The shortlist is:

BMW i3, Citroën C4 Picasso, Mazda 3, Mercedes S-Class, Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia and Tesla Model S.

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I3 should win that.

C4 Picasso or the I3 I think.

I3 looks like a winner to me, when is it announced?

Another vote for the I3

They can't judge the octavia as they don't have a build week for it yet! Lol

Btw Skoda Octavia III was elected Bulgaria's car of the year 2013

Car of the year is such an odd award. There are so many different types of vehicles which do many different things. How do you compare?

OK so the i3 may be the best electric car, but its going to make a rubbish average family car.

The Merc may be a good luxury car, but its a rubbish off roader, and its out of the reach of most people.

Is money being taken into account? If not, then something like the Range Rover should be up there. Excellent on the motorway, excellent off road, and could be a good family car, albeit expensive.

Its surely the closest you will get to something that is good at everything.

If we are just looking at the cars listed though- Well the i3 is a definite no (unless you want to go down the 'most different' or 'most advanced' new car route) . The Merc is obviously the best car there by a long way, but is it what we are looking for when it comes to car of the year? Do we want something which is a more all rounder? Something closer to a good average car? If so, then I cant see beyond the 308 or the Octavia. Considering the Octy is larger, and will probably be a more comfortable family car, could you say the Octavia beats the 308?

Those two would be my choices from that list, but these awards are daft, and often the most rediculous cars win it. When you split the awards into categories of cars, then yes, but an overall car of the year? A rediculous award and is purely on the wim of whoever is deciding, when it comes to working out how you go about it. Different magazines get totally different results because they look at it in a different way.

Depending on how you want to base the award, you could pretty much say all of them can be winners.

Someobdy will choose the i3 because they think it should be a 'new' car and 'most technologically advanced'

Somebody will pick the Octy because they look at it how I did.

Somebody will choose the Merc because it is surely the best car there.

At the end of the day though, no matter who wins it. It wont mean anything becase of how daft the award is.

The i3 pushes the technology envelope, but it is still too small, has too little range, and is far too expensive to be considered as a viable alternative to your average super-mini. Sure lots of people will buy them, but more as a fashion statement than for need of anything approaching a practical car. Here's a pretty good summary from the Telegraph

 

However, it will undoubtedly win CoTY because it gives journalists something new to bang on about.

Edited 16 December, 201312 yr by Orville

Thats a pretty varied set of vehicles - on what premise are they judging "car of the year"?

 

I think awards like that mean very little - "Most efficient car of the year", "best value for money car of the year" can be measured.  How can they measure an overall "car of the year"?

 

I know I'll get slated for that comment, but I'm a Software Engineer - I measure things with logic and numbers.

Here in Portugal you can only lease the I3 and at most do 45k in its life span.

It costs 30000 euros, small and if it breaks down noone knows what to do.

In 2010 the goverment gave incentive to buy all electrical cars.

Since then only 250 were sold (mostly the LEAF and the mitsubishi something)

Price and lack of places to charge is a drawback.

From the first post maybe the Peugeot 308

Thats a pretty varied set of vehicles - on what premise are they judging "car of the year"?

 

I think awards like that mean very little - "Most efficient car of the year", "best value for money car of the year" can be measured.  How can they measure an overall "car of the year"?

 

Which manufacturer buys the judges the most lavish lunch or the best trip to a vehicle launch or the best freebies?

 

If this didn't come into it then how did some of the howlers in the past win 'car of the year'?

It should be called "Most generous manufacturer of the year"

In Lithuania Skoda Octavia III was elected car of the year 2014 :]

Thats a pretty varied set of vehicles - on what premise are they judging "car of the year"?

I think awards like that mean very little - "Most efficient car of the year", "best value for money car of the year" can be measured. How can they measure an overall "car of the year"?

I know I'll get slated for that comment, but I'm a Software Engineer - I measure things with logic and numbers.

As any software engineer would know, it's fairly simple.

What is it supposed to do? How well does it do that?

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The Tesla will win obviously.

merc s class :love: 

As any software engineer would know, it's fairly simple.

What is it supposed to do? How well does it do that?

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Really?

So If i designed a car, and said that it was designed to be absolutely rubbish in every department. Its suspension designed to make peoples teeth fall out when going over potholes, its interior designed to fall apart and rattle constantly. To be so bad nobody would want to purchase one.

 

Of course, if the car did turn out like this. If its suspension really was that bad, and if the interior did fall apart straight away, and if absolutely nobody purchased one. Well, I suppose it must now win car of the year? Afterall, it does exactly what it is meant to do, absolutely brilliantly.

 

Sorry, but I still cant see how these 'car of the year' competitions are actually decided, and it really is on the wim of each individual, hence the award wont actually mean anything.

The only thing that seems constant, is that the car must be a new model. But why? What if no new models are as good as another manufacturers old model?

merc s class :love: 

Out of the list, I cant really see much else. Which car are you and your family going to want to get in and drive on a daily basis? Well it'll be the Merc.

I dont think its the best all round car, and it probably doesnt tick as many boxes as something like the Octavia, and I still say the award wont mean anything, but if you are looking for the 'best' car, then something like the Jags/ Range Rover, top of the range Mercs and top of the range BMWs should be winning every time. With the Merc S Class the only one on the shortlist, then it would have to be the winner.

But no doubt they will decide the competition should be based on something else. Hence why the WhatCar car of the year used to be the VW Up. Oh yes, I always choose the Up when I have the choice between the Up and an XF. I mean, why would anybody choose a Jag XF (other top of the range cars are available) when you can have an Up.

Really?

So If i designed a car, and said that it was designed to be absolutely rubbish in every department. Its suspension designed to make peoples teeth fall out when going over potholes, its interior designed to fall apart and rattle constantly. To be so bad nobody would want to purchase one.

Of course, if the car did turn out like this. If its suspension really was that bad, and if the interior did fall apart straight away, and if absolutely nobody purchased one. Well, I suppose it must now win car of the year? Afterall, it does exactly what it is meant to do, absolutely brilliantly.

It's the logic of a child, but why not give it a go?

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No electric car should win it as they are not good enough yet. If one does then it was a political win.

Kickback of the year for journos

No electric car should win it as they are not good enough yet. If one does then it was a political win.

The Opal Ampera won it last year despite selling not very many at all, and the Nissan Leaf came top in 2011. The i3 is technically as step or two ahead of these, but I fully agree that electric cars are not ready for such honours yet.

 

What's the point of making cars which are far too impractical and too expensive for most people to buy CotY's?

Edited 23 December, 201312 yr by Orville

It's the logic of a child, but why not give it a go?

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Yes it was the logic of a child, but it was also exactly what was claimed. How well does a car do what it was designed to do? Obviously if i did do that, it would never win.  

However, lets just say your theory is correct. So where is the Range Rover in the shortlist?

It still is not a good way of working out car of the year. Its still an extremely silly and meaningless competition.

The Opal Ampera won it last year despite selling not very many at all, and the Nissan Leaf came top in 2011. The i3 is technically as step or two ahead of these, but I fully agree that electric cars are not ready for such honours yet.

 

So basically it isnt car of the year. Its turned into 'Newest Electric Car' award.