The annual World Car of the Year battle at NYIAS 2014 this year came down to three final candidates — the Audi A4, the BMW 4 Series and the Mazda 3.
That battle provided an unusual bit of drama this time around with the Mazda 3 (a much hailed, consumer friendly and more moderately priced ride) taking on more expensive and more internationally hallowed models from the German mega-automakers, BMW and Audi.
All three cars were much hyped and well-reviewed throughout the year. All three are outstanding machines and worthy of they NYIAS 2014 buzz. But, I couldn’t escape the vibe through the auto show that most media in attendance believed the Mazda 3 deserved the accolade because of the “everyman” spirit of consumer availability. The 3 is an elite piece of design that performs so well, with such comfort and technology, all with a very accessible price under $30,000.
In the end, the Audi won to a general spirit of “harumph” that often meets a victory for the favorited pick. People like the common underdog pick. They want their Rocky Balboa moment. In this NYIAS 2014 bout, the slick, fast and strong champion took the predictable split decision.
As NYIAS 2014 winds down to a close, there’s grumbling here and there that the Mazda 3 was the people’s champion and will be remembered for a while as an outstanding redesign.
To put it in entertainment terms, folks might remember when Shakespeare in Love beat Saving Private Ryan for an Oscar? Love was the fancier, more refined and safe choice, but most people felt deep down that the more accessible and more rousing Ryan deserved to win.
Then again, no car lover would kick the A3 or the 4 Series out of their bed for eating crackers, so…
