For 35 years, the Automobile Journalists’ Association of Canada (AJAC) has administered the Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) awards, the most prestigious automotive award program in Canada. For model year 2015, a “Green” category was introduced. For 2019, the all-new Nissan LEAF won the Canadian Green Car of the Year Award, announced at the Vancouver International Auto Show.
To learn more about AJAC, and why the CCOTY award matters to the Canadian market, Nissan Canada spoke to AJAC president, Mark Richardson, for a one-on-one interview.
Mark Richardson, president of AJAC
- AJAC is an acronym most Canadians have heard of by now, but what is AJAC all about?
AJAC is all about ensuring honesty and integrity in Canadian automotive journalism, and also about recognizing the best vehicles for sale to Canadians each year. We’re an association of roughly 100 impartial automotive journalists who adhere to a strict code of ethics and who drive everything that’s on the roads and trails of Canada. This gives us an insight that can benefit most Canadian consumers. - How does AJAC determine the criteria for evaluating vehicles?
The whole idea is to decide what is the best vehicle within any given category each year, but there are more than 200 different vehicles for sale and we can’t drive them all in any one year. Every vehicle has to be driven by at least 10 different judges who also drive the other vehicles in that category, so it can be a huge logistical challenge. We deal with this by accepting for consideration only vehicles that are all-new or significantly changed from last year, but we also reconsider the top vehicles in each category from the previous year. A car that didn’t make the cut last year isn’t going to make the cut this year, either. But a car that won last year might still be better than all the new stuff. - How does the evaluation process for the Canadian Green Car of the Year Awards work? Is it different than the Canadian Car of the Year Awards?
It’s a slightly different process in that not every vehicle is eligible for consideration – it must be seen to have particularly frugal fuel consumption for its size, or to be powered in a different way, like with a hybrid engine or a plug-in electric motor. We also ask different questions of the jurors: we combine the hard statistics of the vehicle with its subjective, environmental qualities, because we want to know what actually succeeds compared to what just looks good.
The Nissan LEAF on a test course at AJAC’s annual TestFest event
- What are the top factors Canadian consumers should keep in mind when looking to lease or finance a new vehicle?
Price, reliability and safety are the obvious ones, as well as whether it’s the right fit and style for you, but it’s important to think about how long you’ll want to own that vehicle. These days, eight-year loans are common and they’re the least expensive to pay each week or month, but they’re always the most expensive over the eight years. Most important, the unavoidable devaluation of the car will mean that it’s probably worth less for the first three or four years if you were to sell it tomorrow compared to what’s still owing on the loan. That’s called “negative equity” and a financial advisor will never recommend a financing period of more than four or five years, because of this.
- As someone with his finger on the pulse of the market, what are some misconceptions people have about driving electric, or plug-in hybrid vehicles?
People are worried about the driving range and the time it takes to recharge the vehicle, and these are often valid concerns. In truth, with a bit of preparation beforehand, an electric car can usually go the distance and can be recharged quickly – it just needs the right-sized battery for your driving demands, and maybe some planning ahead to recharge at a fast-charger, assuming there’s one along your route. With EVs that have larger batteries, like the LEAF Plus, you’ll probably almost always charge at home at night, if you have a Level 2 charger installed. But you have to plan ahead for plugging it in, and many people aren’t used to that. They’re used to not thinking about fuel until the gas light comes on, and then looking around for a gas station.
- As president of AJAC, what is your outlook on the evolution of the CCOTY program?
It’s constantly evolving, and we have to be accepting of this. We can’t say, “that’s not the way we do things.” We have to say, “what helps the Canadian consumer?” Look at the current car market, and the growing popularity of SUVs over cars, for example. We’re finding that there are vehicles now that we’re just not sure how to describe. “Elevated sedans”? “Four-door coupes”? What on earth are they, and where do they fit in a market category? But drivers want them, and it’s up to us to evaluate them and report on them fairly, honestly and objectively against other vehicles that a buyer might consider purchasing.
- Where can readers learn more about AJAC and its members?
That’s easy – just go to our newly-redesigned website at ajac.ca. There’s plenty there to find out more about us.
Al Watkins, General Manager of the Western Region, Nissan Canada Inc., (pictured left) accepts the 2019 CGCOTY award from Dan Heyman AJAC Board Director
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