Since 1963, Australian Wheels magazine has taken the time each year to recognize what they believe to be the best car in the industry. It's such a prestigious honor to be named Car of the Year by Wheels, that there were even three years in which they decided no vehicle was worthy of the award - leaving the years 1972, 1979 and 1986 as the only years without recognition. Up until the mid-70s, only Australian cars were recognized, until they opened the competition up to global manufacturers.

You're probably wondering where we're going with this, right? Well, not only was the Honda Accord the first imported car to win the award in 1977, but this year, Wheels Magazine has placed the Honda CR-Z on their list of six finalists. We're proud to say that the Honda CR-Z is listed right alongside some very impressive competition - including the A6, Evoque and the Focus, just to name a few.

Wheels Editor, Bill Thomas, says the six finalists were chosen among the largest pool of entrants to date. Remarking on the competition, Thomas says, "As always the cars are not judged against each other but against a tried and proven criteria...That and 340 kilometers of testing at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, eight judges, four helpers and seven days of ultimate scrutiny."¹

That said, Honda Cars of Aiken is pretty sure the Honda CR-Z will more than prove its worth. James Whitbourn, a judge, comments, "Combine the grin factor with the efficiency promised by the hybrid system and there's little doubt the Honda coupe takes the car where it should be going - smaller, lighter, more efficient and more fun."² You heard that right, it's a green car that's absolutely fun to drive. We can't imagine anything less from Honda, especially with the 1.5-liter engine, Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) technology and optional 6-speed manual transmission.

Car of the Year will be announced January 18^th, so be sure to stayed tuned to hear the results. Want to see why the CR-Z is garnering such high praised? Come down to Honda Cars of Aiken, the sporty coupe is now available for a test drive. You'll find us at 550 Jefferson Davis Highway Warrenville, SC 29851.

Source: ^1,2http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8389175/honda-hybrid-among-six-wheels-finalists