Australia's Best Cars 2014

The finalists for Australia's Best Cars in 2014 have been announced after extensive assessment by Australia's motoring clubs.

The final 45 were picked from a total of 220 vehicles in 15 categories, ranging from micro cars to large four-wheel-drive vehicles. The category finalists range in price from under $20,000 – the Mitsubishi Mirage ES – to more than $120,000 for the Range Rover Sport. They also use various powertrains, including petrol, diesel and hybrid energy.

“The program is Australia's most independent evaluation of value for money, design and function and on road performance of new vehicles,” said Andrew McKellar, Australian Automobile Association (AAA) Chief Executive.

Changes to the categories this year include the new Micro car category, changing People Movers to Family Wagons, and revamping the SUV and 4WD categories. These were made to reflect changing preferences in the new-car marketplace, McKellar said.

“The judges have spent all year reviewing the vehicles, including an intensive week of back-to-back testing, to come to the tough decision of agreeing on the three finalists for each category,” said Australia's Best Cars Chief Judge Mark Borlace.

“Our research into each car will give consumers all the information they need to compare against their personal criteria and make the process of buying a new car less intimidating.”

The winners will be announced in Brisbane on 25 November and the results will be made available by the motoring clubs around Australia, and on the Australia's Best Cars website.