ALV of the Year Announces 2012 Winners

Audi, Jeep, Mazda, Subaru and Volkswagen dominate a competitive field

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

The Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year announces the winners of its eighth annual competition, following the finals at Local Motors in Phoenix, Arizona on October 21. ALV is the only car-of-the-year program to combine the input of nationally-recognized automotive journalists with elite and area athletes to determine which cars and trucks best meet the needs of buyers with active lifestyles.

“This was our first ride-and-drive program in Phoenix, and it has significantly raised the game for cars entered in the competition,” said program co-founder, Nina Russin. “For the first time, we had a serious off-road course on which to evaluate those particular categories. The number of athletes participating in the event increased threefold. Thanks to the commitment of the ALV jury panel, the team at Local Motors and the athlete team captains, I believe that the Active Lifestyle Vehicle program has come into its own.” Read the rest of this entry »

ALV Reveals Athlete Teams

Seventy Phoenix athletes set for October 22 ride-and-drive

Ironman Triathlete Jeremy Hendricks, Urban Team Captain

Seventy area athletes will meet Saturday, October 22 at Local Motors south of Phoenix to drive and evaluate finalists for the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year awards. Votes from the athlete teams account for fifty percent of the final tally and will be averaged with the votes of a panel of automotive journalists to determine the winners in seven categories.
 
Team captains for each of the seven judging categories are athlete opinion leaders, including an elite marathoner, Ironman triathlete, two sports medicine practitioners, a Pilates instructor, elite duathletes and the president of the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists.
 
Team captains recruited the other nine members of their teams. Team members participate in a variety of sports ranging from golf to rock climbing, cycling, swimming, volleyball, running, mountain biking and paddling. In order to be selected team members must compete several times a year in their sports, and train several times a week.
 
“We had heard from the manufacturers that they wanted more athletes evaluating vehicles at the finals,” said program co-founder, Nina Russin. “This new method of recruiting the judging teams gives us a wider footprint, enabling us to reach that critical mass of quality athletes.” Read the rest of this entry »

Heels & Wheels

Women journalists discuss the state of the industry

By Nina Russin

Heels & Wheels 2011

My colleague, Christine Overstreet, who has worked in the car industry for fifteen years, came up with the idea of gathering female automotive journalists, products specialists and engineers for a two-day summit on the state of the industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Active Lifestyle Vehicle 2012 Program Update

ALV introduces two new jury panel members and its athlete team leaders

By Nina Russin

Jill Ciminillo

Now in its eighth year, the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year is the only car of the year award with input from elite and local athletes as well as national recognized automotive journalists, combining their evaluations to recognize the best vehicles for buyers with active lifestyles.
 
This year, ALV welcomes two new jury panel members: Jill Ciminillo and Larry Webster.

They join Jol Dantzig, Brian Douglas, Larry Edsall, Chuck Giametta, Denise McCluggage, Sue Mead, Jim Prueter, Tamara Warren, Nina Russin, Linda Sharp and Jim Woodman. 

Larry Webster

Jurors will drive more than 40 vehicles entered in seven categories to narrow the field to no more than four finalists in each of those categories: Urban, Best Value On-Road, Best Value Off-Road, Luxury On-Road, Luxury, Off-Road, Green and Family.

Those finalist vehicles will participate in the athletes’ ride-and-drive program October 22 at the Local Motors micro factory in Phoenix. Read the rest of this entry »