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Car and Driver's 10 Best Tours America

27 May 1999

First Stop: Park Meadows Mall

    ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 27 -- Car and Driver magazine will kick
off its annual "10Best Tour Across America" at Park Meadows Mall in Littleton,
Colo., May 28-30.  The exhibit, featuring five of the 10Best selections along
with product specialists, interactive kiosks, and graphic displays, is touring
20 shopping centers across the United States.
    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."
    "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 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.