2009 is just about over, and throughout the year you voted with your mice, clicking on the products that interested you most. The two cars that caught your attention couldn't be more different, one a fuel-sipping hybrid and the other a powerful new muscle car.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
The tenth most popular product in the CNET Car Tech category is the hybrid version of Ford's midsize sedan. We were very impressed with the power and fuel economy of this car's hybrid power train, while the cabin tech offers more useful information than any other car's.
This powerhouse from Cadillac garnered a lot of attention, coming in at number nine. The CTS-V is the high-performance version of the CTS sedan, which won our 2007 Tech Car of the Year award. The CTS-V incorporates excellent cabin tech, along with loads of power.
The GT-R is a continual favorite, garnering clicks long after the review posted. This high-tech effort on the part of Nissan won the 2008 Tech Car of the Year award for its combination of excellent cabin tech and out-of-this-world road-gripping technology.
The Insight, a new hybrid from Honda and arch-competitor to the Toyota Prius, wasn't quite as popular as we expected, although it does come in at No. 7. The Insight uses a similar hybrid power train as the Civic Hybrid, but in a completely new vehicle.
The appearance of the El Kameleon on this popularity list serves as a reminder that car stereos fit our car technology beat, and that a good aftermarket stereo can be every bit as interesting as a car. The El Kameleon also costs a lot less.
Although the Civic Si faces tough competition from other hot hatches on the market, its presence at No. 5 on the list shows what CNET readers prefer. The Si has a high-revving engine, tight handling, and a manual transmission that made us fall in love whenever we changed gears.
We don't know if CNET readers are just curious or actually like the looks of this quirky little car, but the Cube certainly got its share of attention. We weren't so kind to it in our review, as it lacked the tech features we look for in a car.
The C63 AMG has been a favorite of ours for over a year, with track-worthy performance and modern cabin tech. We're pleased to see that CNET readers agree with us, showering the car with enough attention to make it the No. 3 most viewed product in our Car Tech channel.
The Taurus SHO has some history, and this new version needs to live up to it. Its position at No. 2 on the list shows there are plenty of people out there who know the SHO, and want to find out about Ford's rejuvenation of the model.
And finally, that iconic hybrid the Toyota Prius takes its position as the No. 1 most popular entrant at Car Tech. The Prius got an important update for 2010, getting it extra attention. Its popularity also shows the CNET audience's interest in high mileage and green technology.
