What are Australia’s Best Cars?

Find out in this Awards Special Blog where ALL of the brands we represent feature heavily in these prestigious awards… these are the benefits when you have so much CHOICE shopping for a new or used car at Col Crawford’s.

Testing for the 2015 Australia’s Best Cars awards was first completed in Sept last year.  Following the VW global emissions scandal the nation’s motoring clubs made the decision to exclude all VW Group vehicles and retest all categories.  This was the first time in the history of Australia’s Best Cars that such measures were taken – both to affirm the integrity of the awards and to highlight that the interests of the clubs’ 7 million Members nationwide are paramount.  From the vehicles we sell we had 7 Winners and a further 17 honourable 2nd or 3rd placings (see below).  And the Winners are ….

Best Light Car Winner – Hyundai Accent Active, 2nd Place KIA Rio Si, 3rd Place Renault Clio Expression

Winner Fast Facts … Hyundai’s update to the Accent five-door hatch in August 2015 has given it the boost required to take victory in the competitive light car category.  Hyundai’s Lifetime Service Plan ensures owners know what they’ll pay for servicing over the whole ownership period.  Giving peace of mind this also helps to give the Accent best in-class running and repair costs.  Hyundai’s 5 year unlimited km warranty is a further incentive for consumers.  The Accent comes with a 5 star ANCAP safety rating with mandatory ABS and ESC, backed up by 6 airbags, ticking the box for safety.

Best Small Car Under $35,000 Winner – Hyundai i30 Active

Winner Fast Facts … The champagne corks are popping again at Hyundai with its win for the i30 in this class.  The series 2 model has settled in as a consistent performer in the small car sales race and is a regular in these award finals.  The small car market in Australia is the most competitive, so to win in this category you need a well balanced package.  The car’s value can’t be beaten.

Best Small Car Over $35,000 Winner – BMW 118i Sport Line,

3rd Place BMW 218i Active Tourer Sport Line

Winner Fast Facts … For most thinking of buying a luxury car, this category is the entry point into a prestigious marque.  This year BMW’s 118i Sport Line 5 door hatch has edged ahead of the pack with a mid-cycle upgrade that restructured the 1 Series line-up, smartened the presentation and improved the standard features.

The refreshed styling and presentation is smart; BMW uses high-quality materials and there is a pleasing attention to detail in the trim and interior fittings.

Best Medium Car Under $50,000 Winner – KIA Optima GT

Winner Fast Facts … The value KIA has packed into the upgraded Optima has helped it beat all comers this year.  The design and engineering have come of age and it can now genuinely be compared with the high-end Japanese makes.

The combination of the turbo-petrol engine and the in-house designed and built 6 speed auto are the foundation of the performance package.

Add an industry-leading, 7 year transferable warranty and the Optima is hard to beat.

Best Large Car Under $70,000 Winner – Hyundai Genesis, 2nd Place Holden Commodore SV6

First launched in 2014, the Hyundai Genesis has found favour with hire car companies and hotel chains, with a few private buyers thrown in.  On top of its great 5 year/ unlimited KM warranty, it also comes with lifetime capped-price servicing.  It ranks the highest of all cars in the critical area of safety, with a safety score of 36.88 out of 37 as recorded by ANCAP.  Standard safety equipment includes 7 airbags, autonomous emergency braking and a pop-up bonnet to provide extra protection from injury for pedestrians.

Best Family Wagon Winner – KIA Sorento SLi 2WD, 2nd Place HONDA Odyssey VTi-L, 3rd Place KIA Grand Carnival SLi

Winner Fast Facts … KIA’s all-new high-riding Sorento 7 seat wagon has stepped up in quality, design and ability, and has ticked the right boxes to be appealing to family buyers, who are blessed with a lot of choice in this class.   The Sorento manages to blend the things people love about a large SUV with the functionality and versatility of a traditional people mover.  Representing value for money it’s also cost effective to insure.  With Kia’s outstanding 7 year/ unlimited km warranty PLUS low servicing & repair costs with 7 year capped-price servicing, buyers have peace of mind.

Best AWD SUV $50,000 – $65,000 Winner – KIA Sorento Platinum, 2nd Place Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDi

Winner Fast Facts … The new Sorento is more refined and KIA have worked hard to reduce road and engine noise, plus running and repair costs have been reduced.  The car is longer and wider than the last Sorento and with a premium build and finish there is a feeling of luxury.

A well appointed interior starts with 7 seats as standard plus there is excellent leg room and air ventilation in the far rear seats.  A rear-view camera is standard across the range and all models have 6 airbags, hill start assist and brake assist.

There are seatbelt reminders for all seats and a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.  With its greater size, refinement and equipment levels, plus a powerful and efficient turbo-diesel, it’s no wonder the Platinum is the most popular Sorento.

Best Medium Car Over $50,000 2nd Place- BMW 330i Luxury Line

Best Micro Car – 2nd Place Suzuki Celerio, 3rd Place Nissan Micra ST

Best Sports Car $50,000 – $100,000 – 2nd Place BMW M235i, 3rd Place Holden Insignia VXR 

Best Sports Car Under $50,000 – 2nd Place Renault Megane RS 265 

Best 2WD SUV – 2nd Place Honda HR-V VTI-S, 3rd Place Nissan Qashqai ST

Best AWD SUV Under $50,000 – 3rd place Hyundai Tucson Elite

Best AWD SUV $65,000 – $125,000 – 3rd place BMW X5 xDrive 3.0d

To check out scores (and judging criteria) for all 180 cars tested, see video reviews and choose the right car for you, go to: Australia’s Best Cars