Auto Award Winners: Best Cars of 2011

2011 Auto awards were not just about quality, reliability and customer satisfaction. This year, the major trend was impact and innovation. Awards were handed to the automakers that created the most exciting vehicle in class. Although that excitement centered on hybrids and electrics, many other vehicles garnered awards of their own.

Best Cars of 2011

Alongside the fuel efficient winners, trucks, sport utilities and performance cars also found themselves in the mix, and countless 2011 auto awards were given to vehicles rated top in reliability, drivability, performance, price and safety. Here is a look at a fleet of popular 2011 auto award, and the best cars of 2011.



2011 Chevy Volt

• Automobile Mag 2011 Car of the Year
• Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year
• 2011 Word Green Car of the Year
• IHS Top Safety Pick

There’s not much to complain about over the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and that is why it has garnered the most auto awards this year.  As a series hybrid, the Volt's electric motor is partnered with a gas generator that recharges a lithium-ion battery pack. With an approximate 30-mile electric range, drivers will still need to fill up for the longer commutes, but that is seen as an advantage.  Well equipped at base models, the Volt has a LCD screen driver gauge cluster and an army of touch sensitive buttons. Extended range electric vehicles aside, the 2011 Volt is a bit more expensive than its full-electric competitor the Nissan Leaf.



2011 Nissan Leaf

• 2011 World Car of the Year
• IHS Top Safety Pick

In a class of its own, The 2011 Nissan Leaf was named World Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show. Charging up conversation in the auto world, the Leaf was as praised as it is now hard to find.  Not only is it revolutionary in design while offering 100 miles per charge, it is also boasted as the first affordable fully electric vehicle with a price around $32,000 MSRP.  Standard trim is loaded with navigation, smart keyless entry, a 6-speaker audio system and Ipod auxiliary input.  Earning an IHS Top Safety Pick status, the Nissan Leaf comes with front-side and side-curtain air bags. Interested? Hop on the waiting list now.



2011 Porsche Cayenne

• Motor Trend 2011 Sport Utility of the Year

Motor Trend declared the Porsche Cayenne 2011 Sport Utility of the year, and for good reason.  If drivers are up to spend the $47,000 MSRP, the 2011 Cayenne will be the refined performer that has kept Porsche on the sport utility map. Power, handling and comfort are at the forefront, and even the hybrid variant, The Porsche S hybrid, produces 380 hp and 427 lb-ft to propel driver from zero to 60 in 6.1 flat. Wow.



2011 Chevy Silverado HD

• Motor Trend 2011 Truck of the Year

A heavy-duty monster, the 2011 Silverado HD was Motor Trend’s 2011 Truck of the Year. Under the shell, GM has improved the chassis, the drive train, and suspension from last years model. An optional 6.6-liter turbo diesel Duramax V8 ups the power from last year, delivering 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque. Improved towing capability, performance and handling, the 2011 Silverado HD squashes competitors in price, coming in around $28,000 MSRP.



2011 Ferrari 458

• 2011 World Performance Car of the Year

It is not a Miata. The most exhilarating award happened to go to the most, well, exhilarating exotic supercar. The 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia turned heads at the New York Auto show so fast, that it took the awards right off their hands. As the fastest Ferrari yet, the 458 italia rides on a 4.5-liter V8 that squeezes out 570 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 400 pound-feet of torque 6,000 rpm. At a whopping Zero to 60 in 3.3 seconds, the Ferrari 458 Italia is for the inspiring racer with at least $190,000 to spare.