS, while addressing its shortcomings. From the outside, you’ll still recognize Cadillac’s sharp-edged, wedgy styling, but the new version has a more muscular stance, greater detail refinement, and eye-grabbing features such as the enlarged grille and the front fender vents. Inside, the black plastic has been replaced by luxurious appointments that look and feel as upmarket as anything in the segment.
The Sigma platform and its all-independent suspension benefit from six years of development to deliver an excellent combination of handling, ride, and fine responsiveness. Motivation comes from GM’s 3.6-liter twin-cam 24-valve V-6, which is available in port-injected 263 horsepower and a new, 304-hp direct-injection version. Either can be coupled to a six-speed manual or a refined six-speed automatic with manual override.
The result is a ride that is easy on the eyes, comfortable on your backside, exciting to drive, and competitive with the best from Europe.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE: $32,990
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6
Power (SAE net): 263–304 bhp
Torque (SAE net): 253–273 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 113.4 in
Length: 191.6 in
Width: 72.5 in
Height: 58.0 in
Curb weight: 3900–4050 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 17–18 mpg
2008 Chevrolet Corvette - 10Best Cars
American muscle refined.
Continual development is the key to success for any automobile, and the latest Corvette makes an excellent poster car for that proposition. Back for its seventh-straight appearance on our 10Best roster, the Vette lists 22 significant updates for 2008, even though it received a major makeover three years ago—the evolution from C5 to C6.
We appreciate upgrades to the cockpit, particularly the spiffy (albeit pricey) new leather option, but the most salient improvements are dynamic in nature. For example, manual shift engagements are crisper, and clutch-pedal effort has been reduced. More important, steering feel, long a weak point on the Corvette’s score sheet, finally does a good job of connecting the driver with the front wheels, delivering the kind of tactile information critical to confident operation at high speeds.
Speaking of high speeds, the latest standard Corvette has more of that on tap than ever before, thanks to its new 6.2-liter LS3 V-8: 430 horsepower versus a mere 400 for the previous Vette. Over the course of its past six years as a 10Best Car, we’ve called the Corvette one of the world’s best high-performance buys, an assertion that continues to be true. Now even more so.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine; rear-wheel-drive; 2-passenger; 2-door roadster, 3-door hatchback, or 3-door targa
BASE PRICE: $46,110–$71,000
ENGINES: pushrod 16-valve 6.2-liter V-8, 430–436 hp, 424–428 lb-ft; pushrod 16-valve 7.0-liter V-8, 505 hp, 470 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 174.6–175.6 in
Width: 72.6–75.9 in
Height: 49.0 in
Curb weight: 3150–3300 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 15–16 mpg
2008 Chevrolet Malibu - 10Best Cars
A no-excuses mainstream domestic sedan.
Back in the ’60s, Chevy Malibus were as affordable as they are today, but they were often found in the driveways of lavish homes. That’s because they were seen as competent, practical, and stylish. For the first time in decades, you can again say the same things about a new Malibu.
This 2008 version has clean and elegant lines that stand out among family sedans that look dead boring or make do with contrived visual details. Inside, the Malibu is equally captivating, with clean instruments and logical controls embedded in a panoramically sweeping dashboard. There’s plenty of space for people and their stuff in this Malibu, which also has the versatility of a split-folding rear seat.
Under the hood comes the choice of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine—one that’s quieter than the excellent four-cylinder in the Honda Accord—or a twin-cam, 24-valve V-6 with 252 horsepower. The Malibu’s chassis delivers an agreeable ride, responsive handling, and a degree of control feel that satisfied us on Hogback Road.
It all adds up to a Malibu that is, once again, a smart purchase for anyone seeking a fine mid-size sedan.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE: $19,995–$26,995
ENGINES: DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 169 hp, 160 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6, 252 hp, 251 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 4-speed auto, 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.3 in
Length: 191.8 in
Width: 70.3 in
Height: 57.1 in
Curb weight: 3400–3650 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 17–22 mpg
2008 Honda Accord - 10Best Cars
Bigger, but just as good as ever.
