The Honda Civic has claimed autoTRADER.ca’s inaugural 2017 Overall Top Pick award after a detailed voting process involving our team of award-winning journalists, in a unique process that considered every 2017 vehicle available in Canada across 13 separate categories.
Uniquely in the Canadian award landscape, autoTRADER.ca Top Picks are eligible for every car, truck or SUV available to consumers at the time of voting, whether it was redesigned for 2017 or not.
The awards were carefully designed to incorporate detailed scoring from autoTRADER.ca’s large pool of experienced vehicle testers, one of the largest such talent pools in Canada, to help consumers choose the vehicle that’s right for them – no matter who sells it. There is no submission process and no fees for a manufacturer to enter their vehicle – every vehicle available to consumers is considered.
“Canadians don’t limit their new vehicle purchases to only all-new generation cars, so neither do our Top Picks,” said autoTRADER.ca managing editor Michael Bettencourt. “We didn’t exclude any 2017 model, brand or manufacturer from consideration, because we want our awards to be as helpful to as many consumers as possible.”
As such, the 2017 autoTRADER.ca Top Pick Award winners are:
Top Small Car: Honda Civic
The Civic was selected for its distinctive styling, compelling new turbo engine and generous feature list. Canada’s top-selling car for the past 17 years, the newest Honda Civic represents a generational leap in the Small Car segment which elevates it above the competition.
Top Family Car: Toyota Camry
Well-regarded for its reliability and ease of driving, the Toyota Camry also packs a surprisingly powerful 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. At or near the top of its class in practicality, feature content and performance, the Camry is our Top Family Car because it does everything well.
Top Luxury Sedan: Mercedes-Benz E-Class
With one of the industry’s most spectacular instrument cluster and dashboard displays, phenomenal ride comfort and a selection of potent power plants, as well as a worthy wagon option, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the benchmark for luxury sedans.
Top Compact SUV: Hyundai Tucson
Launched last year as a 2016 model, the latest generation of Hyundai Tucson is a stellar blend of upmarket styling and features in a price-competitive package. We were impressed by the low NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) levels inside the cabin and also by the eye-catching styling.
Top Large SUV: Mazda CX-9
Can a large, three-row SUV be fun to drive? Mazda says yes and we tend to agree. Coupled with interior design and quality that defies its mainstream price tag, the Mazda CX-9 won over our judges almost unanimously.
Top Minivan: Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler’s attempt to reinvigorate the minivan market is an admirable one, especially given the execution of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica. Using the best of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group’s minivan technology, including stow-and-go seats, Chrysler has evolved the Windsor, Ontario–built minivan into a stylish family cruiser with great driving dynamics and thoughtful innovations to keep kids entertained on long trips.
Top Luxury Compact SUV: Porsche Macan
It’s hard to tell if the Macan is an SUV that is also a sports car or a sports car that is also an SUV. But the result is the same: a lifted car well-sized for a successful young family, which packs practicality and performance right to its swooping roofline.
Top Luxury SUV: Volvo XC90
Imposing, bold, and elegant, the Volvo XC90 is a must-see for anyone in the market for a luxury SUV. Volvo’s largest vehicle has three usable rows set off with an opulent and advanced interior. Throw in a full suite of Swedish safety gear and a selection of innovative, fuel-efficient engines, and the XC90 is a deserving Top Pick winner.
Top Sports Car Under $50K: Mazda MX-5
Once called the Miata here in North America, the MX-5 (as it has always been known globally) is Mazda’s answer to the question, “What is ‘fun’?” Smaller, lighter and faster than its predecessor, with a top that can flip down easily at any red light, the MX-5 is a beautifully balanced car that delivers on the promise of its good looks.
Top Sports Car Over $50K: Porsche Cayman
While the Porsche sports car line-up will always be defined by the seminal 911, it’s the Cayman that most impressed our panel of expert test drivers. The well-balanced, light, and blisteringly fast little Porsche takes us back to the core of what a sports car should be. It maintains just enough roughness around the edges and keeps the driver engaged at all times.
Top Pick-up Truck: Ford F-150
The aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 is our 2017 Top Pick-Up Truck. Ford has continued to evolve the F-150 and we’re particularly impressed by the 2.7L and 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine offerings.
Top Green Car: Chevrolet Volt
With an impressive 85 kilometres of all-electric real-world driving range, the Chevrolet Volt is the electric vehicle with no compromises. A large battery that will give most drivers weeks on end of fuel-free driving, plus a pleasingly strong engine that makes long-distance driving equally possible, mean the Volt solves the challenges of range anxiety without sacrificing EV-only driving. Not only that, but the Volt is a genuinely good car with excellent ride quality, practicality and performance.
Overall Top Pick: Honda Civic
The Civic was selected for its distinctive styling, compelling new turbo engine and generous feature list. Canada’s top-selling car for the past 17 years, the newest Honda Civic represents a generational leap not only in the small car segment, but is a flagship for value and execution across all segments. No car on the Canadian new car market today has the significance of this updated Civic from Honda.
About Top Picks
Top Picks recognizes vehicles in 13 categories, including the overall winner, for their value, innovation, performance, comfort, technology and ultimate desirability. All voters were requested to vote on their top five vehicle choices in each category, from which a short list of the top three scorers went to a final round of voting. In short, the autoTRADER.ca Top Picks are awarded to vehicles our writers would recommend to their friends and family in any given category.
autoTRADER.ca’s roster of automotive journalists includes Canada’s best and most-experienced writers. Sixteen of them combined to vote on the vehicles they think represent the best in the marketplace for this year. Eligibility is open to any vehicle currently on sale to the general public in Canada.
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