The finalists for the 2021 autoTRADER.ca Awards were announced.
The awards recognize vehicles for their value, innovation, performance, comfort, technology and ultimate desirability.
Canadian auto awards are typically limited to feature models that have been redesigned that year, while the autoTRADER.ca Awards consider every new vehicle available on the market, capturing the most in-depth selection of vehicles available to Canadians in 2021.
To identify the finalists for the 2021 awards, over 20 expert automotive journalists evaluated and tested more than 350 vehicles before voting for the top contenders in each category. This year, the autoTRADER.ca Awards will celebrate vehicles from 22 categories, including three Best Overall picks starting February 1, 2021.
The jury, many of whom also sit on judging panels for the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), the North American Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) and World Car/Truck/Utility Vehicle of the Year (WCOTY), will evaluate finalists against 12 specific criteria. Criteria include overall excellence, value, innovation, technology and features, user-friendliness, performance, engineering excellence, driver satisfaction, design, safety, quality and efficiency – weighted according to the segment of the vehicle being awarded.
The list of the top finalists in each category are as follows:
Cars
Subcompact Car
- 2021 Chevrolet Bolt
- 2021 Chevrolet Spark
- 2021 Kia Rio/Rio 5-Door
- 2021 Mini Cooper 3-Door/5-Door
- 2021 Nissan Versa
Compact Car
- 2021 Mazda3/3 Sport
- 2021 Toyota Corolla/Corolla Hatchback
- 2021 Honda Civic Sedan/Hatchback
- 2021 Hyundai Elantra
- 2021 Volkswagen Golf
Family Sedan
- 2021 Honda Accord
- 2021 Toyota Camry
- 2021 Hyundai Sonata
- 2021 Subaru Legacy
- 2021 Mazda6
Wagon
- 2021 Volvo V60/V60 Cross Country
- 2021 Mercedes C-Class Wagon
- 2021 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
- 2021 Mercedes E-Class Wagon
- 2021 Audi A6 Allroad/RS 6 Avant
Compact Luxury Car
- 2021 Genesis G70
- 2021 BMW 3 Series/4 Series
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- 2021 Audi A4
- 2021 Acura TLX
Large Luxury Car
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- 2021 Porsche Panamera
- 2021 BMW 5 Series
- 2021 Genesis G80
- 2021 Genesis G90
Performance Car Under $50,000
- 2021 Mazda MX-5
- 2021 Ford Mustang
- 2021 Hyundai Veloster N
- 2021 Honda Civic Si/Civic Type R
- 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI
Performance Car Over $50,000
- 2021 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2021 Porsche 911
- 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman
- 2021 Toyota GR Supra
- 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT
- 2021 Jaguar F-Type
SUVs & Minivans
Subcompact SUV
- 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer
- 2021 Hyundai Kona
- 2021 Kia Seltos
- 2021 Mazda CX-30
- 2021 Subaru Crosstrek
2-Row SUV
- 2021 Honda CR-V
- 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe
- 2021 Mazda CX-5
- 2021 Subaru Outback
- 2021 Toyota RAV4
3-Row SUV
- 2021 Kia Telluride
- 2021 Hyundai Palisade
- 2021 Toyota Highlander
- 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon
- 2021 Subaru Ascent
Luxury Subcompact SUV
- 2021 Volvo XC40
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA
- 2021 Lexus NX
- 2021 Audi Q3
- 2021 BMW X2
Luxury 2-Row SUV
- 2021 Audi Q5
- 2021 BMW X3/X4
- 2021 BMW X5/X6
- 2021 Lexus RX
- 2021 Porsche Macan
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC
- 2021 Volvo XC60
Luxury 3-Row SUV
- 2021 BMW X7
- 2021 Cadillac Escalade
- 2021 Genesis GV80
- 2021 Lincoln Aviator
- 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class
Minivan
- 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan/Pacifica
- 2021 Honda Odyssey
- 2021 Kia Sedona
- 2021 Toyota Sienna
Trucks
Mid-Size Truck
- 2021 Toyota Tacoma
- 2021 Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon
- 2021 Honda Ridgeline
- 2021 Jeep Gladiator
- 2021 Ford Ranger
Full-Size Truck
- 2021 Ram 1500
- 2021 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra
- 2021 Ford F-150
- 2021 Toyota Tundra
Green Vehicles
Green Vehicle Under $50,000
- 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid/RAV4 Prime
- 2021 Kia Soul EV
- 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV
- 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric
- 2021 Nissan Leaf
Green Vehicle Over $50,000
- 2021 Porsche Taycan
- 2021 Audi e-tron
- 2021 Polestar 2
- 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
- 2021 Jaguar I-Pace
To learn more about category finalists and the award evaluation process including breakdown of the criteria on what makes a winning car, click here.
