Auto News: Internet Car and Truck of the Year

Automotive Media and Auto Enthusiasts Honor the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, the 2011 Ford Mustang GT, and the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

By AT Staff

It seems the Internet Pros agree with the Average Joes, at least as far as the year's top SUV is concerned. The all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was the big winner in the 2011 Internet Car and Truck of the Year competition. The annual award, produced by Automotive Traveler contributor Keith Griffin, revealed that both automotive journalists and auto enthusiasts believe Jeep has gotten its mojo back and is once again setting the pace in the SUV and crossover category.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee won the category by a wide margin, besting two heavy-duty pickup entries, the 2011 Ford Super Duty and the Ram 2500/3500.

The results were not so clear-cut in the car category, where the vote was split.

The Internet Pros picked the Cadillac CTS-V coupe. The Average Joes selected the Ford Mustang GT. Voting among the Average Joes was quite close, with the Mustang edging out the Cadillac CTS-V by an extremely slim margin of less than 1 percent of votes cast.

While most automotive publications and websites and the general public seem to be infatuated with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, both the Internet Pros and Average Joes apparently believe there's life left in the tried-and-true internal combustion engine.

Griffin also awarded longtime automotive and business journalist Jerry Flint the 2011 Automotive Journalist of the Year award for his body of work, most recently for Forbes and Forbes.com.

Flint, who passed away of a stroke in August 2010, had a reputation for calling things exactly as he saw them and was well respected by his peers. He has been sorely missed.

Flint's wife, automotive journalist Kate McLeod, accepted the award at the International Motor Press Association meeting on 9 December 2010.