National Press Release

CHICAGO, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The cars have been driven, votes have been tallied and the Cars.com editors have spoken: The Hyundai Genesis outshines all other new and redesigned models in 2009 and has been named the Cars.com New Car of the Year.

To choose the Cars.com New Car of the Year, the site's expert reviewers drove and tested all the newly introduced and redesigned models for 2009. From that pool of about 60 cars, they chose their favorites based on features, driving quality, mileage and overall value.

"The 2009 Hyundai Genesis rivals the feeling of extravagance found in many full-size luxury vehicles," said Patrick Olsen, editor in chief at Cars.com. "Our editors chose the Genesis for Cars.com's 2009 New Car of the Year because we drove it -- pondered the window sticker again -- and our collective reaction was, 'Wow.'"

In addition to great features, Hyundai's generous warranties, numerous standard features, good reliability and reasonable price made the Genesis a clear winner for Cars.com's editors. Other notable features include a quiet and luxurious cabin, V-6 and V-8 engines that are more powerful and efficient than many in competing models, and a smooth, responsive six-speed automatic transmission.

Nominees for the 2009 Cars.com New Car of the Year included:

2009 Audi A4: The cabin and trunk boast unbelievably roomy dimensions, and the dashboard materials are of Audi's typical high quality. The optional Bang & Olufsen stereo cranks out nothing short of aural nirvana, while conveniences like a height-adjustable center armrest and one of the best folding-backseat executions in any sedan will have owners smiling for years.

2009 Honda Fit: The comfortable seats and high-rent gauges are a far cry from the interiors offered in other $15,000 cars. Direct steering and a well- mannered suspension make the car a hoot to drive, even if it's just on a grocery run.

2009 Mazda6: Its sporty exterior styling is a refreshing break from the ho-hum designs that rule this segment. The bar is set high in the family sedan segment, but the new Mazda6 matches its competition on many fronts, and in some cases exceeds it. Maybe it's time to look at that bar again.

2009 Nissan Murano: Nissan's redesigned Murano is both fun to drive and completely utilitarian. While it may sound like a no-brainer for an SUV -- even a car-based crossover like the Murano -- to offer a lot of the "U" in SUV, there are fewer and fewer this size that we'd recommend so heartily. If we had to buy one vehicle in this segment, this would be it. Most importantly, the Murano still holds the promise that the once-popular SUV segment offered as a true sedan alternative.

2009 Subaru Forester: The Forester has long succeeded by straddling the divide between wagon and SUV, and by providing good reliability and crash-test ratings. Devotees might bemoan the changes, but there's no denying the overall quality of the larger, redesigned 2009 model. Most notable, though, is that noise levels, refinement and quality are on par with the class leaders.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

SOURCE Cars.com