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| Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2002 |
Recent visitors to Edmunds.com
cast more than 80,000 votes for the 2002 Consumers' Most Wanted vehicle awards.
Which economy sedan stands out from the crowd? Which luxury SUV towers over the
rest? How do your choices compare with those of our survey participants or those
of Edmunds.com's editors (2002 Editors' Most Wanted). The results are in! Read
on to learn the winners in thirty vehicle segments.
Under
$13,000 | Under $20,000 | Under
$30,000 | Over $30,000
Under
$13,000
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This Sentra managed to grab
a full 30 percent of the votes, just beating out the Ford Focus ZX3, which had
29 percent. Following in a distant third place was our favorite in this segment,
the Hyundai Elantra GLS, which garnered 15 percent of the tally. Bottom dwellers
included the Kia Rio/Rio Cinco, Hyundai Accent, Daewoo Nubira, Kia Spectra and
Daewoo Lanos, all of which had one percent or less of the vote.
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Under
$20,000
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The Mini Cooper S was clearly
the top choice for Econosports receiving 568 votes from our readers. Coming in
second was the Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T with 394 votes (the top pick of our editorial
staff). The third place slot went to the Honda Civic Si, which got 393 votes.
Fourth was the Volkswagen GTI 1.8T with 383 votes. Ford's SVT Focus came in fifth
with 323 votes and the Nissan Sentra SE-R, which received an honorable mention
from the Edmunds staff, was sixth with 286 votes. The ranking for the remaining
cars was the Subaru Impress 2.5 RS in seventh place, the Dodge Neon R/T in eighth
place, the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 in ninth place, the Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally
in tenth place and the Pontiac Sunfire GT in last place.
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The Volkswagen Jetta seems
to be universally pleasing in the economy sedan category, both to our editors
and to the general consumer. Twenty eight percent, or 1,018 of consumers, gave
the excellent sporty car their vote, while the ubiquitous Honda Civic was firm
in second place with 798 votes. We noted a steep drop from second to third place
with the Toyota Corolla gathering 458 votes, while 329 of you chose Subaru's all-wheel-drive
Impreza 2.5 RS. The Suzuki Esteem wasn't held in very high esteem, totaling only
2 votes.
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Our readers had their own
take on the economy coupe/hatchback category. While our editors gave the Volkswagen
Golf top honors, with the Honda Civic taking a close second place, consumers voted
the Civic number one and the Mini Cooper number two in this segment (relegating
the Golf to third-place status). The numbers break out like this: Civic 654 votes
(24 percent), followed by the Mini Cooper with 550 votes (21 percent) and the
Golf with 380 (14 percent). For those who care, the Daewoo Lanos Sport finish
last, with a total of 4 votes.
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While its compact dimensions
blur the lines when it comes to determining its exact categorization (we've christened
it a wagon, but it's clearly got a lot of hatchback in its gene pool), we're smitten
with the Protegé5, Mazda's able, impressive little hauler. This charming
wagon is a beaut to look at, with upscale styling cues that belie its economical
price tag. It also has first-rate handling. We voted it as our Editors' Most Wanted
pick for small station wagons, and consumers did the same by giving it 32 percent
of the Consumers' Most Wanted votes. Not far behind was the Jetta GLS wagon in
second and the Subaru Impreza TS/Outback Sport. Sucking wind at the back of the
pack were the Suzuki Aerio, Daewoo Nubira and Suzuki Esteem.
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Under
$30,000
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Snagging nearly one third
(32 percent) of the ballots, the WRX was another vehicle that was a favorite with
staff and consumers alike. Not far behind the Subie was the Nissan Altima 3.5
SE (21 percent), trailed by its upscale sibling, the Maxima SE (17 percent). The
Pontiac Grand Prix GTP and Dodge Intrepid R/T accounted for just 6 and 4 percent
of the total votes, respectively.
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The Volkswagen Passat was
the runner up for our editors' favorite family sedan, but a vast majority of consumers
chose it as their most wanted. Garnering almost twice as many votes (1,030) as
the next contender, the Honda Accord (564, quite an impressive number for a vehicle
due for a complete redesign next year), the Passat proves that you can't go wrong
with a functional car that's also fun to drive. Bringing up the rear in this category
are the Kia Optima and the Daewoo Leganza, both of which received less than 10
votes each.
