Best cars to come out in the last few years?
Posted by retarded_sped@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 69 comments
I have a few buddies who have expressed to me that they believe all new cars are garbage. I agree that the unnecessary tech and driver assists, excessive screens, poorer build quality, and homogenous design language have certainly turned me off of many new cars. That being said, there are plenty of new cars that are very cool and may well be future classics.
Few nominations: M2 Comp, 718 Cayman GT4 RS, C8 Vette ZR1X, Toyota GR GT.
Would love to hear what you guys think as of late?
HoraceGrand@reddit
Lc500, GR86, Golf R, Honda Pilot
TeaDrinkerAddict@reddit
Anything with the LC500’s NA V8 in it. Such a shame they discontinued it this year.
erstengs@reddit
I’d put the GX550 over the pilot
JiveTurkey2727@reddit
LC500
JCDU@reddit
I've not driven one but the new Renault 5 looks cool as a cucumber as does the Twingo, and the R5 Turbo 3E looks proper bonkers.
Also Dacia have quite a few good looking cars that are not full of nonsense.
But as The Modfather himself sung - the public gets what the public wants, and what a lot of them seem to want is more screens & uglier designs made for Dubai influencers.
Wade1217@reddit
There may be some great vehicles out there, but none are likely to be as reliable or long lived as cars from the turn of the century. RIP 1990-2015
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Planned obsolescence my friend. Damn Apple popularized it and now it’s found its way into damn near everything you buy. Remember when you bought something from a brand, the brand went out of business, and the thing still worked? lol.
JCDU@reddit
Most people don't buy longer lived stuff though, they don't care and they don't ask for it so it doesn't get made.
https://hackaday.com/2018/09/24/planned-obsolescence-isnt-a-thing-but-its-your-fault/
Bfife22@reddit
Blackwings, GR86/BRZ, Type R/S, Elantra N (as much as I hate its looks haha), GR Corolla
DogblackMichigan@reddit
EVs are simply vastly better. Combustion is obsolete. Welcome to the 21st Century.
Drewdc90@reddit
It’s just another engine type. No different from a diesel vs petrol etc. They have their own set of pluses and issues.
KeanuIsACat@reddit
When I see them in WRC, I will agree with you.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
lol
DogblackMichigan@reddit
Yes, that’s just like you. We know.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Here to spew more incoherent bullshit I see
DogblackMichigan@reddit
We know who you are.
Never_mind_honey@reddit
Mazda MX-5 continues to he an impressively fun yet rock solid car. Climate control is knobs as an added bonus.
bigfooman@reddit
It's frankly amazing that after all these years the mx5 remains unspoiled by the same conventional wisdom that influences every other car. Mx5 still weighs 2,300lbs in a world where we now have Honda civic type r well over 3000lbs..
Universe-nova@reddit
Lotus Emira's are sick! I forget what year they are but Lotus made one of the Emira years the last stick shifts they will build, and you can get it with an exposed carbon gearbox which is sick!
xTheGame69@reddit
Gr86
Muttonboat@reddit
Honestly BRZ / gr86 are going to be future classic.
They are probably the last car of their kind to be made for a long time and the fact it even got made is bonkers.
obiworm@reddit
I want one so bad but I can’t afford one rn 😭
I stopped at a Subaru dealership recently to check out a new brz in person. I didn’t see one in the lot so I went inside to ask.
“Do you guys have any brz’s in stock?”
“No. How bout a wrx?”
“I’m looking for a brz. I wanted to size it up in person”
“You sure you don’t want a wrx?”
“No I’m here for a brz”
“Why not a wrx?”
Dude single-handedly pushed me towards the 86 instead.
laraBeginningPositiv@reddit
The exact same thing happened to me, except they had a brz I didn’t want
ChemistRemote7182@reddit
I disagree. Wonderful chassis, excellent suspension tuning (somehow rides decently and handles great, a hard combo) but what the hell is that steering. I've test drove two in the last month because I wanted to re-review to better solidify my opinion as I get closer to making a decision. Infotainment is alright, better than Subaru's mainline stuff, cup holders are poorly placed but you have better ones in the doors anyways, great trunk honestly, but that steering is a deal breaker in sports car. I would trade the decent infotainment and climate controls for Subaru's crap tablet if the steering wasn't absolutely dead below 35-40mph. Feed back still isn't great at speed or midturn but atleast it doesn't feel like an old video game console wheel that had forcefeedback turned off.
freezies1234@reddit
Your buddies are 100 percent correct
Successful_Ad_9707@reddit
Both Blackwings, Civic Type R, GR Corolla, C8 to name a few.
1362313623@reddit
The Corvette
Artistic-Ice-9651@reddit
2013 Honda Fit Sport
SailingSpark@reddit
I too hate the unnecessary tech and driver assists, excessive screens, and homogenous design language. This is why I am sorta in the market for an Alfa Giulia.
New_Mountain1672@reddit
Oh man. I love that car, it drives great. But there is a difference between unnecessary tech and bad tech. The Alfa has bad tech. It could be near perfect by making the UI smooth, decrease the bezel size and upgrading the potato reverse cam. Any interaction with the center display, even with CarPlay, is offputting. That and the lack of a manual.
SailingSpark@reddit
I agree they really screwed up by not offering it in a manual.
ChemistRemote7182@reddit
100%, would rather a manual than a bigger motor, its already great.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Giulia is another great looking car. And early facelift models 2015-2017 are quite affordable for what they are. Glad Alfa got their shit together.
Dish-Live@reddit
Both the Blackwings
drifts180@reddit
I came here to say the performance caddies, going back to the ATS/CTS-V's and the Blackwings.
