The top drives for 2014, Part I & II

Our Top Drives are simply the 10 cars we enjoyed most during all of our standard week-long tests last year. Each of these 2014 model-year cars spans a wide range of prices. All carry the same core traits: excellent performance, quality construction, fine details, and most of all, solid value.

Here are the rest of the Top Drives for 2014.

Clifford Atiyeh can be reached at [email protected]. Bill Griffith can be reached at [email protected]. George Kennedy can be reached at [email protected].

Ferrari 458 Spider

Base price: $350,000

Tested: 4.5-liter 571-horsepower V-8, 7-speed dual-clutch auto, RWD, EPA 13/17

At your wedding, life is sublime, your head is clear, and there are no wrongs in the world. The only time this can happen again is in a red Ferrari, particularly a 458 Spider painted in red and swathed in tan leather. Indeed, there are astronomical prices and service costs. But anyone who dismisses Ferrari as pure hype hasn’t turned the 458’s carbon fiber wheel. No other car on earth rewards life’s hard work like a Ferrari. That holy exhaust note, race-car handling, and seductive style, which makes absolutely everyone stop on the sidewalk, are not hyperboles, because the 458 Spider is near-perfect at everything it does. If speed is your only goal, lots of sports cars can get you there for less money. That’s not the point here. For a few weekends a year, this Ferrari is the gateway to heaven. — CA

Cadillac ATS 2.0L

Base price: $36,020

Tested: 272-horsepower 2.0L I4, 6-speed manual, RWD, EPA 19/30

We drove the ATS last January where it was right at home among the decidedly upscale vehicles on the road in Naples, Fla. The ATS had just been named winner of the prestigious North American Car of the Year Award. A few days at the wheel convinced us the jurors made a good choice. Our test ATS had a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated with a six-speed manual transmission—a rare but fun-to-drive combination. We suspect most buyers will opt for the 3.6-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is available with either of these engines but not with the base (non-turbo) 2.5-liter four. The interior was appropriately luxurious. The ATS is available in standard, luxury, performance, and premium dress, and both all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive. The manual transmission only is available in RWD configurations. — BG

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Base price: $45,610

Tested: 6.2-liter 411-hp V8, 6-speed auto, 4WD, EPA 11/16

Normally, a truck like the Raptor would come with a wire antenna and a RadioShack controller. But Ford’s jacked-up, sand-racing pickup is for big boys and girls, and despite its cumbersome width on Boston roads, it actually works as a daily driver. Lots of pickup owners modify their trucks with similar off-road tires and long-travel shocks. The Raptor brings balance and a factory warranty. There’s too much speed (411 horsepower), technology (a front-facing camera to scan for rocks), and comfort (heated and cooled seats) than anyone needs, but as a luxurious toy—and we all have them, whether or not it has wheels—the Raptor does it better than anything. — CA

Volvo S60 R-Design

Base price: $43,615

Tested: 325-horsepower turbocharged 3.0L I6, 6-speed automatic, AWD, EPA 18/25

Volvo created this sport variant of its S60 near-luxury sedan to attract a younger customer and send a message that fun and performance can be as much a part of Volvo as the safety gene that’s dominant in the company’s DNA. There’s lots of black in the R-Design. Combined with a lowered chassis (about a half inch) and low-profile tires, it makes for a somewhat intimidating appearance. Volvo’s T6 3.0-liter turbocharged engine produces 325 horsepower and is mated to a 6-speed automatic with a quick-shift feature that’s available when the car is in Sport mode or the driver is using the paddle shifters. The suspension tuning is stiffer but still supple. Winter driving is secure with AWD and corner traction control. Base price is $43,615 (with destination) but packages and options can drive the bottom line higher. — BG

Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Base price: $79,995

Tested: 5.0-liter supercharged 550-hp V8, 8-speed auto, 4WD, EPA 14/19

While the Evoque is the smarter, smaller Range Rover—it made our Top Drives list in 2012—few people buy them. The Sport is Land Rover’s most popular model, despite its excessive weight, cramped interior, and ponderous handling. The new Sport eliminates all of those problems. The V6 version ($63,495) delivers decent fuel economy (17/23), and the whole chassis behaves like a proper car. With the optional V8, this new Rover pulls like a Jaguar F-Type; it is foolishly fast, yet with a retuned suspension and ample brakes, it’s not dangerous. Not much was needed to improve the Sport’s impeccable interior furnishings and chunky shape, but Land Rover managed that, too. — CA

