Most significant cars of the 00's: POLL

[rohan]

The Mustang, HHR, and most retro vehicles. The PT made it popular.

Nope.  Ford was going with "retro" elements in 94 on the mustang.  They made big deal out of the styling on that style being "harking back to the 64" with the side vents and the open horse grill and so on.  Ford wins the "first to retro" award.  It was mild but it was retro.

[Onslaught]

Nope.  Ford was going with "retro" elements in 94 on the mustang.  They made big deal out of the styling on that style being "harking back to the 64" with the side vents and the open horse grill and so on.  Ford wins the "first to retro" award.  It was mild but it was retro.

Ford can say that all they want. But I never saw it.

[rohan]

It wasnt' a retro like the new ones are but it does have some of those styling markers but like I said it's a mild retro.  How old are you Onslaught?  Reason is I was really into the mustang then.

[the Teuton]

Ford can say that all they want. But I never saw it.

They really did. It was a modern take on an old design.



With a bunch of this thrown in, too, of course.

[JWC]

Nope.  Ford was going with "retro" elements in 94 on the mustang.  They made big deal out of the styling on that style being "harking back to the 64" with the side vents and the open horse grill and so on.  Ford wins the "first to retro" award.  It was mild but it was retro.

Well, Dodge trucks did come out first, but which one was off the design table first, I don't know.  The only thing I found "retro" on the 90's era Mustang was the 69/70 style dash.  I can see where Ford was trying to keep its Mustang loyalists though...especially after the Mustang/Probe disaster.

[Onslaught]

It wasnt' a retro like the new ones are but it does have some of those styling markers but like I said it's a mild retro.  How old are you Onslaught?  Reason is I was really into the mustang then.

36 years, 24 days and about 12 hours or so.

[rohan]

So you're not that much younger than me.  I remember the TV adds talking about how it "harkend back" to old mustangs and so on and so on.  They made a big deal out of it.  I just couldn't afford one but man I wanted one sooooo bad.  LOL  Reason I asked is I wondered if you remembered those commercials?

[rohan]

Well, Dodge trucks did come out first, but which one was off the design table first, I don't know.  The only thing I found "retro" on the 90's era Mustang was the 69/70 style dash.  I can see where Ford was trying to keep its Mustang loyalists though...especially after the Mustang/Probe disaster.

And I don't remember that being sold as a retro look I just remember thinking how cool it looked and how nice it was to not see a truck with a square front end.  Not saying it wasn't I just don't remember it I wasn't into trucks then but I did like it! 

[Onslaught]

So you're not that much younger than me.  I remember the TV adds talking about how it "harkend back" to old mustangs and so on and so on.  They made a big deal out of it.  I just couldn't afford one but man I wanted one sooooo bad.  LOL  Reason I asked is I wondered if you remembered those commercials?

Hell, I work for them so I know all about their adds. I just never really thought it was as retro as others did.

[rohan]

OH!  I see what you mean now.  

[hotrodalex]

Escalade, Prius, '05 Mustang

Escalade is a symbol of America during the mid 00's. Excessive and bling-bling. Also part of the SUV craze.

Prius is for obvious reasons.

'05 Mustang - this was my hardest choice. There were a couple that could have taken its place, but I went with it because it helped the pony car and retro styling make a comeback.

[sportyaccordy]

Wow, it just hit me how much the last 10 years have sucked.

Compared to what?

[2o6]

Compared to what?

Cars of the 90's weren't exactly good. And the 80's was a terrible decade.

[sportyaccordy]

Cars of the 90's weren't exactly good. And the 80's was a terrible decade.

2o6 we have been through this.

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=20162.0

[2o6]

2o6 we have been through this.

http://www.carspin.net/forums/index.php?topic=20162.0

Plebian cars sucked.

[sportyaccordy]

Plebian cars sucked.

Well, to a large degree they still do.

The 83 GTI was pretty plebian, but it did not suck. Neither did most of the Civic Sis.  The Contour was pretty good as well.

The proportion of cool to lame plebian cars hasn't changed much in the past 30 years.

[2o6]

Well, to a large degree they still do.

The 83 GTI was pretty plebian, but it did not suck. Neither did most of the Civic Sis.  The Contour was pretty good as well.

The proportion of cool to lame plebian cars hasn't changed much in the past 30 years.

They're a lot more plush comfortable and capable then they used to be. Even the terrible Caliber is still a good car in comparison to old cars.


Besides, almost every car has some sport version. (Hard to believe, right?) The only one that doesn't have one in the compact class is the Elantra.

[SVT666]

The Mustang, HHR, and most retro vehicles. The PT made it popular.