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Despite the fact that only
the base-level Avalon qualified for this category (the XLS has a base price north
of $30,000), this big Toyota grabbed 52 percent of the votes cast, soundly trouncing
the second-place finisher, Pontiac's Bonneville, which accumulated 10 percent
of the votes. In last place was the Bonneville's platform-mate, the Buick LeSabre,
managing to win the hearts of just 4 of every 100 voters. Our selection in the
category, the Ford Crown Victoria, received 8 percent of the vote to win it a
bronze.
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If given $30,000 to play
with, Edmunds.com site visitors would overwhelmingly select the Honda Accord Coupe
as their Most Wanted midsize two-door. More than half of survey respondents named
the Accord, which received the nod on 52 percent of the ballots. The Toyota Camry
Solara ranked second with 19 percent of the vote. Our choice in this category,
the Chrysler Sebring, landed in fourth place, capturing 7 percent. In last place
was the Pontiac Grand Am, receiving just 2 votes for every 100 cast.
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When Acura redesigned the
Integra for 2002, it made substantial mechanical changes and gave it a new name,
"RSX." We had doubts as to whether the car would be able to maintain its popularity.
It would seem consumers are keeping the faith. Asked what sport coupe they would
most like to put in their garage, they overwhelmingly voted for the RSX. Coming
in a distant second and third were the Volkswagen GTI and Ford Mustang, respectively.
In fourth place was the Toyota Celica, the car that the Edmunds editors picked
for their Edmunds Most Wanted sport coupe. Coming in last was the Mercury Cougar.
Since Mercury is stopping production of this car after 2002, we don't find that
too surprising.
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Want fun in the sun for
less than $30,000? Edmunds.com site visitors looking for an affordable convertible
agreed with our editors and chose the Mazda Miata, which garnered nearly a quarter
of the votes cast. Tied in second place were the Toyota MR2 Spyder and the Ford
Mustang, each with 16 percent of the vote. Evidently, the Chevrolet Tracker and
Suzuki Vitara don't excite sun lovers; combined they received 6 votes, not even
enough to register on the percent-o-meter.
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Consumers confirmed our
choice of the appealing Volkswagen Passat as the best midsize station wagon under
$30,000 by more than half, with a hefty 53 percent (1,245 votes) realizing its
merits. They also agreed with our decision to award the all-wheel-drive Subaru
wagons, Legacy and Outback, the runner-up position, earning 22 percent of the
total vote. The Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Taurus and Saturn L-Series took third,
fourth and fifth places, with 15 percent, 5 percent, and 3 percent respectively,
while the Mercury Sable landed in sixth place in the wagon lineup, earning a minimal
50 votes.
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What's more important than
sporty handling for a small SUV? Solid construction and Honda's reliability record,
according to our readers. We gave top honors to the athletic Ford Escape and Mazda
Tribute and runner-up status to the Honda CR-V, but when we asked consumers what
they thought, the CR-V came up with the most votes (531 or 17 percent overall)
and a first place finish. The Escape and Tribute managed a combined total of 506
votes — good enough for second place. Rounding out the top five in this division
were the Toyota RAV4 (388 votes or 13 percent), the Nissan Xterra (365 or 12 percent),
and interestingly enough, the pricey Land Rover Freelander (276 votes or 9 percent).
For those who enjoy grim statistics, the Isuzu Rodeo Sport, Chevrolet Tracker/Suzuki
Vitara and Grand Vitara, Suzuki XL-7 and Kia Sportage all received 1 percent or
less overall.
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Our editors' pick for midsize
SUV was the Nissan Pathfinder, with the Dodge Durango rating an honorable mention.
Consumers, however, picked the Toyota Highlander as best of the bunch, with the
Pathfinder coming in second. It was a close race. Here's how the votes fell for
the top five in the class: The Highlander earned 602 votes (20 percent); the Pathfinder,
544 (18 percent); the Toyota 4Runner, 393 (13 percent); the Ford Explorer, 310
(10 percent); and the GMC Envoy, 257 (9 percent). Our participants' least favorite
vehicle in this category was the Isuzu Rodeo, which straggled behind with 20 votes
(2 percent).
