News

As usual, there were some big winners, some surprises and lots of missed predictions about which vehicles would come out victorious in the 2008 Auto Journalists Association of Canada awards.

It was also a relatively good year for our crystal balling abilities, as the Globe Auto reviewers who drove each all-new vehicle in their category managed to pick more than half the final winners.

All right, so picking seven out of 13 winners might not seem a shining example of forecasting brilliance, especially when you consider that one award — the occasionally awarded most coveted vehicle prize — was generally accepted to be a slam dunk for the exotic and oh-so-beautiful Audi R8.

But getting half of these picks right is doing pretty well, and I've seen much, much worse scores by experienced, well-respected auto journalists.

Handed out at an awards ceremony on Tuesday afternoon in Toronto, the results come after four days of back-to-back testing of the 59 all-new models at AJAC's annual TestFest, which took place in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., in late October.

GM emerged as the big winner, with four awards, although not in the categories you (or we) may have expected. It triumphed as the Best New Small Car (Saturn Astra), Pickup (Chevrolet Silverado), and two SUV/CUV categories, where the Buick Enclave won in the over $60,000 group and in the hotly contested $35,000-$60,000 category, which had 11 entrants, and was topped by the Saturn Vue.

These 12 winners will now face off for Canadian Car of The Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, which will be announced in conjunction with the opening of the Canadian International Auto show in February.

All of the detailed vote breakdowns are online at www.ajac.ca, so you can check out why that car you just bought didn't win.

The results are posted under the Canadian Car of the Year section, under the 2008 Vehicle Comparisons heading.

AUTOMOBILE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Canadian car of the year awards category winners

SMALL CAR

• The winner: Saturn Astra
• The other contenders: Ford Focus SE, Mitisubishi Lancer GTS, Subaru Impreza Sedan, Suzuki SX-4 Sedan

FAMILY CAR

• The winner: Honda Accord EX Sedan
• The other contenders: Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger, Kia Rondo, Saturn Aura Green Line, Subaru Impreza Wagon

LUXURY CAR

• The winner: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• The other contenders: Cadillac CTS, Volvo S80

CONVERTIBLE

• The winner: BMW 335i Cabriolet
• The other contenders: Chrysler Sebring, Volvo C70

SPORTS/PERFORMANCE UNDER $50,000

• The winner: Mini Cooper S
• The other contenders: Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Accord EX-L V-6 6MT, Nissan Altima Coupe, Subaru WRX, Volvo C30ƒo

SPORTS/PERFORMANCE OVER $50,000

• The winner: Audi S5
• The other contenders: Audi TT Coupe, Infiniti G37 Coupe

PRESTIGE CAR OVER $75,000

• The winner: Audi R8 (also voted Most Coveted Vehicle)
• The other contenders: Jaguar XKR Coupe, Lexus LS600hl, Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG

MINIVAN

• The winner: Hyundai Entourage
• The other contenders: Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan

SUV/CUV UNDER $35,000

• The winner: Nissan Rogue
• The other contenders: Ford Escape Hybrid, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot, Mitsubishi Outlander, Saturn Outlook, Saturn Vue Green Lineƒo

SUV/CUV $35,000-$50,000

• The winner: Saturn Vue
• The other contenders: GMC Acadia, Hyundai Veracruz, Infiniti EX, Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel, Land Rover LR2, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota Highlander, Volvo XC70

SUV/CUV OVER $60,000

• The winner: Buick Enclave
• The other contenders: BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Mercedes-Benz M-Class

PICKUPS

• The winner: Chevrolet Silverado
• The other contenders: Dodge Dakota, GMC Sierra, Toyota Tundra

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Timeline

Oct. 30-Nov. 2: AJAC members tested the 59 new models that made up the 12 categories.

Dec. 4: The 12 category winners were announced.

Feb. 13: The 2008 Canadian Car of The Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of The Year are announced during the media preview days of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. The winners of two other awards are also announced: Best New Design and Best Technology.