Some days I choose violence. Other days I choose chaos. Today is a chaos day because today’s Autopian Asks wants to know: What do you think is the best vehicle made by each and every automaker (or, least the ones that come to mind). I’m serious. I have a list. A list!
“Best” is extremely subjective, and it would be great if you could explain all of your reasons. It’s also completely fine not to explain at all. The goal here isn’t to just think of your favorite cars from each automaker, the question is: what’s the best car that company has ever produced? It will be contentious. I want contentious. I want us to have fun.
Here’s a list to start with, but feel free to add and subtract:
- Tesla:
- Toyota:
- Porsche:
- Mercedes-Benz:
- BMW
- Chrysler
- Dodge
- Jeep
- VW
- Ferrari
- Honda
- Ford
- Chevy
- GMC
- Buick
- Pontiac
- Cadillac
- Hyundai
- Kia
- Nissan
- Rivian
- Subaru
- Renault
- Volvo
- Peugeot
- Mazda
- Mitsubishi
- Aston Martin
- Audi
And here are my answers, which are nonsense because I’m a nonsense person:
- Tesla: Model Y, the most important EV to date
- Toyota: Toyota MR-2 Turbo (SW20), fun Toyota but also good Toyota
- Porsche: W124 Mercedes-Benz 500 E, fast sedans are so much fun [Ed Note: Apparently this was developed by Porsche, but the real correct answer is the modern 911. It is objectively the best version of the best model Porsche has ever made. Or maybe the Cayenne is the answer based on sales figures… -DT].
- Mercedes-Benz: W124 Mercedes-Benz 500 E, fast sedans are so much fun
- BMW: E39, the best fast sedan
- Chrysler: Town & Country, it’s a legend and saved the company
- Alfa Romeo: Original Giulia, the best of Alfa
- Dodge: 1st Gen Viper, just look at it
- Jeep: CJ-7, maybe I’m trolling David [Ed Note: It’s clearly either the WWII Jeep, the XJ Cherokee, or the JK Wrangler; there are no other answers. -DT].
- VW: Rabbit GTI, the company stopped being just cheap cars
- Ferrari: 400i, maybe this is personal
- Honda: Honda Integra Type R DC2, so good
- Ford: Escort Cosworth RS, also so good
- Chevy: 1992 Chevy Silverado, an all-time best treak
- GMC: 1992 GMC Sierra, same
- Buick: GNX, remember when Buicks were cool?
- Pontiac: G8 ST, though no one has ever driven one
- Cadillac: CTS-V Wagon, the only thing better than a fast sedan is a world-beating wagon
- Hyundai: 1st gen, manual Veloster N
- Kia: Carnival, I will not explain further
- Nissan: R33 GT-R, technology and style
- Rivian: R1T, they only make two cars so…
- Subaru: Original Outback, important and kinda fun
- Renault: R5, it got the country on its feet and people still like the them today
- Volvo: 240 Wagon, I mean c’mon
- Peugeot: 505 Dangel 4×4, I mean c’mon
- Mazda: Mazda MP3, look it up
- Mitsubishi: Pajero Evo, Dakar cars are great
- Aston Martin: Virage Shooting Brake, I’m a weirdo
- Audi: QSW, the blueprint (when it works)
Ok, your turn.
Since there’s going to be a lot of overlap between people by asking for the best, I’m going with my favorites by manufacturer
Aston Martin: 1st-gen V12 Vanquish
Audi: Quattro S1 (the poster child of Group B)
Austin: FL2 (civilian FX4)
Buick: GNX
BMW: E38 7-series
Cadillac: Allante
Checker: Marathon Wagon
Chevy: Corvette C1
Chrysler: Airflow
Daihatsu: 2nd-gen Copen
Dodge: 1st-gen Charger (still prefer it to the 2nd-gen)
Ford: 1st-gen Mustang
Ferrari: 250 GT Lusso
GMC: 1st-gen Topkick
Honda: Civic ES1 (my first car)
Hyundai: FL2 Tiburon
Isuzu: 117 Coupe
Jeep: SJ Gladiator
Kia: Stinger
Lotus: Series 3 Elise SC
Mazda: Eunos Cosmo (all the rotory goodness without the boy racer look)
Mitsubishi: FTO (yes, not an Evo. Still one of my favorite cars from GT4)
Mercedes-Benz: W211 E55 AMG Wagon
Nissan: R32 GTS 4-dr
Peugeot: 505 Break
Pontiac: 1970 Firebird
Porsche: 959
Renault: Caravelle S
Rivian: R1S
Skoda: Octavia Mk1 RS
Subaru: Legacy STi S401
Suzuki: Alto Works Sport RS
Tesla: Original Roadster
Toyota: G40 Century
Volvo: C30 T5
VW: Type 1 Beetle
Tesla: Model S, it made Tesla what it is today and it’s the only good looking one still
Toyota: Corolla, basically defines the compact car (also the AE86)
Porsche: Carrera GT, one of the last and best manual supercars ever made
Mercedes-Benz: 300SL Gullwing, kind of the opposite of above, the first supercar
BMW: E30, just iconic and beautiful. I wanted to say E36 because I have one, but thinking about it, I’d trade my E36 for an E30 in good enough condition in a heartbeat.