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Edmunds.com site visitors
confirmed our choice of the Toyota Tacoma as top dog in the competitive small
pickup category. The tough Tacoma earned 1,028 votes (39 percent) with the Nissan
Frontier a distant second with 477 votes (18 percent). While we chose to give
the Dodge Dakota our second place honorable mention, readers reduced its ranking
to third-place in their tally, earning 392 votes (15 percent). The Ford Ranger,
Chevrolet S-10, Mazda Truck and GMC Sonoma rounded out the list of small pickup
contenders, each only securing single-digit percentages.
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The Toyota Tundra was the
decisive winner in the large pickup category, receiving 984 votes from consumers,
which was 37 percent of the 2,630 cast. Coming in second was the Ford F-Series
with 580 votes or 22 percent of the ballots (the F-Series was the top choice of
our editors). Coming in third was the Dodge Ram with 458 votes (17 percent of
the votes) and Chevy's Silverado was a close fourth with 426 votes (16 percent
of the votes). Finishing last was the GMC Sierra, with 182 votes (8 percent of
all votes), which had received the nod for honorable mention from the Edmunds
editors.
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Who makes the best small
crew cab? While we picked the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab as our favorite, consumers
gave top honors to our runner-up, the Toyota Tacoma Double Cab, with 34 percent
of the votes. The Nissan Frontier finished second with 20 percent. Meanwhile,
the Dakota fell to the middle of the pack with 17 percent, a bit behind the Ford
Explorer Sport Trac (19 percent). Last place was awarded to the aged Chevrolet
S-10 and GMC Sonoma pickups, which scraped together 10 percent overall.
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Of the 15 minivans eligible
in our survey, the Odyssey earned a whopping 1,270 votes, for 49 percent of the
total. From there, it was a steep drop-off to the Toyota Sienna with 238 votes,
or 9 percent. While our editors gave honorable mention to the Chrysler Voyager/Town
& Country and their Dodge siblings, the Caravan/Grand Caravan, consumers placed
them in third. The Mazda MPV and Ford Windstar came in fourth and fifth places,
respectively. A recent new-comer to the market, the Kia Sedona grabbed sixth place,
beating out the Nissan Quest and General Motors' line of minivans.
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If you regularly haul seven
or more people and need enough cargo space to accommodate a young elephant, you've
got three main choices: the Ford Econoline, Dodge Ram Wagon and General Motors'
sister vans, the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana. Our editors picked the Econoline,
and the Econoline did come in first with 40 percent of the vote. In second was
the GMC Savana with 25 percent. The Dodge Ram wagon and Chevy Express had nearly
identical total votes, with the Ram getting 18 percent and the Express getting
17 percent. GM executives aren't likely to get too worried, though; when combined,
the Savana's and Express' votes totaled more than the Econoline's.
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Over
$30,000
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When it comes to midsize
luxury sedans, Edmunds' editors and consumers agree — the BMW 5 Series sedan is
a cut above. Consumers awarded the 5 Series with 1,275 votes (36 percent overall).
Finishing behind in second place was the Audi A6 with 638 votes (or 18 percent).
The refined yet docile Lexus GS 300 and 430 took third in the poll with 618 votes
(17 percent). Finishing at the bottom were the Cadillac Seville (156 votes), Saab
9-5 (143) and Volvo S80 (136), each of which received 4 percent overall.
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Consumers agreed with our
choice when they picked the Lexus LS 430. Snagging a healthy 45 percent of the
total votes, the Lexus ran away from the competition, which in this case was Infiniti's
Q45 at 21 percent and Acura's 3.5RL at 14 percent. Our honorable mention in this
category, the Cadillac DeVille, landed in fifth place among consumers with 6 percent
of the vote, right behind the fourth place Chrysler 300M at 7 percent. Lincoln's
Town Car, Buick's Park Avenue and Lincoln's Continental finished out this category,
in that order. With less than 1 percent of voters picking the Continental, it
would seem Ford's decision to kill the model was a good one.
