CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com, the
leading online resource for buying and selling new and used cars,
today released a list of the top 10 most iconic cars of the past 25
years. The site's experts compiled the list based on cars that set
trends, have unusually expressive styling, performance under the
hood and other factors that make these some of the most memorable
cars to date.
"Aside from Hollywood, there's
no industry that creates as many icons as the car business," said
Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's
Editor-in-Chief. "With so many to choose from, we decided to narrow
our focus to cars from the past 25 years, and we looked at which
cars truly made a statement." These 10 cars span a wide array of
car types and styles, but the one thing they all have in common is
the symbolic place they hold in automotive history. The Top 10 Most
Iconic Cars and reasons for selection according to Cars.com experts
are:
- Toyota Prius (2004-2009): No other car is more
responsible for popularizing the green-driving movement than the
second-generation Toyota Prius hybrid. The Prius' 46 combined mpg
rating translates to lower fuel costs. There are plenty of hybrid
competitors today, but the Prius paved the way for them all.
- Mazda MX-5 Miata (1990-1997): Ask a car person to name a
small, sporty roadster that won't bust your budget and chances are
good they'll say the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Whether you're looking for a
fun convertible or an entertaining driving experience, the Miata
has been a go-to source for years.
- Volkswagen New Beetle (1998-2010): The original VW
Beetle has to be part of the conversation when considering the most
iconic cars of all time, and its modern-day successor,
the New Beetle, has managed to carve out its own niche as an icon
by making retro design cool.
- Ford Mustang (2005-2009): Ford had a big swing and a
miss with the retro-themed 2002 Thunderbird, but the automaker was
considerably more successful with the fifth-generation Mustang,
which brought a number of classic Mustang design cues back to
Ford's long-running muscle car. It also opened the door for
Chevrolet and Dodge to field retro-inspired competitors.
- Dodge Viper RT/10 (1992-1995): From its bold styling to
its thumping V-10 engine, the first-generation Viper was both
over-the-top and elemental, and few cars since have possessed its
single-minded performance focus. Until the Viper, exotic
performance cars had mainly hailed from the other side of the
Atlantic, but that all changed with the Viper's debut.
- Jeep Wrangler (1987-1995): Jeep is an iconic American
brand, and its most iconic model is the Wrangler, which to this day
is still reminiscent of the original World War II jeeps. As the
Wrangler has grown up, it's become more refined (especially in
recent years), but it remains one of the purest expressions of
off-road performance you can buy.
- Mini Cooper (2002-2006): A modern interpretation of the
classic Mini, the Cooper was an entirely new, premium take on the
small-car formula. Fun-to-drive, quirky and with seemingly endless
ways to personalize it, the Mini Cooper showed that Americans
weren't dead to the idea of small cars. It also countered another
trend at the time that the next car on the list exemplifies.
- Hummer H2 (2003-2009): Before the Great Recession,
bigger was definitely better in the car business, and there weren't
many things bigger than the Hummer H2. A military-styled SUV built
on GM's full-size truck platform, the H2 was a rolling salute to
conspicuous consumption. What it wasn't, was efficient, and when
gas prices hit the $4 mark, the
tough-truck fad faded, and the H2 -- along with the entire Hummer
brand -- met its demise.
- Ford Explorer (1991-1994): No other vehicle is as
responsible for bringing SUVs into the mainstream as the Ford
Explorer. It gave families that had been packed into practical but
boring minivans, wagons and sedans the rugged looks and go-anywhere
capability of a truck, along with room for lots of passengers and
cargo.
- Pontiac Aztek (2001-2005): Few cars have been ridiculed
as mercilessly as the Pontiac Aztek. It's been the biggest punch
line in the automotive world since its debut at the dawn of the new
millennium, but this has also elevated it to iconic status. Its
car-based, unibody construction foreshadowed the now-popular
crossover segment.
More information on iconic cars and other Top 10's can be found
here or at http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/top_10s/.
ABOUT CARS.COM
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that offers information from consumers and experts to help buyers
formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay
for a car. Cars.com offers thousands of new and used vehicle
listings, consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison tools, photo
galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and many other tools
to take the drama out of car shopping. Cars.com puts millions of
car buyers in control of their shopping process with the
information they need to make confident buying decisions. Launched
in June 1998, Cars.com is a division
of Classified Ventures LLC, which is owned by leading media
companies, including A.H. Belo
(NYSE: AHC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company
(NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:
WPO).
SOURCE Cars.com