Your Five Best Cars of the Past Decade

[ykX]

Saw this article on The Drive and thought it will be a good topic for our forum.

Post what were the Best Five Cars in your opinion (can be cars/suvs/trucks) for the past decade 2010-1019.

Can be only five.

Edited December 30, 2019 by ykX

[ccap41]

I know I'll screw up what's actually "the best".. I'll choose five of my favorites. I know it's kind of the same thing.. but not exactly. 

[William Maley]

6 hours ago, ykX said:

Saw this article on The Drive and thought it will be a good topic for our forum.

Post what were the Best Five Cars in your opinion (can be cars/suvs/trucks) for the past decade 2010-1019.

Can be only five.

Man, I have to think about this considering how many vehicles I consider to be "best"

[ccap41]

13 hours ago, William Maley said:

Man, I have to think about this considering how many vehicles I consider to be "best"

Exactly my thinking, haha. 

[oldshurst442]

These are my personal best cars of the last decade. "Best" in my case means different things. It may mean forever game changing  in the car world or it may mean the  bestest of the bestest in the quest for speed or it may mean simply the best and better than all the rest or it may mean what I like the best. 

 

1.  Tesla Model S.   

It truly changed the way the world views electric cars and it very well be the one and only electric car that ever existed in the history of EVs that all EVs are judged by and produced and manufactured and sold as. The absolute standard for EV cars going forward into the future and the only EV car ever that single handedly  made the ICE world change to ITS standard.  

 

2.  Dodge Challenger Hellcat. 

 For me, the bestest of the bestest of all muscle cars ever to grace our streets. The end all, be all of the muscle cars.  It made the modern horsepower wars fun like it was back in the good 'ole days (so Ive heard as I wasnt alive during that time). It made exotic supercars cars question themselves and the ONLY ICE car that keeps rabid EV and Tesla fanbois sleepless at night.   The Hellcat can keep up and actually surpass  the "ludicrously" crazy fast acceleration that Teslas are known for and the Hellcats (Demon) can do that non-stop with trick A/C cooling but that poor Tesla goes into limp mode and Viagara cant help it. When driving a Hellcat, Viagara is not needed as that V8 sound is seduction times a trillion.

 

3. Chevrolet SS

The closest an American car got to have the feels of the coveted BMW sport sedan persona. And not only did it achieve it, it out-BMWed it in this modern era as BMW themselves have lost it.  Although Cadillac also achieved this, I am more of a blue collar guy than a snooty 1%er.  Its too bad that Oldsmobile wasnt around to get a version of this as Olds would be more me than Chevy, however, the interior of the SS is more akin to a REAL  Oldsmobile interior than it is to Chevys, so there is that.  

And, more importantly...its still a muscle car. A very usably 4 door sedan muscle car. It retains that big cubed, high HP and high torque at low RPMs that muscle car V8s are known for under the hood. 

 

4. Ford F-150 Raptor

Surprisingly, Ive started changing my mind with fullsized pick-up trucks. Not that I hated them, but I was more of a car guy. I dont like CUVs,, but fullsized BOF SUVs or the Jeeps like Wrangler and Grand Cherokee is at my limits. But those fullsized pick-up trucks. They rock when I start to look at them without my biased car eyes.  Ive ALWAYS loved the muscle trucks and I always loved Big Foot.  So...with Big Foot in mind, the Raptor would be my best 2010-2019 vehicle.  Seeing that this last decade, no real muscle truck existed, but Ford did introduce a beast of an offroader fullsized pick-up WITH muscle car power under the hood. OK...the last gen got a turbo V6, but...its got the torque and HP numbers to make muscle cars shake in fear in their shoes  tires.  Dont forget though...GM's midsized muscle trucks of the early 1990s were turbo V6s too...

 

5. Ferrari  812 Superfast

It took me a loooong time to decide upon this one.  I wanted a Corvette. Or maybe the last Viper ever. But then I realized. The 812 Supefast IS a Corvette AND a Viper all in one while retaining its Ferrari greatness.

  6.5 liters.  396 or so cubic inches of 12 cylinder, 789 naturally aspirated HP madness.   What it lacks in torque, "only" 553 ft/lbs, it gains in outstanding acceleration runs, in crazy, muscle car like prowess in ride as its a GT car and not a track car which translates to what I love about muscle cars. In other words, Ferrari created, IN MY EYES,  an Italian version of a 1969 aluminum block 427 Corvette ZL-1, a 1996 Viper GTS coupe, with the finest Ferrari Italian leather in the interior with their latest and greatest V12.    The Viper is not with us anymore, the Corvette has gone down the European road of mid-engined , RWD engineering but...Ferrari has EMBRACED the "no replacement for displacement" muscle car mantra and upped its V12 to 396 cubic inches and retained the awesome long hood,/short deck, front engine/rear wheel drive layout.