Chrysler: I’m stealing from the answer key here and saying Town and Country because it was the first minivan
Dodge: Second Gen Ram trucks, basically redefined what trucks were… also Twister
Jeep: XJ because of David Tracy
VW: Golf GTI was one of the first cars that was fun and practical
Ferrari: 288 GTO because it was going to be a rally car before group B went away
Honda: NSX, the first one, it seems crazy to think Honda made a supercar.
Ford: F-series seems like the obvious one here since it’s the best selling vehicle in the world. I’m also biased since I have a Superduty and it’s surprisingly good at almost everything except parking and being cheap to run.
Chevy: Corvette, America’s sports car
Buick: Grand National, one of the first really fast turbocharged cars
Pontiac: GTO, beginning of the muscle car
Cadillac: CTSV, supercharged V8, manual transmission, need I say more?
Hyundai: Ioniq 5, hands down the best looking electric car and arguably the best electric car you can buy.
Kia: Stinger GT, really showed everybody that Kia is capable of making a nice car
Nissan: R32 GTR, the original Godzilla, and it kind of started the JDM craze in America
Rivian: there are so many options but I’m going to have to say R1T
Subaru: 1st Gen Legacy, introduced the EJ engine and the modern AWD system Subaru uses, also this was the first car Colin McRae raced in because the Impreza wasn’t out yet
Volvo: 850 Turbo Wagon because of that one picture of the touring car wagon on 2 wheels
Mazda: 1st generation Miata, the answer, and as much as I want to say RX7, it’s hard to say the “best car” is such an unreliable one
Mitsubishi: Eclipse GSX (2nd Gen), they’re just so damn cool
Aston Martin: DB5, James Bond
Audi: Quattro, I love rally cars and this is one of the best
No love for Rivian’s delivery vans or the R1S?
Crap, I forgot about the vans!
Tesla: Model S – I like big sedans
Toyota: Early 79 series LandCruiser… 1hd-fte ftw
Porsche: 911… obvs
Mercedes-Benz: Unimog… the ultimate do it all
BMW: e36 3 series… a whole lotta fun for cheap
Chrysler: E49 Valiant Charger… google it
Dodge: 5th gen Viper… no explanation needed
Jeep: TJ Wrangler… SWB and straight 6
VW: V10 Toureg… if it’s unreliable it may as well be fast
Ferrari: F40… the ultimate… apparently
Honda: 2006 Honda Odyssey… idk why
Ford: AU Falcon Ute… google it
Chevy: 1973 El Camino SS… never seen one but they seem cool
GMC: a brand new sierra… idk why
Buick: Grand National GNX obvs
Pontiac: 69 GTO
Cadillac: 50s DeVille or New Escalade
Hyundai: the Imax N drift van
Kia: Stinger GT
Nissan: R32 GTR
Rivian: IDK… haven’t looked
Subaru: 22B
Renault: Clio V6
Volvo: 840?? Turbo
Peugeot: 206 rallye
Mazda: FD RX7
Mitsubishi: MK Triton
Aston Martin: DB12
Audi: S4 Quattro
FPV: F6 310 sedan
Tesla: Roadster – I think a lot of things would’ve been better off if Tesla stopped here.
Toyota: Corolla AE101 – It’s perfect at being exactly what it was meant to be.
Porsche: 993 – the end of an era.
