Ward's Auto 2013 Top 10 Interior List Announced

Based on 46 candidates, Ward’s Auto just released its list of the top 10 best interiors of 2013, heavily favoring Asian vehicles. As is usual, the cars aren’t listed in any particular order.

Perhaps the most interesting choice, Chevrolet’s Spark sub-compact made this list this year because of its funky neon color scheme.

Acura’s interiors are rarely disappointing and this is no exception. The RDX interior is finished with durable, high-quality materials.

Among the car’s standard features, buyers enjoy standard leather upholstery, heated front seats, LED backlit gauges and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Despite criticism by other publications, Ward’s listed Cadillac’s CUE system as part of an overall glowing endorsement of the XTS sedan’s interior.

Consumer Reports panned CUE late last year for being difficult to use, although Cadillac has been gathering praise for its new vehicles.

The shorter of the two Santa Fes launched by Hyundai, buyers get a premium interior with the Santa Fe Sport. Redesigned to follow cues from other new Hyundai vehicles, the Santa Fe Sport offers stylistic improvements over the 2012 model year including Bluetooth connectivity and the brand’s Bluelink telematics system both included as standard equipment.

Kia redesigned its Forte and finished unveiling the trio of new products during the New York Auto Show last month. Those include a hatchback, sedan and the Koup, all of which come with updated cabins.

Controls are angled 10 degrees toward the driver and Bluetooth is also standard, although leather seating, dual-zone climate control and HID headlights are optional.

Lexus wowed the automotive media with its all-new GS, which comes with bamboo cabin trim. The same design language can be found throughout much of the Lexus line, including the new IS sport sedan, although in a less exotic fashion.

The latest to take on Mazda’s KODO “Soul of Motion” design language, the 2014 Mazda6 mid-size sedan can come with bright leather seating and wood-look accents that help set the cabin off compared to the previous model year. Many of the same styling cuces can be found in the CX-5, although with less luxurious material.

Nissan’s Pathfinder was redesigned for 2013, and of course that means a fresh interior. Fuel economy is improved thanks to aerodynamic enhancements and a CVT, while interior volume improved with more leg and shoulder room.

The recently-emancipated Ram truck brand scored a spot this year too with the Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn edition – one of the latest luxury trucks on the market. Ford pioneered the segment, but since then others have been quick to join the bandwagon. It’s easy to understand why with products like this for sale.

New for 2013 and now underpinning the Lexus ES, the Avalon’s cabin carries a luxury cache of its own. With a broad dashboard, plenty of interior space and plenty of cruising capacity, Toyota’s full-size sedan is more relevant now than ever before.

[Source: Wards Auto]