No, they don’t all drive snowmobiles, nor mush sled dogs north of the border. (And, indeed, you have to go south from Detroit to visit our neighbors “up north.”) Just check out the list of the dozen best cars, trucks and crossovers that members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) have chosen as favorites for 2010.
The U.S. and Canadian markets have many things in common. With a few notable exceptions, everything you can buy in the States is available there, but Canadian motorists tend to opt for vehicles a size class smaller, whether that’s due to higher taxes or higher fuel prices.
But the members of AJAC covered virtually every segment of the market, picking these as the cars they’d recommend:
- BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) – Mazda3
- BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) – Mazda3 Sport
- BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k) – Volkswagen Golf Wagon TDI
- BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k) – Ford Taurus
- BEST NEW LUXURY CAR – BMW 335d Sedan
- BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR – Porsche Panamera Turbo
- BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k) – Volkswagen Golf GTI
- BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k) – Audi S4
- BEST NEW CONVERTIBLE – Audi A5 Cabriolet
- BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k) – Subaru Outback
- BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k) – Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel
- BEST NEW SUV/CUV (over $60k) – Lexus RX450h
The selections were made from an initial list of 157 different models going on sale in Canada in 2010.
AJAC still has a few surprises left, however. The organization will reveal its Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year choices on February 11th, at the annual Toronto Auto Show. And the jury has added a third category for 2010, an award for the Best New Green Technology.