Mercedes-Benz: W123 – bulletproof and capable, people have tried to convince me the 124 is as well, but they always look like they’re begging to be put to sleep when I see them.
BMW: E60 M5 – I know they’ve got their problems, but if I judged BMW for having problems, I wouldn’t have an answer. The E60 is stunning though, and it houses that V10 without the body design suffering one bit for it.
Chrysler: Neon – I’m giving this to Chrysler because Dodge has options.
Dodge: 6th gen Charger – Hot take, but you can’t deny that it was a damn capable car and Dodge really did a lot with it during its run and if it wasn’t the best, how did it replace the Crown Vic as generic cop car #1, hm?
Jeep: CJ-7 – It’s literally the Jeep.
VW: Mk4 Golf – They just kinda, worked? The Mk5 is a nightmare in comparison, though significantly nicer to look at.
Ferrari: F40 – it just is.
Honda: NSX – it’s a masterpiece, practicality be damned.
Ford: AU Falcon – there’s going to be a theme here of me labelling bulletproof sedans as the best car from a brand, especially if they also come as a wagon, but it’s a RWD full size sedan that refuses to die, that’s the ticket.
Chevy: C3 Corvette – I mean, they’re just gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.
GMC: C/K – Right?
Buick: Riviera Boat-tail – Just another downright gorgeous design.
Pontiac: G8 – The second time we gave you the best Pontiac.
Cadillac: Cien – Cowards.
Hyundai: i30 N sedan – The front still hasn’t grown on me, but man, they are just unapologetic and I love it.
Kia: Stinger GT – I’m still mad they canned this thing.
Nissan: R32 Skyline – Not the GTR specifically, but the whole generation, it shaped the following 2 generations, introduced the most well known Nissan engine there is and looked damn good doing it.
Rivian: R1T – this seemed, easy?
Subaru: BP Liberty – an equally stunning sedan and wagon without all the fanboyism of the Impreza.
Renault: Trafic X82 – a weird one I know, but the Trafic seems to be the only reliable Renault I know of, and it can also be bought in Nissan, Mitsubishi, Opel and Fiat guise and I think that proves something.
Volvo: 200 series – the brick is an icon for a reason.
Peugeot: 205 T16 – I had to slip a homologation special in here somewhere.
Mazda: Miata Is Always The Answer?
Mitsubishi: Lancer Evolution VI – The evolutionary peak if you ask me.
Aston Martin: 1977 V8 Vantage – I wish Aston Martin had stayed with their British muscle car styling and not moved to generic sports car styling, as much as I do appreciate the DB7 onwards cars too.
Audi: RS2 Avant – Inline 5 wagon, co-developed with Porsche. Best.
There’s no wagon option and also no plastic bumpered car is the best Mercedes.
Toyota: Corolla.
My grandma had one.
My mom had one.
My coworker, neighbor, aunt, friend, roommate, lover… ad infinitum, have or had one.
I have one.
So does my wife.
They are pretty much Toyota’s Beetle at this point.
Lotus: Elise
Toyota: 70 series Land Cruiser
Ford: F-150
Chevrolet: Corvette
Mazda: Miata
Tesla: Roadster
Buick: Grand National
Nissan: Hardbody
Kawasaki: Ninja
Yamaha: TW200
Ducati: Monster
Lamborghini: Countach
Fiat: 500
BMW: Z8
Mercedes: 500E
Mercury: Cougar
Pontiac: Fiero
Plymouth: Prowler
Mitsubishi: Evo
Subaru: WRX
AMC: Gremlin
(Got tired, so ending here)
Citroen: SM hands down, the DS didn’t need an evolution, but it did deserve one, and the SM absolutely delivered.
Lamborghini: Between the Countach and the Gallardo, it depends on whether you want the best at being a Lamborghini or the best at being a car
Ferrari: The 365/4 Daytona is the final evolution of the uncompromising V12 GT as Enzo intended it, the Maranello came just a bit too late to get his signature and the BB’s we got in between were deeply compromised for packaging.
MG: the B, it’s the obvious answer for a good reason.
Mini: The Original Cooper, it lasted several decades and it’s been downhill ever since.
Audi: B5 A4 Avant, the blend of practicality, performance and design is just perfect, the Volkswagen 1.8T is also a superb engine for a midsize estate, plenty of torque while remaining efficient and reliable.
