2004 Editors' Most Wanted Awards

Every year, the Edmunds.com editors gather to ponder that eternal question, "What cars or trucks would we most want to park in our garage?" For the 2004 model year our editors have once again scoured the entire automotive spectrum looking for their favorite vehicles. What they've came up with are the Edmunds.com Editors' Most Wanted cars and trucks for 2004.

Why We Began the Editors' Most Wanted List

• Our staff members get the same question over and over: What's the "best" car or truck?
• There isn't a single "best" car or truck that will meet everyone's needs.
• When somebody asks us what the "best" of the crop is, we respond by quizzing the inquiring mind about his needs and wants in a vehicle.
• Still, readers want to know which cars and trucks we'd buy given the resources.

How We Selected the Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles

• Our editorial staff gathered to hash over the roster of 2005 models.
• We voted for our 29 favorite models in a variety of vehicle classes, plus we chose our Most Significant Vehicle of the Year. To improve the functionality of our Most Wanted awards, we picked standardized price points for each vehicle type (sedans, wagons, SUVs, etc.). To be eligible for a given price category, at least one version of a model line had to have an MSRP (not including destination charge) below that category's price limit. This was typically the base model with no options. Unlike in previous years, there was no upper price limit for eligible winners.
The result of our voting is a list of cars and trucks we'd want in our own garages.
• Only 2004 models were eligible and at least one member of our editorial team had to have driven the vehicle prior to our voting deadline of October 1, 2003.