Scott Burgess: The Detroit News Car and Truck of the Year

Audi A3 TDI, Ford Transit Connect are best of 2009

Years don't come much tougher than 2009.

Unemployment, bailouts, bridge loans and Wall Street. And now, this whole Tiger Woods thing seems to put an exclamation point on the year. So many things that meant one thing in January mean something completely different in December.

Companies and consumers around the world have learned to lower their expectations and live within their means. That's been one of the most important criteria in measuring the value of many of the new cars and trucks introduced in 2009. Some new vehicles stretched the imagination of consumers. Others found new needs to fill and better ways to perform on the road.

The Detroit News Car and Truck of the Year: The 2010 Audi A3 TDI and the 2010 Ford Transit Connect.

Both vehicles carve out a new space in the automotive world, a difficult task when there are more than 300 nameplates parked around the country. But both of these vehicles offer versatility, efficient engines and affordable prices.

Car of the Year

In a world of growing hybrids and the soon-to-arrive electrics, one of the oldest types of engines still continues to push the globe forward: the diesel.

But Audi AG's little 2-liter direct injection turbo diesel is not much like anything Rudolf's namesake might remember. This little four-banger cranks out 230 pound-feet of driver-friendly torque. If the world really wants to get over itself and start to select cars with significantly better fuel efficiency and drivable power, it's going to have to realize the technology is already here.

Maybe the world didn't see it because the A3 TDI is just so much fun to drive. The six-speed automatic transmission is butter from first to sixth, and the car's road-handling skills are an absolute joy. The car bites into corners and shoots out of them.

Better yet, it's an Audi and the interior reflects the luxury carmaker's growing reputation for excellent execution and style. But there's another kind of luxury the A3 TDI offers: practicality. The A3 TDI has the length of a wagon and nearly 20 cubic feet of space behind the second row. Drop those 60/40 folding seats and load up the flat-screen TV or anything else you want.

The 2010 Audi A3 TDI may not usher in a new age of dieseloveability, but it should.

The rest of the best cars

• 2010 Toyota Prius: The third-generation Toyota Prius is the best of the bunch. Not only did its combined gas mileage jump to 50 mpg, its vastly improved interior, more taut suspension and slightly larger size make this car practical. While many carmakers continue to push out new hybrids, only one remains truly popular: the Toyota Prius.

• 2010 Cadillac CTS Wagon: It's the Cadillac I most want to have in my driveway. Lushly smooth, it has all the versatility of an SUV but offers great gas mileage. Its road manners are impeccable, and you forget it's a wagon until you look in the rearview mirror.

• 2010 Kia Soul: Funky, stylish and not a bad ride. Add to that a price tag starting under $14,000, and Kia hits a home run with this urban cruiser that's affordable and fun. It highlights all of the features a young buyer might want or at least an owner who wants to feel young. The ride is solid. Its small size but big space makes it an ideal vehicle for a young adult who needs to pack up his apartment in a hurry.

• 2010 Mazda3: The Mazda3 used to fall under the cheap and cheerful compacts. But when the redesigned 2010 model arrived this year, it showcased a new engine, a family resemblance to the Mazda6 and a serious interior. There's nothing cheap about this sedan or hatchback. It's fast, fun to drive, and can hit 33 miles per gallon on the highway. The revamped interior makes it feel much more luxurious than its $16,000 starting price tag suggests.

Truck of the Year

The 2010 Ford Transit Connect has no competition, at least not yet.

Ford Motor Co. brought the popular European little truck to the United States to the great appreciation of small-business owners around the country.

With its sliding second-row doors and easily configurable shell, it has nearly limitless flexibility. Ford has worked with a few outfitters to provide businesses with the ability to customize each van to suit individual needs.

Unlike bigger vans or pickups, the Transit Connect still manages to get 22 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

It has a starting price of $21,475; a fully outfitted vehicle costs less than $30,000.

Ford also provides the Transit Connect with its Work Solutions package, an array of helpful high-tech tools that can make a small business that much more efficient. And nowadays, every penny counts. Not every business needs to tow 15,000 pounds or load two tons in the bed of a truck. But any construction worker will tell you that the most important thing to have is the right tool for the right job. And for many businesses, the Transit Connect will do the job better than anything else.

The rest of the best trucks

• 2010 Dodge Ram 2500: When Chrysler Group LLC added all of the good looks and functionality to the Dodge Ram 1500, it only made sense to do the same thing to its heavy-duty trucks. The new Ram 2500 loses its cramped Quad Cab and adds a true Crew Cab as well as all of those great features found in the 1500. The Ram 2500 has a beautiful look and the power to match. It's world-class.

• 2010 Audi Q5: Luxurious, powerful and an absolute blast to drive, the Audi Q5 enters the luxury sport small crossover segment like a bull in a parking lot full of sheep. It has a distinctive wide stance and looks that stand out in a sea of five-passenger crossovers.

• 2010 Chevrolet Equinox: This may be the small crossover to beat in 2010. Its 32 mpg highway mileage, comfortable interior and well-thought-out features make it an instant contender with the likes of the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. Its low starting price will also put it on many people's shopping list.

• 2010 Cadillac SRX: It's world-class through and through. Following the splendid interiors of the CTS, the second-generation SRX replaces its boxy look with a more family friendly face that is pure Cadillac. It's also one of the few Cadillacs to ever find its high performance engine arriving in a smaller displacement, a 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.

See, 2009 really did turn the world upside down.

Here's looking to 2010 and the end of 2009. While the cars and trucks have been fantastic this year, you can have the rest of 2009. Good riddance.