Misplaced Pages

The Motor Trend Car of the Year (COTY) is an annual Car of the Year award given by Motor Trend magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed car in a given model year.

Background

Motor Trend, which debuted in 1949, was the first publication to name a Car of the Year. The inaugural Motor Trend Car of the Year award recognized Cadillac's V8 engine in 1949 (75 years ago) (1949).

The earliest awards were given to the manufacturer or division, not for a specific vehicle. The 1958 Ford Thunderbird became the first single model to be selected. In 1970, the Ford Torino won the COTY while Motor Trend selected the Porsche 914 for its first Import COTY award.

In 1972, the low-volume imported Citroën SM won the overall COTY award. Between 1976 and 1999, the COTY award was split in two: Domestic COTY and Import COTY.

The trophy was recombined in 2000 because the distinctions between domestic and import cars became increasingly difficult. The award has expanded to include a pickup truck (starting in 1979) and a separate sport utility vehicle (starting in 1999), which are recognized separately from the Car of the Year.

Over time, other publications and organizations have copied Motor Trend's Car of the Year award and created their own. These COTY designations may focus on regional markets, vehicle types, specific market segments, or other criteria. Some examples include the European Car of the Year that began in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines, the Green Car of the Year selected by a panel of automotive and environmental experts, the Tow Car of the Year chosen by selected sponsors in the industry, and the Fleet Car of the Year that is voted by professional fleet managers.

Impact

Motor Trend's Car of the Year is "one of the most prestigious honors bestowed in the auto industry."

The trophy for the winner, a depiction of calipers, is often used in the winning automaker's marketing and advertising. Most cars that win the award report a spike in sales.

Criteria

To be eligible for the award, a car must be an "all-new" or "substantially upgraded" vehicle that has been on sale within twelve months from the previous November, vehicles that have been on sale for over five years are ineligible for the award.

Between the contenders, it is not a comparison test. In 2014 as an example, the Motor Trend judges debated and evaluate each vehicle against six key criteria:

Motor Trend also only considers cars with base MSRPs less than $150,000 in order to avoid expensive luxury and super cars dominating the competition.

Vehicles are subjected to a battery of tests: standard car tests such as skid-pad ratings, acceleration and quarter-mile times, and evaluations of the interiors are combined with a track run conducted by Sports Car Club of America-licensed testers and taking the cars out on normal roads to test their drivability under normal conditions, and fuel economy. Trucks and SUVs add towing capacity and speed, plus an off-road course, to the normal regimen.

Car of the Year Winners

Note that in 1970 and between 1976–2000, the Car of the Year award was split into two categories, domestic and import.

Import Car of the Year Winners

Introduced in 1970 for one year and then brought back in 1976 due to differences between imports and American cars. The award was discontinued after the 1999 model year when the difference between what was a domestic and an import had started to become problematic.

Truck of the Year Winners

SUV of the Year Winners

"SUV of the Year" was split from "Truck of the Year" in 1999.

Performance Vehicle of the Year Winners

Motor Trend began their Performance Vehicle of the Year award in 2022.

Car of the Year (China)

Motor Trend magazine's China-market cousin, Auto Club-Motor Trend, also issues a "Car of the Year" award for that market.

Car of the Year

2011: BMW Brilliance 5 Series (long wheelbase)

2010: Shanghai-GM Buick Regal

2009: GAC-Honda Accord

2008: FAW-Volkswagen Magotan(Passat B6)

2007: GAC-Toyota Camry

2006: FAW-Toyota Crown

2005: Changan-Ford Mondeo

2004: FAW-Mazda 6

2003: Shanghai Volkswagen Polo

SUV of the Year Winners

2011: FAW-Volkswagen Audi Q5

2010: GAC Toyota Highlander

2009: Dongfeng Nissan X-Trail

2008: Guangqi Honda CRV

2007: Countermanded

2006: Shanghai GM SRX

2005: Guangqi Honda CRV

2004: Changfeng Automobile Liebao Feiteng

See also

• List of motor vehicle awards

References

1. Lieberman, Jonny (January 2014). "Motor Trend Car of the Year 2014: The Strong Thrive: The 65th Anniversary of our Signature Award Finds the Automotive Industry Stronger Than Ever". Motor Trend. 66 (1): 42–45. ISSN 0027-2094. OCLC 423854316. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2015-05-18. Our mission was to determine exactly which of this year's 22 new or significantly refreshed contenders is in fact the best.
2. Mueller, Mike (2006). American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-7603-2327-4. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
3. Gunnell, John (2003). Standard Catalog of Thunderbird, 1955-2004. Krause Publications. p. 7. ISBN 9780873497565. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
4. "The Way We Were: 1970 Motor Trend Import Car of the Year". Motor Trend. May 2006. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
5. "Tow Car Awards". thetowcarawards.com. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
6. "Fleet Car of the Year". Automotive Fleet. Retrieved 2015-05-19.
7. Fifty Years of Motor Trend. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. 1999. ISBN 978-0-7603-0781-6.
8. Fombrun, Charles J. (1996). Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image. Harvard Business Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-87584-633-0. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
9. "Rambler Wins 1963 Motor Trend "Car of the Year" Award". Life. Vol. 54, no. 10. 1963-03-08. p. 105. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
10. Dudley, Kathryn Marie (1997). The End of the Line: Lost Jobs, New Lives in Postindustrial America. University of Chicago Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-226-16910-1. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
11. Hyde, Charles K. (2003). Riding the Roller Coaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation. Wayne State University Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8143-3091-3. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
12. "Cadillac CTS Scores Second Motor Trend Car of the Year Award" (Press release). Cadillac Pressroom. 2013-11-07. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
13. Michael, Floyd (2008-09-25). "2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year: The Contenders Are Revealed, What's Your Pick?". Motor Trend. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
14. Evans, Scott (December 13, 2021). "The Rivian R1T Is the 2022 MotorTrend Truck of the Year". Motor Trend. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
15. Killeen, Scott (February 1, 1996). "1994 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie SLT - Long-Term Wrap-Up". Motor Trend. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
16. "Jeep Grand Cherokee: Motor Trend's 1993 Truck Of The Year". Motor Trend. December 1993. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
17. "The Chevrolet Blazer EV Is the 2024 MotorTrend SUV of the Year". 25 October 2023.
18. "MotorTrend's 2023 SUV of the Year is Here: The Criteria". 20 October 2022.
19. https://www.motortrend.com/news/bmw-m2-2024-performance-vehicle-of-the-year/
20. https://www.motortrend.com/videos/1_3yfkuvpc/chevrolet-corvette-z06-motortrend-2023-performance-vehicle-of-the-year/
21. https://www.motortrendgroup.com/porsche-911-gt3-named-motortrends-2022-performance-vehicle-of-the-year/

• Motor vehicle awards