The results are in from the WAJ Best of the Bay 2024 voting and the winner of Best EV and Best Overall Vehicle is the Lucid Air Pure.
Comments from the journalists doing the voting (including yours truly):
"The Lucid is a tour de force of technology and suspension tuning. And now, with the entry level Pure model ($69,900 base, lease for less than $600 a month), it's a real option for mid-luxury shoppers. 430 horsepower, cheek-deforming acceleration and 420 miles of range due to incredibly efficient motors. Hard to beat."
Best SUV was a tie---the Genesis GV80 3.5T Prestige (left) and the Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T (right).
Comments from the voting members:
"The GV80 Coupe was also my favorite luxury vehicle. Outstanding interior. Most comfortable car in the group. Just the right mix of road feel and soft ride.” The GV80 3.5T Prestige got high marks for its slightly softer ride, and its interior, described by one judge as “a palace… taking SUV luxury to a new level.”
Genesis also scored Best Passenger Vehicle with the G80 3.5T Sport Prestige sedan.
Jurors praised the G80 3.5T Sport Prestige for its appealing dual personality.
“I just love a luxury sedan that can Jekyll and Hyde from a limo to a sports car."
And there was also a tie for Best Technology, between the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N's simulated engine sounds and shifting, and the Lucid Air Pure's ultra-efficient electric motor and range.
The final category was a write-in. "Which of the cars that you evaluated at Best of the Bay would you buy, with your own money?"
11 of the 14 cars we drove were mentioned by the 17 journalists voting.
Apparently, some of my fellow WAJ members are rolling in the dough, because that list included the $115,315 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Last Call AWD, the three award-winning Genesis models, which range from $79,780 to $87,780, the IONIQ 5 N, at $67,685, the Lucid Air Pure at $83,050...
...and the Range Rover SE LWB 7 Seat at $118,610. Regular readers know I love the big Rover, and the Genesis GV80...
...but I took the "with your own money" part seriously and voted for the Kia Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige ($54,490), the Kia Sorento PHEV SX-Prestige AWD ($54,690) and the Toyota Camry Hybrid XSE ($42,195).
As one of my fellow WAJ members said in comments, "there aren't any bad cars here." A solid field and all well-deserving.
Runners-Up:
Best Overall Vehicle: Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, Range Rover SE 7-Seat LWB, Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige
Best EV: Hyundai IONIQ 5 N
Best SUV: Kia Sorento PHEV, Range Rover SE 7-Seat LWB, Lexus GX 550 Premium+
Best Technology: Acura ZDX Type S, for the graphics and information in its head-up display
