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Auto Trader Used Car Awards - on TV
14 November 2007
The first ever Auto Trader Used Car Awards are broadcast tonight at 6pm on ITV4. Vijay Pattni runs through the nominees – from the Ford Focus RS to the Smart fortwo. The first ever Auto Trader Used Car Awards are fronted by former Top Gear presenter and used car expert Jason Dawe, alongside his fellow Used Car Roadshow presenter Penny Mallory. “These awards celebrate the fantastic choice of used cars for sale in the UK”, explains Jason, “and prove that when it comes to buying a great used car, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a cracker”. And the nominees are… Category: Best Sports Car (sponsored by MoneyExpert) Mitsubishi Ralliart FTO (Produced 2000-2002) Winning the best used sports car category, this grey import from the land of the rising sun sports a magnificent 2-litre V6 engine wrapped up in a funky coupe body-shape, and also won the Japanese Car of the Year award for 1994-1995. 
Honda S2000 (Produced 1999 onwards) Honda’s screaming little roadster featured a modern engineering marvel – a 2-litre four cylinder engine producing a whopping 240bhp. Mazda RX-8 (Produced 2003 onwards) This stunning coupe features ‘suicide’ rear-opening doors and the world’s only mass produced rotary engine, incorporating sporting ability, practicality and good looks. Category: Best Hot Hatch (sponsored by Diamondbrite) Honda Civic Type-R (Produced 2000-2005) The bonkers Civic Type-R is the benchmark hot-hatch, utilising Honda’s phenomenal engineering abilities and front-wheel drive expertise. Volkswagen Golf Mark IV GTi and R32 (Produced 1997-2004) This icon of the 80’s was given a late nineties redesign and continued the Golf’s trademark characteristics of snappy handling and effortless practicality. 
Ford Focus RS (Produced 2002-2003) This road-rocket carries Ford’s famous RS badge, and sports a 2-litre turbocharged engine and motorsport-derived drivetrain – and won the best hot hatch category. Category: Best SUV (sponsored by Alpine) Land Rover Discovery (Produced 1998-2004) A fantastic off-roader, the four-wheel drive Disco comes with a choice of petrol and diesel engines and is built to tackle the toughest of terrains. BMW X5 (Produced 2000-2005) The X5 was the SUV of choice for the jurors, taking the best SUV award – it set the standards for how 2-tonne four-wheel drive behemoths should behave on the road, combining fantastic agility, advanced electronics and solid build quality. Land Rover Freelander (Produced 1997-2005) The original Freelander combined good off-road ability with practicality, resulting in excellent used car credentials. Category: Best Luxury Car (sponsored by MSN Cars) Jaguar XJ Series (Produced 2003 onwards) The beautiful Jag XJ has an aluminium monocoque chassis – on its own, the XJ’s shell would weigh the same as a Mini One – and took the best luxury car award. Audi A8 (Produced 2003 onwards) Audi’s executive flagship combines sleek, understated design, mated to a competent chassis, incorporating a host of technological advancements. Jaguar V8 XJ Series (Produced 1997-2003) The biggest change for this generation of Jaguar sat underneath the bonnet – an all-new V8 engine was slotted under the Jag’s nose, in 3.2, 4.0, and 4-litre supercharged variants. Category: Best Family Car (sponsored by Tesco Car Insurance) Ford Focus (Produced 1998-2004) The UK’s best selling car, Ford’s humble family hatchback achieved critical acclaim for its handling characteristics and formidable practicality. Rover 75 (Produced 1999-2004) Wrestling the best family car award away from Ford, on its launch the Rover 75 was praised for its ride quality, interior, and ‘retro’ looks. 
Ford Mondeo (Produced 2000-2005) The third generation of the ultimate rep-mobile continued the Mondeo’s success and quickly established itself on UK driveways. Category: Best Supermini (sponsored by AA Car Data Check) Audi A2 (Produced 2000-2005) Though not as best-selling as the equivalent Mercedes, on its launch the Audi A2 was considered to be ‘ahead of its time’, utilising aluminium construction to save weight – and the panel recognised this, awarding the A2 as the best supermini. Smart city car/fortwo (Produced 2000-2005) The diminutive city car measures just 8ft long – meaning three Smarts can fit in the space of a single standard-length car. 
Mini One (Produced 2001-2004) Sales of BMW’s take on this British icon have soared through the roof – and with good reason. The Mini One is a competent, stylish and excellent used car buy.
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