Sure, it's been a tough year, but there's always next year—and the best thing about the automotive world is that next year always comes early. The 2010s are on the road, and even if fewer people could afford to buy the new car of their dreams this year, it doesn't mean we stopped dreaming. It's in that spirit that we proudly present our list of the Awesome Cars of 2010.
We set out to find a scientific way to quantify awesome and compile our list. We pored over the most searched-for models on Vehix, Google search statistics, manufacturers' reports of advance orders for certain models, and sales figures. We also surfed other auto blogs and scanned magazines to see which models were generating the most buzz. While we’re not confident we’ve raised the bar for scientific analysis, we are certain the following ten models are generating a mountain of buzz.
Here is our list of awesome cars in no particular order:
2010 Ford Mustang
The 'stang has certainly had a few shaky years in its storied history, but the 2010 edition returns this classic to the top of its game. This year's Mustang GT inherited a lot of its increased power and smooth ride from last year's Bullitt, and while the engine is smaller than other comparable ponies, it's light enough to float down the road and around corners. And of course, you can always upgrade to a package like the Shelby GT500 Super Snake. Playing with 750 horses has never been so much fun.
2010 Toyota Prius
Even as it becomes the old man in its class, the Prius remains the car of the future to many drivers. The oddly-shaped hybrid's cult following is strong, and with this third-generation model for 2010, Toyota is also making this little car more fun to drive. So long as big name electric vehicles like the Fisker Karma and Tesla Roadster remain out of reach for most of us, the Prius will continue to make the “green”-inclined feel green in another way. It's called envy, folks.
2010 Mercedes E-Class
This one surprised us a little. Some of the E-Class sedans have taken their share of knocks of late, and we've seen lots of complaints about the E350 in particular. But a powerful brand can build loyalty and buzz, and Mercedes took tens of thousands of advance orders for the 2010 class last spring. And it turns out that the E63 AMG really is something to write home about. With a four-second-flat run to 60 and sporty lines, you can be sure it's not your grandpa's Mercedes.
