Power and performance are not the primary purchase drivers for the majority of consumers interested in safety, reliability, utility, and value. Yet, when the time comes to buy a new car, people ask the expert in the family, in the office, or in the neighborhood – the car freak that subscribes to every enthusiast publication, is glued to the Speed Channel on weekends, and possesses a variety of vehicles of suspect value in various states of restoration sitting in the driveway or garage. Power and performance color this expert’s opinions, and the recommendation you receive is likely to be tainted in favor of vehicles that accelerate, brake, and handle instead of cars and trucks that perform the most tasks for the least amount of money.

What you need are recommendations for the real world, not that fantastic alternate universe where you’ve won the state Lotto drawing without ever lifting your butt off the couch to buy five bucks worth of quick picks.

The 2006 Autobytel Editors’ Choice awards are designed to help you find the best vehicle for daily living. We select our picks from a wide variety of vehicle categories to help consumers make the best decision for individual needs. Though performance is one standard by which we judge, the Autobytel Editors’ Choice selections provide consumers with our recommendations based upon value, design, and quality as well. We know that consumers want durable and appealing cars and trucks that reflect their style and intelligence. Our recommendations serve these purposes.

The award winners aren’t necessarily the cars we’d drive home ourselves – we’re enthusiasts at heart – but they are the cars we’d recommend to family and friends. We hope you find this feature useful, and we look forward to evaluating the crop of 2007 models for next year’s Autobytel Editors’ Choice awards – our recommendations for the real world.