At this year’s Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year Awards, nearly one hundred athletes and active consumers as well as auto journalists test drove vehicles on a variety of street, freeway and off-road courses to get a feel for how they perform.
The event held in Phoenix, Arizona each year selects a winner in six different classes. The participants scrutinize not only driving performance, but livability features including seating, cargo capability, and overall versatility.
The vehicle lineup this year included cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers from well known and respected brands. And when it came to the winners of this year’s event, there were some surprises as well as repeat title holders in the gang.
First up was “Best Value Off Road” which included a number of pickups and SUV’s this year spanning a wide range of price points. The winning title however went to the all-new aluminum bodied 2015 Ford F-150.
“Luxury Off Road” honors were won by the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee which has won many titles over the years here at ALV due to its combination of capability, design, and rich interior trappings.
The all-new 2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE 450 took the “Luxury On Road” category this year. With its smooth and powerful twin-turbo V6 and sweeping design it was a crowd favorite.
Surprising many was the winner of the “Best Value On Road” class. The newly refreshed 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander took it it away. Even though it wasn’t all-new, Mitsubishi made over 100 changes to improve its style and overall livability.
“Best Value Family” went to the 2015 Ford Edge which is all-new for this year. The EcoBoost powered mid-sizer impressed with its refinement, tech features and of course its new design.
Coming back for a fourth consecutive year in the “Urban” class was the 2015 Kia Soul, which battled it out with the Fiat 500X among others. It’s cheeky design and versatility seem to be a magic combination for ALV jurors.
In addition to the ALV honors, members of the Phoenix Automotive Press Association judged vehicles on its own and awarded the first Best of the Southwest award, that went to the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
