Ford has been on a roll lately, winning two of last year’s North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards, with its redesigned F-150 winning best truck and Mustang-Mach-E…

Honda Civic plus Ford Bronco and Maverick win NACTOY awards

2022 Ford Bronco
The new Ford Bronco won a NACTOY award in the SUV category.

Ford has been on a roll lately, winning two of last year’s North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards, with its redesigned F-150 winning best truck and Mustang-Mach-E earning top marks in the utility sector, and now it’s done the same for 2022. This time the blue-oval winners of both categories include the all-new Ford Bronco SUV, and the even fresher Ford Maverick compact pickup truck.

“We’re thrilled and honored to earn both Truck and Utility of the Year from the NACTOY jury for the Ford Maverick and Bronco, especially among such a strong field of competitors,” stated Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group, Ford Motor Company. “But we’re also proud because these awards are well-deserved recognition for the tremendous amount of work, focus and energy our teams have invested in designing, engineering and building exciting vehicles for our customers. This also reflects the overwhelming reception we’ve had from our Maverick and Bronco customers alike.”

2022 Ford Maverick Lariat
Ford took a second award with its brand new 2022 Maverick compact pickup truck.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker doesn’t have much opportunity to earn a best car of the year award, being that it only offers the Mustang fastback and convertible to those not interested in SUVs and trucks, which leaves the door wide open for those that do cars better. Last year, the Hyundai Elantra earned top spot in the car category, whereas the new Honda Civic just took first place for 2022.

To earn this highest honour, the Civic edged out the redesigned Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R, which are basically the same car in different trims (there’s no longer a regular Golf for 2022), plus the stunning new Lucid Air electric luxury sedan, a recent competitor to the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan.

2022 Honda Civic Hatchback
Honda’s redesigned 2022 Civic, shown here in its Hatchback body style, has kept the legend on top of the sales charts in Canada.

“The Honda Civic has long set the standard by which other compact cars are measured and this all-new Civic raised that bar in every conceivable way,” said Michael Kistemaker, assistant vice president of Honda national sales, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We’re especially proud for the Civic development team in Japan and our production associates at our plants in Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario where the 2022 Civic Sedan, Hatchback and Si are built.”

Where the new Civic gets a dramatic styling update, its other changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary, which was a smart choice for a car that outsells every competitor most months, but the two new Fords are completely new additions to the domestic brand’s lineup, and necessary considering they no longer sell many cars. The Bronco goes head-to-head with the Jeep Wrangler as a serious 4×4-capable off-roader, while the Maverick is forging into an entirely new car-based compact pickup truck segment, only shared with Hyundai’s new Santa Cruz.

2022 Ford Maverick Lariat
The Maverick, shown here in Lariat trim, provides a lot of value in the pickup truck sector.

The Maverick beat the Santa Cruz in the final NACTOY showdown, as well as the larger Rivian R1T electric truck. It comes standard with a hybrid drivetrain, is available with a potent turbo, decent fuel economy, and features some smart cargo carrying innovations.

The Bronco didn’t have an easy fight in its SUV category either, with the all-new Genesis GV70 and pure-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 challenging. While none of these specifically compete against each other in real life, they all excel in the sport utility sector, and only one could be the winner.

2022 Ford Bronco
Ford is directly targeting Jeep’s Wrangler, which should be immediately evident with this interior photo.

“This year’s group of semi-finalists includes some of the most interesting and innovative cars, trucks and utility vehicle candidates in recent memory,” said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg, “and a larger number of new trucks than we’ve seen in many years. And it features more electric vehicles than we’ve ever seen, all of which our jurors will continue to test and evaluate prior to our next vote.”

More than 50 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada took part as jurors in this year’s NACTOY awards. To qualify, a vehicle needs to be completely new or significantly updated for the current model year. All finalist evaluations are based on design, driver satisfaction, innovation, performance, safety, technology, and value.

2022 Honda Civic Sedan Touring
Honda has improved the Civic’s interior and electronics (Civic Sedan Touring shown).

The new 2022 Civic starts at $24,465, but Honda is currently offering up to $1,000 in additional incentives, while CarCostCanada members are saving an average of $1,837. The 2022 Ford Bronco, on the other hand, can be had for a base of $41,299, while additional automaker incentives are up to $1,000 and CCC membership savings are averaging $1,000. Lastly, the new 2022 Ford Maverick starts at $25,900, but the manufacturer is also offering up to $1,000 in incentives and CCC members are once again saving an average of $1,000. Find out how a CarCostCanada membership can save you money on your next new vehicle purchase, and remember to download their free app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

 

 

Story credits: Trevor Hofmann

Photo credits: Honda and Ford

Just as the glitter and confetti from all our New Year celebrations is being swept up, Ford and Hyundai have been sweeping up 2021’s North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards.…

Hyundai and Ford clean up at 2021 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards

2021 Hyundai Elantra Car of the Year
Hyundai’s 2021 Elantra (also shown above) just won the North American Car of the Year.

