AUSTRALIA’S BEST CARS 2013

The Australian motoring associations have announced their annual Australia’s Best Car (ABC) awards. Now in their 13th year, the ABC awards are arguably the most comprehensive of them all.

The awards are regarded by many as the best in Australia, indeed amongst the best in the world. Being judged by engineers, with assistance from lay people from the state and territory motoring associations (in alphabetical order: AANT, NRMA, RAASA, RACQ, RACT, RACV and RACWA).

Best Small Car Under $35,000: Hyundai i30 Active

The ABC awards differ from many of the other car of the year systems in that all new passenger vehicles currently on sale in Australia are judged – not just those that were released during the year. This approach makes much more sense as the buying public, as distinct from motoring enthusiasts, are not necessarily looking only at the most recent models.

Showing the value of judging all passenger vehicles on the new-car market was the return of several previous winners to the 2013 podium. Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai i30, Volkswagen Touareg and Lexus GS all pushed aside newer competitors to hold their top positions.

Then there’s the Land Rover Discovery 4, which took out its category for the ninth (yes, ninth!) straight year.

Best All-Terrain Four Wheel Drive: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6

Without going into too much detail – check the website www.australiasbestcars.com.au/ for a wealth of information – the judging panel rates each vehicle in terms of value for money, design, function and on-road characteristics.

After 12 months of ongoing evaluation, the field is narrowed to three finalists in each of the 15 categories. These vehicles are then tested in a series of back-to-back driving tests under a variety of conditions, including several days at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Victoria.

Best Luxury SUV: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI

The winner of the Best Large Car Under $60,000 category is traditionally seen as the de-facto Car of the Year overall winner. This year the award went to the new Holden VF Commodore, it displaced the Ford Falcon which sat in the top spot for the past three years.

Best SUV Under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5i

In a move that’s long overdue, double-cab utilities have finally been given a place in the Australia’s Best Cars awards. After all they are huge sellers downunder, often being used as family cars, doubling as working vehicles during the week. Indeed, Toyota’s HiLux ute has been number-seller overall in Australia on quite a few occasions.

However, it was the Australian designed (and sold globally) Ford Ranger double-cab ute, a much more modern vehicle than the Toyota, that took out number one spot.

Best Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XL 3.2

A big surprise was the Hyundai iMax. It has been judged Best People Mover for the past five years, and again topped the scoresheet in 2013. However, because it only has a 4-star ANCAP safety rating it was ruled out due to more stringent criteria set by the ABC’s judging committee this year.

German vehicles dominated the field, with five winners, Japan took out three top spots, Korea managed two. Australia, Britain, France and Thailand all had singles. It could be argued that the Ford Ranger, while built in Thailand to keep costs down, is very much Australian in design and engineering.

Best Light Car: Renault Clio Expression TCe120

The winners of Australia’s Best Cars awards in each category for 2013 are:
Best Light Car: Renault Clio Expression TCe120
Best Small Car Under $35,000: Hyundai i30 Active
Best Small Car Over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI
Best Medium Car Under $50,000: Mazda6 Touring sedan
Best Medium Car Over $50,000: BMW 320i
Best Large Car Under $60,000: Holden VF Commodore SV6
Best Large Car Over $60,000: Lexus GS 350 F Sport
Best Sports Car Under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTI
Best Sports Car $50,000 – $100,000: BMW M135i
Best SUV Under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5i
Best SUV $45,000 – $65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDi AWD
Best Luxury SUV: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI
Winner – Best Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XL 3.2
Best All-Terrain Four Wheel Drive: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6
Best People Mover: No winner (see text)