One of these 15 finalists will become Business Insider's 2018 Car of the Year

coty 2018 masked 4x3

Each year Business Insider selects 15 finalists for its Car of the Year competition.
The cars are chosen from the more than five dozen we road tested during the year.
The vehicles range from family SUVs and sedans to supercars and electric vehicles.
Brands represented this year are Audi, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Lamborghini, Lexus, Lincoln, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, and Volvo.
One of the 15 will be named Business Insider's 2018 Car of the Year.

Autumn has arrived, and with it the fifth installment of Business Insider's Car of the Year award.

In 2014 the Corvette Stingray was our winner. In 2015 it was the Volvo XC90. In 2016 the Acura NSX captured the trophy. And for 2017 we chose the Porsche Panamera. As with 2016 and 2017, we stuck with our lineup of 15 finalists for this year.

Our esteemed finalists are the vehicles — from sedans to supercars to SUVs — that impressed us most. They're the best of the best and were selected after a year of test-driving and reviewing more than 60 cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and sports cars.

To be eligible, a model must be new or have been substantially updated within the past year, and it must have been road tested by at least two members of the Business Insider team.

In 2018, senior correspondent Matt DeBord and senior reporter Ben Zhang shared the majority of reviewing duties, with news editor Bryan Logan lending a hand on the West Coast. Images were contributed by Hollis Johnson, Business Insider's photo editor, and Jessica Tyler, our visual-features reporter.

Our methodology is straightforward, focused on basic questions:

Is there a strong business case for the vehicle?
Did our reviewers agree that the vehicle should be included? We have to come to a consensus, even though we might disagree on some particulars.
Was the vehicle objectively excellent? There has to be some sort of wow! factor.
Did the vehicle stand out from the sea of competition, particularly when it comes to technology? A Car of the Year finalist has to be special.
Can we strongly recommend buying or leasing the car? We demand to know whether we'd buy the vehicle ourselves if we had the resources.

We'll announce the 2018 Car of the Year on November 19 and prepare you for the big event by revealing our five runners-up the week before. We'll also reveal who won Infotainment System of the Year and Audio System of the Year.

So here they are, the 15 finalists for Business Insider's 2018 Car of the Year:

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation features

2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante

Engine tested: 4.0-liter, twin-turbo, 503-horsepower V8

Base price: $219,000

Why it's here: The Volante followed our experience with the Coupé, a Car of the Year finalist in 2017.

The Volante lacked the Coupé's V12 engine, but it didn't disappoint.

DeBord wrote in his review:

"The DB11 Volante doesn't feel lighter or friskier than the Coupé — it has that same extremely purposeful vibe, supremely confident going fast in a straight line accompanied by a throaty roar of combustion through the dual exhaust pipes, supremely confident diving into corners, supremely confident racing away from semis on the highway, supremely confident just cruising through the New Jersey suburbs (well, as supremely confident as a car can be in that environment)."

Oh, and the Aston Martin DB11 Volante is absolutely gorgeous.

2018 Audi RS3

Engine tested: 2.5-liter, 400-horsepower, turbocharged five-cylinder

Base price: $54,900

Why it's here: "The Audi RS3 is simply astounding," Zhang wrote in his review of the 2018 Audi RS3 2.5T quattro S tronic.

"It's brilliant not just as a performance machine, but also as a compact luxury sedan. It's both a predatory animal lurking in the tall grasses, ready to pounce at a moment's notice, and a warm, comforting friend."

Zhang's verdict was clear: "We were blown away by the S3's style, comfort, and performance back in 2015. With the RS3, Audi and Audi Sport have simply taken things to the next level."

2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

Engine tested: 6.5-liter, 789-horsepower V12

Base price: $335,000

Why it's here: In his review of the 812 Superfast, DeBord had this to say about his new favorite Ferrari:

"At the legal speed limit in the 812 Superfast, you've barely roused the beast. On the freeway, you can finesse the throttle to dance the 6.5-liter under the hood — a bump in displacement from the F12's 6.3-liter — enjoying the snarls and growls, or you can shift gears yourself, using the elegant carbon-fiber paddles behind the steering wheel, and feel the snaps and jerks, the kicks to your spine and sternum, as you deploy the G-forces."

For what it's worth, this glorious machine was also Business Insider's first yellow Ferrari, and at an as-tested price of $474,000, it was one of the most expensive vehicles we've ever reviewed.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider