2013 Audi A6 3.0T / S6 / A7 3.0T / S7
All hail the new autobahn—and interstate—kings.
For the second consecutive year, we're bellying up for a helping of
Audi's alphanumeric soup. To the "As" and "6s" and "7s" from the A6 3.0T
and A7 models that made the list last year, we're happy to see a couple
of hot "Ss" float to the top in 2013. For the S6 and S7, Audi takes the
"A" models' rich mix of virtues and turns it lethal, thanks in no small
part to a 420-hp, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8.
In a recent comparison test,
the S6 put the hurt on the vastly more powerful BMW M5 and
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. On the road, the S6 is an inexhaustible cannon,
more cohesive and less fiddly than cars costing an additional $20,000.
Audi's modus operandi for the non-S varieties is basically the same,
minus 110 horsepower. Understated bodies cover stout structures into
which Audi crafts beautiful and sensible interiors, without unnecessary
complication. Combine that with an unflappable chassis, accurate
steering, ample power, and a general sense of quality and you have an
unbeatable luxury/sports-car range.
vehicle type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 4–5-passenger, 4-door sedan or 5-door wagon
base price: $51,295–$79,695
engines:
supercharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 310 hp, 325
lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8,
420 hp, 406 lb-ft
transmissions: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode, 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 114.7 in
length: 193.9–195.6 in
width: 73.8–75.2 in
height: 55.9–57.8 in
curb weight: 4050–4550 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 17–18/27–28 mpg
The same old song and dance, differently.
Regular readers of this publication may have felt inklings or heard the
notion that we have a certain fondness for the 3-series, as we've lofted
it to this list now for 22 years in a row. This being a transition year
for the model, the F30 sedan stands alone as the winner, without
support from the rest of the lineup. Recent comparison and road tests
suggest that we haven't gone ga-ga for the F30 as we did its
predecessors, but it nevertheless delivers one of the best overall
packages on the market. Two turbocharged engines offer improved fuel
economy while the inline-six in the 335i maintains nearly undetectable
NVH levels. The body and interior may have grown slightly, but that
imposes little or no weight penalty. Front seats are comfortable and
supportive, and the back seat is adult friendly. There's virtually no
performance gap between the six-speed manual and the eight-speed
automatic. With five equipment lines to choose from (base, Modern,
Luxury, Sport, and M Sport), the 3's appeal has expanded to reach a
larger audience without breaking its grip on the sports-sedan segment.
Many would-be challengers have benchmarked this winning formula, and
some even match or beat it in one way or another, but they all fall
short of the gestalt. The F30 is just getting started, too—a hotly
anticipated M3 version slides into view next year.
vehicle type: front-engine, rear- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
base price: $37,395–$45,695
engines:
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 240 hp,
255 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter
inline-6, 300 hp, 300 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 110.6 in
length: 182.5 in
width: 71.3 in
height: 56.3 in
curb weight: 3450–3750 lb
2013 Ford Focus / Focus ST
Long on value, short on fluff, this is America's supercompact.
Never confuse cheapness with value. A cheap car endlessly reminds you of
its inferiority. But value is doubly rewarding; it means paying the
least amount possible for something of superior grade. And value
perfectly describes the Ford Focus and Focus ST. A Focus might cost
slightly more than other cars in its compact class, but for a few bucks
extra, it's profoundly better. From the basic 160-hp Focus to the new
252-hp hot hatch, the entire lineup transcends the compact caste. It's
as if Ford built the Focus's structure to compete with Mercedes-Benz,
the steering with Porsche, and the suspension with Lotus. Ford might not
have hit every mark—the automatic is still a dullard, for instance—but
the reach upward lifts the Focus away from its competition. Even the
electric version (deemed too pricey for a 10Best award) boasts the same
blend of refinement and handling. Note that we did, however, add the ST
to the list this year. It's like a younger, louder, and hungrier GTI,
and we fell hard for it. But even the lowliest Focus is suffused with
character and quality far above its price.
vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan or 5-door wagon
base price: $16,995–$24,495
engines:
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 160 hp, 146 lb-ft; turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 252 hp, 270 lb-ft
transmissions: 5- or 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 104.3 in
length: 171.6–178.5 in
width: 71.8 in
height: 57.7–58.4 in
curb weight: 2950–3250 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 23–28/32–40 mpg
2013 Ford Mustang GT / Boss 302
The Lord loves a juvenile delinquent.
