First of all, you shouldn't tell people how to to vote, or who to vote for.
That defeats the purpose of an unbiased poll.
As much as I'd like a GM product to win, if it doesn't, I'm not going to kill myself.
When I think of "car of the year", I look at it as "What sets the trend for all other cars like it, to compete with it". What car will make other manufacturers step it up a notch. I also think it should be a car that most people can afford.
The XLR, as good as it is, does not really beat the Mercedes SL in terms of performance, style, quality or function (though it comes pretty close). Again with the Malibu. It's Chevy's best try at Camry/Accord/Altima, but it hasn't broken any new ground.
My vote went to the F150.
As for the 350Z, it was eligible LAST year.