LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TEN: The Enthusiast Network announced today that AUTOMOBILE, America’s leading automotive lifestyle brand, has chosen its 2015 All-Stars. Only 10 cars are honored from the all-new, heavily revised, or newly significant variants of vehicles that are on sale in the United States for the 2015 model year.
AUTOMOBILE’s editorial staff spent three days driving the 2015 contenders, with one day at GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan, before casting private ballots for the winners. The brand chooses its All-Stars from a diverse field of vehicles, including passenger cars, sports cars, sport-utilities, minivans, and trucks.
“From the beginning, choosing the AUTOMOBILE All-Stars has been about cutting through the hype and the noise in search of a group of cars with class, importance, and desirability. The 2015 All-Stars embody this with a mix of style and performance,” said AUTOMOBILE Editor-in-Chief Mike Floyd. “The format for this year’s awards changed by picking only from new cars, but we’ve kept it simple without complicated criteria to provide you the overall 10 best new cars for 2015.”
The winners of the 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star awards include:
Driving the 4C takes real effort, but belt in and work hard, and you’re rewarded with riotous fun behind the wheel. When you’re out on your favorite stretch of winding road or at the local track blazing away, turbo-four wailing behind your ears, the Alfa 4C reminds you what it means to drive with joy, with purpose. It’s an unapologetic sports car and a spectacular-looking one at that—that’s why it’s a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
We’re at the dawn of a new era of automotive propulsion, construction, design, and production, and we cannot think of another car that embodies where the future should be headed more than the BMW i8. It’s a testament to BMW’s commitment to push the boundaries of what an automobile can be. Hybrids have been promising the yin-yang package for years. The i8 delivers. The result is a sports car that’s more than the sum of its hybrid parts. It blew us all away, making it an easy choice as a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
Both the 228i and the boffo M235i were extremely lively on road and track in our 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star competition. They shrink around you and make you feel that much more engaged as you flog them—they proved smooth, compact, and eminently capable. The 2 Series is also attainable, with the 228i starting at just over $32,000. It’s also now attained All-Star status.
The Z/28 is flat-out amazing on the track, making it an easy choice as a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star. This car is a shining example of what a dedicated team of performance engineers can achieve when they put their minds to it. All you have to do is drive this hyper-focused Camaro on a racing circuit to see, or rather feel, why this car exists and why it’s an All-Star.
This is the best Mustang of the modern era. It handled well in the countryside and at GingerMan Raceway thanks to its myriad chassis and suspension improvements. The 5.0 we had pulled hard and its six-speed manual is worlds better than the box it replaces. The interior is improved, and its exterior is still very much Mustang. Add it all up and you have a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
To build an automobile this good for $25,000 would be an achievement. That Honda has done it at $18,000 makes the Fit a shining All-Star. It’s fun to hustle around, especially when its updated engine is mated to its new six-speed manual. It’s pulled off adding more rear seat and cargo area—all while decreasing its overall footprint. And it’s available with more options and safety features than ever before. The Fit is still very much go, and it’s a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star as a result.
There are cars, and then there are automotive masterpieces like the Huracán. Flip the red switch and hit the start button once you settle into the plush cockpit, and the V-10 brings 610 horses once the pedal hits the floor. As expected, the supercar is formidable on the track. But another part of the Huracán’s job description is to soak up admiration. It’s supposed to inspire, and some say this is the most beautiful Lamborghini—maybe the first beautiful Lamborghini—since the Miura, and that’s why it’s a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with its relaxed manner, quiet ride, and impeccable quality, cuts a new path. The C-Class has style for days, and its overall refinement is impressive. The C300 4Matic we had on hand for All-Stars had plenty of power for the package, and all-wheel drive is a great selling point. It’s as impressive in its own way as the new S-Class, and it impressed us more than enough to be a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
Subaru has continued to build positively on what has become an iconic lineup for the brand. Whipping the WRX STI around the track was one of the great pleasures of All-Star week, with its magnificently notchy six-speed and all-wheel drive allowing for effortless drifts into GingerMan Raceway’s sweepers. The WRX also just keeps getting better while maintaining its essential all-wheel DNA and remains one of the best performance-car bargains in the world. It’s a lineup most worthy of 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star status.
After seven generations, you expect a performance car like the GTI to be fabulous, and it most certainly is. Volkswagen has done a masterful job turning its seminal hot hatch into an outstanding all-around vehicle that more than handles its own at the track and out on the backroads. There is plenty of power for the application, torque steer is minimized, and the DSG-equipped car we had shifted as you’d expect—flawlessly. All that made it an easy choice as a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star.
About AUTOMOBILE
AUTOMOBILE, a brand of TEN: The Enthusiast Network, is America's leading automotive lifestyle brand and reaches 4.6 million readers monthly; through its print, online, and digital components, the brand counts an audience of more than 6 million. AUTOMOBILE, which presents the annual All-Stars, is written for the sophisticated enthusiast and profiles high-end vehicles with compelling editorial and photographic content. For nearly three decades, AUTOMOBILE has set the standard for automotive journalism, maintaining its devotion to auto adventure and an editorial approach that emphasizes "No boring cars!"
About TEN: The Enthusiast Network
TEN: The Enthusiast Network is the world’s premier network of enthusiast brands, such as Motor Trend, Automobile, Hot Rod, Surfer, TransWorld, and GrindTV. With more than 50 publications, 60 websites, 50 events, 1,000 branded products, the world’s largest automotive VOD channel, and the world’s largest action/adventure sports media platform, TEN inspires enthusiasts to pursue their passions. For more information, visit www.enthusiastnetwork.com.
