Wheels Car of the Year





COTY: Past winners
The annual Wheels Car of the Year is one of the world’s longest-running automotive awards, with a history that stretches back to 1963.
That makes our award the grand old age of 60 and in that time a broad spectrum of cars have earned the title, ranging from obvious choices to properly left-of-field. Holden Camira, anyone?
The common thread among all of them, however, is that they were good enough to be judged the best of their time by a panel of Australia’s most seasoned motoring journalists. Here’s the list.
All COTY stories

Behind the scenes at Wheels Car of the Year
The inside line on how COTY 2022 was run, from the eyes of a first-time judge

Meet the judges of Wheels Car of the Year 2022
Meet the six experts who put out COTY contenders to the test

The Criteria for Car of the Year 2022 explained
Our judges viewed the COTY field with these five points in mind

Wheels Car of the Year 2022: The Contenders
Who made the cut in our hunt for the best new car on sale?

Welcome to Car of the Year 2022
COTY 2022 is here, and there’s a lot to cover – let’s get started

Behind the scenes at Wheels Car of the Year 2021
Your glimpse behind the proverbial COTY red curtain

Preview: Welcome to Wheels Car of the Year 2021
We were hellbent on making sure COVID-19 wouldn’t interrupt our annual COTY running

Which manufacturers are fudging their acceleration figures?
We have conducted independent testing to find out how realistic the acceleration times on new car brochures are.

The full scorecards from Wheels Car of the Year 2020
Here’s exactly how every car was rated by the judges at COTY

Behind the scenes at Wheels Car of the Year 2020
There is no event like Car of the Year. Here’s how the 2020 running went down

How the judges rated the Toyota Supra at COTY
Good sportsmanship, yes, but short of true all-round appeal

How the judges rated the Volvo S60/V60 at COTY
Swedes return to try for the triple; encounter bumps in the road

How the judges rated the Range Rover Evoque at COTY
Brings the style, but dynamic substance found wanting

How the judges rated the Volkswagen Touareg at COTY
Premium options blur the line between mainstream and luxury in Wolfsburg’s latest large SUV

How the judges rated the Peugeot 508 at COTY
This French mid-sizer was infused with sufficient goodness to demand a tie-breaker

How the judges rated the Nissan Leaf at COTY
Meaningful makeover for mother of modest EVs

How the judges rated the Genesis G70 at COTY
Aspirational sedan aims to break Korea’s COTY duck

BMW Z4: the COTY verdict
The COTY process can be ruthless to a roofless Supra

How the judges rated the BMW X5 at COTY
Spartanburg’s finest gains approval but no ticket to the finals

How the judges rated the Audi Q3 at COTY
Polished and practical, but 1.4 doesn’t get judges’ motor runnin’

How the judges rated the BMW 3 Series at COTY
Seventh generation has the form, but not quite the finish

How the judges rated the Audi A1 at COTY
A photogenic and endearing baby, but demands a premium formula

How the judges rated the Porsche 911 at COTY
Evolution of an icon brings excellence, and takes it closer than ever to COTY glory

How the judges rated the Toyota RAV4 at COTY
Value, efficiency and overall family friendliness push a segment pioneer to the pointy end