James G. Cobb’s Top 10 Cars of 2010 by JAMES G. COBB

Critics’ Picks
James G. Cobb’s Top 10 Cars of 2010 by JAMES G. COBB
Published: December 31, 2010

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1. VOLKSWAGEN GTI I had seat time in 2010 with some six-figure fantasies, including a gullwing Mercedes SLS and a blistering Corvette ZR-1. Yet my driving daydreams kept returning to this simple, fairly priced ($25,000), always entertaining hatchback. A four-door version adds more versatility, and a new direct-shift gearbox mates brilliantly with the turbo 4, making the GTI the most fun you can have at 30 m.p.g. For the price of a Porsche Panamera you can decorate your driveway with three or more GTIs — and it will look all the better for it.
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The Honda CR-Z, a hybrid sport coupe, hasn’t sold briskly. More Photos »
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James G. Cobb’s Top 10 Cars of 2010
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2. VOLVO S60 T6 The first Volvo introduced by the company’s new Chinese ownership (though largely developed under Ford), the new S60 is the most exciting, endearing Volvo I’ve driven. With a structure so solid it feels German, combined with a superior interior and brilliant controls, the S60 is a credible BMW alternative.

3. HYUNDAI SONATA Is the 2011 Sonata the best midsize sedan on the market? Maybe not, but it is selling briskly on its combination of standout styling, good mileage and high content at a reasonable price. In 10 years, when Hyundai rules the car world, we’ll look back at this Sonata as one of the most significant cars of our time.

4. NISSAN LEAF This compact electric sedan is certainly not for everyone. (Me, for instance.) The battery range is too limited, and recharging can take a long time. But America’s first modern mass-market electric car is nicely executed, with good acceleration, respectable handling and a driving experience that’s reassuringly normal.

5. ASTON MARTIN V-12 VANTAGE In recent years, the best thing about Aston Martin often seemed to be its name; that is, the company’s heritage and cachet trumped its cars, which were often less remarkable than their price. But the addition of a thundering V-12 to the lightweight Vantage created the Aston of my dreams, a gorgeous throwback free of extraneous techno distractions. And there’s always a hint of danger lurking under the sleek formal attire.

6. PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER What’s not to love about this lighter, more powerful version of my favorite roadster? Just two things: the $62,000 price is awfully steep, and the complicated two-piece top is utterly ridiculous. Otherwise, the Spyder is simply perfect.

7. FORD MUSTANG While Ford could have let its latest Mustang lope along mostly unchanged, it has been continually tweaking and updating its pony car — in response to the Camaro threat, no doubt. As a result, each time I drive a Mustang it seems significantly better than the one before. For 2011, new engines address the car’s powertrain deficiencies.

8. AUDI A8 The big Audi sedan has long been a personal favorite, and a 2011 redesign brought an array of new technologies, along with better mileage and performance. The exterior styling is just short of stodgy, but the interior rocks — especially from the headbanging Bang & Olufsen audio system.

9. NISSAN JUKE Dating back to the original Honda CR-V, small crossovers usually seemed to lack one crucial ingredient: fun. This googly-eyed youth-oriented crossover serves up loads of smiles, and it performs well enough to please a lot of enthusiasts.

10. CHEVROLET CRUZE To be honest, the powertrain could use some work; by tuning the engine for maximum economy, acceleration suffered. But despite scores of small-car efforts over five decades, G.M. has never made a compact sedan with anything close to the Cruze’s polish. And the upscale LTZ interior is, astonishingly, best in class.

Gripes for the Record Books

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW THE CAR I’ve grown accustomed to luxury cars that chirp, chime and chide with a variety of warnings. (Every Mercedes I’ve driven of late suggests, every few minutes, that I need a coffee break.) But no car’s nano-nanny nags like the Infiniti M37 with the Technology Package, a $3,000 collection of electronic noodges that beep, bleat and vibrate over anything perceived as a driver deficiency. It even nudges the steering wheel if sensors think you’re drifting. No, thanks; I’ll drive myself.

THE GERMAN GOES MISSING The 2011 Jetta is a linchpin of VW’s strategy to sell, by 2018, a million cars a year in America. But in its quest for the mass market is VW losing its German soul? The Jetta I tested, with its bland styling, mushy brake pedal and excessive wind noise, had little (besides decent road manners) to recommend it. While VW’s interiors used to be exceptional, the Jetta’s looks and feels as cheap as a Korean econobox’s — before Korean econoboxes got good.

NICHE MADNESS It’s hard to say just where BMW jumped the shark with its proliferation of pointless derivative models. But the BMW 550i GT, a huge, pricey, none-too-pretty hatchback, actually manages to make the odd-duck X6 seem rational.

PLUG AND PLAY I was a bit late to the MP3 music revolution, but now when I get in a car I quickly plug in my iPhone to play some tunes. Alas, most automakers have made this more of a chore than it need be. U.S.B. ports are tucked into gloveboxes or in a bin under your elbow. (The Infiniti QX56’s is deep in a cubby too small for my hand, under a tiny cover I can barely reach.) Hooray for Hyundai, which seems to have given the matter some thought. At the front of the Sonata’s console is a perfectly positioned U.S.B. connector, two powerpoints and a handy tray for iPods or whatever.

EAT YOUR PEAS, KIDS In theory, the Honda CR-Z made sense: a two-seat hatchback with overtones of the late, beloved Civic CR-X, intended to convince young people that hybrids could be fun. But as executed the CR-Z is not just slow as a slug, its mileage is barely better than middling. Move along, then; there’s no excitement here.