The 2017 Digital Trends Car Awards: A Celebration of Exceptional Vehicles

The Digital Trends Car Awards is an annual event that brings together a diverse group of vehicles, each with its unique features and capabilities. The awards are designed to celebrate the best of the automotive world, recognizing cars that have impressed us throughout the year. This year's award winners include our pick for car of the year, which we will reveal later in this article.

Picking a Car of the Year is a Challenging Task

Saying one car is the best is a difficult thing to do, especially when considering the broad range of vehicles available. To make matters more challenging, the awards have categories that cater to different needs and preferences. However, after much deliberation, we were able to narrow down our choices to five category winners.

The Audi R8 V10 Plus: Our Car of the Year

Our pick for car of the year was the Audi R8 V10 Plus, a performance car that excelled in every aspect. The centerpiece of this exceptional vehicle is a mid-mounted 5.2-liter V10 engine that produces 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. Power is delivered to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which works in conjunction with Audi's patented Quattro all-wheel drive system to provide incredible grip and control.

The Audi R8 V10 Plus also features magnetic ride shock absorbers and electromechanical steering, which together create an efficient and comfortable cabin that blends luxury with practicality. The interior is designed to make it easy to switch from a spirited sprint through casual cruise, while the 0.3-inch virtual cockpit serves as the interface for all car systems, including the Nvidia Power digital gauge cluster.

A Balance of Performance and Livability

What sets the Audi R8 V10 Plus apart is its rare ability to balance performance and livability. This is no easy feat, but the Audi has mastered it so masterfully that we were concerned our updated cars might ruin a good thing. Fortunately, our update was unnecessary, as this car is in good company amongst our category winners.

Mazda CX-5: A Sharp-Looking Exterior with Engaging Handling

Our Mazda CX-5 impressed us with its sharp-looking exterior and engaging handling capabilities. The vehicle exceeded every expectation we had for it, offering a satisfying driving experience without breaking the bank. The Mazda CX-5's unique blend of style and practicality make it an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and fun-to-drive car.

Volvo S90: A Calm and Understated Approach to Luxury

The Volvo S90 took home an award in recognition of its calm and understated approach to luxury. The vehicle is loaded with neat tech features, impressive engine power, and a supple interior that makes you feel like you're seated in the lap of luxury. Unlike some other luxury cars, the Volvo doesn't try too hard to stand out; instead, it focuses on providing an exceptional driving experience.

McLaren 570S: A Unique Driving Experience

The McLaren 570S was another category winner this year, thanks to its unique blend of performance and street-legal civility. The car's focus on speed is evident in the way it drives like an attacking cheetah, but it also makes sure that you can enjoy your daily commute without sacrificing too much fun.

Chevrolet Bolt EV: A Practical and Fun-to-Drive Electric Car

Last but not least, our Chevrolet Bolt EV took home an award for its practicality and driving experience. The vehicle boasts over 230 miles of emission-free range, making it an excellent choice for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint without sacrificing too much range.

Chrysler Pacifica: A Breath of Fresh Air in the Minivan Segment

Finally, our Chrysler Pacifica won an award for its refreshing approach to the minivan segment. The vehicle showed that even a car designed for families can have a stylish exterior and a pleasant interior. The Pacifica's attention to detail and commitment to making life easier for those who rely on it every day make it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a practical and fun-to-drive family car.

