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2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI Wins Most Earth Friendly Car of the Year

Volkswagen Passat TDI Road Test Review by Martha Hindes With hybrid and electric autos taking the share of attention in America these days, is there room for a rebel with a cause? What about a family-sized sedan that takes a different direction from the crowd and plants its reputation solidly on the least popular auto technology, but one of the most promising to come down the interstate in a long time? What if it offered more interior room for five, at less or comparable cost, with higher mileage than its competitors down the block. That might sound like the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI turbo diesel. After a year on the sidelines, the front-drive Passat is making reappearance on the national scene for 2012 with a number of changes. A noticeable transition is its switch from more limited near-luxury level status to a mainstream, competitive cost, made-in-the U.S. participant. This isn't your mother's Passat of yesterday with a hint of snob appeal and exclusivity. This newest offering is meant more for the masses. And if Volkswagen got it right, not only will it put more Passats on the road but will help to bring diesel autos to the forefront. Diesel technology has been more rare in America than in other countries for a number of reasons. A major one is the thankfully faded memory of earlier diesel auto tailpipes that belched thick smoke while their engines grunted with the effort of climbing almost any hill. About five years ago industry regulators got serious and began phasing in mandated Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel with more stringent emissions standards that included scrubbing away those annoying bits of grit diesels used to leave behind. Companies like VW, mostly the European brands, responded by bringing in engines that run clean and lean, while generally gaining higher mileage than their gas-fueled counterparts. While that might seem like a pretty strong claim, let’s compare some results. The often heavily tax incentivized hybrid cars that mate gasoline engines with battery-powered electric motors have reached the 40 mpg mark and in a few cases more, after years of costly development and continuing market hype. Electric only autos coming on scene require a place to plug in. But the TDI (for turbo diesel injected) version of Passat rips off a cool 31/43 miles to the gallon of diesel fuel with manual transmission, or a no-slouch 30/40 with automatic, all riding on a 2.0-liter, 140-horsepower inline four. The Selective Catalytic Reduction System ensures this earth friendly clean diesel vehicle meets the emissions requirements of all 50 states. Those are some of the reasons the Earth, Wind & Power award's jurors chose the Volkswagen Passat TDI as the 2012 Earth, Wind & Power Car of the Year for Most Earth Friendly. According to Courtney Caldwell, founder and director of the awards and publisher of Earth, Wind & Power Magazine, the award determined by a field of longtime, well-known auto journalists goes to the production vehicle that contributes most to eliminating pollution and protecting the environment while providing the most exciting, pleasurable and useful driving experience around. “The 2012 VW Passat TDI beat out its competition by a landslide,” said Caldwell. "The vehicle not only is fuel efficient and eco-friendly, but its styling, performance, power and pricing leaves one feeling like they’re driving a high performance vehicle with no tell tale signs of lag or noise that other diesel engine vehicles tend to still leave behind." [Full story]

2012 Hyundai Veloster Wins International Sporty Coupe of the Year - Most Personality

2012 Hyundai Veloster Named
2012 International Sporty Coupe of the Year
- Most Personality -
by Road & Travel Magazine

Hyundai Veloster Road Test Review by Martha Hindes

If you're an auto company with a name no one can pronounce correctly, is it any wonder you'd have a few quirks in product as well? We'll address the question directly to the Hyundai (like Sunday) Veloster, the Korean automaker's new, kinda kinky, definitely robust and offbeat little sporty coupe -- or something. The 2012 Hyundai Veloster fits those descriptives like a `T.

The designation fits this newcomer so well and has so many interesting facets, that it just won, hands down, the 2012 International Sporty Coupe of the Year -- the one code named "Most Personality." According to ICOTY founder and Road & Travel Magazine publisher Courtney Caldwell, the awards measure the emotional impact a new or substantially revised vehicle has on the psyche. Does it get in your face, grab your attention, demand to be noticed, intrigue you beyond curiosity? In the case of Most Personality touch points, the Hyundai can answer "Yes" times four.

Caldwell knows how such an emotional connection can win an unmatched sense of loyalty from consumers that few products can claim. "The ICOTY Awards are not about power and performance, but rather about personality, passion and personal lifestyle," said Caldwell.

