USA - The Mazda MX-5 Miata takes the Best Convertible to buy award from The Car Connection.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata has been named the Best Convertible to Buy for 2017 by the editors of The Car Connection. The editorial team at the automotive news and vehicle reviews website agreed that the lightweight MX-5 roadster is a standout in its class, outperforming its competitors with a driving experience that only the world’s best-selling roadster can deliver.

“We’ve owned them, raced them, test-driven them. Year after year, the Mazda MX-5 Miata reminds us that less does indeed equal more,” said Marty Padgett, editorial director for Internet Brands Automotive, the parent company of The Car Connection. 

“It’s a welcome diversion from the horsepower arms race, with its light weight, sharp handling and stylish body. It’s the very essence of the classic two-seat sports car.”

The MX-5 embodies Mazda’s commitment to pure driving enjoyment and its spirit lives in every vehicle it sells. Earlier this year, the 2016 MX-5 was awarded as the first vehicle to ever win World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year in the same year. Globally, there have been more than one-million MX-5s built, speaking to the loyal following it has earned throughout the past three decades from daily drivers, to weekend warriors to racers to parent-child project cars, alike.

With a starting MSRP[1] of $24,915, the 2016 MX-5 Miata adopts Mazda’s full suite of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO—Soul of Motion design language. The pricing and packaging on one of the torchbearers for the Mazda brand provides owners with superb value at every price point, keeping the MX-5 Miata top-of-mind as one of the world’s most beloved convertibles. In 2017, the MX-5 family will grow with the inclusion of the MX-5 RF retractable fastback convertible.

The 2017 Model Year Alfa Romeo Giulia takes the "Best New Luxury Car" courtesy of The Car Connection.

• Industry accolade comes courtesy of The Car Connection as the Alfa Romeo Giulia secured 55 percent of the vote with nearly 1,000 users selecting the premium mid-size sedan as the "Best New Luxury Car" out of a field of 10 new luxury cars and SUVs
• Giulia won the distinction by earning four times as many votes as the second place finisher
• The all-new Giulia combines Italian craftsmanship, class-leading performance, state-of-the-art technology and a passion for driving to the premium mid-size market
• Giulia and Giulia Ti feature an all-new, all-aluminum, 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission delivering a class-leading, standard 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque, allowing it to launch from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 5.1 seconds and achieve a top speed of 149 mph
• All-new 2.9L bi-turbo V-6 with 505 hp makes the Giulia Quadrifoglio the most powerful Alfa Romeo production car ever, delivering 0-60 mph in a class-leading 3.8 seconds, a top speed of 191 mph and a record-setting Nürburgring lap time of 7:32

The all-new 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia won the “Driver’s Choice” award for “Best New Luxury Car” as it secured 55 percent of the category’s votes, in a field of 10 new cars and SUVs, thanks to nearly 1,000 user-submitted ballots on The Car Connection, a car review and research website.

"Our readers have voted and with the Alfa Romeo Giulia's win for 'Best New Luxury Car,' it's clear that readers, drivers and shoppers are keen to get behind the wheel,” said Marty Padgett, editorial director of Internet Brands Automotive, parent company of The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.

As the first of a new generation of vehicles built on an all-new platform, the 2017 Giulia embodies Alfa Romeo’s La meccanica delle emozioni (the mechanics of emotion), delivering race-inspired performance, advanced technologies, seductive Italian style and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium mid-size sedan segment.

Alfa Romeo’s passion for Italian style, craftsmanship and performance carries throughout the entire lineup. Giulia Quadrifoglio stands as the “halo” model with its 2.9L bi-turbo V-6 engine producing a class-leading 505 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque. The Giulia and Giulia Ti models feature an all-new, all-aluminum, 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission delivering a class-leading, standard 280 hp and 306 lb.-ft. of torque.

Through innovation, Alfa Romeo created an all-new rear-wheel-drive architecture that integrates lightweight, state-of-the-art materials that enable and deliver a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution, segment-leading torsional rigidity and the most direct steering ratio on the market. Giulia and Giulia Ti offer even more all-season capabilities and performance with an available state-of-the-art Q4 all-wheel-drive system.

The all-new Giulia was designed to have a commanding presence and a menacing face to take on the world’s best roadways. Giulia exudes stunning and functional Italian style with a finesse of Alfa Romeo heritage, athletically taut lines and sculptural details.

Crafted by Alfa Romeo artisans at the Cassino plant in Italy, the all-new 2017 Giulia is the high-performance model in the lineup and a testament to Alfa Romeo’s perfect balance of engineering and emotion, creating a premium sport sedan for driving enthusiasts that stands out in the segment.

USA - FCA has a trio of models that have just won awards, from Jeep, Chrysler to Fiat and the new 124 Spider.

• All-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica earns "Best Car to Buy" and "Best Family Vehicle to Buy" awards from editors at The Car Connection
• Editors honor the 2017 Jeep® Grand Cherokee as "Best SUV to Buy"
• The Car Connection readers choose the Chrysler Pacifica as the "Best New Family Car"
• The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider takes home the award for "Best-Looking New Car" from readers of The Car Connection

The results are in for The Car Connection “Best” of the 2017 model year and three FCA US vehicles are driving away with accolades from editors and readers.

Experts at The Car Connection named the all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and the Jeep® Grand Cherokee as “Best to Buy Vehicles” for 2017. The Chrysler Pacifica earns a spot in two categories: “Best Car to Buy” and “Best Family Vehicle to Buy,” while the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee is honored as “Best SUV to Buy.”

"The Chrysler Pacifica isn’t just the most thorough reworking of the Chrysler minivan in a generation. It’s an exceptional vehicle, period,” said Marty Padgett, editorial director of Internet Brands Automotive, parent company of The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports. 

"The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the few vehicles that can hit the road as well as it hits the trails. It's a perennial leader in the SUV segment, and a long-running favorite of our editors."

The Car Connection's expert editors chose the Chrysler Pacifica and the Jeep Grand Cherokee from a competitive field of nominees. Those nominees are new or fully redesigned models that achieved top scores in the site's unique "TCC Rating." The 10-point TCC Rating rolls up scores given to each vehicle across categories including safety, comfort and utility, fuel economy, performance and styling. Editors apply a price cap in all categories, except Luxury, of $50,000.

In addition to the experts determining “Best to Buy” vehicles for 2017, editors at The Car Connection gave their readers the chance to vote for their “Driver's Choice” best new cars of the year and the results include honors for two FCA vehicles: the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica for the "Best New Family Car" and the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider as the “Best-Looking New Car.”

"Our readers have voted and FCA US vehicles made the strongest showing of any brands,” said Padgett. “From the Fiat 124's win as 'Best-Looking New Car' or the Chrysler Pacifica's win as 'Best New Family Car,' it's clear that readers, drivers and shoppers are keen to get behind the wheel."