Yahoo Autos

Yahoo Autos today announced the Volvo XC90 as Ride of the Year for their annual Yahoo Autos Ride of the Year. The Volvo joins past winners including the Tesla Model S in 2013, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in 2014 and last year’s winner, Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Before making the final decision on the 2015 Ride of the Year, Yahoo Autos editors narrowed the field to 22 vehicles, judging whether each car could be considered “best in class.” They then ran them through a number of road tests in Pinckney, Mich., keeping in mind five categories that were the determinants for ride of the year -- performance, efficiency, value, design and engineering. In the end, the Volvo XC90 stood out because it was the one vehicle that pushed the envelope on every category. “The XC90 is the closest you can come to experiencing the future,” said Sharon Carty, Yahoo Autos editor-in-chief.

As you saw over the past week, Yahoo Autos handed out accolades in new categories this year including best technology with Yahoo Tech’s David Pogue, Epic Ride which prioritizes power over fuel economy, Fresh Ride featuring a car that will always put a smile on your face and and Savviest Ride for the smart car shoppers out there.  The full winners list include:

2015 Yahoo Autos Technology Ride of the Year: Volvo XC90

2015 Yahoo Autos Epic Ride of the Year: Shelby Mustang GT350

2015 Yahoo Autos Ride Car of the Year: Mazda Miata

2015 Yahoo Autos Savvy Ride of the Year: Mazda CX-3

Today as part Yahoo Autos annual Ride of the Year Awards, we named the Mazda CX-3 as the “Savviest Ride of the Year.”  While the Savviest Ride of the Year might not the car that has the fanciest design or with the most gadgets, this is the car that will make you look like a genius.

Our team had the tough task of judging some of the best new vehicles and their horsepower, sleek design and handle – all on a budget!  “Savviest Ride” was a tough choice as a number of the cars we tested looked great, had amazing technological upgrades and had surprising horsepower – all for a great price. But, the CX-3’s interior (which is as nice as cars that cost $10k more), mix of luxury features and well-rendered mechanisms including commander’s switch and instruments allowed it to stand out. Our editors never felt that they were in a car that costs less than $30k. In the end, this is the ride that when you tell your friends all of what the car does and the price, they will be impressed.  The old adage for the Mazda CX-3 rings true: “great things come in small packages.”

Today as part Yahoo Autos annual Ride of the Year Awards, we named the Mazda Miata as the “Fresh Ride of the Year.”  The Fresh Ride of the Year is the car that puts a smile on your face even when you’re stuck in traffic and rivals Netflix and smartphone games as the best way to unwind during the weekend.

Our editors tested out 22 of the best new vehicles seeing how each handled the horsepower and turns. While each car had a lot to amazing attributes, we ultimately decided on the Miata because of its light weight, speed and the fact that while this year’s version may be more refined it still has that sparkling character that has made the Miata the best-selling roadster of all-time. Words like fun, perfect and best were uttered by our editors when driving this stunning automobile. In the end, this is simply a car that you never want to get out of.

Today as part Yahoo Autos annual Ride of the Year Awards, we named the Ford Shelby Mustang GT350 as the “Epic Ride of the Year.”  The Epic Ride Of The Year is the car that prioritizes power over fuel economy, delivers an engine roar that will give you goosebumps, and will make you feel like a badass.

Our editors had a good collection of runners-up to test out. We tested massive amounts of horsepower, squealed dozens of tires, and took note of which cars attracted the most attention. It was a tough choice, but we ultimately settled on the GT350 because its personality, power and engine really made it stand out. In the end, this was the ride that makes us feel alive and is the car that you will brag about to your friends. 

Today as part Yahoo Autos fourth-annual Ride Of The Year awards, Yahoo Tech VP David Pogue named Apple CarPlay and Android Auto  as the Tech Ride Of The Year.  “These systems are extremely simple, feature huge fat touchscreen buttons, and limit interaction to quick adjustments,” Pogue said. “They use voice interaction as much as possible, to help you keep your eyes on the road.” Pogue also named a winner for overall driving technology, lauding the Volvo XC90 for its driver assistance tech. The XC90 was the “best ride, most unobtrusive technology, most refined self-driving and safety features,” Pogue said.

This is the first time that the Yahoo Autos team has named a winner in this category.

The editors at Yahoo Autos narrowed the field to 22 vehicles before having David run them through a battery of tests, touching every knob, menu and touch screen. While driving the cars on the roads of Pinckney, Mich., David noted what technology enhances driving the most and what dashboard technology is innovative, but not distracting or confusing. In the end, there was not one car that had both the best driving and dashboard technology, so he picked three winners.

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