Bridgestone, longtime lead sponsor and supporter of the ICOTY Awards, recognizes the consumer-product relationship as critical to vehicle success. “Bridgestone is proud to support the ICOTY awards, and applauds the efforts of Hyundai that like our company demonstrates a strong commitment to innovative technology,” said Michael Martini, president, Consumer OE, Bridgestone Americas. “Through the combined efforts of everyone in the auto industry, and led by automakers like those being recognized in the 2012 International Car of the Year Awards, we will continue to meet and exceed the demands of the motoring public.” Full Story

Porsche 911 Wins 2012 International Sports Car of the Year - Most Sex Appeal

2012 Porsche 911 Named International Sports Car of the Year
- Most Sex Appeal -
by Road & Travel Magazine

2012 Porsche 911 Road Test Review by Martha Hindes

What do Carly Simon, Heinz Ketchup and the 2012 Porsche 911 have in common? In a word, "Anticipation!" OK, so when Simon wrote the song back in 1971 she wasn't referring to a subsequent ketchup commercial using her music, or a blazing fast sports car. But her wait for a late date must have been almost as frustrating as it was for Porsche fans who endured a long, long wait for the seventh generation of the classic auto that finally hit the ground running in September.

Porsche probably relished the ongoing drumbeat of speculation that had preceded the launch. Automotive experts had turned over just about every facet of the 911 Carrera as they speculated about the upcoming changes a full redesign would bring some two years in the future. Would the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera have cameras instead of side view mirrors? Would the manual trans be history in lieu of (gasp) a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the bane of some enthusiasts who cringe at the idea of not having perceptible shift gates to rip through?

Seems the longing was well worth the wait. While it must be a challenging job redefining something with such iconic status, the wizards at Porsche have managed to refine the 911 in such a way that it has kept its hot cool without disrupting its lofty aura. Since the agonizing delay finally ended at its Frankfurt, Germany motor show reveal late last fall, it has reached a new level of respect. And adoration.

For ICOTY judges, this all must have been somewhat amusing, since those autophiles know the true meaning of "gotcha" goes well beyond a stat sheet when it comes to a vehicle's allure. ICOTY -- short for International Car of the Year awards -- metes out honors based on that indefinable, yet tantalizing quality a car can have that makes it simply delicious to be around and breathtakingly lusty to drive. Those judges in fact found the new 2012 Porsche Carrera 911 so appealing, they voted it the International Sports Car of the Year for its high sex appeal X factor, eliciting the most passion of all 2012 vehicles.

ICOTY founder and Road & Travel Magazine publisher Courtney Caldwell knows well the impact such allure can bring. People who have a true emotional attachment to their vehicles tend to stay in the fold rather than straying towards other brands, whether it's a budget compact or a sports car with a six-digit price tag, she said. The automaker that can tap into that emotional passion has half the game won when it's time for someone to look at a new set of wheels.

"The ICOTY Awards are not about power and performance, but rather about personality, passion and personal lifestyle," said Caldwell.

Bridgestone, longtime lead sponsor and supporter of the ICOTY Awards, recognizes the consumer-product relationship as critical to vehicle success. “Bridgestone is proud to support the ICOTY awards, and applauds the efforts of Porsche that like our company demonstrates a strong commitment to innovative technology,” said Michael Martini, president, Consumer OE, Bridgestone Americas. “Through the combined efforts of everyone in the auto industry, and led by automakers like those being recognized in the 2012 International Car of the Year Awards, we will continue to meet and exceed the demands of the motoring public.”  Full Story

2012 Ford Focus Wins International Compact Car of the Year - Most Spirited

2012 Ford Focus Named
2012 International Compact Car of the Year
- Most Spirited -
by Road & Travel Magazine

2012 Ford Focus Road Test Review by Martha Hindes

A funny thing happens every time we see the 2012 Ford Focus approaching. There's a little sense this isn't a Ford at all. There's this feeling of recognition when spotting the bib-like grille extending obliquely down the front of the face, the low-slung nose, the cat-like headlamps perched at the upper corners. It took a few nano-seconds after we first saw the car to understand what it reminded us of. (Of course, that distinctive bib is a trademark of Germany’s luxury Audi.)

Ford's version of the bib front isn't an exact replica of the Audi, of course. The shape is different enough and with two lower vents close by, couldn't be called a copy. But we think someone at Ford would enjoy our reaction, especially since it endeared some of us so much to the look that we just named it the 2012 International Compact Car of the Year (ICOTY), AKA "Most Spirited."

Focus is most spirited, all right. And we love the attitude it exudes, which is a reason the ICOTY awards are given. According to ICOTY founder Courtney Caldwell (also publisher of Road & Travel Magazine) a cheeky bit of one-upmanship (deliberate or not) helps us love this car even more. After all, the purpose of the awards is to honor the qualities of new or newly refreshed vehicles for the emotion they bring out of us.

Caldwell knows how such an emotional connection can win an unmatched sense of loyalty from consumers that few products can claim. "The ICOTY Awards are not about power and performance, but rather about personality, passion and personal lifestyle," said Caldwell.

