Ford Fusion Hybrid Named 'Best of 2010' by Cars.com
January 14 2010 - 6:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Editors Announce Platinum Award Winners CHICAGO, Jan. 14
/PRNewswire/ -- After driving, debating and tallying the votes,
Cars.com's editors have named the Ford Fusion Hybrid the Best of
2010 in the sites annual Platinum Awards, which recognize the best
cars of the new model year. Other Platinum Award winners include
Best New SUV, Chevrolet Equinox; Best New Compact, Mazda3; Best New
Hatchback, Kia Soul; Best New Hybrid Hatchback, Toyota Prius; Best
New Hybrid Sedan, Ford Fusion Hybrid; and Best New Wagon, Subaru
Outback. To choose the 2010 Platinum Awards, Cars.com's expert
reviewers drove and tested all of the newly introduced and
redesigned models for 2010. From that pool of about 70 cars, they
chose their favorites based on features, driving quality, mileage
and overall value. "The Cars.com Platinum Awards represent the best
work by automakers for the 2010 model year. These vehicles excel on
all levels," said Patrick Olsen, editor in chief at Cars.com. "The
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid outshined all 2010s, earning it the title
Best of 2010, Cars.com's most prestigious award. We've seen hybrids
come into their own over the past few years, but none have been so
free of compromise as the Fusion Hybrid. We recommend that shoppers
- green or otherwise - take a serious look at this car." About the
2010 Platinum Award Winners: -- Best of 2010, Ford Fusion Hybrid:
The Ford Fusion Hybrid surpassed all others to earn Cars.com's best
overall title for 2010. According to Cars.com editors, the Ford
Fusion Hybrid distinguishes itself from other hybrids with a more
refined ride, smooth brakes, confident acceleration, a comfortable
interior and helpful features. Overall, what the Fusion Hybrid does
best is not act like a hybrid at all, while returning mileage of
41/36 mpg city/highway. -- Best New SUV, 2010 Chevrolet Equinox:
The Chevy Equinox vaults into the top tier of small crossovers
thanks to its impressive redesign. If you're a little concerned
that a small crossover like the Equinox might not be big enough for
your kids, don't be. It offers one of the largest, most comfortable
backseats in its class, and the seat itself can recline and slide
rearward for additional legroom. The small crossover segment is
crowded with competitive entries like the Toyota RAV4, Subaru
Forester and Nissan Rogue, but the new Equinox matches them in many
ways and exceeds them in others. It all adds up to one of the most
promising new cars of 2010. -- Best New Compact, 2010 Mazda3: While
there are many small cars out there, the Mazda3 is one of the few
that's really fun to drive. There's good power from either
available four-cylinder engine, and in a segment where many cars
can't handle a parking lot, the Mazda3 scoots through corners with
gusto. It's got the right standard features as well as a good mix
of options that should let you pick and choose among them to get
the best price for your budget - so it's strong in the "value"
category. -- Best New Hatchback, 2010 Kia Soul: Kia's foray into
the fickle compact-hatch segment had us scratching our heads at
first. But the little runabout proved itself. Agile moves and
decent cabin quality emerged as strengths early on. By summer, the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had crash-tested the Soul,
and it emerged a Top Safety Pick on par with the well-established
Scion xB. The Soul is also dirt-cheap. Consider this: Well under
$14,000 gets you power windows and locks, air conditioning, an
iPod-compatible stereo and the sort of safety features for which
you'd pay extra in a lot of midsize family sedans just a few years
ago. Plus, it has a 10-year powertrain warranty and a cargo area
that can handle whatever your teenager chucks in it. Color us
convinced. Kia is one of a few brands whose sales are up this year,
and cars like the Soul make it easy to see why. -- Best New Hybrid
Hatchback, 2010 Toyota Prius: The Toyota Prius closed out its
second generation with a 2009 model that was America's most
efficient car and most affordable hybrid. Truth be told, if it had
continued for a seventh model year, its 48/45 mpg city/highway
still would have beaten all comers. Instead, the all-new 2010
improves on the previous generation in every way - starting with a
markedly higher EPA-estimated 51/48 mpg. Higher mileage usually
doesn't come in larger, faster packages, but the 2010 Prius is
both, able to do zero to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds. The base
Prius' improvements over last year's model would be impressive even
if its starting price weren't lower - yes, lower - by $1,000. Like
we said, it's better in every way. -- Best New Hybrid Sedan, 2010
Ford Fusion Hybrid: There's one reason the Fusion Hybrid made this
year's list: It's a terrific car. It just happens to also be a
hybrid with better gas mileage - 39 mpg combined - than the Toyota
Camry Hybrid, which gets 34 mpg combined. It doesn't reach the
Toyota Prius' levels of efficiency - that iconic car gets 50 mpg
combined - but the Fusion Hybrid doesn't make the sacrifices that
the Prius does. The Fusion Hybrid is capable, quiet on the road and
sports plenty of creature comforts. Even though the driving
experience is more seamless than almost any past hybrids we've
tested, Ford doesn't try to hide its green factor. The Fusion's
innovative and completely customizable gauge cluster is the best
we've seen from any automaker in terms of looks and displaying
useful information. -- Best New Wagon, 2010 Subaru Outback:
Redesigned for 2010, Subaru's popular wagon is now more like a
crossover than a car, and it's grown up a bit in terms of interior
room. That's not a bad thing as its interior quality has improved,
the rear legroom is now spacious - before it was nearly nonexistent
- and there are nifty features like self-storing crossbars. The
ride is more comfortable, and the driver has a higher seating
position than before; the Outback remains a car that's easy to get
the family into and out of. While the Outback can tackle off-road
chores, on-road it's quieter than ever with less wind and road
noise, which makes it an infinitely better daily driver. Add up the
value equation of the car's starting price, past reliability and
standard all-wheel drive and it's easy to see why the Outback made
our short list. About Cars.com Cars.com is the leading destination
for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand
information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate
opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a
car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side
comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial
content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory,
Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping
process with the information they need to make confident buying
decisions. Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of
Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media
companies, including Belo (NYSE:BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI),
The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), Tribune Company and The
Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). DATASOURCE: Cars.com CONTACT:
Jackie Brennan, Associate Public Relations Manager,
+1-312-601-6229, mobile, +1-219-577-6106 , , or Steve Nolan, Public
Relations Manager, +1-312-601-5163, mobile, +1-630-310-2468, , both
of Cars.com Web Site: http://www.cars.com/
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