Grand Cherokee, CTS-V Picked as AutoWeek 2011 Best of the Best

AutoWeek is touting the “uniqueness” of its selection process with the claim that “no outside influences affected the outcome. As has been known to happen with other awards, ‘Automakers couldn’t sway our vote with lobbying or specially prepped test vehicles’ but the press release doesn’t mention how it managed to obtain vehicles not specially prepped by the manufacturers or the companies that deliver vehicles. Surely the car companies knew they were sending vehicles to AutoWeek, didn’t they? Plus, AutoWeek does travel to new vehicle introductions, which are chock full of specially prepared vehicles and just a bit of lobbying goes on at those events.

The AutoWeek grading criteria, ranking vehicles on a scale of one to five, focused on drivetrain, ride quality, handling, exterior and interior design and fun factor. The Cars category included sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks and wagons. Trucks included pickups, crossovers, minivans and SUVs.

AutoWeek’s Jan. 10 Best of the Best issue describes the CTS-V Coupe as having “the best interior General Motors has ever made.” One AutoWeek editor said, “It’s the best Cadillac ever.” The Rest of the Best were the Audi A8, the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes-Benz SLS and the Ford Fiesta rounding out the top 5 contenders.

The Grand Cherokee was described as “the most well-rounded, handsome and brutally capable Jeep in years.” Editors said it is a possible “harbinger of things to come from the new Chrysler.” The Rest of the Best top five were the Ford F-150, the Chevrolet Silverado, the Porsche Cayenne and the Honda Odyssey.

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