Can You Identify All of the Best Cars and Trucks From This Decade?

It's hard not to admire the new Z4! The car itself has design hints that are a hat tip to early '80s models, with a pointy "shark" nosed hood, a refreshing break from the exaggerated grill designs BMW fans have become used to. In addition to a drastic redesign from the fifth-generation Z, the sixth generation has more suitable features for a convertible roadster, like a cloth convertible top and even more aggressive haunches.

Defined as a compact luxury crossover SUV, the Mini Countryman doesn't fit the bill of crossover nor SUV. The small in stature car might have the capabilities of an SUV, but at heart, it is nothing but a fun-loving coupe. Mini fans were shocked at the introduction of a four-door Mini, but it's selling well and delighting its owners.

Similar to the reception of the Macan, many Porsche purists were leery of loving the new Panamera, but it was hard not to let the sedan grow on you. As a sedan, the Panamera had roadster type handling around twisty mountain curves, but still offered a supple ride around the city. What set the Panamera ahead of other sedans of the time was a simplistic approach toward a luxury sedan.

Although Mike Torpey might not be a household name, in many ways he should be. Torpey was the brains behind the desk way back in 2005 when the Kia Soul started to take the recognizable form that we know today. The Soul was inspired after Torpey watched a documentary about boars, modeling much of its styling after a boar in a backpack. We'll bet you'll never look at a Kia Soul the same again!

The Nissan Leaf was a welcome and exciting peek through the window of the future in automotive ingenuity. Critics at first were hesitant to hop on the EV bandwagon, with most of the criticism revolving around the styling, not the actual performance of the car. The Leaf didn't waver, and Nissan continued to chisel away imperfections making it a truly great electric four-door car.

The convertible SUV is an extremely niche market which could be either a disastrous flop (think the Nissan Murano convertible) or an overwhelming success (like the PT Cruiser convertible). What Land Rover offered was a convertible with classy styling but also the ability to channel your inner wild child and let the top down. The price tag might have frightened some fair-weather convertible fans away, but in all actuality, it was the only luxury variant available of its kind.

Motor Trend was complimentary of the GTI, stating that it was "hot hatch fun without the 'look at me!' stigma." What sticks the GTI over other hatches as the best is the fact that it came with seemingly limitless options. You didn't get a simple order sheet of cloth or leather, you had options of colors and heated or cooled or both. The handling of the GTI was superior as well, with the editor at Motor Trend describing driving the GTI as being like a bantamweight MMA fighter ready to kick you in the head. Is that a good thing?

For almost a decade, the Chevy Malibu was a forgettable sedan that previously shared a frame with even more forgettable cars like the Oldsmobile Cutlass of the early 2000s. With extinction imminent, the Malibu was treated to a real celebrity style makeover and brought back into the public eye as not just an attractive but desirable sedan. The Malibu got a 300-pound weight loss, an upgraded safety system and an extremely comfortable ride.

The SUV market in the 2010s became incredibly saturated, with every car manufacturer slapping a large body on a chassis and calling it an SUV. To stand out from the others, Lincoln did one better when it redesigned the Navigator. With a user-friendly infotainment system and special nooks to hide your water bottles, the Navigator offered nothing but comfort and opulence. It was this radical facelift that gave this Lincoln SUV a reviving breath to save it from automotive extinction.

As sure-footed as a pack-mule, the Subaru Impreza impressed automotive journalists and consumers alike with its all-wheel-drive capabilities. Instead of just slapping a new front clip on the Impreza, Subaru worked to perfect an already great machine. Trivial complaints about plastic dashboard parts and low pile carpet are present. However, the car itself proved to be the best bang for your buck in 2012.

Chevy made sure to stay within its means when it redesigned and introduced the new Blazer. As far back as 1969, Chevy made an agile off-road capable vehicle that could handle five passengers with the name of Blazer. In the early 2000s, the Blazer had a bit of an identity crisis and found itself in limbo between being a tall Impala and a Silverado without a bed. The new Blazer, however, traces back to its roots. Reeling it in from the bloated 2002 model, the 2019 Blazer is trim, agile and has seating for 5 (instead of 8).

Tiger is a remarkably fitting name for this German beast. The Porsche Macan and the Audi Q5 share the same chassis, but that's where the similarities end. To try to rid the stigma of the Macan just being a better badged Audi, a Porsche Traction Management system is offered, which makes the Audi Quattro system look juvenile in comparison. What makes this SUV one of the best of the decade is that it can do 0-60 in 2.6 seconds flat.

Combining sleek new styling and turbo technology, BMW took what was already perfection and made it flawless. Some critics were hesitant when it was first announced that the 3-series was going to be equipped with a four-cylinder engine. The real BMW fans, however, know that the 3-series started with humble four-cylinder roots, and has done nothing but get better over time.