In conclusion, the 2017 Digital Trends Car Awards celebrated the best of the automotive world, recognizing exceptional vehicles that impressed us throughout the year. Our pick for car of the year was the Audi R8 V10 Plus, a performance car that mastered the art of balancing performance and livability.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe digital trends car awards is all about picking our favorite vehicles out of a group of cars that we already fell for over the course of a year that's why we have such a diverse spread it was hard to boil down these cars to five categories and picking our favorites was even harder nevertheless after much deliberation these re are 2017 digital trends car awards winners including our car of the year saying one car is the best is a difficult thing to do in such a broad stroke it's why we have categories different cars meet different needs with that said our pick for car of the year was the one out of the whole lot that really impressed us the most it could have come from any category as long as it just allowed us and this year the Audi r8 v10 plus was the car that did self hands-down the Audi r8 v10 plus is a performance car that not only excels in every aspect for the balances amount perfectly the centerpiece is a mid-mounted 5.2 liter v10 that produces 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque power is delivered to all four wheels by way of a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission first and foremost Aldys patented Quattro all-wheel drive system sends power to the wheels that need it most providing the grip the r8 needs to make you attract superstar this works in conjunction with magnetic ride shock absorbers and electromechanical steering to provide incredible control all of this is performed in an efficient comfortable cabin that blends just enough luxury with the practical needs of the driver making it easy to switch from a spirited sprint through casual cruise tying it all together is the to 0.3 inch virtual cockpit which is the interface for all the car systems among other things the Nvidia Power digital gauge cluster is indispensable as it helps drivers nail gear shifts with pinpoint accuracy while displaying Google Earth imagery of whatever track mountain pass or back road you find yourself on it's rare that a sports car balances out performance and livability this well striking that balance so masterfully is what endeared us to the first generation re so much so that we were concerned that outi might ruin a good thing with an update we've never been so glad to be wrong it's in good company amongst our category winners mazda cx5 charmed us with its sharp looking exterior engaging handling and satisfying utility capability all of this is available without breaking the bank either and it exceeded every expectation we had for it Volvo's approach to love once over with the s90 sedan while loaded with neat tech features an impressive engine power it was the supple interior smooth ride and quiet cabin that made it feel as if we were seated in the lap of luxury it's not audacious it's calm and understated and that's why we like it the mclaren 570s is rough around the edges but in the best way possible the focus on performance with a thin layer of street-legal civility makes the experience feel unique the fact that it drives like an attacking cheetah doesn't hurt either the Chevrolet Volt evie hits all the marks by being a nice practical hatchback that happens to have over 230 miles of emission-free range a thirty thousand dollar price tag means owning a long-range evie is open to a wider customer base too as our electric infrastructure grows we can easily see the bulk becoming a regular fixture on our roads Chrysler's Pacifica is a breath of fresh air in the rather humdrum minivan segment it showed that the much-maligned family hauler can actually have a stylish exterior and be a pleasant space to occupy toys like a built-in vacuum push button stone go seating and USB ports for days go a long way to show that the folks behind the Pacifica had a good long think about what would make life easier for those who'd rely on it for their daily adventuresthe digital trends car awards is all about picking our favorite vehicles out of a group of cars that we already fell for over the course of a year that's why we have such a diverse spread it was hard to boil down these cars to five categories and picking our favorites was even harder nevertheless after much deliberation these re are 2017 digital trends car awards winners including our car of the year saying one car is the best is a difficult thing to do in such a broad stroke it's why we have categories different cars meet different needs with that said our pick for car of the year was the one out of the whole lot that really impressed us the most it could have come from any category as long as it just allowed us and this year the Audi r8 v10 plus was the car that did self hands-down the Audi r8 v10 plus is a performance car that not only excels in every aspect for the balances amount perfectly the centerpiece is a mid-mounted 5.2 liter v10 that produces 610 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque power is delivered to all four wheels by way of a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission first and foremost Aldys patented Quattro all-wheel drive system sends power to the wheels that need it most providing the grip the r8 needs to make you attract superstar this works in conjunction with magnetic ride shock absorbers and electromechanical steering to provide incredible control all of this is performed in an efficient comfortable cabin that blends just enough luxury with the practical needs of the driver making it easy to switch from a spirited sprint through casual cruise tying it all together is the to 0.3 inch virtual cockpit which is the interface for all the car systems among other things the Nvidia Power digital gauge cluster is indispensable as it helps drivers nail gear shifts with pinpoint accuracy while displaying Google Earth imagery of whatever track mountain pass or back road you find yourself on it's rare that a sports car balances out performance and livability this well striking that balance so masterfully is what endeared us to the first generation re so much so that we were concerned that outi might ruin a good thing with an update we've never been so glad to be wrong it's in good company amongst our category winners mazda cx5 charmed us with its sharp looking exterior engaging handling and satisfying utility capability all of this is available without breaking the bank either and it exceeded every expectation we had for it Volvo's approach to love once over with the s90 sedan while loaded with neat tech features an impressive engine power it was the supple interior smooth ride and quiet cabin that made it feel as if we were seated in the lap of luxury it's not audacious it's calm and understated and that's why we like it the mclaren 570s is rough around the edges but in the best way possible the focus on performance with a thin layer of street-legal civility makes the experience feel unique the fact that it drives like an attacking cheetah doesn't hurt either the Chevrolet Volt evie hits all the marks by being a nice practical hatchback that happens to have over 230 miles of emission-free range a thirty thousand dollar price tag means owning a long-range evie is open to a wider customer base too as our electric infrastructure grows we can easily see the bulk becoming a regular fixture on our roads Chrysler's Pacifica is a breath of fresh air in the rather humdrum minivan segment it showed that the much-maligned family hauler can actually have a stylish exterior and be a pleasant space to occupy toys like a built-in vacuum push button stone go seating and USB ports for days go a long way to show that the folks behind the Pacifica had a good long think about what would make life easier for those who'd rely on it for their daily adventures\n"