This year’s new Accord sedan is all about size. It’s three inches longer, nearly an inch higher, and roughly an inch wider than last year’s model and offers a V-6 that’s half a liter bigger than before. Honda made good use of the extra size by enlarging the interior, which is now sufficient to promote the Accord from the mid-size to the large sedan category.
Yet despite this growth, when you turn the Accord’s steering wheel, it cuts with a sharpness that is unique among family sedans and carves a path so accurately that you can position the car exactly where you want it. The Accord’s brakes and shifter are similarly precise and satisfying.
The Accord sedan’s base 2.4-liter four-cylinder has increased to 177 smooth horsepower this year, and that should satisfy most Accord drivers. Should you want more, there’s a 190-hp version, as well as a 3.5-liter V-6 with 268 ponies.
For those with a more sporting bent, the Accord also comes as a two-door with unique (and very attractive) sheetmetal and a V-6 combined with a six-speed manual. All told, it adds up to one more in a terrific line of cars that have captured a record 22 10Best trophies since we started awarding them in 1983.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe or 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE: $20,995–$31,145
ENGINES: DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 177–190 hp, 161–162 lb-ft; SOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 268 hp, 248 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 5-speed auto, 5- or 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.9–110.2 in
Length: 190.9–194.3 in
Width: 72.7–72.8 in
Height: 56.4–58.1 in
Curb weight: 3200–3600 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 17–22 mpg
2008 Honda Fit - 10Best Cars
Entertainingly small.
The Fit belongs to a class—basic transportation—that we once acknowledged with a patronizing pat on the head but now take more seriously. There are two reasons for this. The first is obvious: Soaring fuel costs and environmental concerns are making small cars increasingly popular. The second is not so obvious: Basic transportation no longer means deprivation. Not only does the Fit deliver what you’d expect—high mpg numbers and low ownership costs—but it also delivers something you might not: high-quality interior appointments, a high level of usefulness, and a high fun-to-drive index.
The Fit scores well in those areas of unexpectedness. There seems to be more room inside this car than the tidy exterior could possibly contain, the seats flop and fold to yield great cargo versatility, and the interior appointments would do justice to an Accord.
But it’s the Fit’s agility and terrier spirit that win our hearts. With 109 horsepower, blazing acceleration isn’t part of the deal, but it’s worth noting that the Fit posted an astonishing speed in our lane-change test (71.4 mph), outhustling pedigreed athletes such as a Ferrari F430 Spider F1, and topped a seven-car comparison [“$15,000 Cheap Skates,” May 2006].
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
BASE PRICE: $14,585
ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 16-valve 1.5-liter inline-4
Power (SAE net): 109 bhp @ 5800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 105 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS: 5-speed auto, 5-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 5-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 157.4 in
Width: 66.2 in
Height: 60.0 in
Curb weight: 2500–2550 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 27–28 mpg
2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata - 10Best Cars
The sports car you can live with.
So effortlessly does the MX-5 respond to your steering inputs that you can guide the car along the most writhing road at breakneck speeds without effort or even apparent thought. This connection between the driver’s brain and the MX-5 is replicated in the car’s throttle response, braking feel, and transmission, which benefits from one of the most direct shifters on the planet. It all makes for an immensely satisfying drive and proves that a car doesn’t need pavement-wrinkling horsepower to deliver driving enjoyment.
This motorized pleasure is accessible to all because the MX-5 starts at about $21,000 and is surprisingly practical for a sporting roadster. It has a trunk that provides room for a pair of soft duffels and is uncompromised by the position of the convertible top. The standard manual top is the easiest to use in the industry, completely operable from the driver’s seat, and the optional folding hardtop is a model of compactness and light weight.
It adds up to a car that is not only irresistible to anyone who likes to drive but can also put a smile on your face on your daily commute.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
BASE PRICE: $21,180–$27,355
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4
Power (SAE net): 158–166 bhp @ 6700 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 140 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 5- or 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 91.7 in
Length: 157.3 in
Width: 67.7 in
Height: 49.0–49.4 in
Curb weight: 2400–2550 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 20–22 mpg
2008 Mazdaspeed 3 - 10Best Cars
Think truth in labeling.
