Car and Driver's 1999 10Best Tour

9 April 1999
Car and Driver's 1999 10Best Tour Across America Gives Consumers First Hand Look at Year's Best Vehicles
    ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 8 -- Car and Driver magazine will
kick off its annual "10Best Tour Across America" Friday, April 9.  Over the
next three months, vehicles from the magazine's 10Best program will go on
display at select shopping centers nationwide.
    The inauguration of this year's tour will take place at the Somerset
Collection North in Troy, Mich., April 9-18.  The exhibit, featuring five of
the 10Best selections along with product specialists, interactive kiosks, and
graphic displays, will then tour 19 other shopping centers across the United
States over the next three months.
    This year's winners are:  BMW 328i, BMW 5-Series, BMW M coupe, Chevrolet
Corvette, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid, Honda Accord, Lexus GS300, Mazda
Miata, and Porsche Boxster.
    "The 10Best tour is an unparalleled way for consumers to get a hands-on
look at our pick of the 10Best vehicles for 1999.  Each was chosen for value,
suitability for its intended purpose and ability to satisfy a discriminating
driver," said Csaba Csere, (pronounced: Chubba Chedda), editor-in-chief of Car
and Driver.  "The tour helps simplify the purchase experience for consumers.
It offers information that is useful, impartial, trustworthy, and easily
accessible."
    "Because Southeastern Michigan is home to Car and Driver, it is
appropriate to premiere the tour at the area's premiere shopping center,
Somerset," said Csere.
    "This setting allows us to bring the editorial pages of our 10Best issue
to life," said Peter Saad, vice president/associate group publisher, Car and
Driver.  "The combination of interactive displays and exhibits along with a
product specialist for each of the vehicles lets consumers evaluate each car
in a non-pressure environment.  The specialists, trained by Car and Driver,
are totally versed on the vehicles.  If they don't have the information you
need, they can direct you to where you can get it.   The interactive program
allows you to go through the process of selection, and read reports from the
manufacturer on why they believe their product was chosen."
    Vehicles that will be on the 10Best tour are: BMW 328i, Dodge
Intrepid, Chrysler 300M, Honda Accord, and Chevrolet Corvette.  The 10Best
tour will also visit Northbrook Court, Northbrook, Ill; South Hills Village,
Pittsburgh, Pa.; Southdale Center, Edina, Minn.; The Plaza at King of Prussia,
King of Prussia, Pa; Alderwood Mall, Lynwood, Wash.; Roosevelt Field Mall,
Garden City, N.Y.; Valley Fair Mall, Santa Clara, Calif.; Natick Mall, Natick,
Mass.; Brea Mall, Brea, Calif.; The Mall at Short Hills, Short Hills, N.J.;
Fashion Square, Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Beachwood Place, Beachwood, Ohio; Park
Meadows Mall, Littleton, Colo.; Tysons Galleria, Arlington, Va.; The Woodlands
Mall, The Woodlands, Texas; Northpoint Mall, Alpharetta, Ga.; and NorthPark
Center, Dallas, Texas.
    The 1999 10Best is Car and Driver's 17th annual award given to the
manufacturers of the 10 best vehicles sold in America.  Nominees go through a
series of elimination and scoring tests that result in Car and Driver's staff
picks for the best on the market.  The 10Best is given only to those models
that best address the driving habits, lifestyles, and budgets of their
intended buying audience while also meeting the high standards of Car and
Driver's enthusiastic readers.
    Contenders must go on sale by the end of January 1999.  Base price,
including freight, dealer prep, luxury and gas-guzzling taxes, must not exceed
Car and Driver's price cap of $59,000 for this year.  The cap ensures that the
winners won't be unattainable to the typical customer.  This year 175 cars
made it through the first round of heated competition.
    Vehicles making the final cut are given a week-long test drive by 15
members of the Car and Driver staff with a collective 304 years of experience
in the business of writing about cars.  They rate each car on a scale of zero
to 100 and the 10 highest average scores become the best of the best.
    For updates, manufacturing reports and information regarding designer and
engineering "chat room discussions" with some of this year's 10Best winners,
enthusiasts can visit: http://www.caranddriver.com, or the dedicated 10Best website:
http://www.10Best.com.
    Car and Driver magazine, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., is the world's
largest circulation automotive magazine and the premier source of information
for automobile enthusiasts.  Content includes everything from new car
previews, road tests and features to industry news and automotive humor.