As we’ve said before, 2011 was a great year for RawAutos.com; and these are OUR 2011 Cars of the Year from the ones we reviewed.
Mid-Size/Econo-Luxury Car
2011 Kia Optima EX
Shocker here, I know. Even if there were any other cars in this category, I think the Optima would still have won, it’s that good. I’ve recommended this car to everyone I’ve come across looking for a great luxury car under 30,000 dollars. Our car was only $27,440, and in EX trim with heated steering wheel, front and rear seats, as well as cooled front seats, too. Oh, and it had navigation, panoramic sunroof, and a backup camera. It’s just so damn good, I swear.
Sports Car
Runner-up:
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster
Plain and simple, if we didn’t rank this as one of the best sports cars of our year, we’d be nuts. So here ya go.
The Winner!
2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0
under $40,000 with 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 times in under 4.5 seconds, enough machismo to do crazy burnouts, and then punch a BMW M3 in the face on the race track, it’s our winner.
Utility Vehicle/Truck
Runner-up:
2011 Ford F-150 King Ranch
Seriously one of the most luxurious, coolest, and biggest trucks on the road today. Drive this anywhere, and everyone’ll know you’re better than them, and can run them over.
The Winner!
2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD
With style, substance, comfort, navigation, backup camera, heated and cooled front seats, all-wheel drive with a locking differential, the Kia Sportage is a great vehicle. I’d recommend the new turbocharged motor since the standard 2.4-liter 170-horse, 163 lb-ft of torque doesn’t quite have what it takes to get you out of the way.
Gas Saver/Economy Car
Runner-up:
2011 Mazda2
So it’s a tad more expensive than the Toyota Yaris, less powerful, fewer miles to the gallon, but it’s much more fun to drive. The 2 is also a great little hatch to buy for anyone you love. Safe to drive, but more than that, the gearbox and clutch are perfect.
The Winner!
2012 Ford Focus SE Sport
$20,580 with 32 mpg between city and highway, it’s an obvious winner. It’s the car I’m trying to convince my parents to buy my 16 year old niece as her first car. ‘Nuff said. Sporty, frugal, and great looking. It’s our winner, beating the Chevy Volt and the Toyota Prius.
Premium Luxury Car
Runner-up:
2011 Porsche Panamera V6
Our test car was $82,190, which makes it better than pretty much any car in its class with the amount of luxury, interesting style, and amazing double-clutch gearbox. Also, 500+ miles to a tank of gas is fun, but filling up 26.4 gallons is not. With how much fun it was, even with a V6, it would have been the best luxury car to buy…
The Winner!
2012 Audi A7
Except for the fact that the Audi A7 with more options was only $69,630. So, uh, yeah. Congratulations to Audi for getting another car of the year award for the A7.