Just as the glitter and confetti from all our New Year celebrations is being swept up, Ford and Hyundai have been sweeping up 2021’s North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

Yes, it appears as if 2021 is the blue-oval brand’s year to shine as two of its vehicles drove away with class wins, the always best-selling F-150 earning 2021 Truck of the Year honours, and the controversially named Mustang Mach-E silently accepting 2021’s Utility of the Year.

Car of the Year went to Hyundai with its new 2021 Elantra, the reality of which might cause some in Dearborn to wonder what might have happened if the much-lauded (in Europe and other markets) new Focus had been made available in our market.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Ford’s 2021 Mustang Mach-E took top honours as this year’s North American Utility of the Year.

Runner up in the Car sector is Genesis’ redesigned G80 mid-size luxury sedan (FYI: Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury division), while Nissan’s revised Sentra took a respectable third place in the annual awards program. Of note, the Chevrolet Corvette won the Car of the Year Class in 2020, but no GM products earned awards this year.

Just behind the Mustang Mach-E crossover EV, Genesis once again placed well in the Utility of the Year category with its new GV80 mid-size luxury crossover SUV, while Land Rover’s rugged new Defender 4×4 earned third. Last year it was Kia’s turn to impress, incidentally, with its stellar Telluride three-row, mid-size crossover SUV.

2021 Ford F-150
Ford’s 2021 F-150, the only fully redesigned model entered in the North American Truck of the Year contest, earned top spot.

Lastly, but hardly least when it comes to sales, NACTOY judges chose the “Desert Rated” Jeep Gladiator Mojave for second place in the Truck of the Year category (the entire Gladiator line won this class last year), while the off-road “race replica” Ram 1500 TRX showed up in third.

Notably, the just-noted Truck of the Year finalists are merely significantly upgraded trims of models already available in 2020, leaving the winning F-150 as the only entirely redesigned model entered into this year’s North American Truck of the Year class. How this may have impacted the Truck of the Year results is not known.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of the above-mentioned vehicles, make sure to click on the associated link to find out about available manufacturer leasing and financing rates, possible manufacturer rebates, and best of all, dealer invoice pricing that could save you thousands. CarCostCanada is our nation’s top source for money-saving automotive info, so be sure to download their free app on the Apple Store or Google Play Store and save money now.

Story credits: Trevor Hofmann

Photo credits: Ford, Hyundai

The Canadian Black Book (CBB) gave two of Porsche’s models top ratings in their respective categories for retained value, helping to the German marque earn best overall luxury brand honours in the…

Porsche once again proven best luxury brand for retained value

2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E Hybrid
Porsche is once again top of the luxury heap for retained value, with the Panamera four-door coupe noted for winning its category. (Photo: Porsche)

The Canadian Black Book (CBB) gave two of Porsche’s models top ratings in their respective categories for retained value, helping to the German marque earn best overall luxury brand honours in the third-party rating firm’s 2018 Best Retained Value Awards. 

CBB once again awarded the Panamera four-door coupe with its most coveted prize in the “Premium Luxury Car” category, resulting in its fifth consecutive title, and did likewise for the Cayenne sport utility in the “Midsize Luxury SUV”, which has won the award three years in a row. 

2018 Porsche Cayenne GTS
The Cayenne mid-size SUV also won its segment, helping to push the entire Porsche brand to 66-percent retained value after four years of ownership. (Photo: Porsche)

“We are delighted to accept the Overall Brand – Luxury and the two model awards from Canadian Black Book,” said Marc Ouayoun, President and CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “These acknowledgments by the leading authority reinforce the value retention of our product line which ultimately benefit our customers.” 

Possibly more important than singling out specific models, the overall brand award is recognition for best average retained value throughout Porsche’s entire lineup, with Porsche entire product portfolio retaining 66 percent of its value over four years. 

2018 Porsche 718 Boxster S
The 718 Boxster S won its category last year, but fell one place short for 2018. (Photo: Porsche)

This means if you purchase a Porsche 718 Cayman, 718 Boxster, one of the many 911 models, or a Macan SUV, plus of course the Panamera and Cayenne that won their categories, you’ll have a better chance of holding onto more of its value over four years than a given competitor, unless that challenger won its segment in this year’s Best Retained Value Awards. 

To clarify, the 718 Boxster two-seat convertible took home CBB’s “Premium Sports Car” category last year, but this year the honours went to the Chevrolet Corvette, with the Boxster coming in second and the Porsche Cayman rounding out the top three spots, an impressive showing for Porsche just the same. 

