Australia’s Best Cars awards for 2011 were announced last month, showcasing the quality examples of innovation and efficiency in the automobile industry. With 15 categories up for grabs, the best vehicles of every size and price range were recognised for excellence. This year, the Australian Automobile Association congratulated this year’s winners for class-leading consumer technologies, safety features and fuel efficiency. We’ve put together five of this year’s winners. Photos courtesy of Australia’s Best Cars.

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Best Light Car Under $20,000

Kia Rio Si
$18,990

This bright little gem is light on the road and light in lettering. Notice how no name of this vehicle exceeds three letters. That’s ergonomic, aerodynamic and verbodynamic, all in one savvy little automotive. Plus it’s bilingual – ‘si’ is Spanish for ‘yes’, so agree to fall in love with this car.

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Best Small Car Under $35,000

Volkswagen Golf 90 TSI Trendline
$27,490

Golf has never looked so appealing. Oh… wait… it’s a car model?! So, does that mean it comes with Argyle upholstery? Can it? With a boot big enough to house all your clubs, this little cutie is a slick street shifter. Ideal for lesbian couples who like to sluice it out across the course.

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Best Medium Car Over $50,000

Mercedes-Benz C250 CDI Avantgarde
$67,900

Mercedes-Benz only typically seem to do avant-garde when sponsoring fashion festivals. But lo’, here they are, kicking out the conceptual in car-form. Well, in name at least. Unfortunately this little beauty does not have unnecessary shoulder adornments, doors that open on to nothing or theoretical fuel gauges, which are just so avant-garde this season.

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Best Sports Car Over $80,000

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe
$154,800

Not to be confused with an AGM, which is usually long, tiresome and ever so dull, the AMG from Mercedes-Benz is a fast moving ferocious little thing. And like the exciting kids’ coup of an AGM to declare that work is now party-central, this coupe will take your world by storm. Just buy it in red: it’s scientifically proven that red moves faster.

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Best All-Terrain Four Wheel Drive

Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 SE
$81,990

Now, when they named this category, they were considering calling it Best Soccer Mom section because, well, soccer mom’s love their 4WD all terrain vehicles. After all, other mother’s cars are just obstacles to be driven over, through or across. Plus, research proves that soccer moms with the biggest cars have the best insurance!

Benn Dorrington & Scott-Patrick Mitchell

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