Bridgestone, longtime lead sponsor and supporter of the ICOTY Awards, recognizes the consumer-product relationship as critical to vehicle success. “Bridgestone is proud to support the ICOTY awards, and applauds the efforts of Ford Motor Company that like our company demonstrates a strong commitment to innovative technology,” said Michael Martini, president, Consumer OE, Bridgestone Americas. “Through the combined efforts of everyone in the auto industry, and led by automakers like those being recognized in the 2012 International Car of the Year Awards, we will continue to meet and exceed the demands of the motoring public.” Full Story

2012 Toyota Camry Wins International Sedan of the Year - Most Dependable

2012 Toyota Camry Named International Sedan of the Year
- Most Dependable -
by Road & Travel Magazine

 2012 Toyota Camry Road Test Review
by Martha Hindes

Solid and safe. Smooth and dependable. For years, Toyota's Camry has stroked those family sedan needs with loyal, uncompromising predictability. So what's changed? For starters, like the few-days-old year of 2012, a 2012 Toyota Camry has been born as a new, seventh generation model. And like some previously highly-acclaimed versions, it again has won the hearts and minds of reviewers. For 2012, it won top honors as the 2012 International Sedan of the Year (ICOTY) for Most Dependable. Not bad for a re-born, right?

The 2012 Toyota Camry is indeed most dependable. And we love the safety and reliability it exudes, which is the reason it won in its category. According to ICOTY founder Courtney Caldwell (and publisher of Road & Travel Magazine), winning 2012 Toyota Camry Wins International Sedan of the Year - Road & Travel Magazine the honor of most dependable vehicle of the year is one of the most important as it lets consumers know in a word that this is a vehicle they can trust and rely upon to get their loved ones to their destinations safety. After all, the purpose of the ICOTY awards is to honor the qualities of new vehicles that best reflect our emotional needs at a specific time in our lives and lifestyles. Full Story

2012 Audi A7 Named International Car of the Year

2012 Audi A7 Road Test Review
by Martha Hindes

Automotive prestige sometimes comes in surprising packages. A slim, coupe line that hides the reality this is really a sedan. The ability to change one's underlying driving experience with chameleon-like ease. A glaring set of unmistakably identifiable headlamp eyes that announce, in one's rear view mirror day or night, it's best to pull aside and let a "real" car go by. Put those together in the new Audi A7 along with a wealth of its other talents, and the result should be predictable. How could any other vehicle have earned top honors as International Car of the Year for 2012? It couldn't. And didn't.

The ICOTY honors, awarded each year to the most appealing auto on the planet, are sought out for their ability to identify that soul factor in vehicles that goes beyond the stuff of mechanicals and into the realm of desire. We're sure you know the synonyms: Being smitten, love at first sight, the kind of passion one would eagerly do penance for -- all those adjectives that make us glom onto something we idolize while remaining oblivious to what else is around.

Courtney Caldwell, who founded the International Car of the Year Awards (ICOTY) that honor the passion, presence and emotional punch that new vehicles can bring couldn't agree more. As the awards' executive producer and Road & Travel Magazine Publisher, she knows how such an emotional connection can win an unmatched sense of loyalty from consumers that few products can claim.

"The ICOTY Awards are not about power and performance, but rather about personality, passion and personal lifestyle," said Caldwell. "People develop a real emotional connection to their car for any number of reasons some of whom even consider it a member of their family," she muses.

Bridgestone, longtime lead sponsor and supporter of the ICOTY Awards, recognizes the consumer-product relationship as critical to vehicle success.

“Bridgestone is proud to support the ICOTY awards, and applauds the efforts of Audi that like our company demonstrates a strong commitment to innovative technology,” said Michael Martini, president, Consumer OE, Bridgestone Americas. “Through the combined efforts of everyone in the auto industry, and led by automakers like those being recognized in the 2012 International Car of the Year Awards, we will continue to meet and exceed the demands of the motoring public.”  Full story

Range Rover Evoque Named 2012 International Truck of the Year

Range Rover Evoque Named 2012 International Truck of the Year

by Martha Hindes

Dwayne Duff said it best when he first got up close and personal with the 2012 Range Rover Evoque a few weeks ago. "Wow!" pretty much said it all. After examining the sweeping lines, the aggressive face, the black and red leather interior and handsome gauges, the Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan resident was well on the way to a decision. When he turns in his leased Cadillac SRX crossover next year, he'll be ready for Land Rover's dramatic new baby sport utility vehicle.

Duff's response to a first look at the Evoque in person, after scouring the internet for photos, wasn't unusual. As Road & Travel Magazine testers drove it around, we found it brought thumbs up gestures of approval, wide grins, women abandoning their shopping carts to get a closer look and even hoots of excitement. The Evoque isn't just another of those cookie cutter crossover vehicles. It's just smack down galvanizing.

