GCBC’s The Good 12 for 2015 includes the vehicles that would be most welcomed as permanent members of the GCBC Towers driveway. Park them out front on Christmas morning. Top marks for your generosity.
None have base prices above $65,000 USD. They reflect many different parts of the market, they come from different places, they’re powered by very different engines, they’re accomplished in different areas. And when any one of them drives by, I want it for myself.
Click any of the images to be taken to the model’s Sales Stats page. Don’t forget to check out GCBC’s The Bad 8, the cars which we don’t want to receive even as gifts. For more on what The Good 12 really is, visit the GCBC Awards page.
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Mazda 3 5-Door
With a 2.5L engine and a newly available 6-speed manual, it verges on hot hatch territory. But it’s more interactive and fun than many faster cars. Practical, affordable, and handsome, too.
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Nissan Juke Sometimes, nay, all the time, it’s hard to believe they built it. The Juke is outlandish. The fact that it won’t appeal to everyone is part of its appeal. It’s also a riot to drive. |
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Ford Mustang The Mustang has been a car people have wanted for five decades. Now it’s better than ever. Every inch a sports car, but no less a muscle car. |
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Jeep Wrangler There’s nothing even remotely comparable. The Wrangler is an eminently off-roadable convertible, and in two-door form, it’s also shockingly cheap. |
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Mazda MX-5 Miata
Imagine if Mazda could take their venerable sports car, shed a few pounds, make it more attractive, and make it more efficient. There’s no need to imagine – Mazda’s actually gone and done it. |
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Chevrolet Colorado It’s not the best-looking truck, nor is it the most powerful or most capable. If it’s the most efficient, it won’t be by much. But it’s right sized. And if not the “most” anything, it is handsome, powerful, capable, and efficient. |
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Volkswagen Golf GTI
It’s not easy to compromise, and even if you do, it’s hard to get the compromise right. But what if you want all the good things in one package? Performance, interior quality, flexibility, affordability? The GTI has all of that in a perfect compromise. |
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Chevrolet Suburban
What if you don’t want to compromise? Not on luxury or space or capability. And what if you can afford to pay the premium? The Chevrolet Suburban is uniquely capable at hauling all your family and all your stuff at the same time. |
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Honda Odyssey An Odyssey is always up to the task. For the amount of vehicle you get, the price is ridiculously low. It also separates itself from the competition with remarkable on-road dynamics. Apart from the sliding door track, it even looks good. |
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Porsche Macan S There may be no better all-rounder in our time than than the “basic” Porsche Macan. It’s expensive, but to drive it is to understand why. It could do everything better, but if it did, the Macan would invariably do something else worse. Then it wouldn’t be an all-rounder. |
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Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Chrysler Group is crazy for building it. It’s even crazier that it’s legal. And craziest of all, this 707-horsepower full-size sedan costs $65,000. A Mercedes-Benz E-Class at that price point has less than half the power. |
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Volvo XC90
As good as the first-new-XC90-in-more-than-a-decade looks outside, its interior is decidedly more impressive. Volvo has always known how to build ideal family transportation. The second XC90 makes that ideal luxury family transportation. |
RECOMMENDED READING
2014’s The Good 12
2013’s The Good 12
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2014 YTD U.S. Sales
Every Vehicle Ranked By November 2014 Canadian Sales
2014’s The Bad 8
"The Mustang has been a car people have wanted for five decades"
It would sell better if this were true.
The Honda Accord handles better than the new Mustang.
The slightly bigger Buick Encore sells more than the Juke at similar price points.
Oh really now. Tell me how much HP the Accord puts out and how much it weighs. It's like trying to compare an F-1 race car to a car in Nascar. A lighter car will more times then not out handle a heavier car. Chances are you couldn't handle a Mustang even the new Eco-Boost engine with 315 HP to the Accord with a I-4 185 HP or the 6 pushing a meager 278 HP
No, she's right. I tried and tried to get my 70-year-old grandmother to buy a Mustang, but she insisted on getting a Honda Accord. Clearly this means no one wants a Mustang.
In all seriousness, I see Mustangs everywhere. They sell exceptionally well within their market and price range. To assert that no one wants a Mustang is incorrect, even if there are better competitors.
I've been trying to decide what my next car purchase will be in the next year or two, and was pleased to see the 3, Juke, Mustang, Miata and Golf GTI all on this list as they've been among those on my short list. All decidedly different cars with different pros and cons, but you really can't go wrong with any of them in my opinion.