2016 Drive Car Of The Year

Australia's most relevant new car awards program has entered its second decade as the 2016 Drive Car of the Year testing process comes to a close.

Six expert judges selected 44 finalists spread across 15 categories from hundreds of new car arrivals in 2016 to determine which models represent the best of their class, and which vehicle stands tall as the best new car of the year.

The comprehensive testing process spans five days, logging thousands of kilometres in wet and dry weather, on country and urban roads and in the controlled environment of NSW's Wakefield Park race track - where emergency braking, cornering and crash avoidance manoeuvres put cars to the test, and our team analyse the performance of every vehicle to determine the best in class.

That process takes place after months of testing every new car on the market at home and abroad, distilling hundreds of new vehicles on sale to a handful of finalists that represent the best of their kind. There are no losers here – every vehicle has won its place as a finalist on its own merit.

The judges take into consideration the most relevant attributes associated to the type of vehicle when assessing it against a strict set of criteria, including on-road performance, safety, quality, value for money, fuel economy and long-term ownership benefits such as warranty, servicing costs and retained value.

Unlike other awards, Drive's selection of finalists includes the carry-over champion in each respective category defending its title against the best newcomers released in 2016. The overall 2016 Car of the Year is eligible only to any new category champions. Judges then vote on the four best finalists before deliberating and then submitting a single choice in a silent ballot, with the car that scores the most votes awarded the coveted title of Drive's 2016 Car of the Year.