Fair disclosure: I’ve just finished an e-mail correspondence a Ward’s employee who insulted my professional honor. On her or off her? Definitely on her. That’s the best offer I’ve had all week. But seriously folks, if my expense account hadn’t suddenly disappeared, I’d send these guys the animated version of Atlas Shrugged. As Dash Parr (a.k.a. Incredible) moaned, saying every one’s special is like saying no one’s special. I mean, eleven winners? “All 35 [considered] vehicles were divided into six car and truck segments based on price. One winner is named for each of the six categories, plus special-achievement honorees are selected in five other areas. The 11 awards carry equal weight.” And I’m sure that’s exactly what you told the manufacturers so honored. Who are . . .
- Honda Fit Sport (Economy-priced car)
- Volkswagen CC (Popular-priced car)
- Kia Soul (Grooviest Interior)
- Acura TL (Premium-priced car)
- Nissan 370Z Touring (Sports car)
- Dodge Ram (Popular-priced truck)
- Ford Flex (Premium-priced truck)
- Audi A4 (Best Redesign)
- Ford Fusion Hybrid (Best Graphic Display)
- Lexus RX 450h (Design Harmony)
- Cadillac CTS-V (Best Brand Expression)
Oh, and “The winners will be honored May 21 at the Ward’s Auto Interiors Conference, to be held at the Dearborn Ritz Carlton.” I expect to see my invitation at robertfarago1@gmail.com any second now.
Why the RX 450h? Is it different from the RX 350? *rolls eyes*
Also, “grooviest interior.” Who comes up with this stuff?
I have seen a Kia Soul live and in person and it does look good with its red accents on black.
Now as to that Cadillac picture….. Accccck!
There are some airplanes with less dials and buttons than that mess of plastic.
Edmond Dantes :
Also, “grooviest interior.” Who comes up with this stuff?
Its the same folks who hold the Academy Awards. You know “Best interior design for a foreign travelogue” stuff.
And how in hell did the Flex get an award as a “truck”? They are nice but about as much of a truck as the wife’s Camry.
Talk about trying to please everybody all of the time. I wonder how much of Ward’s income depends on theses particular companies.
Sounds like a way to not piss off sponsors. What a crock. I can see doing economy, luxury, etc., but “grooviest”? That’s pretty freaking stupid.
Boy they really missed it this time, the best interior is the Lincoln Town Car.
“Grooviest?”
Is it still 1966?
akitadog :
April 9th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Talk about trying to please everybody all of the time. I wonder how much of Ward’s income depends on theses particular companies.
Well, since they covered every mainstream manufacturer (GM, Ford, Chrysler, VW/Audi, Hyundai/Kia, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus and Nissan) I’d say almost all of it. Their awards are like those awards they give away at at end of T-ball season where every kid gets some kind of trophy so no one’s fragile self-esteem gets damaged. Or in this case, no major advertiser gets left out.
Only way GM gets mentioned is for “Best Brand Expression”, whetever the heck that is. Even Chrysler topped one of the regular categories, which surprises me.
You do think they could pick one.
The;
VW CC
Nissan 370Z
Audi A4
Ford Fusion
Lexus RX450H
Cadillac CTS-V
need to be thrown off the list for having controls stuck in front of the shifter.
Fight is really between the Fit and Ram
I have to say that the new Dodge Ram’s interior is one of the nicest interiors I have seen inside a truck as of yet. Can Chrysler keep it up? Can they get away from their addiction to cheap gray plastics?
My first glance at the Caddy interior pictured garnered a “What! That won an award?” However, on further reflection (pun intended) I think it is just the cheap chrome rings and tabs on the air vents that make it look way too busy. Subtlety please.
Explain to me WTF “popular price” is? Is it popular because ther are so many cars to choose from in that price range? Is it popular because people are actually thinking they are making a bargain? Vanilla is a popular flavour of ice-cream, is it the same with popular priced cars? I want a popular car, in a popular color, with a popular price. And what the hell is that for a kind of car? Hyundai? Does driving around in a vanilla-flavoured Hyundai makes me popular as well? Tell me…
I would have given the Cube and not the Soul “Grooviest Interior”. Between the optional shag-topped dash and the ripple-effect motif, how could you not?
A Chrysler with an award winning interior? I think you have to be blind and had your fingertips burned off to rate the Dodge Ram above its Chevy and Ford counterparts.
At any price point. Not to mention the unbelievably nice interior of the F150 Platnium, popular price or not.
i do like the CTS and Ram interiors, but the Fit? The last generation Fit was much better than the busy cheap feeling one in the current model.
Gottleib :
April 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Boy they really missed it this time, the best interior is the Lincoln Town Car.
One of the best of the day!!!
…really, when was the last time this interior was fully redone? Looks like we are nearing the end of the six inch tall digital numbers and a stereo that requires a boat oar so you can reach over and adjust.
Honestly though, while the Fit probably was the right choice, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the smart fourtwo instead.
“grooviest” (whatever) interior…Cube.
Best Brand Extension…Corvette. Why? Cost cut, overflowing with low rent plastics, but if you throw some extra money at it with the upgraded interior package, not bad…just like the ‘vette.
And I can see the press release now: “The Fusion Hybrid grows vines in the display so it wins the ‘Best Graphics Display!.\'”
(groan)
Bizzare. Why put the CC in as a “popular-price car” and the TL as a “premium-priced car” when it’s a matter of options only? Besides, IMO the 3.2 CC loaded is far nicer than the new TL on the inside (I have been in both, as well as the 2.0T CC). If Acura really needs the reach-around give it to them on reliability.
The rest of the list is just a joke. I feel like an idiot even trying to evaluate their choices, because it’s obvious they didn’t bother.
