Choosing a car can be a long, drawn out process that could take months before you finally make a choice on your next buy. A lot of us will have preferences on brands and models that we may have either learnt to drive in or which friends or family members who have recommended to us. Likewise there are plenty of TV shows and magazines full of car reviews, filling us in on the pros and cons of each car.

One excellent indicator of a excellent car is the ‘Car of the Year’ award, an award given to a car that, based on a range of criteria, has been chosen as the best car of the year – typically a model that has been released that year. The award is voted for by motoring journalists so they have the buyer’s interests at heart in their judgements which are based on a number of factors such as:

Design
Obviously how the car looks, but also with modern technology helping improve the features of cars the design is really vital these days.

Comfort
You ideally want a car that is comfortable, especially during long trips. A lot of cars now have new comfort perks such as heated seats and nearly every adjustment can be made to the seats height, angle and support which all contribute to the comfort level of a car.

Safety
The safety rating of any new car is a vital statistic that drivers, especially parents, will be concerned about. Seatbelts and airbags as well as technological advancements like parking sensors and some models even alert you if you drift out of your lane on the motorway.

Economy
The cost of fuel and motoring in general is a hot topic these days and so you ideally want a car that can really go the distance between visits to the petrol station.

Handling and Performance
Obviously you want a car that performs well and doesn’t have any annoying characteristics such as poor acceleration or steering.

Price
Whilst the price of a fantastic car is subjective, what the criteria that the Car of the Year organisation measure is how well placed a vehicle is, a car that is priced low enough to appeal to many different drivers is going to score well in this category.

Driver Satisfaction
Lastly and most importantly, is the satisfaction of the drive. Does the car drive well? Does it have any annoying features? Is the car prone to breaking down or parts breaking? These are all contributing factors to how satisfying the car is to drive.

If you’re looking at getting a new or used car then do your homework first. If you need car finance and have a less than perfect credit history then check out the terrible credit car finance options available to help you to buy your dream motor.

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Kelley Blue Book (http://www.kbb.com/) and Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research announced on June 21 the results of the ‘Driving Performance’ part of its consumer automotive perceptions research study called ‘Brand Watch’.

The latest results revealed that Toyota and BMW each claimed two number-one ranks for best driving performance: Toyota ranks in both the Minivan and Non-Luxury SUV segments, while consumers chose BMW as the best among Luxury SUVs and Luxury Sedans.

In terms of driving performance, local brands sweep the Truck segment in Brand Watch. Chevrolet, GMC and Dodge place first, second and third, respectively. Previously, domestic brands had been chosen as consumers’ top picks for Interior and Exterior Styling in the Truck segment. Foreign brands lead across most segments claiming the top three ranks in every vehicle segment except trucks and also with the exception of Ford which bested as third among Non-Luxury SUVs. In the Convertible/Sports Car segment, a category in which performance is the most desired characteristic, Porsche claimed the top spot.

Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Honda, co-maker of quality Acura muffler, each bagged three top-three spots in different categories while Nissan and Lexus garnered two top-three finishes each.

Jack R. Nerad, the Executive Editorial Director and Executive Market Analyst of Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com., said that according to the new-car buyers, the being top placer of BMW in the Luxury Sedan and Luxury SUV segments reflects the brand’s expertise on performance characteristics in the luxury category which is an instance where both the brand image and the consumer brand perception are in perfect parallelism.

He added that pickups are the last stronghold of local dominance and such leading is strong with Chevrolet, GMC and Dodge sweeping the top three spots for performance without an import brand along with them.

Rick Wainschel, the Vice-President of Marketing Research and Brand Communications for Kelley Blue Book, adheres that perceptions are the key factors to drive automobile buyers’ decisions as to which makes and models will belong on their shopping list. He added that the report can depict the manufacturers’ relative position against other makes in specific vehicle segments as to which strengths to highlight and which weaknesses may need to be addressed and resolved.

Brand Watch is available to vehicle manufacturers and auto industry professionals. It concerns active new-vehicle shoppers to determine their perceptions of automotive brands within particular automotive segments. Dealing on how each manufacturer’s brand equity differs across vehicle segments, Brand Watch also compares the relative standing of each make against competitive makes, and reveals the choice factors of car-buyers within each make and segment. Collected, reported and detailed throughout Brand Watch’s comprehensive study which is available quarterly from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research are detailed demographic and psychographic information.

See how an ancient exercise bike, a creative vision, and a week’s worth of free time became a custom GT5 driving rig! The 1 1/2″ PVC pipe frame was laid out in AutoCAD along with the 1/4″ plywood exterior in order to insure proper fitment. The revised seat uses cushions from a very ancient computer chair. The replica racing seat cover was bought for less than during a holiday special. The wheel and pedals used are the Logitech Driving Force GT. Video editing performed using Windows Live Movie Maker. Music performed by Musicshake (from YouTube AudioSwap). Questions are welcome. Hope you delight in!

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