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by oldshurst442

[frogger]

I haven't driven enough vehicles and would be basing it on what I've watched and read of other's opinions.  We now have a few Teslas in my extended family and my brother acquired a <40,000km P85d Model S a few weeks ago after shopping performance trims of various midsize Germans.  I drove it around the suburbs for about 20 minutes and it blew my socks off in most respects except interior material quality, and it is pretty much too fast off the line for me at full throttle (too easy to give myself motion sickness).

 

 

 

[ccap41]

GT350R

GT

G63 AMG

SLS AMG

911R

[William Maley]

I basically limited myself to vehicles I have driven over the past eight years (gawd, it's been that long?!).

• Chevrolet Impala (2016-Current)
• Ford Fiesta ST
• Hyundai Genesis/Genesis G80
• Lexus LC 500
• Volkswagen Golf GTI

[David]

2006 Escalade ESV Platinum, yes I still like it better than any newer version due to the type of seats it has.

2008 Trailblazer SS, still love it like the day I bought it.

2017 Trackhawk, son went with a different configuration, but love it.

2017 Buick Envision Premium

2019 Corvette ZR1, Yup love the car, even though I can barely fit.

[oldshurst442]

6 hours ago, dfelt said:

2006 Escalade ESV Platinum, yes I still like it better than any newer version due to the type of seats it has.

2008 Trailblazer SS, still love it like the day I bought it.

Not doubting your love for these vehicles.  Not discrediting you for your choices either, especially when you actually own them.

But...those would belong in the decade preceding the one that just just left us.  Happy New Year by the way!!! 

2010-2019...

 

 

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Not doubting your love for these vehicles.  Not discrediting you for your choices either, especially when you actually own them.

But...those would belong in the decade preceding the one that just just left us.  Happy New Year by the way!!! 

2010-2019... 

Yes, a decade is 10 years...so 2000-2009 and 2010-2019 are two separate decades, at least in this reality.   It is fascinating to realize that we are two decades into this century, and that 1999 was over 20 years ago...the last 20 years feel like they have gone by fast...

Edited January 1, 2020 by Robert Hall

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Yes, a decade is 10 years...so 2000-2009 and 2010-2019 are two separate decades, at least in this reality.   It is fascinating to realize that we are two decades into this century, and that 1999 was over 20 years ago...the last 20 years feel like they have gone by fast...

Same here.  The Y2K scare seems to me like it was yesterday...

I dont feel like Im 20 years older. But everything around me says otherwise.  I got married a couple years after Y2K and now my beautiful, blushing bride is a mom of two teenagers.  

I understand Mr. DFelt though, because after the new millennium, its easy to forget that 2006 is in a different decade than  2016. We still think in terms of "new millennium" and the 2000s...   We are 20 years removed, 2 decades removed,  from the year 2000, but we are still in the "new millennium" of the 2000s.  And still quite early in the 2000s.  When we pass this current decade and enter the 2030s, maybe then we will stop seeing the Y2Ks as the  "new millennium".  

Edited January 1, 2020 by oldshurst442

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Same here.  The Y2K scare seems to me like it was yesterday...

I dont feel like Im 20 years older. But everything around me says otherwise.  I got married a couple years after Y2K and now my beautiful, blushing bride is a mom of two teenagers.  

I understand Mr. DFelt though, because after the new millennium, its easy to forget that 2006 is in a different decade than  2016. We still think in terms of "new millennium" and the 2000s...   We are 20 years removed, 2 decades removed,  from the year 2000, but we are still in the "new millennium" of the 2000s. 

I look back on the late 90s as a period of adventure and growth with good and bad memories..I was in my late 20s, it was the end of my PhD dream/nightmare, breaking it off w/ my fiancee,  moving from Michigan to Colorado, the beginning of my corporate career, the death of my father...all in a span of about 30 months from mid 97 to late 99... followed by the early 00s with a period of career growth and adventure in startup companies (that both failed), my first experiences at consulting, etc..   

Looking forward to what the next decade brings..

[oldshurst442]

30 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I look back on the late 90s as a period of adventure and growth with good and bad memories..I was in my late 20s, it was the end of my PhD dream/nightmare, breaking it off w/ my fiancee,  moving from Michigan to Colorado, the beginning of my corporate career, the death of my father...all in a span of about 30 months from mid 97 to late 99... followed by the early 00s with a period of career growth and adventure in startup companies (that both failed), my first experiences at consulting, etc..   

Looking forward to what the next decade brings..

I see similarities in this with my life during the same time frame as yours.   Before I begin I would like to offer my condolences with the passing of your dad. 

