Automobile Journalists Association of Canada names their picks for the best new vehicles in Canada for 2019.
We spend a lot of time in our vehicles and if you’re planning on buying a new vehicle this year, you’ll want a car with as many bells and whistles as possible. Buying a new vehicle, however, isn’t as easy as it sounds. From learning about the vehicle’s reliability, safety features, fuel efficiency and auto insurance rates, for example, there’s loads to take in before even going out on a test drive.
It’s a lot to juggle and many car buyers, over the course of their research, turn to the people whose job it is to evaluate, test drive and write about the new vehicles on the market: the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).
Every year, AJAC selects the vehicles they feel are best-in-class in their category. Last year, there were 14 vehicles that made the list. This year there are 12 automobiles from which the 2019 Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year was chosen.
Category Winner Best Small Car Kia Forte Best Large Car Kia Stinger Best Mid-Size Premium Car Mercedes-Benz E 400 Best Large Premium Car Volvo V90 R-Design Best Sports-Performance Car Mazda MX-5 Best Small Utility Vehicle Hyundai Kona Best Mid-Size Utility Vehicle Mazda CX-5 Best Large Utility Vehicle Mazda CX-9 Best Mid-Size Premium Utility Vehicle Infiniti QX50 Best Pickup Truck Ford F150 Diesel Best EV Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Best Premium EV Jaguar I-PACE
Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year: Winners
"It gives us great pride to declare the Kia Stinger to be the Canadian Car of the Year, and the Jaguar I-Pace to be the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, for 2019," said AJAC President Mark Richardson in a press release. "AJAC journalists are among the most objective and discerning automotive professionals in the country, and the fact that these two vehicles have risen to the top of our vigorous testing and voting protocol means that they're truly among the best available to Canadian buyers."
Best in Class Auto Insurance Rates
How do the 12 winning wheels stack up when it comes to the cost of auto insurance? We compared car insurance quotes for a fictional 35-year-old driver with a clean driving record living in nine Ontario cities—Ajax, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sudbury, Toronto, and Windsor—to get a feel for which of the vehicles cost the least (and most) to insure.
Of the 12 vehicles, the Volvo V90 R-Design regularly came in as the cheapest, dispelling the myth that all expensive cars are expensive to insure. The V90 R-Design starts at $65,950. The Mazda MX-5 and Mazda CX-5 also did well in terms of low auto insurance quotes. On the other end of the spectrum, the Mercedes-Benz E 400 and the Jaguar I-PACE consistently came out on top as being the most expensive to insure.
Why Do Auto Insurance Rates Vary Between Vehicles?
Some vehicles cost more to repair after a collision and some are more prone to theft, while others, for example, have safety features that help lessen the likelihood of a collision or protect the vehicle’s occupants from injury. Insurance companies study statistical data on claims frequency and if a vehicle is found to be more prone to claims (or have higher value claims), this will be reflected in the vehicle’s premium.
No Matter What You Drive, Your Auto Insurance Could Be Lower
There’s more to your auto insurance rate than the car you drive. Factors like where you live, your driving and insurance history, and driving record all factor heavily into your auto insurance premiums too. As a result, the vehicle that costs you the least to insure may not be the car that’s the most cost-effective option for someone else. The only way to know for certain is to shop around.
If you’re in the market to buy a new car in 2019, compare the car insurance market as well to see which car will save you the most in auto insurance. On average, last year, shoppers saved $427 after comparing car insurance quotes with us and, in just a few minutes, you could as well. Compare auto insurance quotes today.