Lotus: The Elise is unquestionably peak Lotus, just the base Elise.
Dodge: I love the Viper, and it’s my *favorite* Dodge, but I’d have to say the the Charger Daytona is the apex of Dodge being ahead of the competition.
Porsche: I’d specify further that it’s the BASE 911, regardless of interior and gearbox, a Carrera 2 is the best Porsche. I’d place the 997 at the peak, as the last car to have both a naturally aspirated engine and good steering. The 991 introduced EPAS, and by the time they figured the system out, they had transitioned to a 3.0L turbo. I’d also put the 964 in close contention, as the air cooled cars were dry-sumped and therefore just as reliable on track as they were on the road.
Alpine: It’s hard to argue with the A110, the only car to make swing axles handle truly great rather than just adequate.
Aston Martin: DB9, I won’t elaborate.
Fiat: the original Panda
But enough answers, here’s a new question that turns it all upside-down: What’s the most *important* car each manufacturer has made?
Dodge: Sorry to rain on your parade, Matt, but the Viper is not the best vehicle Dodge manufactured. Watch a few of SuperFastMatt’s videos on Matt’s misguided but amazing attempt to lift a Viper. His commentary about the Viper’s build quality and engineering are eye-opening. True, the Viper is sexy and fun to drive for short distances. The second generation Charger get my vote.
Jeep: Hard to argue with David about his choice of the XJ, and I understand his pride in helping engineer the JK. But the sweet spot is the TJ. (Yes, I own one, so I’m biased.)
Mercedes: W123 or TN1. I own a VS30 and admire the TN1’s simplicity.
Mazda: Miata any generation.
Hyundai/Kia: Nothing until the company sorts its dealership network, child labor and quality issues.
Subaru: 1978-1986 Brat
Chevy: The Bishop’s third-generation Corvair. Technically didn’t exist except on this Web site, but it still gets my vote.
Just stopping by to stir the pot…
Mini: R53 Cooper S
BMW: E60 sedan. yep, really.
Plymouth: 90s Voyager w/ woodgrain (one vacation the transmission crapped out & we came home in a new car…)
Jeep: WJ Grand Cherokee (2x solid axles in a family SUV until 2004, plus the 4.0!)
Acura: 90-93 Integra
To light some fires, Mercedes-Benz: tie between the Unimog and the Actros
Citroën CX
Volkswagen A1 GTI/Scirocco GTI
Honda Accord gen 2
Mazda ND Miata
forgot to mention the best BMW is the R1200RT
Not going to do the whole list but Ford must be the F-150. Here in North America it is “the” truck which means it is “the” vehicle and has been for 40 years.
I understand selecting the F150 because of its importance to Ford. If you have the opportunity, which I have over the last 5 years or so, side-by-side compare Ford, Dodge/Ram, GM and Toyota. The interior materials, NVH, and off-road ability in even higher-spec Fords pales in comparison. I’m not a anti-Ford (or pro-something else) guy. When I get out of a Ford and immediately hop into, say, a Ram I can’t figure why the Ford truck line is so popular.
Best? Or most important? Or is there a difference?
PeugeotThe Citroen DSIt’s easy to wax poetic on historical models, but so many quality improvements have been made in the decades that even Toyota’s cars from the ’90s are eclipsed by those of those today.
True, but this is kind of like the “who’s the best (name your sport) player” question. Obviously, today’s players are better fed, trained, conditioned, and treated and are generally bigger, faster and stronger than their predecessors, but you have to look at these things within the context of eras, too. In that context, classic cars can compete with modern cars as the “best,” just like older era athletes.
The best vehicle Toyota ever made was the 80-series Land Cruiser. It was gifted with eternal life, and shocking off-road ruggedness.
Toyota: everything they made in the 90s
Porsche: 914
M-B: W116
BMW: Isetta
VW: Taro, or if that doesn’t count, Thing
Ferrari: Mondial
Honda: S2000
Ford: German Capri and Australian Falcon
GM: Pontiac Vibe GT and Geo/Chevy Prizm
Hyundai: Atos
Kia: Elan
Subaru: Justy
Renault: either the Espace or Twingo
Volvo: S40/V40
Mitsubishi: Mighty Max
Mazda: Miata, duh 😛
Peugeot: 1007
Aston-Martin: Cygnet
Chrysler: Turbine
Fiat: Sedici
Suzuki: Tracker/Vitara
Audi: Fox
Nissan: Micra
Citroen: Xantia
You started out strong, and then…
I mean, the Cygnet?
