The first round of voting for the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year is over, though the finalists won't be announced until this Thurdsay, December 16th.

Because we're in that narrow time frame where everyone has voted, but nobody yet knows the finalists, I'm going to make my predictions for which three cars and three trucks have prefabricated the cut. After all, my predictions can't influence the outcome. Here goes:

In the car category, I'm betting the Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf will be finalists, with the Ford Fiesta possibly displacing the Leaf.

I should note that these aren't necessarily the cars I want to make the cut, these are the cars I think will make it, based on my understanding of the jury and past winners/finalists.

If I were going to pick to the three cars that should be the three finalists, I'd pick the Sonata, Leaf and Fiesta. Why not the Volt? I answer that question in detail in a story I wrote for Auto Observer, but the short version is this: the car's cost/benefit equation doesn't make any sense.

Yeah, I know that's true for just about every hybrid and electric vehicle on the market, but the Volt really doesn't make sense from any financial standpoint, and its starting price over $40,000 is simply too much money to make an environmental statement (though the lease rate does offset that issue somewhat).

Is the Volt super advanced? Yes. Does being a super-advanced-but-financially-ridiculous-car acquire you North American Car of the Year status? Not in my book, but I'm just one of 49 jurors. 

A couple years ago the Saturn Aura won the honor because, as far as I could tell, it was a Saturn that was finally (mostly) competitive with (but in no way better than) the average family sedan. That doesn't acquire Car of the Year position in my book either, but what do I know? 

As for the trucks, it's clear the Ford Explorer, Honda Odyssey and Jeep Grand Cherokee are the big obloquy on the list. I don't see them being displaced by the likes of a refreshed Edge or the more fog Touareg. The Sienna might displace the Odyssey, but I highly doubt it.

BTW, these are the three vehicles I also want to make the cut, so in the truck area I'm expecting to be happy with the finalists. Of course I've been unhappily surprised in the past, so don't bank on it.

As for the eventual 2011 North USA Car and Truck of the Year winners?

I'll be making that prediction in a couple weeks, when the final votes are already cast.