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There wasn't much dissention
in this category, as consumers agreed wholeheartedly with our choice of the BMW
3 Series as the top pick in this category, drawing 28 percent of the vote, a full
12 percentage points more than the second-place vote getter, the Audi A4. Our
entry-level luxury sedan comparison test winner, the Acura TL, came in a strong
third place, with 14 percent of the vote. Beyond third place, the vote counts
narrowed, as Lexus took fourth and fifth with the IS 300 and ES 300 sedans at
7 percent; Lincoln's LS snagged sixth with 6 percent; and the Jaguar X-Type, Infiniti
I35 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class each earned 5 percent of the total vote.
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This is another category
where our honorable mention, the Honda S2000, took first place with consumers.
It grabbed a healthy 18 percent of the vote compared to the second-place finisher,
Porsche's Boxster, with 15 percent. America's sports car, the Corvette, came in
third with 11 percent. And where did our pick for Convertible Over $30,000, the
BMW 3 Series, land? Way down in fifth place, behind the Audi TT, with a mere 8
percent of the vote. Last place in this category was a three-way tie between the
Volvo C70, Chrysler Prowler and Pontiac Firebird all getting 2 percent of the
total votes.
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| Sports Car Under $55,000:
BMW M3 |
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Consumers saw eye-to-eye
with us in this category, agreeing that BMW's lust-inducing M3 deserves top honors.
They also agreed that the Chevy Corvette was the next best vehicle in this class.
Here what the numbers look like: The M3 garnered 1,041 votes (39 percent) and
the Corvette racked up 547 votes (20 percent), trailed by the Porsche Boxster
(18 percent) and the Honda S2000 (16 percent). Segment-winner BMW also has the
rather dubious honor of being the manufacturer behind the vehicle that placed
last in this category. Its M Coupe was the caboose on this train, with 201 votes
(7 percent).
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Consumers shared our enthusiasm
for the exciting BMW 330Ci by choosing it as their top choice for the Luxury Sport
Coupe Over $30,000. The 330Ci garnered 993 votes, or 37 percent. Coming in a distant
second was the Acura 3.2CL Type-S with only 528 votes. The Audi TT trailed close
behind with 476 votes, and in fourth place was the Mercedes Benz CLK, which received
an honorable mention from our editors. The Volvo C70 was fifth and the Cadillac
Eldorado was in sixth. Bringing up the rear was the Saab 9-3 with only 79votes.
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When it comes to midsize
luxury sedans, Edmunds' editors and consumers agree — the BMW 5 Series sedan is
a cut above. Consumers awarded the 5 Series with 1,275 votes (36 percent overall).
Finishing behind in second place was the Audi A6 with 638 votes (or 18 percent).
The refined yet docile Lexus GS 300 and 430 took third in the poll with 618 votes
(17 percent). Finishing at the bottom were the Cadillac Seville (156 votes), Saab
9-5 (143) and Volvo S80 (136), each of which received 4 percent overall.
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With this category, our
editors and consumers concurred with their choice of this Toyota as the top large
SUV. With a stout 39 percent of the total votes, the Sequoia crushed all the other
candidates, as the second place GMC Yukon/Denali XL finished with just 17 percent,
followed by the Ford Expedition with 13 percent. Scratching together a meager
4 percent or less each were the Mitsubishi Montero, Ford Excursion and Isuzu Trooper.
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We found the seven-passenger,
well-equipped Acura MDX to be the most appealing luxury SUV, with the athletic
BMW X5 coming in at a close second, but consumers pulled a switch-a-roo: 29 percent
(851) chose the X5 as the vehicle they'd most want, while the MDX was favored
by 23 percent. Toyota's aged and expensive but utterly capable Land Cruiser came
in third place, while the domestic luxo-ute rivals, the Cadillac Escalade and
Lincoln Navigator, occupied fourth and fifth place, respectively. Coming in last
place with 1 percent of votes is the Buick Rendezvous, which 50 readers wanted
most for their own garages.
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We like the unique configuration
of the Avalanche, but consumers seemed to favor the more traditional SuperCrew
in this category, as the F-Series four-door pulled in a solid 29 percent of the
vote. GM wasn't completely ignored, however, as the Cadillac Escalade EXT, a sister
vehicle to the Avalanche, pulled down second place with 20 percent of the votes.
Dodge's new four-door Ram pickup was also popular, garnering 17 percent of the
total.
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Your Feedback

Give us your feedback
about our Consumers' Most Wanted picks.
E-mail: editor@edmunds.com
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