There are plenty of shitty, boring cars flooding dealerships right now, but Jalopnik readers know a few cars that are worth being thankful for.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
It's a common refrain that cars are getting better and better, and you can't really find a bad car out there. Well, we're not getting Yugos that break down every ten miles, but that doesn't mean everything is alright. Cars keep getting bigger, fatter, and more removed. Steering wheels that have less feedback than your Playstation controller, efficient but characterless turbo engines, pillbox windows you can hardly see out of: these are the order of the day.
Some carmakers manage to get a few good cars out, though. Cars that are genuinely worth getting excited over. Cars that may be remembered down the road as really fine machines. Here are ten cars out of 2012 that just might live up to these expectations.
Photo Credit: Chrysler
10.) Jaguar F-Type
Jaguar is finally going to build the car they should have been making for decades: a small, gorgeous sports car. It's about time.
Suggested By: SennaMP4, Photo Credit: Jaguar
9.) Veloster Turbo
The Veloster Turbo is a controversial car, but we're happy it exists. Reader TheCrudMan gave a fitting description of the not-perfect Hyundai.
Sure it's too small inside and the chassis doesn't live up to the potential of the engine, but it shows a car maker willing to respond to the critics and to create a car that is powerful (201 HP), fuel-efficient (38 MPG highway), good looking (I think) and well equipped (lots of tech and standard heated leather) at a reasonable price.
Suggested By: TheCrudMan, Photo Credit: Michael Gil
8.) Ford Fusion
Reader SaabLife said it best. "I'm just glad it looks cool." It doesn't drive half bad either.
Suggested By: SaabLife, Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk
7.) Cadillac ATS
Cadillac built a BMW 3er, and you can even get the ATS with a stick. Thank you Cadillac, for not sucking.
Suggested By: Matt Ratzenberger, Photo Credit: Jalopnik
6.) McLaren P1
Even in today's hyper-sanitized, hyper-regulated car world, people are still out there building supercars.
Suggested By: SennaMP4, Photo Credit: GF Williams
5.) Ford Focus ST
As reader a_hooligan said, "even two years ago I would have laughed at you had you told me an American auto maker would have a competitive hot hatch. Would have laughed even harder had you told me it would be a Ford Focus."
Suggested By: a_hooligan, Photo Credit: Jack Amick
4.) Morgan Three-Wheeler
The reborn Morgan is a hopelessly impractical, one-wheel-drive bathtub on wheels. It is, objectively speaking, one of the worst cars ever made.
The three-wheeler is also a burnout machine that reminds you about everything that is good about driving. It is, subjectively speaking, one of the best cars ever made.
Suggested By: Mikeado, Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
3.) Anything By Icon
There's a company that makes the old trucks we deeply love new again. Even if they're hopelessly expensive, we're glad that Icon is rebuilding classics to the highest standard, like this to-die-for FJ40.
Suggested By: JSWilson64_g, Photo Credit: Icon 4X4
2.) SRT Viper
We could fill this whole list with reasons why we're thankful for the Viper. It gives us wood so hard that Morgan is going to turn us into a car.
Suggested By: Zoom, Photo Credit: Chrysler
1.) The Toyobaru Twins
The FR-S and the BRZ are just two more cars in the marketplace that put a premium on handling and fun behind the wheel. We've all come to expect heavy, detached beigemobiles (especially from Toyota) and the Toyobaru twins buck that trend. That's worth being thankful for.
Suggested By: shamowfski, Photo Credit: Aurimas