Hot hatchbacks have been C/D favorites for a quarter-century, ever since the VW GTI made its appearance, and the Mazdaspeed 3, a 10Best repeater, is the current leader of a small but competitive pack. The 3’s secret isn’t exactly a secret: Big horsepower in a small car predates even the hot-hatch phenomenon. In this iteration, the formula entails a turbocharged and intercooled edition of Mazda’s 2.3-liter four allied with a six-speed manual transmission. At full boost (15.6 psi) the engine generates 263 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, a huge increase over the 156 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of the base edition. In our most recent test [“Hot Hatches in the Roaring 20s,” December 2007] the speedy 3 hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and covered the quarter in 14.2 seconds at 100 mph. All that snort generates unwanted torque steer, but it’s manageable enough to be tolerated.
Other elements of the Mazdaspeed 3 include enhanced brakes, a stiffened suspension, sporty exterior and interior trim elements, and a set of deeply bolstered front bucket seats. Add hatchback utility and a base price under $23,000, and you have a performance bargain that’s tough to top.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
BASE PRICE: $22,935
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.3-liter inline-4
Power (SAE net): 263 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 280 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.9 in
Length: 176.8 in
Width: 69.5 in
Height: 57.7 in
Curb weight: 3200 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 18 mpg
2008 Porsche Boxster and Cayman - 10Best Cars
Still expensive and still worth it.
This marks the 12th year the Boxster has been with us, but the model is such a natural Porsche that it feels as if it has been around since the days of the 356.
Although plenty powerful, with either 245 or 295 mid-mounted horsepower ready to thrust it forward when the driver flexes his right foot, the magic of the Boxster—and any Porsche—is in its balanced handling and sublime control responses. Turn the steering wheel to carve the Boxster into a corner, and it responds immediately and accurately while telegraphing the car’s behavior directly to your fingertips. Squeeze the brake pedal, and the Boxster scrubs speed in perfect proportion to your pressure on the pedal. When you shift gears, you can almost feel the teeth meshing in the transmission. Making a sensitive driver smile is what the Boxster is all about.
And while doing so, the Boxster (and its Cayman hardtop sibling) offers practicality that is rare in a pure sports car. Its cockpit is comfortable and roomy. Its top is power-operated and fast-acting. And it has twin trunks with more than enough space to accommodate a couple on vacation. That makes for a combination of pleasure and functionality that’s hard to resist.
VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster or 3-door hatchback
BASE PRICE: $46,660–$59,960
ENGINES: DOHC 24-valve 2.7-liter flat-6, 245 hp, 201 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.4-liter flat-6, 295 hp, 251 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 5-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 5- or 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 95.1 in
Length: 171.6–172.1 in
Width: 70.9 in
Height: 50.9–51.4 in
Curb weight: 2900–3100 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 18–22 mpg
2008 Volkswagen GTI - 10Best Cars
Grown-ups can have fun, too.
The GTI returned to the 10Best list last year after a 21-year absence. Perhaps this hiatus seems strange for the progenitor of a species we’ve loved since the 1983 original, but the evolution of the series tended toward bigger and softer, with a little more room and considerably less fun. The latest generation is a long way from the no-frills original, but VW has effectively addressed the fun-to-drive factor without diluting the sophistication, roominess, and high-quality feel that are characteristic of this family.
VW’s eager 2.0-liter turbocharged four—200 horsepower, 207 pound-feet of torque—provides brisk propulsion, and the optional paddle-shift twin-clutch DSG lends a racy feel. But the GTI’s most compelling dynamic element is a chassis that delivers the composed, precise responses that come from autobahn breeding. To quote from our May 2007 comparison test: “The GTI pours itself down the road, a fluid stream of disciplined control.”
Available in three- and five-door versions, the GTI has an attractive base price, although tempting options such as the DSG can quickly bloat the bottom line. But even at $30,000, the net is still a sophisticated German sports sedan at a bargain price.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3- or 5-door hatchback
BASE PRICE: $23,370–$23,870
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4
Power (SAE net): 200 bhp @ 5100 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 207 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 6-speed manual with automated shifting and clutch
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 101.5 in
Length: 165.8 in
Width: 69.3 in
Height: 58.4 in
Curb weight: 3200–3250 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 21–22 mpg
Source: [CAR AND DRIVER]
