Best new-car interiors named
Surprises abound in WardsAuto.com’s list of the 10 best new vehicle interiors, starting with which automakers missed the list and who made the cut.
Not a single European automaker made the list, nor did Ford. That opened the door for an unprecedented seven Asian brands to join Cadillac and Chevrolet from General Motors and Chrysler’s Ram truck brand.
The dearth of Europeans may be surprising, but it’s largely explained by the fact that German luxury brands didn’t introduce many new cars last year, said Tom Murphy, executive editor of WardsAuto World online magazine and point man for the awards. “The absence of the Germans changed the dynamic and opened the door for some new winners.”
Ford and Lincoln introduced several important new vehicles — the Escape, Fusion and MKZ — but fit and finish problems kept them out of the top 10.
Wards editors evaluated the interiors of 46 new cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers between February and April this year. A vehicle had to go on sale within the last year to qualify.
In alphabetical order, the vehicles with Wards Top 10 interiors, and their respective sticker prices, are: » Acura RDX ($40,315) » Cadillac XTS ($64,695) » Chevrolet Spark ($15,795)
» Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ($35,925) » Kia Forte ($25,515) » Lexus GS 450h ($68,139) » Mazda6 ($31,490) » Nissan Pathfinder ($44,395)
» Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn ($55,390) » Toyota Avalon ($42,449) This is the third year WardsAuto editors have presented the awards. They try to make sure vehicles in all price ranges are represented, not just labor-intensive luxury models. Wards also considers value, usability and features as well as design, materials and assembly quality.
“The Chevrolet Spark is geared toward young buyers, but its design appealed to all ages, and it had a lot of nice features for a low price,” Murphy said, citing a leatherwrapped steering wheel and sophisticated voice-recognition. The Spark also offers plenty of passenger room in a very small package.
“The Spark was a nobrainer,” to make the list, Murphy said. “The Mazda6 and Kia Forte both had spectacular fit and finish.”
The Mazda6 midsize sedan also features a two-tone interior, accent stitching, straightforward controls and good materials.
Farther up the price scale, the Lexus GS 450h hybrid showcases unusual and striking materials, including matte-finish bamboo and low-gloss metallic accents.
The Ram 1500 pickup was “incredibly stylish,” thanks to a new trim level — the Laramie Longhorn — with matte wood, copper-colored trim and leather reminiscent of finely tooled cowboy boots.
The Cadillac XTS was a pleasant surprise.
“Cadillac’s come a long way,” Murphy said. “It was very cool, with unexpected touches like purple stitching.”
Wards’ judges also liked Cadillac’s CUE controls, which combine a touch screen and flat panel iPadlike operation and a unique feedback system that vibrates to let the driver know he’s touched the right spot.
Several trends were apparent among this year’s interiors: New uses for ambient lighting; decorative stitching, often in contrasting colors; matte-finish wood; new colors; luxuriouslooking plastic trim that weighs less than wood or metal.