The mid 1990s for me was just school and partying. Not taking life too seriously. But then in 1996-1997, never liking school because I couldnt do what I really wanted to do with my life, I too started my career in more or less in the same time frame as yours.  I opened up my restaurant. I dropped university to do so, never finishing and getting my degree (in marketing)I decided to work long and hard hours (in my own business at least) to compensate for the lack of a bachelors or even a masters degree. 

Another similarity being that I too, had dreams about my career path that never panned out the way I wanted so I had to settle for something else. That ultimately did pan out.  And Im assuming your career path is ultimately successful too from what Im understanding with our short conversations we have in these forums.  

I still partied hard  when I first opened up my restaurant as I was still a young man. And single. Boy, I wasnt mature during that time. Mature enough to own and manage and work my restaurant with my partner, and responsible enough not to blow all my money on partying and girls, but definitely not marriage material.  (this is where I may differ from you...and Im sorry your engagement to your fiance fell apart...but maybe for the better? ) Then the new millennium came and just like that, I was ready to settle down. And I met my now, wifey. My restaurant had established itself in the community as a great place for a quick bite to to eat and I was ready to be a man.  And I had to learn fast that a wife...is NOT your mommy...

I did have a hiccup along the way as I opened up a second restaurant.  A Greek and Italian cuisine themed restaurant, as opposed to this one which ia a fast food joint, that...failed.   This was a decade ago.  Like you, I had a "start-up" that failed...

My dad passed away in 2006, about a decade after your passing of your dad. 

Although my life may not have happened like yours exactly like yours, philosophically, its similar in a similar time frame.   

I too, am excited to see what the next decade will bring.

As long as we have, what the French call, "La joie de vivre" and we will both be fine.  

Edited January 1, 2020 by oldshurst442

[David]

12 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Not doubting your love for these vehicles.  Not discrediting you for your choices either, especially when you actually own them.

But...those would belong in the decade preceding the one that just just left us.  Happy New Year by the way!!! 

2010-2019...

 

 

DOHHHHHHHH 🤪

Where did the time fly again? Wow, sad that I cannot find more auto's to love in the last 10 years.

I am very excited about the EVs that are going to launch over the next 2 years and hopefully will have a new group of auto's to love and own.

[David]

Amazing to read that those of us with similar love of the auto industry also have similar career tracks.

I went and graduated from Medical school, had a close friend die in my arms and with the help of my Grandfather went to Osaka Japan to do an internship at Minolta Corporation. Was asked to stay as long as I went back to school, so got a degree from Kobe University in International Marketing and sales and fell in Love. Was denied as I was not Japanese, came home met the woman who became my wife via an introduction from my parents. Yes arranged marriage for this white guy to a Korean who has two amazing kids. Alex my son was 4 and Amy my daughter was 8. We are now 28 years and a few days later of marriage as we got married on Dec 24th.

Had my own business that went strong till the state changed the laws about CNG and sold it to a bigger company that could deal with the politics. Been part of multiple startups in the tech industry that have failed and been sold to bigger companies. Been at Dell Tech now for 9 years but via mergers as I went to Isilon Storage which was bought by EMC and merged with Dell to become Dell Tech. Longest place I have ever worked but love my job.

We all find out path in life with many interesting bumps and detours.

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!

Wishing you all a very exciting and prosperous year full of adventure.

Looking forward to the next 50 years. Yup that would make be 102 since I am just now Mid Life.

[ykX]

On 12/31/2019 at 7:02 PM, dfelt said:

2006 Escalade ESV Platinum, yes I still like it better than any newer version due to the type of seats it has.

2008 Trailblazer SS, still love it like the day I bought it.

2017 Trackhawk, son went with a different configuration, but love it.

2017 Buick Envision Premium

2019 Corvette ZR1, Yup love the car, even though I can barely fit.

The goal was to make list of the cars from the past decade, 2010 - 2019.  Your first two cars are not qualified.  

Opps, saw people pointed it out already, sorry

Edited January 2, 2020 by ykX

[David]

27 minutes ago, ykX said:

The goal was to make list of the cars from the past decade, 2010 - 2019.  Your first two cars are not qualified.  

Opps, saw people pointed it out already, sorry

Last 20 years blurred into 10  

[ykX]

So this is my list:

1. Tesla Model S - first really incredible and stylish electric car that started the revolution.

2. Ford Mustang GT/GT350 - in the last decade from just ok pony car transformed into a world class sports car.

3. Ferrari 458 Speciale - IMO probably one of the most beautiful supercars of the last decade with amazing performance.

4. Ford F-150/Raptor - king of trucks, period.

5. Toyota Highlander - the embodiment of our transition to a boring, practical crossovers and the death of a sedan/wagon.

Edited January 2, 2020 by ykX