2004
CAR OF THE YEAR | | | CADILLAC
XLR |
American
Woman Road and Travel's highest award, Car of the Year, has gone to some pretty
outstanding automobiles in recent years, but none that so passionate, so captivatingly
styled and so incredibly significant as the gorgeous new Cadillac XLR. Its
knife-edged styling turns more heads than a topless Pamela Anderson. Its exhilarating
performance speaks in the legendary Corvette's native tongue. And its ultra-luxurious
interior (replete with Bose audio and Bulgari gauges) rivals those of the world's
most lustworthy roadsters, including the awesome Mercedes-Benz SL and the Porsche
Carrera. Furthermore, next to those cars-and others in that echelon-the $76,200
Cadillac XLR is an indisputable bargain that also reestablishes the American brand
as one of the world's most prestigious automakers. With
its lusty looks, faultess road manners, luxury accoutrements and cache for days,
then, the Cadillac XLR is American Woman Road and Travel's Car of the Year for
2004. Honorable
Mentions:
Mazda RX-8
With four doors, four seats
and an incredible new rotary engine, the Mazda RX-8 reminds us that Mazda is still
focusing on doing what it knows best: building cars that are fun to drive and
easy to live with as well. Factor in the fact that is costs little more than a
mid-size sedan and you have a seriously compelling sports car that effectively
doubles as a family sedan.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
With
new wagon and all-wheel-drive models, the enhanced Mercedes-Benz E-Class lineup
offers excellent matches for even more luxury-minded consumers this year. Also,
the E55 AMG variant is a rocketship disguised as a sport sedan. Yum. |
MOST
SEX APPEAL | | | 2004
SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR |
Nothing
ignites our passions like a sexy sports car. And we've gotten more than a little
aroused in recent years with some truly compelling sports cars. But none so compelling
so as to win not only our Most Sex Appeal category, but our Car of the Year award
as well. But the incredible new Cadillac XLR has done just that.Its
sports car credentials start with its eye-catching styling, which is arguably
the most luscious example yet of Cadillac's art-and-science form vocabulary also
seen on the SRX sport wagon and the CTS sport sedan. Sure, its folding metal top
is a work of art. And sure, its luxurious interior could just as easily belong
in a Maserati or a Mercedes-Benz. But
we believe that a sports car wouldn't be worth a drop of fuel if it didn't have
an incredible engine, and the XLR's 320-hp V-8 indeed is one incredible power
plant. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, the throaty V-8's 315 lb-ft
of torque twist the rear wheels with enough accelerative power to hurl the luxury
roadster to 60 mph in under six seconds. And based as it is on a future Corvette
chassis, the XLR generates near-supercar handling numbers. With
the XLR, it's safe to say that Cadillac is back at the top of the heap. And now
it has the awards to prove it. Honorable
Mentions: Mercedes-Benz
SL55 AMG
The unbelievably powerful 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG starts
where the beautiful, graceful but more luxury-minded SL500 leaves off. The ace
up the SL55's sleeve is the hand-built, supercharged, 469-hp V-8 engine that catapults
the roadster forward with the alacrity once found only in Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Sure, its price is in the nosebleed section, but no one ever said that dream cars
like these come cheap. Chrysler
Crossfire
An unexpected offspring of the Daimler-Benz/Chrysler merger
is the alluring and sporty Crossfire coupe, which blends the best of the solid
Mercedes-Benz SLK platform with expressive styling such that Chrysler designers
are known for. Not only is the Crossfire a feast for the eyes when standing still,
it is a feast for the soul when charging down your favorite twisty two-laner.
And at less than $35K to start, it won't feast on your wallet, either. [READ
OUR '04 CADILLAC XLR ROAD TEST REVIEW]
Class
of 2004 ~ 8th Annual Awards Links | | | |
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