About 60 judges, including Globe Drive's Jeremy Sinek, evaluated more than 40 vehicles and have announced the top three finalists in each category.
The announcement was made just ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins this week.
To be eligible for the short list, the vehicle must be new or substantially changed and must be a popular seller.
The Honda Civic and Volvo XC90 won last year.
The winners will be announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