The Cygnet is a Toyota, so it is the best Aston ever made 😛
Toyota > Ford any day 😀
It’s impenetrable logic.
You forgot AMC, and the answer is Eagle.
Really that long list and yet 3 cars I have owned are not listed here so Mr chaos my list is manufacturer my car then there best car
1. AMC Javelin Eagle
2. Jensen Jensen Healy Intercepter
3. Isuzu Vehicross Vehicross
Studebaker Avanti.
Yes more
Tesla: Model S. Really jump started the EV craze.
Toyota: The Land Cruiser (any of them, Prados included). They are the vehicles that best exemplify what Toyota can build. I tend to like the 100 and 200 series for comfort and power, but the 90 series Prado currently has my heart.
Porsche: Boxster Spyder. The style and driving experience is mostly unrivaled. Add the Deman engine upgrade and Chef’s kiss.
Mercedes-Benz: The Unimog…for reasons. Can your G wagon have a backhoe attachment? I think not. Second place to the iconic gullwing.
BMW: Z8. These are truly beautiful and came from a good BMW Era. The steering wheel alone sells this car. Values agree.
Chrysler Turbine Car: Yes, I love that Chrysler saw fit to lease people a jet powered car… and they were awesome. Sad the tech never stuck.
Dodge: 1969 Charger Daytona. Who doesn’t love a homologation special that also was one of the first cars to do 200mph. The fact that Dodge was so desperate to win Nascar that they sold a production car with a giant wing and nose cone is bananas.
Jeep TJ Wrangler. This was kind of the greatest hits for the Wrangler of having both the 4.0 and coil springs (and the rubicon model with lockers!). It was more comfortable but not too comfortable. Extra points for a LJ Rubicon. Even more points for any of the AEV special TJ builds.
VW: Original Beetle. This car mobilized the public and was a cultural revolution.
Ferrari: F40. Amazing car for the period and the final one that Enzo signed off on. It is truly an icon of its time.
Honda Fit. PEOPLE SLEEP ON THESE! Such a clever car.
Ford: F-150 Raptor R. This is the pinnacle of American truck. 37’s included. Supercharger noises. Second place goes to the Excursion 7.3.
Chevy Corvette (any of them). They are an American Icon. Extra points to the C2 ’63 split window for being extra pretty.
GMC 2500 Yukon XL with Quadrasteer. I want one…bad…with an LBZ swap.
Buick Roadmaster Wagon. Who doesn’t love a hot rod wagon with Vette power. Wood paneling included.
Pontiac: 1964 GTO. Some consider this the original muscle car. Add that with the John DeLorean connection and it becomes even cooler.
Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. Ultimate Car Guy special. Especially with the Manual.
Hyundai Elantra N: Really cool enthusiast special with a factory exhaust that pisses off the state of California. The blue paint option doesn’t hurt either.
Kia: Stinger. Everyone who owns one of these loves it.
Nissan R34 GTR. Godzilla nickname and unobtanium status make this seriously cool. Gran Turismo tunes intensify.
Rivian: RT1, because gear tunnel and camp kitchen
Subaru Legacy GT Wagon: Name a normie car that still looks this good after 20 or so years.
Volvo V60 T6 Polestar: Volvo’s best styling and engine combined in a WAGON. Second place for the C30 T5 6MT.
Mazda NA Miata: The quintessential roadster.
Mitsubishi Evo (any of them). Who doesn’t love a good rally homologation sh*t box?
Aston Martin: DB5. Original Bond car and oh so cool years later.
Audi R8. First gen Audi R8 with the gated manual was and will forever be my poster car. Still looks good all these years later.
BMW Z8, hands down. Agreed!
Infiniti’s best car has to be the G35 (although the M45 is close to my heart)
And now for the truly exotic:
Might I propose the Chrysler Airflow?
and the ‘65 Buick GS (gotta be in Seafoam Green, though)
The Chrysler Turbine Cars were neat too!
Yes!
Got to see one in IRL at our art museum a few years back—and it was even cooler in person.
-I absolutely missed that one
Ah I saw one of those in person last year! Definitely should qualify.
Let’s add a couple entries I missed: