DETROIT--December 11, 2012: Today, Autoweek editors announced the Porsche Boxster S and Mercedes-Benz GL as the car and truck winners at the 2013 Best of the Best awards presentation.
“As the only brand to have two models make our list of finalists, Porsche showed up in force”
Editor Wes Raynal revealed the winners and presented Best of the Best trophies to representatives from the winning auto manufacturers.
"It was a tough call to make this year with so many incredible cars and trucks that debuted," said Raynal. "After a year of evaluating everything on the market, the Porsche Boxster S and Mercedes-Benz GL rose to the top, really earning these two awards."
The Porsche Boxster S took the title of 2013 Autoweek Best of the Best/Car.
"As the only brand to have two models make our list of finalists, Porsche showed up in force," Raynal said. "Both the Boxster S and 911 are stellar vehicles, but ultimately the Boxster S proved an absolute delight to drive, and it claimed the title. The Boxster S should be in every enthusiast's garage."
The Mercedes-Benz GL earned top honors as the 2013 Autoweek Best of the Best/Truck.
"The GL's ride set it apart from the competition," Raynal said. "For a large seven-seat vehicle, the GL has amazing body control and among the smoothest powertrains of any SUV. In the end, that's what put it over the top."
For Best of the Best awards, the Autoweek editors considered publicly available, all-new or substantially new 2013 model cars and trucks. Editors graded each of the 10 finalists on various criteria, including drivetrain, ride quality, handling, exterior, interior design and on its "fun factor."
The 2013 Best of the Best/Car finalists included: Cadillac ATS, Dodge Dart, Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster S and Subaru BRZ. 2013 Best of the Best/Truck finalists included: Acura RDX, Ford Escape, Infiniti JX35, Mazda CX-5 and Mercedes-Benz GL.
Full coverage of 2013 Best of the Best awards may be found at www.autoweek.com/best and in the January 7th edition of Autoweek.
"Cars and trucks keep getting better every year," said Raynal. "We're already looking forward to next year's competition."