High Gear Media Names Its Best Cars to Buy 2012: Ford Focus, Porsche 911, and Toyota Prius

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- High Gear Media, the fastest growing automotive publisher on the Web, today named three cars as its "Best Cars to Buy 2012"--the Ford Focus, the Porsche 911 and the Toyota Prius.  The awards were named by expert editors from High Gear Media's premium destination sites The Car Connection, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.

The Ford Focus was named The Car Connection's Best Car to Buy 2012 after being chosen by the site's editors from amongst a field of 40 nominees using the site's unique "meta reviews" that combine reviews by staff journalists with opinions gathered from around the Web – all presented together with a simple rating. "The 2012 Ford Focus has great looks, gas mileage and handling, plus some of the most advanced technology features in its class," according to Marty Padgett, editorial director of High Gear Media. The Focus earned the highest rating from editors this year, topping other brand-new vehicles such as the Hyundai Veloster, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, and Chevy Sonic.

High Gear Media's luxury and performance site, Motor Authority, awarded the 2012 Porsche 911 as its "Best Performance/Luxury Car to Buy 2012."  Motor Authority editors selected the single luxury/performance vehicle priced higher than $50,000, that appealed to enthusiasts most strongly with styling, features, acceleration and handling. "The Porsche 911 isn't just a new 911," said Motor Authority editor Nelson Ireson, "it's a brilliant new sports car that just happens to have an awesome back story." The 911 was chosen over finalists such as the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG roadster, and the Ford Mustang Boss 302.

Green Car Reports, High Gear Media's green and electric car destination, also named the 2012 Toyota Prius range as its "Best Green Car to Buy 2012."  Green Car Reports editors choose the most significant new green car made available to shoppers during the 2012 model year, taking into account new technologies, their practicality, and their impact on the environment.  "The Prius is more than just one car this year," said Green Car Reports Editor John Voelcker.  "With a new Prius V wagon and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid, it's now a family of vehicles with some of the highest gas mileage on the market today, and the Prius name is likely to help encourage buyers to take the plunge into plug-in vehicles."

About High Gear Media

High Gear Media is a vertical media company publishing engaging, premium automotive content on some of the Web's fastest growing car websites targeting key buyer and vehicle segments. High Gear Media's owned and operated network of automotive destinations has over 4 million visitors monthly and includes its anchor site, The Car Connection; its luxury site, Motor Authority; the fastest growing green car site on the Web, Green Car Reports; and its family site, Family Car Guide. High Gear Media's editorial staff and contributors have written at publications such as Car and Driver, AOL Autos, AutoWeek, Automobile Magazine, and Wired. The company's content is syndicated to partners including Yahoo! Autos, Discovery News, SpeedTV and The San Francisco Chronicle. High Gear Media is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif. and received its funding from Accel Partners, Greylock Partners and DAG Ventures.

SOURCE High Gear Media