Fiat had slipped from the eye of United States drivers until recently, when Chrysler merged to form the equivalent of an automotive super-group. Upon introduction to the US, the Fiat 500 seemed like just another comically compact car, but over time it grew a fan base and loyal drivers. Their slogan "There's something for everyone" really rings true with the 500. Trim levels include incredible basic models up to luxury touring editions.

Kia shook its reputation of being cheap, small cars almost to death with the introduction of the Telluride. Styling grabbed hints from Range Rover and the Chevy Suburban, but the end product was uniquely Kia. Even some of the most analytical automotive reporters fell in love with the Telluride, expressing great surprise in not only its power but also comfort.

Ford was excluded from the small truck market for quite some time (seven years to be exact) before it decided to reintroduce the Ranger. Chevy was having success with the Colorado, Toyota was selling Tacomas like they were going out of style and Ford wanted a piece of that action. The reintroduced Ranger wasn't quite the little truck that we remember from the '90s, though. The new Ranger is more truck-like in all ways than its previous counterpart, with a decent towing capacity and increased payload capacity.

The Chevy Sonic was up against some pretty tough small car competition and barely lost the number one spot to the Hyundai Accent in 2014. The motorcycle-inspired cockpit gave the car a sporty feeling from the driver's seat, and the engine backed up that feeling. The Sonic might not have been winning any drag races, but it was offering a huge bang for the buck at the gas pump, with a 1.8-liter engine that barely sipped fuel.

This is a bit of a trick question! Although the hybrid Fit went into production in 2010, the hybrid Fit didn't hit US shores until later. When Honda made the Fit into a Hybrid, it spent time increasing the overall experience of the car, not just the powertrain. For the overall quality of the ride and price point in comparison to the Prius, Honda took a large chunk of the hybrid market.

Using aluminum for body panels didn't resonate well with some critics at first. Complaints of the fragility of the aluminum were squelched by the fact that the aluminum created a lighter-weight truck that was capable of having the same payload capacity as a V8 when only powered by a V6. On top of the overall fuel savings without lack of performance, the aluminum used created a body that was rust-resistant.

If you find yourself shopping for a ZR1 on the Chevrolet website, you'll find that $123,000 will get you a proper, street-legal supercar! With a top speed of 212 miles per hour and new tuner parts being developed almost daily, you'll find that the price tag quite a bargain compared to similar European counterparts. Splurge on the Sebring Orange edition, you won't regret it!

Vans get a bad rap sometimes as being uncool and ugly, but Toyota valiantly broke through those stigmas with the Sienna. With every driver-assist system imaginable, and available AWD, the van isn't just easy to drive, it is incredibly safe.

Chrysler decided to focus on its minivan roots and redesign what was a struggling crossover, and from that redesign came the "all-new" Pacifica in 2017. In the ultimate switcharoo, it removed the Town and Country nameplate all together and offered the Pacifica instead. With frontal styling from the Chrysler 200 and powerful V6, Chrysler's new van became a viable competitor to the Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona.

When Ford introduced the Fiesta ST, hatchback lovers rejoiced that there was an affordable yet spunky hatch on the market. This excitement was muted, however, by the boring reputation of the Fiesta of the past. Ford went to great lengths to reintroduce the Fiesta as a brand new car and make it more appealing to the younger generation.

Although all answers to this question have notably found themselves on a "best" list, the Miata has found its way to the top of the list more times than not. With consistent dependability, agile handling and superior roadster styling, the Miata gives excellent bang for the buck as far as compact sports cars are concerned. The Miata was also named the "World Car Of The Year" in 2016, edging out stiff competition like the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

Honda has a great way of making sure its consumers get exactly what they want, and in 2011 it let go of the reins and allowed the Accord to go in several directions at once. One of the more popular manifestations of the Accord was the Crosstour, an all-wheel-drive wagon with all of the comforts and seating of a sedan but the cargo space of an SUV. These Accords also came in a manual coupe and a luxury four-door, making that one Honda model check off several desirable boxes.

You could call the Highlander a pile of compost, and it would still be an excellent vehicle that has dominated the SUV market for over a decade. Interestingly enough, due to trademarks already made by Hyundai, Toyota had to rebrand its Highlander in Japan and Australia, calling it the Toyota Kluger instead (in German it translates to "the smart one" loosely).

When U.S. News chose the Buick Regal as "The Best Upscale Sedan of 2011," it wasn't based on mere hype or popularity. A combination of ride comfort, styling and safety made the Regal stand out from the crowd. With a sporty spirit yet luxurious interior, the Regal provided drivers a more connected driving experience than other sedans on the market.

