Another decade has gone by. Although ten years passed by through us like it was just yesterday, a lot had happened. From current events to music, down to fashion, every aspect of our lives has changed. And the automotive industry is no exception. In this article, we are going to list down five of the most significant cars of the 2010s and how these cars have changed the landscape of driving.
The Tesla Model S is, hands down, the most significant car of the decade, Elon Musk must be proud of his accomplishments. Although electric cars have been existing for quite some time, nobody talked about it until Model S came along. Tesla may have some weak points from time to time, but Model S is an achievement that unlocked many doors for the technological future. Ever since the full-electric car model made its way to the public, many carmakers took the tech seriously. Model S also raised the bar higher when it comes to electronic and infotainment features. And with the Cybertruck just released (albeit the presentation was a bit fail), it looks like the future is, indeed, electric.
Where the sedans lack, the crossovers make up for it. And for the past decade, people had been switching their compact vehicles to a more bulky yet more functional ones. One of the reasons why crossovers have become more prevalent in the American market is that it's more affordable compared to the traditional SUVs due to its smaller engines. Although there's not a single crossover model that led the way to its rising popularity, Ford Explorer and Toyota Rav4 are among the most popular crossovers today.
The F-150 has been around for a very long time now - more than half a century, to be exact. But it still is one of the kings of bestselling trucks in the American market, if not the most. And with all the factors and features, we see no reason why it shouldn't. It's rugged, reliable, and it's fuel-efficient, among others. But perhaps the spike on the F-150 sales for the past decade is due to the model embracing a more environmentally friendly route. The 2015 model's exterior is prominently made of aluminum. And the said model became available after the EcoBoost model came out.
While several muscle cars such as Mustang and Camaro transformed to sports cars, Dodge had other plans for their Challenger line. Instead of going the well-rounded route, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat became more powerful. Many thought that it wouldn't taste pleasant to the American's palate, but Dodge proved them wrong. The Hellcat model became one of the top-selling cars of the decade, cementing the fact that muscle cars won't fade yet anytime soon. The Hellcat sales also helped Chrysler, its mother company, got out of irrelevancy.
Many car enthusiasts and reviewers alike rated the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage as a horrible car. There are many reasons why they say it's a faulty vehicle to have - underwhelming features is one. But despite all these flak, the Mirage is still a top-selling car, and its sales continued to grow for years. In 2018, it sold more than 24,000 units in the US alone. Not a vast number but huge enough for a poorly-reviewed car.
These are the most significant cars that hit the world for the past 10 years. Through these milestones, we would be able to determine where the future of autos goes in the next decade. But, who knows? We might surprise ourselves. If you're looking for a used sports car, click on the link.
