Car and Driver's 2011 10 Best

[Scott@Bjorn3D]

I think GM needs to start giving us more engine options. I mean in the old days even your SS and Z28 had a couple of different engine options. Lets throw a LS7 option into the mix.

[greenrail]

The auto industry chanegs day by day because of competition. Which to the consumer is a good thing. If it wasn't for competition, we wouldn't even have a Camaro.

We have to face a certain reality here. We on C5 are somewhat biased towards the Camaro. If we weren't we wouldn't even be on here. Ford did some pretty nice upgrades to the Mustang. Good for them.

Now it is GM's turn to up the ante. We will see the convertible soon with the Z28 not too far behind. In a way these are exciting times for those of us who like this type of automobile.

Unfortunately, I doubt we will ever see the range of engine choices like we used to have back in the old days. The envirnmental and production requirements make it extremely difficult to do in today's world.

What I think may be exciting, at least to me, is the prospect of seeing what he next generation may bring. Obviously, due to the increases in fuel economy requirements, we may be seeing a very different automobile in a few years.

The upside is, that the manufacturers have been through this mill before. Hopefully we won't see what we did back in the early '70's, and have a bunch of emasculated vehicles with nothing more than decals and choked drivetrains. If that happens, we will see a major shift in the market place.

Probably the most exciting vehicle coming from the Detroit 3 is the Volt. Add to that the direction of a manufacturer like Porsche, who is loooking to embrace the various Hybrid technologies, and maybe, just maybe, we will see a pretty hot Corvette or Camaro, with an extremely powerful and fuel efficient drivetrain equal in performance to what we see today.

(Sorry about that last run-on sentence.)

[AZCamaroFan]

my questions are these:
why was the Camaro not on the list last year?
and , why is the Accord on the list? even when it loses comparison tests it shows up EVERY year on CandD's 10 Best list. and then they say "it's made it every year for 30 years"
yeah, wonder why.

[Bonanza7]

AZ camarofan...The Accord is on the list for lots of reasons, none of which are performance. Reliability...bullet proof reliability. Even Honda fans dislike the current 4 dr Accord styling, but it sells for the previous reasons, and has very low depreciation.

[Beauwulf]

Originally Posted by Bonanza7

AZ camarofan...The Accord is on the list for lots of reasons, none of which are performance. Reliability...bullet proof reliability. Even Honda fans dislike the current 4 dr Accord styling, but it sells for the previous reasons, and has very low depreciation.

and has the highest advertising budget!

[Bonanza7]

Maybe...but it sells!, and the C&D guys are decidedly pro import. I think the styling is so boring that I would not have one. Sorta like the old Chevy Biscayne of the 60's, just boring. My Fit is a lot more fun, handles much better, almost half the price, and I can fit a ton of stuff in it. However, for fun, nothing beats my Camaro.

[Orange Krate]

Originally Posted by greenrail

"...Probably the most exciting vehicle coming from the Detroit 3 is the Volt."

I am excited are you? LOL

Jury is still out.

Observation: At the LA Autoshow people were looking at the Camaro and Vette not the Volt. I stood in the distance for 2 hours counting people watching. The difference was night and day.

Factoid: There is a fundamental problem with battery powered cars and the problem is one the industry has been chasing for 100 years! It is called storage capacity. The bottom line is that there is no cheaper way to make energy then fossil fuel. Plain and simple. When they can develop a battery that is reasonably priced (average consumer), that can be charged with a standard household extension cord, gets at least 300-400 miles range, then electrics will sell like hotcakes. Don't forget to throw in some style and accessories all of which add weight and cut down on available charge/distance.

Car manufacturers are making these because of governmental research incentives and the "green movement". If those incentives went away...then the competition is on for style and power because that is what drives the market.

Supply and demand gets the price/profit. Case in point new Camaro low availability and new generation...dealer tacks on $5000.00 "popularity stipend". After a year...-$2000 off of MSRP. Our good friends at GM need to make sure the Volt doesn't turn into the next Vega! Both 4 letter cars beginning with V. One of them wasn't victorious at the market. Volt definately has one thing going for it... its not a Prius!

