News Source: autoblog.com

Six hundred and fifty. That's roughly how many cars pass through the hands of Autoblog editors every year, from the vehicles we test here at home, to the cars we drive on new product launches, testing roundups, long-term cars, and so on. Of course, our individual numbers vary due to several reasons, but at the end of the day, our team's repertoire of automotive experience is indeed vast. But let's be honest, some cars certainly stand out more than others.

So as the year's about to turn, and as we're readying brand-new daily cat calendars for our cubicles, our editors are all taking time to reflect on the machinery that made this year so special, with one simple, open-ended question as the guide – a question that we're asked quite frequently, from friends, family, colleagues, and more.

"What's the best car you drove this year?"

Lamborghini Huracán

When I review the list of everything I drove in 2014, picking an absolute favorite becomes almost impossible. I mean, how does one delineate between the joy offered by cars as different as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG GT S and even the humble-yet-wonderful Chevy Colorado?

Okay fine, I'll just pick the Lamborghini.

I drove the Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 on a racetrack, in the mountains, and along southern coast of Spain. It felt like the king of the car jungle in all of those places, sucking the eyeballs of observers nearly out of their heads as it drove by, and almost melting my brain with its cocktail of speed and grip and intense communication.

It feels a little easy to say that the one new supercar I drove this year was also my favorite, but the fact is that the Huracán is one of the finest cars I've driven during my career, let alone 2014. Judge me if you must.

– Seyth Miersma
Senior Editor

Rolls-Royce Wraith

There are a couple of ways to look at the question, "What's the best car you drove this year?" In terms of what was so good I'd go out and buy one tomorrow, that'd be my all-time sweetheart, the Volkswagen GTI. Or if I'm just talking about sheer cool-factor, maybe something like the Galpin GTR1, BMW i8, or Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. But instead, I'm going to write about the sheer opulence of being the best of the best. The hand-crafted, holier-than-thou, shut-your-mouth-when-I'm-talking-to-you supremacy. I'm picking the Rolls-Royce Wraith.

I drove the Wraith for a week in April, and was really, really impressed. This car does everything, perfectly. It handles city streets with poise and grace, it glides down highways (with that special Rolls-Royce waft) without a sound or an issue, and it's actually a pretty good driver's car, all things considered. To call it comfortable is a foolish understatement, and to call it nicely equipped is like calling the Sistine Chapel "a pretty neat painting." It has lambswool carpets, LEDs in the headliner to bring the night sky into the car, doors that shut themselves, and it's all put together in perhaps one of the finest packages ever built. The fit-and-finish is better than any car I've ever sat in – ever. Oh, and even its name is super cool.

The Rolls-Royce Wraith does everything. And in the $300,000 space, it should. But the price isn't the point here. It's about a car that was first and foremost crafted to be the absolute best at what it does. There are zero compromises here, and the end result is a car I won't quickly forget.

– Steven Ewing
Senior Editor

Volkswagen GTI

It'd be easy to say that the best car I drove this year was something ultra posh, exotic, or stupendously powerful. I've been fortunate enough that there were plenty of vehicles that fit those descriptors in my driveway this year, and I'm tempted to lean on some of them here, but I'm not going to.

Given the cornucopia of performance and lux on offer, picking the Volkswagen GTI may seem like I'm eating humble pie, but that's hardly the case – this VW is a savory and satisfying dish. Not only is it the best sort of workaday transportation, it's more entertaining to drive – and more exploitable on a daily basis – than many cars with a multiple of its modest 220-horsepower top specification.

The GTI's handling is sweet; its powertrain flexible; its cabin simple, robust and well laid out, and it's got enough cargo room to make it an able partner for nearly every use. It's an honest, affordable piece of work for most drivers and a powerful and enjoyable tool in the hands of the enthusiast.

I'm even starting to get over my longstanding heebie-jeebies about VW quality and reliability, and that, friends, is really saying something.

– Chris Paukert
Executive Editor