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Car and Driver magazine nominates an annual list of Ten Best cars and Five Best trucks.
All production vehicles for sale in that calendar year are considered with these restrictions:
- The vehicle must be on sale by January
- It must be priced below 2.5 times the average car price for that year
- The manufacturer must provide an example for testing
- Only substantially changed vehicles and the past year's 10 best winners are nominated
The magazine sometimes selects a specific trim and other times a whole family of vehicles.
See also: Car of the Year
Top Ten Marques
From 1983 through 2005, the following marques were represented on the list the most times, including both the car and truck lists.
Top Manufacturers
Further breaking down the marques into their controlling manufacturers amplifies Honda's dominance of the contest over the last 23 years.
Note that this number is skewed by the multiple products picked over the years. For example, the Chrysler minivans were picked three times, totalling 8 "points" for DaimlerChrysler from three wins. The Diamond-Star cars were a similar problem, double-dipping "points" for both Mitsubishi, Plymouth, and Eagle. These situations were not "fixed"; rather, they are left as-is, skewing the totals.
Top Ten Models
From 1983 through 2005, the following individual models were represented on the list the most times:
Note: The Acura RSX and Acura Integra are similar models. The RSX's 2002 and 2003 wins would bring it into 5th place if their numbers were combined.
2005
Ten Best Cars
Price cap: $70,000
2004
Ten Best Cars
Price cap: $69,000
Five Best Trucks
2003
Ten Best Cars
Price cap: $66,000
Five Best Trucks
2002
Top-selling cars:
- Ford F-Series
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Toyota Camry
Ten Best Cars
Price cap: $66,000
Five Best Trucks
2001
For 2001, Car and Driver created a separate "Five Best Trucks" award with a single winner in each of five categories.
Top-selling vehicles:
- Ford F-Series
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Ford Explorer
Ten Best Cars
Price cap: $62,000
Five Best Trucks
2000
Price cap: $61,000
Top speed recorded: Ferrari 360 Modena, 173 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1999
Price cap: $59,000
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1998
Price cap: $55,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F50, 194 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1997
Price cap: $54,000
Fastest car tested: Dodge Viper GTS, 177 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Toyota Camry
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
1996
Price cap: $48,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F355, 179 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1995
Price cap: $46,000.
Fastest car tested: Lamborghini Diablo VT, 185 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1994
Institution of the 2.5x price cap, now at $43,000.
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 179 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Ford Escort
1993
Price cap: $40,000
Fastest car tested: Lamborghini Diablo, 204 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1992
Price cap: $40,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari F40, 197 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Taurus
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Camry
1991
New rule: No more than two places per marque.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 176 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Toyota Camry
1990
Eliminated half domestic/half import rule as impractical.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 175 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1989
Imports and domestics chosen by marque, not by place of manufacture.
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: 750iL V12, 158 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Honda Accord
- Ford Taurus
- Ford Escort
1988
Price cap: $35,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari Testarossa, 173 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Corsica/Beretta
- Ford Taurus
1987
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Ferrari Testarossa, 176 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Ford Escort
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1986
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Porsche 944 Turbo, 157 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Celebrity
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Cavalier
1985
Price cap: $30,000
Fastest car tested: Chevrolet Corvette, 150 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Cavalier
- Ford Escort
- Chevrolet Celebrity
1984
Instituted the price cap at $30,000.
Fastest car tested: Ferrari 308 Quattrovalvole, 144 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Chevrolet Cavalier
- Ford Escort
- Ford LTD
1983
For the 1980s, Car and Driver picked five domestic and five import cars.
Fastest car tested: Jaguar XJ-S HE, 142 mph
Top-selling cars:
- Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
- Ford Escort
- Ford LTD
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