Tip o' the hat to the freshened-for-2013 Ford Mustang in this, its third
consecutive 10Best posting. Which is funny, because this 48-year-old
malefactor's stingy rear seats would enrage the Amish. Its cabin
materials still recollect
Little House on the Prairie. The
rigid rear axle is older than Moses. And on commutes in rain or snow,
this loudmouth is only marginally more useful than your Schwinn. Said
Jens Meiners, our European voter, "Wasteful, crude, unsophisticated—an
automotive caricature of America." That's why, when the polls open, the
Mustang sucks up to a constituency comprising Bruce Springsteen, Joe
Biden, and all the rest of us hormonally imbalanced American boys whose
primitive predilections got us kicked out of study hall. Well, too bad.
At least we know our math:
420-hp Mustang GT:
60 mph in 4.5 seconds, quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 111 mph, top
speed of 147 mph, 0.89 g of cornering grip, base price of $31,095.
444-hp Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca:
60 mph in 4.2 seconds, quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds at 114 mph, top
speed of 161 mph, 0.96 g of cornering grip, base price of $42,995 (Boss)
or $49,990 (Laguna Seca).
For now, we're still warming to the 305-hp Mustang V-6 and the 662-hp
Shelby GT500. In the end, it's the GT/Boss twofer that shines as the
quintessential Motown emblems of power, performance, and
practicality—each a white-hot line drive of blue-collar satisfaction
for red-blooded Yanks. Did we go over the top there?
vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2- or 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
base price: $31,095–$42,995
engines: DOHC 32-valve 5.0-liter V-8, 420 hp, 390 lb-ft; DOHC 32-valve 5.0-liter V-8, 444 hp, 380 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 107.1 in
length: 188.1–188.5 in
width: 73.9 in
height: 55.1–55.8 in
curb weight: 3650–3700 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 15–18/25–26 mpg
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 20–24/28–34 mpg
The family sedan, elevated.
Let us get this straight: The new Accord has ditched its control-arm
front suspension for struts; a CVT has displaced its four-cylinder's
step-gear automatic; and gasoline direct injection is new this year—but
only on the four—nine years after Audi first offered it in the U.S. So
why is this car back on this list for a record 27th time? It's not
because the Accord is a looker. What it has is inner beauty: Luxury-car
big inside and yet smaller outside than before, this ninth-gen version
fully delivers on Honda's "man-maximum, machine-minimum" philosophy. The
Accord's greatness has always derived from its ability to disappear
under its driver, but this new car verges on the ethereal—it is so easy
to see out of, so easy to point into a corner, so elegant and light and
forgiving in its responses that one big fluid loop develops between man
and machine. This is true whether you're talking about the base
four-cylinder sedan or the six-cylinder coupe with its clockwork manual.
Its playful and graceful spirit makes taking grandma to the doctor and
the kids to soccer and the boss to lunch no chore. You only think it's a
driving appliance until you drive it. Then you understand.
vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2-door coupe or 4-door sedan
base price: $22,470–$24,140
engines: DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 185–189 hp, 181–182 lb-ft; SOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 278 hp, 252 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 107.3–109.3 in
length: 189.3–191.4 in
width: 72.8 in
height: 56.5–57.7 in
curb weight: 3250–3450 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 18–27/28–36 mpg
Intelligence in five-door form.
With the Fit, Honda hands drivers a bargain-priced tool that is neither
pretty nor powerful. In place of all that is something rarer: density of
thought. There's more intelligence packed into the Fit than in many
cars nearly twice its size. It's the defining small car—mechanically
precise, pared of excess fat, respectful of gasoline, and graced with
fluid handling. It's also hugely practical and affordable. Like a genie
lamp, it's small on the outside and remarkably cavernous inside. An
electric version priced itself out of contention, and the gas model is
by no means perfect—the 117-hp engine needs more oats. But the Fit's
every component hums the song of high-quality machinery and that
seduced us again.
vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
base price: $16,115–$17,850
engine: SOHC 16-valve 1.5-liter inline-4, 117 hp, 106 lb-ft
transmissions: 5-speed manual, 5-speed automatic, 5-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 98.4 in
length: 161.6 in
width: 66.7 in
height: 60.0 in
curb weight: 2500–2600 lb
Best in a class of one.
At this point, the Miata deserves some veneration for enduring as the
only inexpensive roadster still on the market. But we don't hand out
awards for longevity. The Miata remains on this list for the eighth
straight year because it shows how engineering rightness transcends
performance figures. The 167-hp four is merely adequate and the handling
limits are unimpressive by sports-car standards. What keeps the Miata
triumphant is not raw performance but a balanced chassis that
communicates every nuance
to the driver through perfectly calibrated controls. And at a $24,515
starting price, the Miata keeps all that fun affordable.
vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
base price: $24,515–$29,260
engine: DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 158–167 hp, 140 lb-ft
transmissions: 5- or 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 91.7 in
length: 157.3 in
width: 67.7 in
height: 49.0–49.4 in
curb weight: 2500–2650 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 21–22/28 mpg
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 27–28/33–35 mpg
2013 Porsche Boxster / Boxster S
Is this the greatest roadster ever built?