If fact the impact of this feisty newcomer is such an undeniable "gotcha" that a dozen ICOTY jurors found it so irresistible they named it Road & Travel Magazine's "International Truck of the Year" for 2012. And Kim McCullough, who is Brand Vice President of Land Rover, understands why people can't resist this all new small SUV that launches from Land Rover's traditional enthusiast base. "The breakthrough design and confident handling are undeniable and have led to a new generation of modern-day Land Rover enthusiasts," said McCullough, adding the coveted award is "a great way for the Land Rover brand to start off the New Year."

Courtney Caldwell, who founded the International Car of the Year Awards (ICOTY) that honor the passion, presence and emotional punch that new vehicles can bring couldn't agree more. As the awards' executive producer and Road & Travel Magazine Publisher, she knows how such an emotional connection can win an unmatched sense of loyalty from consumers that few products can claim. Full Story

2012 Minivan Buyer's Guide

by Martha Hindes

Road & Travel Magazine Names the Honda Odyssey
2012 International Minivan of the Year

And the winner is...

We all know the reputation minivans have, don't we? And the mountain of fodder they've regularly contributed to Grade B stand up comics. You've probably heard variations on the themes. The much maligned mom-mobile that comes with the territory after a first trip to the maternity ward. The blah transport anyone from six to 16 can't wait to grow out of. The hippo on wheels that dominates the high speed lane, in perpetually slow motion.

In testing minivans for Road & Travel Magazine's 2012 Minivan Buyer's Guide we quickly understood just how much these vehicles can offer, and why they have become a smug symbol of smarts in a world often dominated by left brain, lead footed road warriors. During test drives, we kept finding some of the most inventive ideas ever thought of for vehicles. We discovered there's as much cargo space as provided by a pickup truck bed -- and all of it inside and protected from the rain. And we learned minivans no longer lag along on underfunded engine power but at times can blow the doors off some unsuspecting competition when jumping away from a red light.

Despite fierce rivalry from inventive competitors, we choose the 2012 Honda Odyssey as International Minivan of the Year in the minivan variety pack challenge. Not only is its appearance updated and handsome, and it handles well with authority, but we're still recalling the wealth of ingenious add-ons that kick it over the top.

See pricing and specs for all 2012 minivans at Automotive.com    Full Story

2012 Kia Sedona Road Test Review

by Martha Hindes

Sometimes nothing hits the mark as much as an adage. Someone, somewhere sized up a situation and put a distinctive spin on the result. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is one. Or how about the story of Goldilocks and the porridge that was "just right." In spite of some assessments by armchair quarterbacks, those are two of the sayings that could apply to the 2012 Kia Sedona minivan.

In the ever mutating landscape of new cars and trucks, having something that really works and stays that way can be seen as lacking interest. Or that a vehicle was relegated to the background in favor of something new and dramatic. But consumers looking for a solid performer don't always need to be teased with the latest and greatest. Sometimes, it's one that fills a need with consistency: A reason perhaps that the 2012 Sedona is one of the most researched on the market.

According to some consumer tracking services, Sedona comes in third when potential buyers scrutinize 2012 minivans they're thinking of buying. That's not background noise on the current minivan stage. It tends to show that people on a budget want a good buy, even if its exterior look is a few years older, but still solidly and spaciously designed. Full Review

2012 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan Road Test

by Martha Hindes

If you think of Dodge's Grand Caravan minivan as comparable to a jeans-clad, bike-riding adolescent, then its sibling -- the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country -- would have to be the new high school grad dressed for a senior prom. Sure they're related. But what a difference a few years -- or a few thousand dollars -- can make.

Upgrading is no stranger to the automotive world. Vehicles across the board have been moving from basic to brimming with amenities for decades now. So it's a natural transition to have a version loaded with features available for those who want to step up to premium. And having a different brand name solidifies the status.

Like its kin, the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country benefits from its makeover a model year earlier that introduced some heavyweight changes in powertrain, performance and handling. Replacing less powerful and less efficient engines is the new award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 in all models, that generates an ambitious 283-horsepower. All new suspension tuning and a new six-speed automatic trans with manual mode gives the T&C the kind of kick necessary to be seriously considered for its driving ability along with people and cargo capacities.

Safety gets high marks, with blind spot and cross traffic systems available to warn of traffic dangers. Fuel economy miser helps earn mileage ratings of 17/25. Fuel economy is boosted with "Stow 'n Place" roof rail bow storage that eliminates wind drag when those cross beams aren't needed. Full review