Midwest Automotive Media Association Family Vehicles of Year

Posted on 11 February 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInform.ed.com on MAMA Family Vehicle Awards - Chicago Auto Show February 2019

“Choosing a family vehicle is an important decision,” said MAMA award coordinator Tim Healey. We agree

The Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) announced at the Chicago Auto Show that the 2019 Subaru Ascent has been named the winner of its ninth annual Family Vehicle of the Year award, and the 2019 Volvo XC40 has been named the inaugural winner of the Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year award. MAMA is a nonprofit group of automotive journalists  (including AutoInformed) and public relations professionals. MAMA developed the awards to help car-shopping families make a wise decision when they’re ready for a new vehicle.

“Whether it’s a premium-brand or mainstream model, it should be versatile, reliable, efficient, and reasonably priced. MAMA members pooled their expertise and experience to select the best family vehicles from an outstanding group of new and significantly refreshed models, and the Subaru Ascent and Volvo XC40 came out on top,” said MAMA award coordinator Tim Healey.

To qualify for the award, vehicles had to have four doors, appear at one of MAMA’s two annual rallies, and be new or significantly updated within a year of the 2018 Spring Rally, which took place in May 2018. The MAMA Spring and Fall Rallies have ~100 manufacturer vehicles for journalists to drive and evaluate. Voting took place at both rallies.

There were 11 finalists in the mainstream category:

  •      Buick Regal TourX,
  •      Ford Expedition,
  •      Honda Pilot,
  •      Hyundai Kona,
  •      Hyundai Santa Fe,
  •      Mazda6,
  •      Nissan Altima,
  •      Ram 1500,
  •      Subaru Ascent,
  •      Subaru Forester,
  •      Volkswagen Jetta.

There were six finalists in the luxury category:

  • Acura RDX,
  • Kia Stinger,
  • Land Rover Range Rover Velar,
  • Lexus ES,
  • Maserati Levante,
  • Volvo XC40.

Voting for the 2020 Family Vehicle of the Year awards will begin at the 2019 MAMA Spring Rally, which is scheduled for May 22-23 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The 2019 MAMA Fall Rally is tentatively scheduled for October 2.

For more information about the Midwest Automotive Media Association, please visit www.mamaonline.org

 

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About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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2 Responses to Midwest Automotive Media Association Family Vehicles of Year

  1. Pingback: Midwest Automotive Media Pick 2020 Kia Telluride and Lincoln Aviator as Family and Luxury Vehicles of the Year | AutoInformed

  2. Ray Scarpelli says:
    15 February 2019 at 10:12 am

    The Chicago Auto Show is ramping up for its closing weekend which runs Friday, Feb. 15 through Monday, Feb. 18, Presidents Day. The show is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, except for the final day when it closes at 8 p.m. Chicago Auto Show attendees can expect more than 1 million square feet of the latest cars, trucks and SUVs to hit the market including 20 vehicles that made their global or North American debuts during the show’s Media Preview. (Ray Scarpelli Jr. is chairman of the CAS – editor)

    Reply

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