Our expectations for the new Porsche Boxster couldn't have been higher.
We've put the Boxster on our 10Best list 13 times since the model's
introduction in 1996. Well, hello number 14. To say that this
stem-to-stern reworking for 2013 exceeds expectations is to engage in an
almost British level of understatement. The new car is roomier, thanks
to a longer wheelbase, but lighter than the car it replaces. A slinky
new body makes the Boxster look less like the 911's little brother and
more like an exotic. It will generate 1.0 g on the skidpad. It can stop
from 70 mph in a shorter distance than the McLaren 12C. According to our
testing, the Boxster S accelerates as quickly as a standard 911. But
the Boxster is not really about generating big performance figures.
Driving it is a holistic sports-car experience, an exercise in
interactivity. The standard 265-hp 2.7-liter flat-six sounds as
thrilling as the 315-hp 3.4-liter in the S model. The steering is
genius. Utterly unperturbed by broken or wavy pavement, this car
remains steadfastly on the line you've chosen. A redesigned Cayman (the
Boxster's hardtop brother) is not yet available, so it doesn't share the
award this time. But something tells us we'll end up liking that one as
well.
vehicle type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
base price: $50,450–$61,850
engines: DOHC 24-valve 2.7-liter flat-6, 265 hp, 206 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.4-liter flat-6, 315 hp, 266 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 97.4 in
length: 172.2 in
width: 70.9 in
height: 50.0–50.1 in
curb weight: 2900–3000 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 20–22/28–32 mpg
2013 Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ
Double your pleasure, double your fun.
For the first time since 1997, when the Ford Contour and Mercury
Mystique shared, one car sold under two different marques has claimed a
single 10Best award. The differences between the Scion FR-S and Subaru
BRZ are some exterior colors and trim, and the BRZ comes standard with a
navigation unit, equating to a $1310 premium over the $24,955 FR-S.
Critics of the Scibaru are quick to point out its unrefined and buzzy
shortcomings. We hear the buzzing, and even a little interior rattling,
as the backing track to a constant reminder that chassis development
took the lead during this car's gestation. Electrically assisted
steering that actually communicates and a chassis balance that ebbs and
flows between understeer and oversteer with brake or throttle
applications are hallmarks of its personality. It is a lot like the
Porsche Boxster in that regard, but for about half the cost. With only
200 horses and a 6400-rpm torque peak, there's no power cushion to
adjust the mid-corner pace. The Subion challenges drivers to maintain
speed and when apex velocity is maxed out, so is the driver-satisfaction
gauge. Entertainment, value, and execution of the intended purpose are
the 10Best commandments: This one (okay, two) nails 'em all.
vehicle type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
base price: $24,955–$26,265
engine: DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter flat-4, 200 hp, 151 lb-ft
transmissions: 6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 101.2 in
length: 166.7 in
width: 69.9 in
height: 50.6 in
curb weight: 2750–2800 lb
2013 Volkswagen Golf / GTI
So well-rounded, if quite boxy.
Volkswagen's testosteroid Golf R did its more common kin a favor this
year, even though we left the pricey black sheep of the family off our
list as too much of an outlier. Volkswagen's venerable hatchback will be
replaced in 2014 by an all-new model, and that made its 10Best berth
vulnerable. Yet, after we drove the most powerful and expensive Golf
ever to grace our shores, the R merely reinforced how complete the
Volkswagen Golf experience already is. Offering nearly perfect
fundamentals in base form, thrift in its TDI (turbo-diesel) variant, and
an obscenely high fun-per-dollar ratio from the GTI, the Golf upends
the underachiever's excuse that you can't please all of the people all
of the time.
vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3- or 5-door hatchback
base price: $18,790–$24,790
engines:
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4,
140 hp, 236 lb-ft; DOHC 20-valve 2.5-liter inline-5, 170 hp, 177 lb-ft;
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 200 hp,
207 lb-ft
transmissions: 5- or 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode, 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
wheelbase: 101.5 in
length: 165.4–165.9 in
width: 70.0–70.3 in
height: 57.8–58.2 in
curb weight: 2900–3200 lb
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 21–30/31–42 mpg
epa city/hwy fuel economy: 22–25/30–34 mpg the end
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