In Cadillac’s defense, pictures don’t do the CTS interior justice. It’s really very nice, but I’m a bigger fan of the regular CTS over the piano black in the V. Piano black works in some cars, but the CTS-V is too expensive to have that, it needs to sport leather and aluminum on the dash. Not highly polished plastic.
The Dodge Ram’s interior does look decent, and I’m sure the F-150 Platinum’s interior is very nice, but I can’t find myself in favor of any 4×4 with a transfer case controlled by a knob, which of course eliminates all of these vehicles from the last 10 years. I don’t think it’s something that should be confused with the HVAC, or maybe I’m just a fetishist for dramatic controls. Yeah, probably the latter.
Nissan 370Z won an interior award? The thing looks like it was designed by the guy that did the Mini’s interior after huffing paint. Huge plastic rings and circles everywhere
I can’t stand the overdesigned, HR Giger inspired interior of the Acura TL. The VW CC, Audi A4, and CTS-V are my favorites. I wouldn’t know that if it weren’t for the local auto show. If I didn’t know about VW’s reliability, I might have considered the CC.
The TL’s interior is horrid. How do you win an award for a “luxury car” interior that’s 100% plastic?
This is lame.
What about Mazda?
My Mazda 3 has (IMHO) really good interior competing with Audi almost. and that in an economy car. sure beats the cars in its price-class. (Civic captn Kirk speedometer!)
Maybe Austin Powers would not find it groovy, but it really looks more expensive and after 4 years still looks like new. I also could install an AUX input for which I had to take out the radio very easily. That certainly is not the case in all the cars.
Wife’s Mazda 6 is similarly good.
I agree the Fit is really good for its class. Have them at work, love them and sure beats the competition in its class (Yaris, speedometer in the center???)
and a ford car wins because of the graphics display? Everything else doesn’t matter? and a chrysler is on the list? the last Chrysler I drove (rental) made me barth.
I don’t know the Audi, but you get an award for best re-design? Like it sucked that their improvement was so steep that that deserves an award? Like the F-student who gets a D and now the entire family is proud. While the long-term B-student doesn’t get anything because he didn’t improve?
Nissan 370Z won an interior award? The thing looks like it was designed by the guy that did the Mini’s interior after huffing paint. Huge plastic rings and circles everywhere
Are you talking about the 350Z? The 370Z has a fantastic looking interior.
Also, “grooviest interior.” Who comes up with this stuff?
Their marketing department. They needed to give every manufacturer an award so that they can sell ads to all the manufacturers.
derm81:
“I have to say that the new Dodge Ram’s interior is one of the nicest interiors I have seen inside a truck as of yet. Can Chrysler keep it up? Can they get away from their addiction to cheap gray plastics?”
Take a look:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-jeep-grand-cherokee/1477828/
tedward:
“Bizzare. Why put the CC in as a “popular-price car” and the TL as a “premium-priced car” when it’s a matter of options only?”
Same for the Ram and the Flex.
What about Mazda?
My Mazda 3 has (IMHO) really good interior competing with Audi almost.
The Mazda 3 won the 12th award (well, it will as soon as the check clears)….
It’s the “Best interior from a company that has a rotary engine, in a car that doesn’t have a rotary engine” award.
Is any of these interiors not gray?
“Nissan 370Z won an interior award? The thing looks like it was designed by the guy that did the Mini’s interior after huffing paint. Huge plastic rings and circles everywhere”
I totally agree. A guy at work has one and I didn’t have the heart to say it’s shit. All plastic and blind spots. Obviously they “greased” the panel.
I can visualize the clipboard sheet used to evaluate each entry. OMG!
Davekaybsc:
You are right, the TL’s interior is made of plastic. Soft Touch plastic. It is also made of Aluminum (real Aluminum, not the plastic crap you’d see in other cars), leather, and some damned fine cloth for the stylish cross-stitching and the headliner.
An ignorant statement such as yours, makes you sound like somebody who has never been in a 2009 TL
Having just taken my TL SH-AWD on a 2000+ mile journey, the best complement I can pay my car is that I didn’t notice it. In other words, I felt just as good and the end of my trip, as I did at the beginning. The interior is that good
Not to mention all the controls feel as precise as a freshly oiled, and smithed rifle.
Additionally the GPS enabled automatic climate control is just. plain. sweet.
WTH does “Best Brand Expression” mean? Does it mean “Most Gray”? Or maybe “Most Jumbled”?
How many of you slamming Ward’s and accusing it of journalistic whoredom have ever even read a copy?
The accusations ring hollow. Although it is an auto industry trade pub, they almost never have OEM ads in their pages anyway.It tends to skew to more of an engineering crowd. Having different categories, not matter how clumsily contrived, makes sense, otherwise just give the damn award to some over $100K Lottery Dream car and call it a day.
Aside from the odd gas gauge the 370 Z’s interior has been widely praised in almost every review both in print and online, not sure wtf you guys are looking at.
Are you talking about the 350Z? The 370Z has a fantastic looking interior.
350Z has interior problems too, but 370Z’s interior is all made out of circular objects and gauges of various sizes popping out everywhere like cartoonish frog eyes. If you think that’s a good design, then I don’t know what to say – it’s all personal preference, obviously, but to me it looks like a Mini got screwed by one of the cars from Fast and Furious. It doesn’t belong in a 30K+ car.
^^^Of course looks are subjective, but like I said, every review that I have seen online or in print has praised the interior of the 370, sans the lame gas gauge. You may not like it, but you’re in the minority, as this award shows.
the Z ?
are they kidding?
its just miles and miles and miles of blackness.