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CNET's 2006 Car Tech Awards

At CNET Car Tech, we look at cars a little differently than a typical car publication. Instead of asking, "How quickly can it go from 0 to 60?" we ask, "Where can I plug in my MP3 player?" and "Will my cell phone work with this car?" Over the last year we've reviewed the tech credentials of more than 80 cars. Now it's time to see which automaker is best in tune with tech-savvy buyers with our 2006 Car Tech Awards. This year, we have four categories: Best Navigation System, Best Audio System, Best Communicator, and the overall Tech Car of the Year. Here are the winners.
Tech Car of the Year
We reviewed the cars we've tested this year and came up with 10 nominees for Tech Car of the Year. Each nominee includes as standard our tech trifecta of GPS navigation, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and a great stereo system. We also looked for cars with advanced power trains, such as hybrids or variable-valve timing, and other high-tech platform elements.
2006 Tech Car of the Year

2007 Lexus LS 460L
2007 Lexus LS 460L
Best Navigation System
The majority of the cars we review have built-in navigation systems. For our Best Navigation System award, we picked five nominees with clearly superior navigation systems.
Winner - Best Navigation System

2006 Acura RDX
2006 Acura RDX
Best Audio System
Amazing audio quality is a big part of this award, and we've certainly heard some great systems in this year's cars. As part of our award for Best Audio System, we've also looked for MP3 compatibility and intuitive audio controls.
Winner - Best Audio System

2006 Lincoln Zephyr
2006 Lincoln Zephyr
Best Communicator
For this category, the title says it all--we've narrowed our list to determine the top five communicating cars. These cars come with voice command systems as well as Bluetooth cell phone integration. While many of our nominees include both, some are exemplary in one or the other area.
Winner - Best Communicator

2007 BMW 335i
2007 BMW 335i