The Mustang started with retro styling cues back in '94.

[JWC]

The Mustang started with retro styling cues back in '94.

Now that I'm sober, I have to agree with the original statement about the PT "making it popular". Though I'd have to add  it was also designed and built during the retro-comeback of the VW Beetle concept car and coincided with its introduction.  The VW concept dates back to 1995 and appeared in VW magazines in 1996.  It generated a lot of excitement at the time, though hard-core air cooled enthusiasts have since panned it and as a Beetle wannabe.  The general public loved it. 

[ifcar]

They're a lot more plush comfortable and capable then they used to be. Even the terrible Caliber is still a good car in comparison to old cars.


Besides, almost every car has some sport version. (Hard to believe, right?) The only one that doesn't have one in the compact class is the Elantra.

Hard to believe, because it isn't true.

And the Caliber isn't better than past economy cars. It's just a different type of vehicle that's worse in a great many ways.

[SVT666]

Now that I'm sober, I have to agree with the original statement about the PT "making it popular". Though I'd have to add  it was also designed and built during the retro-comeback of the VW Beetle concept car and coincided with its introduction.  The VW concept dates back to 1995 and appeared in VW magazines in 1996.  It generated a lot of excitement at the time, though hard-core air cooled enthusiasts have since panned it and as a Beetle wannabe.  The general public loved it. 

The New Beetle generated a lot of excitement at first, but that excitement tailed off after just a couple years.  I'm still surprised it sold as many as it did.  Personally I don't think it did the original justice.

[2o6]

The New Beetle generated a lot of excitement at first, but that excitement tailed off after just a couple years.  I'm still surprised it sold as many as it did.  Personally I don't think it did the original justice.

That's what I said about the 500, but we all learn to love, right?

[Tave]

I feel like we won't know the answer to this question for a few more years, and I wanted to vote for the 300C and PT Cruiser, but Chrysler's current circumstances make that impossible. In the end I picked two fairly conservative choices: the Prius and the WRX, based on the success of Subaru and just the general noise surrounding the Toyota. I also picked one darkhorse: the Genesis, because I predict that Hyundai will continue to thrive, and I think the Genesis will mark Hyundai's entrance to the world market as something more than a budget marquee.

[sportyaccordy]

That's what I said about the 500, but we all learn to love, right?

The 500 is at least comparable in footprint & general idea to the original

The Beetle was, IIRC, longer + taller than a Golf, and just a generally poorly designed car.

[ChrisV]

How is the prius significant? Trendy doesn't = significant.   

"Trendy" would not be significant if it was FOLLOWING a trend. But setting the trend that is expanding annually IS significant. There have been economy cars before, but few have been significant or trendSETTING. The Prius is both, whether we like the cars or not.

I'ld throw out the argument that the whole Shelby charger/laser group started the craze.  (but only for you guys to have something more to debate)

Sure, we can debate it, as the Shelby stuff was just copying what had already been happening in Europe and even japan (the Civic S was available before the Shelby stuff, too), going back to not just the GTI (which had been in Europe before we got it here in '83), but the Scirocco S, the Fiesta S (and it's FIA rallye variants), and of course, the car that really put the FWD 2 box layout on the map, the original Mini (and specifically, the 1275 Mini Cooper S that wone racing competitions since the '60s). The shelby stuff was actually a Johnny Come Lately to the party.

[ChrisV]

You guys know I love the PT, but I can't consider it a significant influence on the market, just the right car at the right time. It was finally a small, tall wagon that sold good. I can't even really say it influenced teh HHR, because the same two guys were responsible for both. I'd call an influence something that made OTHER peopel follow the trend, or style a car similarly, not simply a couple guys trying to repeat their own previous success.

[Onslaught]

Compared to what?

The 90's. I like cars from the 80's and 90's more then then safety wagons we have now.
Looking at that list I only see a handful of cars I even like.

[2o6]

The 90's. I like cars from the 80's and 90's more then then safety wagons we have now.
Looking at that list I only see a handful of cars I even like.

Ok. 

[Onslaught]

Ok. 

Let me be clear on one thing. I'm not saying I think cars made in those days are better quality. For the most part the ones now are better made.
I just don't really like many cars out now.  I can only think of 4-5 in my price range I'd even look at. And I don't love any of them.

[2o6]

Let me be clear on one thing. I'm not saying I think cars made in those days are better quality. For the most part the ones now are better made.
I just don't really like many cars out now.  I can only think of 4-5 in my price range I'd even look at. And I don't love any of them.

I understand.


We all like what we all like.


I like the French cars, and they're notoriously unreliable. But I like them.