Here are the finalists for 2016 North American Car and Truck of the Year (pictures)

Honda's venerable compact car is new from the ground up for its 10th generation. The Civic sports new drivetrain options -- including, for the first time, a turbocharger -- and some very emotional styling. The interior is positively cavernous in its latest iteration, and it's pretty great to drive, to boot.

Mazda's all-new, fourth-generation roadster loses some weight and gains a sharp new face for 2016. It keeps with Miata tradition by retaining a low-horsepower four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive, but the weight loss has it driving better than ever. Most "fun cars" cost a great deal of money, but the MX-5 has always been the enthusiast's affordable offering.

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has truly stepped up its game. Its dimensions are perfect for the mid-size segment, and thanks to a focus on engineering, it's lighter than the previous-gen Malibu. Throw in a great deal of cutting-edge technology, and you've got a car that's moved from detention to the honor roll in the course of just one year.

Nissan is blasting away the mountainside of traditional trucks with the Titan XD, which rests between your typical half-ton pickup and the more hardcore heavy-duty trucks. The XD sports a Cummins turbodiesel engine and some very impressive towing and hauling figures, giving buyers a bit more than a standard half-ton without forcing them to buy a truck that's roughly the size of a small apartment building.

Everything about the XC90 is new. The design language is new, the underpinnings are new, the infotainment system is new -- heck, even Volvo's parent company is new. Concerns about Chinese automaker Geely's purchase of the Swedish brand have been put to rest, as the XC90 has come straight out of the gates gunning for supremacy in a very strong segment.

Honda's slowly getting its groove back. The third-generation Pilot comes loaded up with a more family-friendly countenance and an excellent pairing of efficient drivetrains and advanced safety systems. As with other cars on this list, the Pilot is lighter in its latest iteration. Almost makes you forget about minivans entirely...