When tested by not only U.S. News, but also MotorTrend and Car and Driver, critics were hard-pressed to find flaws in the brilliantly executed sedan. Road and Track was extremely complimentary of the sedan, stating that it was the quickest silent car in the world. MotorTrend also lauded it as being unmatched in speed and comfort. Worth a mention is the average range the Model S offers, around 208 miles per charge. Depending on your driving style, of course!

Toyota is no stranger on any "best of" list, but when it decided to morph the timid Corolla into a sultry hatch in 2019, it solidified its place as top dog in the car market. The Corolla had been destined to be a simple commuter car without much personality, but when Toyota decided to change that, it drastically changed it. The new hatchback is in no way a performance car, though. What it lacks in performance, you can expect to make up for in resale value and reliability!

When you take an excellent base model car and expound upon it, you end up with a doll that has a seemingly endless amount of outfits. The A3 was exactly that, offering everything from a basic front-wheel-drive package to an all-wheel road-gripping boss. The addition and subtraction of features make this fine automobile desirable, allowing the buyer to pay for everything they want and nothing they don't.

One of the most alluring features of the Tacoma is that it works like a truck, but it sips fuel like a sedan. The second generation, which ran for a whopping 10 years, had two available engines (a four- and six-cylinder), both offering cavalcades of extras like downhill assist control and Toyota Racing Development components. Aside from fuel efficiency and reliability, the Tacoma also offered some of the best safety ratings of any small truck in the market, gaining five stars from NHTSA in every category aside from rollover.

Unlike the Nissan Leaf, the Chevrolet Volt was a hybrid plug-in that could draw power from a gasoline-powered generator should the battery charge fall below a certain level. This added feature added a level of security for drivers who suffered from range anxiety and were hesitant of taking the plunge into going all-electric. The Volt also had regenerative braking technology and energy conservation systems in place that could stretch a single charge out over much further than its projected 53 miles on electric power alone.

When most people think of a Cadillac, they think of a heavy four-door sedan that their grandparents drove. Cadillac shrugged that stigma off with great vigor in 2011 when it crafted the CTS-V. Upon first glance, the gaping grille and wedge-shaped B-pillar make for an awkward-looking coupe. Once you see the car perform, however, all judgments based on appearances are thrown out the window. In the aforementioned Goodwood Festival Of Speed, MotorTrend put the CTS-V through rigorous testing, placing it nose over tail against other exotic supercars.

Civics have morphed dramatically over their over 40 years and 10 generations of models. In 2015, Honda gave the Civic a more sport profile, shaving a bit on the rear haunches and upgrading the headlight assembly, but it wasn't until 2017 that the Civic became a new, affordable blank slate. With the introduction of the R-type and hatchback model, the Civic became a hit with the young tuners again.

Producing a car isn't as cut and dry as you might think, and when a major automotive powerhouse wants to produce something to rival something as epic as the Miata, it employes the help of whomever it can. In the case of the FRS/BRZ, Toyota (Scion) and Subaru combined automotive geniuses and created what some might call the biggest rival to the Miata ever to be on the market.

Does anyone need an 800-horsepower muscle car in this day and age? Probably not. Does it prevent people from wanting one? Absolutely not. This highly modified Challenger is a treat to anyone who craves seemingly uncontrollable low-end torque and launch control. If you're not satisfied with that alone, a Demon body kit and fender flares are also available, if you're trying to make your neighbors move or terrify small children crossing the crosswalk. The Challenger has other alluring features aside from instilling fear in the masses, such as decent fuel economy and respectable crash rating.

Hyundai has struggled away from having a reputation of unreliability and high cost of repair from the late '00s to being one of the most dependable cars on the market in the '10s. Aside from a few quality quirks such as road noise and what some critics refer to as a cheap plastic interior, the Sonata rated a full 9 out of 10 on the U.S. News ranking charts, a full point higher than the Camry of that year.

Much like the Sonata, the Mazda 3 had some pretty big competition on the affordable mid-sized car market. What kicked the car into high gear was the third-generation facelift and upgrade of an otherwise cheap-looking interior. A little known fact of the Mazda 3 from the previous generation was that it was built on a Ford platform. Upon the separation of Mazda and Ford in 2013, Mazda was able to create its very own unique car, which proved to be much better than the collaboration that had been occurring.

From a starter car for a first-time driver, to a reliable car for someone of advanced age, the Camry is suited for everyone. Even those looking for a bit of sporty horsepower, the V6 Camry was able to get out of its way without any hesitation. In 2018, Toyota treated us to the eight generation of the Camry, which stylistically was a stark contrast to the melted stick of butter design they had gone for in the past.

When you take brilliant business-minded people, combine them with innovative mechanical engineers and then pepper in one of the most talented automotive designers sculpting today, you get the Hyundai brainchild brand, Genesis. A common misconception is that the Genesis is just a branded Hyundai. There may be a small about of truth to that, but about as much as calling a Lincoln the same thing as a Ford.