Car and Driver 10Best CarsSo you think you’ve got Car and Driver all figured out? You know the winner of a comparo before you open the magazine? Well then, certainly you’ll be able to guess our 2007 10Best Cars before they’re announced, won’t you?

Every year the entire Car and Driver staff gathers at a rural site about 30 miles west of our home office in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a week of evaluating all the new cars and, hopefully, avoiding cops. We judge the cars in three general areas: First, how well the car performs its intended functions. We expect sports cars to be fast and exhilarating, while we presume a family sedan will be practical. Second, we show a preference for the more engaging cars in each category; be it better driving manners, a double-take-inducing look, or a powerful engine. Finally, we are suckers for a good deal, so an inexpensive car that’s fast, fun, and practical will certainly rise to the top of our list.

The invite list works as follows: Last year’s winners are automatically invited back, as well as other all-new or significantly upgraded machinery for 2007—each car gets only one shot at making our 10Best list, but many stay on the list for years. All cars must have a base price no higher than $71,000, which is 2.5 times the average new-vehicle transaction price as of August 2006. Eligible cars must be on-sale no later than January of 2007, and the manufacturer must, of course, deliver an example for our evaluations.

On the next page you’ll see the list of the vehicles we evaluated. Two Grand Prize Winners who guess all the 10Best Cars correctly and most impress us with their skills will each win a one-year lease on one of the 10Best Cars. One Second Prize Winner will receive a certificate for a Skip Barber One-Day Driving School. Third Prize Winners will receive some trinkets we have lying around our offices. Entries are due no later than November 21, 2006. Good luck.

Please read the official contest rules before entering.