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We review a lot of cars here at CNet and one of the most frequent questions I get is what are the best?
Which ones do you like the most?
Here.
Here's an easy way to sort them out.
I'm Brian Cooley with our top five cars of 2014.
This is the most diverse list of top rated cars I think we've ever had.
It's kinda Noah's car carrier.
We've got a diesel, a battery, a hybrid, a gas engine car and more all making the list.
Let's go.
Number 5 is the 2014 BMW 535d.
This is the car that proved to us here that a diesel.
Makes for a great sports sedan.
Fantastic torque.
Great handling.
Average mpg in the low 30s real world, and the diesel options only about 1,500 bucks more, so you might actually earn it back and beyond in the time you have the car.
Of course, it's BMW so they make up for it by insulting you with an extra charge for a rear camera.
Number four, the 2014 Tesla Model S. Nobody does battery range like Tesla, so it's a car you can really live with.
And go fast in.
And look good in.
Now, like all EVs, it still suffers from charge time, that is a huge multiple of gas time, even at one of their superchargers.
But if you wanna crash a meeting of Silicon Valley VCs, this is your best cover.
Number three, the 2015 Kia Soul EV.
No Tesla.
But it's not a hundred grand either.
For around $27,000 after Federal tax credit, you can get 93 miles of range snappily delivered with good performance.
And that Kia Soul design that has made it the king of its segment.
This is one of the few cars out there that really feels like it was meant to be electric.
Number two is the 2015 BMW i8.
Show up in this and the people will think you just held up an auto show.
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the i8 is this traffic stopping ball of carbon fiber, battery electrification and sensuous concept car lines.
Unusual for the Germans.
It's a plug in hybrid, that can put that tech to work toward efficiency or toward really remarkable performance.
So in a sense, you get two gold wing cars for your 140 grand, but it's still the priciest car on our list.
Before I take you to our darling of 2014, here are three cars that were marked by remarkable suckage, each earning a middling okay rating with just two and a half stars.
The 2015 Infiniti Q70.
Lousy performance and bad ride quality.
There's a twofer.
The 2014 Fiat 500L, roomy for a Fiat and a great sunroof, but otherwise, a great argument for a Kia Sol.
And the 2014 Ford Fiesta SE Ecoboost.
You better like shifting a gutless car without nav or a modern interface to fall in love with this one.
[UNKNOWN] Our number one CNet rated car of 2014 was the 2014 Audio RS7 Quattro.
I shot the video for this guy back in March of '14 and I could have told you then that it would've likely ace'd this list.
It doesn't do too much well.
Just engine, transmission, connectivity, interface, efficiency, styling, and utility.
It does have a problem.
105,000 of them actually.
But aside from price this is a car that does the art of automotive engineering proud.
More Top Five lists await the car lover.
Go to CNETONCARS.com.
Click on Top Five.
