My judgement is based on following grounds:

Skoda Yeti

The Skoda Yeti is an exponent of a new generation of SUVs – smart and compact, environmentally compatible, with a friendly, not aggressive design, and a spacey, adjustable interior.  It’s a young positive car with a decent price-range. The Yeti is nice to drive and offers a subjective feeling of passive security.

As every Skoda model the Yeti benefits from Volkswagen – with a number of modern, sustainable motors, four-wheel drive system and, last but not least, excellent look-and-feel quality inside.

Thus the Yeti is a car in terms, especially with some smaller engines with less consumption, announced for 2010. They will make the Yeti even more economically priced.   

Volkswagen Polo

In this year’s election it was very hard to decide about one-two position. In the end it was the young and clever concept which placed Yeti first and made Polo a narrow second. The new Volkswagen, in fact, is an surprising example for the high level even a small car can have. Driving the Polo feels like driving a significant bigger car – concerning  solidity, roominess, suspension and low driving noise. On the other hand, the Polo is compact enough and clearly laid-out for crowded city-traffic and narrow parking space. The design is attractive and shows distinctive family membership to the bigger models of Volkswagen, especially the best-selling Golf. The Polo is nice to drive, offers best look-and-feel quality and a wide range of available motors – from dynamic talents to a maximum of eco-friendliness by bluemotion-technology. 

Opel Astra

Following the Insignia, which was last year’s winner of the COTY-contest, the new Astra is another well-done example for the significant upcoming performance of Opel – despite all the GM-confusion.  The new Astra has improved in nearly every aspect: the design is attractive with its flowing lines (but with a lack of lucidity and some difficulty for the rear passengers to come in and out easily) and on the road you find a precise chassis suspension with direct steering, reliable brakes and a firm rear axle. Also  improved has the look-and-feel quality inside, not forgetting the excellent new front seats. More than this you can get (for extra money) some high-tech features from the Insignia also for the smaller Astra. To say it clear: never before the Opel has come so near to Germany’s Bestseller Golf. On the other hand, the Astra has grown out of the compact segment, he is now 22 cm longer than a Golf. So it is no miracle to be spacious inside.  

Mercedes E Klasse

The E-class is Mercedes’ most important model: it influences the image of the brand more than any other model (which was obvious a few years ago, when E-class quality-problems shook the company) and brings the money in the bag. The new generation is outstanding in several points: the car seems to revitalize the old big points of the brand. The E-class is as luxurious and comfortable as we all expect from a Mercedes-Benz. But not only. Amazingly the new E-class shows undoubtedly dynamic talents, even on small and winding roads, thanks to a direct and sensitive steering, reliable brakes an a excellent chassis suspension. More than this: the driver of an E-class is assisted by electronics nearly every possible way – if he can afford and pay the price for this. In this case he has also can chose one of the  motors in a wide range of power and/or  eco-friendliness – from bluetec to AMG. Amazingly, the design of the E-class is less self-confident than the rest of the car. What I miss is a clear, non ambiguous formal statement of Mercedes’  the way to the future.

Toyota iQ

What makes the iQ a candidate for the best cars 2010 is his obvious innovative concept. Never before we saw a car, which combined a 4cylinder-motor, gearbox and space for 3-4 persons in such a clever way. It’s a small car for big cities, more rational than emotional and so it’s to drive. It’s not a lifestyle-car, as Toyota presumes (and has priced it!), but an important step on a right way.