CHICAGO -

Combining feedback from its own site as well as its Facebook page, Cars.com handed out its first Shoppers’ Choice Award on Thursday. The vehicle coming out on top among a total of 10 finalists consisting mostly of domestic models was the Ford Mustang.

The Mustang topped two other units from Ford as well as vehicles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. Cars.com explained the finalists were selected based on key shopping indicators and owner feedback on the site, including leads to dealers, vehicle searches and volume, as well as quality of consumer vehicle reviews collected.

Additionally, site executives pointed out thousands of consumer votes via the Cars.com’s Facebook page were tallied, and the Ford Mustang rose above the other contenders as the Shoppers’ Choice Award winner. 

The 10 finalists for the Shoppers’ Choice Award were (in alphabetical order):

—Cadillac Escalade

—Chevrolet Corvette

—Chevrolet Silverado 2500

—Ford Expedition

—Ford Fusion

—Ford Mustang

—Mazda6

—Nissan Murano

—Subaru Impreza

—Toyota Prius

“The Mustang is — and has always been — an iconic car with a loyal following,” declared Patrick Olsen, editor in chief of Cars.com.

“Over the years it has remained a high-quality, fun car to own, and it’s no surprise it won,” Olsen continued. “Ford should be proud of this win because it’s a direct recommendation from Mustang owners.”

The site mentioned finalists were selected based on shopping behavior from September 2009 through August 2010. Consumer voting started Oct. 15 and continued through Nov. 15 via the Cars.com’s Facebook page.

The winning vehicle was announced at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

“Being a finalist is a huge accomplishment,” Olsen added.

“Not only are these cars noteworthy in the minds of Cars.com’s shoppers, they also had to meet the highest standards when it came to feedback from our consumer reviewers,” he went on to say. “Only the cars with the highest ratings on our site were in contention for this award.”