Editors at trade magazine WardsAuto have picked the 10 best car interiors for 2012, a list that ranges from the Chevrolet Sonic subcompact to the three-row Infiniti JX35 SUV. Ward's, best known for awarding the "10 Best Engines" each year, surveyed the interiors of 40 new cars based on design, fit-and-finish, and comfort.

We can't vouch for all of these winners -- three of them aren't yet on sale -- but we can't disagree, either. Note one thing: fancy touch-sensitive dashboards like on the upcoming Cadillac XTS and Lincoln MKZ are not mentioned here.

Read on for the full list, and then compare our shorter list of new and used vehicles with similarly great interiors.

Audi A7

The A7's interior "manages to be every bit as dramatic and inviting as the sheet metal," Ward's said. When fitted with matte finish wood and live traffic maps from the pop-up LCD, it's superb.

Chevrolet Sonic

The new Sonic is out to brush away the rancid flavors of the old Aveo. "In the old days, when you drove an inexpensive Chevrolet, you felt as if the entire car was giving you the finger," said Craig Fitzgerald of The Boston Globe. Not this one.

Chrysler 300 Luxury

This top-end 300 (pictured in the lead image, above left) features two-tone leathers and plenty of soft touch points. "If Bentley sold an affordable family sedan, it would look like the 300 Luxury," Ward's said.

Dodge Dart

Ward's sums up this new Dodge compact nicely: "All for $21,485, the Dart includes a heated steering wheel, aggressively bolstered front seats, Nappa leather, navigation, dual-zone climate control and a 7-in. (18-cm) display."

Hyundai Accent

"The Accent arrived with a $15,925 sticker, which we double-checked for a typo because this interior shows incredible attention to detail," Ward's said.

Hyundai Azera

The Azera is Hyundai's Toyota Avalon. It's just a smidgen bigger than the Sonata and a little bit nicer on the inside. It's "proof there is no substitute for premium materials."

Infiniti JX35

Infiniti, with its glittery woods and wavy stitching, designs some very unique interiors these days. There is plenty of that in the new JX.

Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 is Mazda's smaller replacement for the CX-7, and editors at Ward's liked the "restrained, straightforward interior."

Range Rover Evoque

Inside or out, the Evoque has won more than 100 awards since it came out late last year. The standard glass roof and soft leathers don't shortchange the Range Rover feel, despite a price that's thousands less than the bigger Sport.

Volkswagen Beetle

Simple and cute. Oh, we're not supposed to use that word around the 2012 Beetle. Well, it's not manly, either, but it's one of the easiest -- and roomiest -- interiors around.

[Source: WardsAuto]