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Base price: $51,995

Tested: 460-horsepower 6.2L V8, 7-speed manual, RWD, EPA 17/29

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: You cannot buy another car that performs like the Corvette for the same price. That saying takes on a whole new meaning in 2014. Previously, the $50,000 price tag got you a car that was all engine and could do burnouts for days, but the seventh-generation Corvette has a vastly improved interior and its handling characteristics make the Corvette a no-brainer in the performance-per-dollar equation. The cockpit is light years ahead of the C6 Corvette, with premium features like heated/cooled seats, head-up display, and the latest tech, like Chevy MyLink. The drive mode selector in the center console features Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport, and Track modes, and truly changes the steering and throttle feel of the Corvette. It does not have the same panache as the Continental GT, but if you are looking to blow one away at a stoplight, the Corvette is the only way to go. — GK

GMC Sierra 1500

Base price: $26,310 (with current incentives)

Tested: 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V8, 6-speed automatic, 4WD, EPA 16/22

Trucks have come a long way from trusty farmyard and worksite tool. They have to play the role of daily driver, family hauler, and camping rig. There is no better example of that than the GMC Sierra 1500. Stacked against an older GMC 2500, this truck is massive. We were lucky enough to take the Sierra camping, and it performed the task exceptionally well. A wall-style power outlet, handful of USB power ports, navigation to get to the campgrounds, and seemingly acres of cargo space made the Sierra one of the best vehicles I’ve had the pleasure of using for camping. Contractors will love the factory-sprayed bed liner, movable tie downs, and rear bed area floodlight. The Sierra is a prime example of just how useful and versatile trucks have become. — GK

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Base price: $31,990

Tested: 285-horsepower 3.6L V6, 6-speed manual, 4WD, EPA 17/21

A great drive is as much about where you’re driving as the car you’re in—and how the two come together for an amazing automotive experience. There could be no better example than taking the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on the famous trail for which it is named. We took the Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition to this rugged trail and put it through its paces. This special Jeep has a half-inch increase in ground clearance over the standard Rubicon, unique wheel design, aggressive BF Goodrich A/T KM2 tires, “power dome’’ hood design, special paint and interior color scheme, and removable front bumper end-caps. The term “halo car’’ is usually reserved for an ultra-expensive super car, but when you’re a brand built around go-anywhere 4x4s, a vehicle like the Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition makes the perfect statement about the freedom that Jeeps offer. — GK

Ford C-Max Energi

Base price: $28,738 (with current factory incentives)

Tested: 2.0-liter I-4 and 7.6 kWh lithium-ion battery, 141 hp, CVT, FWD, EPA 100 MPGe (44/41 on gas)

This isn’t the first plug-in hybrid to delight our senses with ample torque and triple-digit gas mileage. But right now, the Ford C-Max Energi is the best one. It excels with snappy acceleration and lively steering. Its tall hatch shape makes parking a snap while allowing gobs of headroom. Sure, the 21-mile battery range can’t top the Chevrolet Volt’s 38, and the MyFord Touch infotainment system is flawed (and froze during our test). But the C-Max Energi exudes build quality that other cars, notably the Prius Plug-in, can’t match. The interior materials and layout are top notch—soft-touch surfaces, high-res screens abound—and the powertrain is transparent and never abrasive when the gasoline engine fires up. For city people, the C-Max Energi makes so much sense—it saves fuel, and lets you leave the city without worry—plus Ford’s current rebates make it impossible to ignore. — CA

Toyota Corolla LE Eco

Base price: $19,510

Tested: 140-horsepower 1.8-liter I4, CVT FWD, EPA 30/42

Because it has an Eco tag, the Corolla LE Eco gets the immediate reaction that it is an econobox, understandable because it has EPA fuel economy figures of 42 highway and 35 combined. However, the Eco actually has more horsepower (140 vs. 132) than the other three Corolla trim levels because it has Toyota’s first application of Valvematic technology that permits the 1.8-liter engine to run at highway speeds with a low throttle setting by changing valve lift settings. The engine is coupled to a CVT that’s programmed to have seven shift points to give the feel of a conventional automatic transmission while providing the greater economy of a CVT. Inside, the dashboard is old-school straight across though with contemporary materials, nice stitching, and styling. That provides the front seat passengers with the feel of being in a more spacious midsize car. A lot to like for $19,510. — BG