Jill Ciminillo, a renowned journalist from the United States, reinforces the U.S. presence at WWCOTY.

Ciminillo is currently a contributor editor for Consumer Guide Automotive  and Managing Editor for Pickup Truck + SUV Talk. She also hosts car reviews on the Pickup Truck + SUV Talk YouTube Channel and co-hosts a radio show/podcast through Consumer Guide Automotive. In addition to that, she maintains her own social media platforms.

Ciminillo started writing about cars in 2001. From the beginning, she decided to keep her articles in a casual, non-enthusiast-based style, writing for the average consumer. As media has evolved during the past 20 years, she went from print newspapers to online blogging, to broadcast, to social media, to YouTube – trying to hit consumers where they want to get information. She has loved experimenting and trying the new media as it emerges, and she is usually a very early adopter. Her motto is: Adapt to how people consume media or retire. She is not ready to retire. Though she is a classically trained print newspaper journalist, she has loved growing and exploring new ways to create content and show new cars to more people.

One of the biggest reasons I’m excited to become a Women’s World Car of the Year juror is because the organization looks at vehicles the way I’ve tried to review them from the beginning of my career: the way a normal consumer looks at them. It’s not about 0-to-60-MPH times and gear ratios, it’s about quality, safety, design and easy-to-use tech. To align with women throughout the world to find the best vehicles available each year is both a huge honor and an awesome responsibility, says Ciminillo.

The United States is a country of big roads and big cars. Pickup trucks and large SUVs rule the roost, and small cars and sedans are starting to go away in favor of small SUVs. Car culture is huge in the U.S. and most people outside of large cities can’t get around without having a car. In fact, nearly 92% of households have at least one car, and 22% of households have three or more vehicles.

The U.S. is vitally important to the Detroit Three automakers (Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford), but is also a very important market for trucks.

Americans like a good deal. Companies like Kia and Hyundai are gaining momentum as more buyers discover that these Korean companies are not the same cheap car automakers they once were. The competition is excellent for the U.S. Market, as it has forced every automaker to take its vehicles to the next level.

While there is an appetite for electric vehicles, middle America is especially resistant as the charging infrastructure is currently very poor for traveling long distances. Americans love their road trips, and until more chargers are available, the uptake will be slow.

About Women’s World Car of the Year
Women’s World Car of the Year is the only car awards group in the world comprised exclusively of women motoring journalists. It was created by New Zealand motoring journalist Sandy Myhre in 2009. She is Honorary President while Marta García is Executive President. 

This unique award aims to recognise the best cars of the year and to give a voice to women in the automotive world. The voting criteria are based on the same principles that guide any driver when choosing a car. The jurors do not select a ‘woman’s car’ because cars are not gender specific. Aspects such as safety, quality, price, design, ease of driving, benefits and environmental footprint, among others, are considered when casting the votes.

However, beyond choosing the best cars of the year, our goal is also to give visibility to women in the automotive world and to contribute to making women’s voices heard on all continents because mobility for a woman means access to many personal and professional possibilities.