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car review

And so, the juggernaut that is the North American International Auto Show is underway; the one event that manages to glam up an otherwise grey, despondent Detroit in the bleakness of winter. It's the Big Three's annual chance to take centre stage from the world's auto makers and, boy, there have been a few notable debuts this year.

However, only one car can take the North American Car of the Year award, and this year it was the Volkswagen Golf (Ford won Truck of the Year with the F-150, thereby saving some face on its home turf). The awards have been presented for the past 22 years.

But hindsight is 20/20, and a few of the supposed best cars of the year have turned out to be somewhat less appealing over time. This week, we're going to look at former top choices from Detroit shows in the past 14 years – from only the model year they were chosen – to see which make the best deals on the used market, along with one that wasn't a good choice after all.

Sensible

At the 2010 Detroit show, judges chose the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which had just recently been unveiled in Los Angeles. Sure, it's no supercar, but it posted dramatic, real-world fuel savings with its hybrid powertrain, which can run up to 75 km/h on electric power alone. Beyond that, the Fusion is a solid, reliable family car, though it does have a few recalls for defective wheel studs and seats and a possibility it may roll out of park. But it warrants a "good bet" status with Consumer Reports, and you'll find it up to $18,000 on the market.

The previous year brought a little grandeur from an unlikely source. Hyundai was awarded top marks for its mid-sized Genesis sedan, which became a viable option in the luxury car segment. With either a V-6 or powerful V-8, an opulent and roomy interior and crisp handling, the only thing missing is the bling of a German nameplate on the trunk. With just one recall for fading brakes, it also boasts better reliability than most European sedans, and can be found between $15,000-$20,000. It's worth a look if you want a quality luxury sedan.

Its cash problems were just on the horizon in January, 2008, but the then soon-to-be bankrupt General Motors could at least bask in the glow of its Chevrolet Malibu winning top honours in Detroit. Voters were taken by the new look of the mid-sized car, with a stunning interior and refined ride. Finally, it could compete with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Recalls include electrical issues and a problem with the shift lever, but it has proven relatively reliable.

Indispensable

When the Honda Civic bowed at the 2006 show it was a radical departure from the previous model, with sharp exterior styling and a unique, two-tiered dashboard inside a larger and quieter cabin. Handling is crisp and the 1.8-litre engine is both enthusiastic and fuel-efficient, and even the base model comes with standard features such as a CD/MP3 player and power windows and mirrors. Numbering in the hundreds on the used market, you can find the sedans from $8,000 to $13,000 or so; for more excitement, the Si hot coupes can be had up to around $20,000. All models are reliable, safe and have no recalls for the 2006 model year, which makes them another "good bet".

Questionable

In 2001, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, with its retro, gangster-car look, took top prize. But these cars have cheap, plastic interiors, are relatively bad on gas and have proven terrible in reliability, with recalls concerning fuel leaks and instrument clusters. Perhaps it's for these reasons that you can pick up a PT cheap, though even the $8,000 that some are asking seems ludicrous. They were wisely discontinued after 2010.

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