From the January 2017 issue
We have a crack copy-editing department, the best in the business, mind you, so how is it that we can have 10 ?best? cars" Or for that matter, five Volkswagen Golf variants making our list" Deviant grammar aside, there?s actually some logic to having a group of superlatives. Not every car can be everything to everyone. Automotive attempts at ubiquity tend to result in lowest-common-denominator products that are neither best at anything nor best for anyone. And still we recognize those machines that manage mass-market excellence: The Honda Accord has been on the 10Best list since a growing cohort of Car and Driver editors were mere twinkles in the eye.
Unlike comparison tests, in which we stage trials of equals, ­pitting 10Best challengers against our incumbents involves an intentional imbalance. We?re not awarding spots based on market segment; we?re sussing out transcendence. Which is why the Accord and Golf families perfectly demonstrate the three pillars of 10Best evaluation: driving engagement, value, and mission fulfillment. Take the first, the C/D equivalent of ?Will it blend"? We could call this ?Will it accelerate, shift, turn, handle, and stop"? But that?s a mouthful. Our awarded cars perform each of these individual tasks exceptionally. Yet engagement is not just a numbers evaluation. In fact, it?s highly subjective. For instance, Honda, with no good reason to, offers a six-speed manual in its mid-sizer that has su...