ChemistRemote7182@reddit
Frankly I am super pissed the regular Vs are auto only. I don't want that much power, I don't need all that. A regular CT4V is roughly the size, weight and power of a E46 M3 with a more aggressive torque curve thanks to the 2.7T. Perfection. Where 3rd pedal? And frankly it is a good bit more affordable, and the consumables are going to be far lower as the Blackwing has a unique engine, whereas the CT4V's engine is a tuned truck motor. I can justify one, not the other.
djsnoopmike@reddit
CT5V:BW is my dream attainable car
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Agreed. Great example. Love the CT-5
FartSucker_@reddit
Corolla cross
DJScaryTerry@reddit
The Elantra N is genuinely one of the best cars I've driven.
All car guys at some point think all new cars are garbage. It happens every generation. Then they come around to the ones that make a bunch of power. Then they eventually admit they liked a bunch of the new cars. It's a cycle, I've been there.
_MadSuburbanDad_@reddit
What other cars have you driven?
Tidyb0wl@reddit
Have you driven the Elantra N?
DJScaryTerry@reddit
I drove everything in my budget of around $42000 CAD.
Did you want to know how a specific car drives IMO? Or are you just insinuating that because one of my favorite cars I've driven is a Hyundai I must not have driven anything else?
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Yeah, like I said, I agree with them on some points, but there are great new cars coming out.
DogblackMichigan@reddit
New car haters are ignorant non-car guys.
New cars are objectively better, safer, more efficient, more reliable, longer lasting, cost less in maintenance.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Much of this is objectively untrue. Efficient, sure. Safer, sure. Better, this is subjective.
Longer lasting, just simply not true - more complexity=more things to go wrong=more things do go wrong.
Cost less in maintenance, laughable. I dinged my civic recently and it cost me 1400 to fix a panel.
Rough_Cancel7265@reddit
And my 1996 car needed about the same amount of money to fix a cracked bumper back in 2008
Relevant_Election530@reddit
Bodywork isn't maintenance
kingnewswiththetruth@reddit
That's the cost in paint, not the cost of the car.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
Paint cost was $180
djsnoopmike@reddit
Shelby GT350
SilverSpoonphysics@reddit
Honestly any performance car from GM the last few years has been amazing. Blackwings, C8, Escalade V and even the Chevy blazer EV SS.
tfair66@reddit
Ford Bronco
ChasDIY@reddit
Best car appears to be Audi RS e-tron gt 2026
Professor_Iron@reddit
Alpine A110
FlatSixFun@reddit
I wish these could be sold in the US.
VerrueckterAmi@reddit
I dunno. I love my ‘26 Solterra XT Limited. Sure, it’s got more “assists” and tech than I would generally prefer, but it’s been a great car. Quicker than a WRX STi and it costs me less than $5 a week to commute to work and back. It’s got more driver engagement and more physical buttons than my brother’s Model Y. I have my ‘89 Vanagon Wolfsburg for when I want a purer driving experience.
MrNimbus33@reddit
It's a shame they stopped making jaguar ftypes. No excessive screens, fabulous 8 cylinder engine, one of the best soundtracks on the road. I got myself one of the last brand new ftypes you can buy. There might be a few left. I refuse to ever buy a car with a giant tablet glued to console.
CC7015@reddit
911 ST
f700es@reddit
The S550 Mustang were great.
WizeAdz@reddit
I like screens, driver assist features, and electric drivetrains.
I respect that your taste in cars is different than mine, but “garbage cars” and “things I don’t like” are entirely different concepts.
There are some interesting basic vehicles in the pipeline. One I might actually buy is the Blank Slate electric minitruck, assuming it makes the transition from vaporware to being a real product you can buy. I’d be looking at using it as a second car, so its limitations aren’t very limiting - and the price could be very attractive?
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
To each their own.
For someone who enjoys feeling connected with their machine, many of these new features detract from the driving experience. The screens are a distraction, the digital gauge clusters feel disconnected, the driver assists get in the way of normal vehicle functionality.
If your goal is to get from point A to B or you enjoy having the latest and greatest tech, more power to you.
WizeAdz@reddit
That’s what I used to say back when I drove a manual.
Now I drive an EV with one-pedal-driving and I feel way more connected. It’s almost telepathic.
Traditional automatic transmissions are still my least favorite. They’ve gotten a lot better since the 1990s, but I’d still rather drive an EV, a hybrid, a CVT, or a manual over a traditional automatic most of the time.
My EV is really fun!
I respectfully suggest that there may be more dimensions to finding a car that you like than just “old tech” and “new tech”.
As a car guy, I recommend going out and driving a lot of cars to see what really works for you.
Gladiz1972@reddit
I like the new model Mini Cooper 2025
SithSidious@reddit
Mustang gtd, gt500
Lotus emira
Porsche gt3
Z4 m40i manual
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
The new GT3 (non-RS) is an absolute stunner. One of the most well-proportioned cars I’ve seen period.
Personally, I’ve never been a stang guy, but they’ve certainly come out with some cool new trims.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
I will also nominate the Lotus Emira and Lexus LC500
Doc308@reddit
Great list. I recently drove a new Civic Si and was blown away (relative to my expectation.) I was skeptical bc new Civics seem enormous for a Civic, but it was nimble, balanced, responsive, just all around delightful. I've not driven a Type R but I can only assume its fantastic as well.
retarded_sped@reddit (OP)
I actually own the new civic. (Well, lease it technically) I enjoy it. Wish it didn’t have a governor.