A Leaner, Greener Group of Favorites By JERRY GARRETT

December 27, 2009
Car Critic's Picks
A Leaner, Greener Group of Favorites By JERRY GARRETT

LOS ANGELES

In automotive history, 2009 will live in infamy. Chrysler and General Motors declared bankruptcy. Fiat got Chrysler at a fire sale, no money down. Dealerships closed en masse, and cash for clunkers provided a sideshow. Pontiac and Saturn died, and what's left of the Swedish auto industry seems likely to end up in Chinese hands.

But a leaner, more focused industry has emerged, and my picks for the top new cars this year focus, more than before, on affordability, economy and sustainability. There are hybrids, clean diesels and crossovers, and three Fords. (Four other Fords were near-misses: the Focus, F-150, Escape Hybrid and Flex with the new EcoBoost V-6 engine.)

Here's my top 10:

1. Toyota Prius

Must one love a thing to admire it? Though the third-generation Prius tops my list this year, I cannot say I truly love this homely hybrid. Still, I admire its 50 m.p.g. capability and what it portends for a cleaner, greener automotive future.

2. Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid

Yes, a midsize sedan can get outstanding mileage (41 m.p.g. in town for the Fusion Hybrid) and not look like a soul-sucking appliance. Rather, the front end looks like a Gillette Mach 3 razor.

3. BMW 335d

Hybridlike highway mileage, locomotivelike torque, rock-solid handling, iconic 3 Series styling, a 50-state-legal twin-turbo clean-diesel engine — what's not to love, except the $44,750 base price? (Footnote; A stripped 335d was the most expensive car you could buy in the cash-for-clunkers program.)

4. Ford Mustang GT Convertible

Kudos to Ford for continuing to nurture the Mustang franchise with regular and relevant styling and performance updates. Of the cars on this list, this is the one I would most like to own.

5. Ford Taurus/Taurus SHO

While I don't like everything about this car — its huge size, for starters — I like what it says about the viability of the big old American car. Yes, it can handle well, go fast, get good mileage and look sharp. The SHO performance version, with a twin-turbo V-6, is a tour-de-force.

6. Volkswagen Golf TDI

Fun to drive, reasonably priced and economical, with a 42 m.p.g. highway rating, this pocket rocket already has a bit of a cult following. One hopes, however, that VW's reliability improves from mediocre.

7. Audi A3 TDI

The A3 is essentially the same basic car as the Golf, but with more cachet and a price bump to match. I only wish the TDI were available with quattro all-wheel drive.

8. Honda Accord Crosstour

Like a first date who made a bad initial impression but turned out to be a keeper, the Crosstour crossover looked downright ugly in the early pictures, but is handsome enough in sheet metal.

9. Toyota Venza

To my eye, it doesn't have as much curb appeal as the Crosstour, but the Venza scores with a wider range of options. Some interior combinations are especially striking.

10. Chevrolet Camaro

Conceived in January 2006 and carried to a 38-month pregnancy, the Camaro was finally born (reborn, actually) in March 2009. It may bear a slight resemblance to an M1 Abrams tank , but customizers love the possibilities it offers.

Beyond the Top 10

Here are some misses of the year:

1. All G.M. hybrids

Mercifully, most have been euthanized.

2. Nissan Cube

It's horrific-looking — and horrific-handling, too.

3. The Lexus Remote Touch Interface

Operating this control interface, offered in the HS 250h hybrid, is like trying to use your laptop while you drive.

4. Honda Insight

The Toyota Prius shows it up in every way except price.

5. Aptera 2e

A strange-looking electric car that seems, in view of turmoil at the company and a failure to win government aid, to be on the verge of extinction. Proof that wingless birds truly can't fly.
Car Critic's Picks - A Leaner, Greener Group of Favorites - NYTimes.com (28 December 2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/automobiles/27garrett-best.html?ref=automobiles&pagewanted=print
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