2018 Porsche Cayman S
The 718 Cayman took home third-place in its segment. (Photo: Porsche)

On that note, other premium nameplate winners included the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for best “Entry Luxury Car” (a category Porsche doesn’t compete in), the Lexus GS Series for best “Luxury Car” (ditto), the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class (now replaced by the GLC-Class) for best “Compact Luxury Crossover/SUV”, with the Macan not even showing up in the top-three that’s otherwise filled out by the new Audi Q5 in second and Range Rover Evoque in third, and finally the Mercedes-Benz G-Class for CBB’s “Full-size Luxury Crossover/SUV” category (that also has no Porsche competitor). 

2018 Porsche Macan GTS
The Macan is well liked by owners and the media, but it nevertheless didn’t receive a top-three rating with CBB. (Photo: Porsche)

Of note, the Panamera had to overcome strong challengers in order to win the “Premium Luxury Car” category, including the second-place Mercedes-Benz S-Class and third-place Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, while the Cayenne muscled out the Lexus GX 460 and Lexus RX 350 to take home this year’s title. 

“If you are the owner of one of these award winners and hold a loan or in some cases even a lease for the vehicle, you could be in a better position when it comes time to get into a new vehicle,” says Brian Murphy, VP Research and Editorial, at Canadian Black Book. “High depreciation, the single most expensive cost of owning a vehicle, can be a back breaker, especially if you are in a long-term loan, holding many consumers in negative equity where their vehicle is worth less than the outstanding amount due on the loan for almost the entire term of the loan” 

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet GTS
The 911 has always held its value well, but it doesn’t rate as highly as Porsche’s two 718 models. (Photo: Porsche)

All said the future might not be as positive for retained values overall as the last four years were, whether discussing Porsche or its competitors. 

“What a great year for retained values,” commented Brad Rome, President, Canadian Black Book. “That said, the feeling is that we are getting close to the turning point where values are going to begin to retreat.  Market conditions, most notably the increase in supply in the U.S. and Canada is expected to put downward pressure on prices moving forward.”

In case you missed it, the 2018 Fit, 2018 Accord, and 2018 Odyssey received Residual Value Awards from ALG, which means that all three are predicted to lead their segments in retained value after three…

Honda earns three 2018 ALG Residual Value awards

2018 Honda Fit Sport
The 2018 Honda Fit, showing here in its new Sport trim, has earned an ALG Residual Value Award in its subcompact class. (Photo: Honda)

In case you missed it, the 2018 Fit, 2018 Accord, and 2018 Odyssey received Residual Value Awards from ALG, which means that all three are predicted to lead their segments in retained value after three years of ownership.

Key to retaining value is class leading quality, leading-edge technologies and market acceptance, all descriptors of the three winning Hondas, with the redesigned 2018 Fit adding more style, soft-touch premium surfaces, digital interfaces and available equipment to its subcompact category, while maintaining its class-leading passenger and cargo versatility, allowing it to take top honours in ALG’s “Subcompact Car” category for four consecutive years.

2018 Honda Accord Touring 1.5T
The new 2018 Honda Accord seems to be winning everything lately, so earning ALG’s best in class Residual Value Award only makes sense. (Photo: Honda)

The 2018 Accord’s redesign has even been more comprehensive, and delivers an even more compelling argument for ownership in its mid-size sedan segment. ALG particularly noted above-average technology, safety and driving dynamics, all of which combined to earn it highest marks in ALG’s “Midsize Car” category.

Lastly, the redesigned 2018 Odyssey has addressed the minivan segment with some innovative ideas, including totally unique multi-configurable Magic Slide second-row seats, plus CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies that take the old conversation mirror to new levels, helping it win ALG’s “Minivan” category.

2018 Honda Odyssey
The 2018 Honda Odyssey has some unique innovations that set it apart within the minivan segment. (Photo: Honda)

Annual ALG Residual Value Awards are given to vehicles based on their predicted ability to retain their original price after three years of purchase. Awards are meted out in 26 categories.

2018 Honda Odyssey
Leading-edge technology is a key ingredient to a car’s longevity in the marketplace, and the three Hondas chosen by ALG show a lot of leadership in this respect. (Photo: Honda)

“Strong residual values are the bedrock of successful brands. A vehicle’s ability to retain its value over time is an important consideration for consumers looking to purchase or lease a vehicle,” said Jim Nguyen, president of ALG. “With vehicle leasing at near-record levels and headwinds for used vehicle values on the horizon, consumers can have confidence in their choice of a Residual Value Award winner for their next vehicle.”

ALG award winners are chosen after carefully studying all the competitors in each category, including their historical performance and industry trends. Other deciding factors include model and brand quality, production levels relative to market demand, plus pricing and marketing strategies.

Earning three ALG Residual Value awards puts Honda into rare company amongst mainstream volume brands, with only Subaru and Toyota winning more. Subaru split its earnings amongst cars and crossover SUVs, whereas Toyota received all of its honours within the SUV and truck segments. Honda, on the other hand, was strongest in the car sector.