Cars.com Announces 'Best of 2011' Nominees

CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com, a leading online resource for buying and selling a car, announced today its editors' top picks for their annual car of the year.  The "Best of 2011" nominees are:

• 2011 BMW 5 Series
• 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
• 2011 Chevrolet Volt
• 2011 Honda Odyssey
• 2011 Kia Optima
• 2011 Nissan Leaf

The winning vehicle will be announced on January 11, 2011 at the Detroit Auto Show during an awards gala at Detroit's venerable Fillmore Theatre.  Hosted by Detroit radio and television personality Cyndy Canty, the awards show will also feature an exclusive performance by the Barenaked Ladies.

"In building our list of nominees, our editorial team examines every facet of a car," said Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen.  "We look at styling, performance, reliability, mileage, comfort, price and a slew of other factors.  In a year which saw the most new model introductions in history, these six cars are praiseworthy examples of the best the industry has to offer. "

Also highlighted during the "Best of 2011" Awards Show are the Cars.com "Lifestyle Award" winners.  Ten vehicles were nominated in four categories, including "Family Car of the Year" (Subaru Outback, Honda Odyssey and Kia Soul); "Work Car of the Year" (Chevrolet Cruze, Fort F-150 and Jaguar XJ); "Play Car of the Year" (Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes Benz E-Class and Ford Mustang); and "Eco Car of the Year" (Nissan Leaf).

"We know that the car buying experience is more than just make, model and price," said Mitch Golub, Cars.com president.  "Reviews – from our editorial team of experts or even from the car owners themselves – play an extremely important role in the buying decision.  Our awards are a testament to the thousands of hours our editors and writers spend each year reviewing and rating new cars, and are just one of many ways we give car buyers the confidence to know they've found the right car."

About Cars.com

Cars.com was recently named the "Best Overall Customer Experience" by Keynote Systems, the world's leading Internet usage research company.  Cars.com is an online destination for car shoppers that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With price listings, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions. 

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (N.Y.SE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (N.Y.SE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (N.Y.SE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (N.Y.SE: WPO).

SOURCE Cars.com