MOST
DEPENDABLE | | | 2004
SEDAN OF THE YEAR |
BMW
has always proven just how exciting a sedan can be, having virtually invented
the concept of the sport sedan several decades ago. And in spite of fielding the
onslaught of dozens of stellar competitors, the BMW 5-Series has remained the
world's quintessential sport sedan. The
2004 BMW 5-Series takes the sedan genre to the next level with its dynamic new
styling, innovative interior, and, of course, significant advancements under the
skin. BMW's flame-surfacing has never looked better, while the shapely sheetmetal
encompasses an interior that is way up on both style and space. The
dashboard incorporates BMW's visionary iDrive system that allows exponentially
more feature adjustability that we're used to, even among luxury cars, for an
even more tailor-made driving environment. The engines are smooth, powerful offerings
that we've grown to love in other Bavarian automobiles, including a couple of
sinewy six-cylinders and one glorious V-8, all of which are available with a choice
of manual or automatic transmissions. Prices range from the low $40Ks to the low
$60's, a price that includes a hearty dose of joi de vis as standard equipment. Honorable
Mentions:
Acura TL
After years of producing nice,
if innocuous sedans, Acura turns it up several notches this year with the all-new
Acura TL sport sedan. The near-luxury mid-size sedan has a top-notch interior,
faultless quality and a powertrain that can be accurately described as God's gift
to front-wheel drive. Volvo
S40
With their newfound commitment to making cars that are not only
safe, but stylish as well, Volvo interior and exterior stylists have taken the
Volvo S40 from sensible shoe to Jimmy Choo in the span of one model year. Of course,
outstanding quality, incredible seats and class-leading safety engineering remain
as prominent as ever on the S40's resume.
Class
of 2004 ~ 8th Annual Awards Links | | | |
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