[Mr. Wyndham]

So...GM gets two...Ford gets one, and that makes 3 total domestics on the list....

Given the large number of companies out there (more than ten...) That's pretty good!!

The list will change from year to year based on the preferences of the editors (another reason I really don't put much clout in "best" lists...), so overall this is a pretty good thing!

The Camaro, in all its forms, is best to US...that's all that matters.

Originally Posted by Orange Krate

I am excited are you? LOL

Jury is still out.

Observation: At the LA Autoshow people were looking at the Camaro and Vette not the Volt. I stood in the distance for 2 hours counting people watching. The difference was night and day.

Factoid: There is a fundamental problem with battery powered cars and the problem is one the industry has been chasing for 100 years! It is called storage capacity. The bottom line is that there is no cheaper way to make energy then fossil fuel. Plain and simple. When they can develop a battery that is reasonably priced (average consumer), that can be charged with a standard household extension cord, gets at least 300-400 miles range, then electrics will sell like hotcakes. Don't forget to throw in some style and accessories all of which add weight and cut down on available charge/distance.

Car manufacturers are making these because of governmental research incentives and the "green movement". If those incentives went away...then the competition is on for style and power because that is what drives the market.

Supply and demand gets the price/profit. Case in point new Camaro low availability and new generation...dealer tacks on $5000.00 "popularity stipend". After a year...-$2000 off of MSRP. Our good friends at GM need to make sure the Volt doesn't turn into the next Vega! Both 4 letter cars beginning with V. One of them wasn't victorious at the market. Volt definately has one thing going for it... its not a Prius!

The Volt will succeed. The first generation has already sold out for the most part (albeit to fleet sales to GE), and gas prices will not be getting any cheaper. Nor should the Volt get more expensive (like a TV), in fact, subsequent generations may see a price drop.

Couple that to the outstanding impressions the car is making on everyone everywhere (I've yet to read a negative anything about it).....and you get another home-run. The Volt is in the right place at the right time, unlike the EV-1, and so given a little time...it will fit right in. And one day, hopefully be as common as a Prius.

[Bonanza7]

The Volt, Exciting? Things must be pretty dull if a Volt is exciting.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Bonanza7

The Volt, Exciting? Things must be pretty dull if a Volt is exciting.

For all the tech junkies as well as the greenies out there....it's the "Bees knees".

It's pretty good at getting somewhere quick, too.

[jmaryt]

Originally Posted by ga0358

SO disappointing! Not a Camaro in the list. But there's a big ol' ugly Mustank right in the front row... Do they even take into account dependability? sex appeal? GORGEOUSNESS?

Maybe the editors just do NOT have a clue....

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/23/c..._lnk1%7C185929

camaro was in the front row last year!..not to worry,it's all about money!..everybody knows the camaro is a better looker!..don't need a magazine to tell ya that!..just sayin'!

[SIXJAK]

The criteria for making the list is not the same as Motor Trend's COTY award. It does not need to be new or have any significant upgrades to make C&D's Top 10 list. They just have to like it. They do not like the poor visibility or how the big 20" wheels feel. Problem is all of these media pundits sat and drooled over the look of the car during the design process and now rip it to shreds because they don't feel comfortable driving it backwards around a race track-to some the real test of good car design.

I've owned several Honda products and no they are not road rockets nor are they the best handling cars out there. They simply are some the easist cars to live with day after day-just thoroughly competent cars.

Now just why the crude Mustang made the cut? It comes down to better visibility, lighter and better handling and better vlutch engagement and pedal placement.

Whoop-de-fricken-do.

[King Sun]

Originally Posted by VonDutch

Car and Driver has become Anti-America

And will always favor the Imports

Thus I will let the Asians and Euros abroad Support their Magazine

I will never ever subscribe to their Mag ever again

Also remember they are an Authority on NOTHING

There is much better mags out there these days

& Their days are numbered at Car and Driver

And I'm Counting

I hope you wasn't serious

[lbheat]

I think of this as a win for the Camaro's. No offense to a couple of the cars but come on a Volt?

I can guarantee you 98-99% of the time people would turn their heads for a camaro and not a mustang. Plus the less amount of camaro's out there the better