The Best Car Of The Year Of The Last Decade

The Best Car of the Year in Europe is a very sweet award for manufacturers, it guarantees a year full of advertisements in which they will be able to come to the fore with their heads held high and boast over and over again of such a feat.

In the last decade, the award has been very close between brands such as Opel, Peugeot or Volkswagen. It is striking that among the Best Car of the Year we do not find any model of a premium brand. Let’s see which have been the winners:

Year 2007: Ford S-Max

This large minivan with up to seven seats was all the rage for perfectly blending the versatility of a good family car and the dynamic qualities of a good saloon.

The quality of finishes was very good and the poise on the road was magnificent for a vehicle of almost 4.8 meters. The volume of the trunk with five available seats is 854 liters, a trump card that brings a smile to any parent.

Year 2008: Fiat 500

The small Italian utility vehicle has been one of the greatest successes in the history of the brand. It is impossible to take a walk through any city without seeing a few of these, and we are not surprised, it is a beautiful car and faithfully reminds the Fiat 500 of the time.

It was only available in 3 doors and its trunk was not helping to improve its versatility, but each and every part of the car exudes charm and style, highly valued ingredients today.

Year 2009: Opel Insignia

The German brand hit the table by launching a sedan capable of overshadowing the premium models in terms of aesthetics and packaging. For a few years it was the fashionable saloon, capable of turning heads in its wake and making things downright difficult for its rivals.

With a first-rate image, the interior did not disappoint either, with a multitude of quality details and a very successful presentation. The ride comfort was correct and dynamically it defended itself with honor to carry 200 kilograms of weight more than its rivals.

Year 2010: Volkswagen Polo

At 3.97 meters long, this B-segment model has held out on the front line until last year. We are facing a utility vehicle with a well-resolved interior space and a quality of finishes well above the average for the segment.

Dynamically it has been among the best, with a rolling quality more typical of a compact, so we are facing one of the best utility vehicles to face long trips.

They also released a GTI version of the model, with a whopping 180PS, enough to satisfy the budget-minded Golf GTI wannabe.

Year 2011: Nissan Leaf

It is a 4,45-meter long 5-door passenger car that is powered by a 109 hp electric motor. Autonomy was his best letter of introduction, since few competitors could match him at the time. It also had a spacious and very well resolved interior.

Its design never attracted attention, with very unsportsmanlike lines, but this did not overshadow its ecological qualities, with which it has made its way in a time when it had everything against it.

Year 2012: Chevrolet Volt / Opel Ampera

The award went to both of them as they were practically the same vehicle, with the same mechanical system. Its peculiarity lies in the use of electric motors in conjunction with a gasoline one, but the combustion engine was not used to power the wheels, but rather served as a generator to charge the batteries.

The idea in itself was already quite revolutionary, but, in addition, they had an impressive technological endowment and a differentiating aesthetic. The truth is that the level of sales was never on their side, in part because of its high price.

Year 2013: Volkswagen Golf

It is the seventh generation of the successful German compact, and although the changes from the previous model do not seem very striking, the car is entirely new. Following the Volkswagen philosophy, the final product was a very round model, it did not stand out in anything but it approved each section with a note.

The interior, with a sober cut like all the brand’s models, is very well finished and conveys a great feeling of solidity. A safe bet for anyone looking for a well-made compact.

Year 2014: Peugeot 308

Few have deserved to win the Best Car of the Year award like this French model. With a completely new design and premium build quality that caresses the sky, this compact has made things very difficult for the almighty Golf.

But the novelties do not end on the outside, the driving position has a small format steering wheel that allows you to read the instrumentation above it. This avoids taking your eyes off the road so much and, although it takes a while to adjust to this new arrangement, you will soon like it as much or more than the usual location.

Year 2015: Volkswagen Passat

The Volkswagen flagship greatly improved its aesthetics compared to the previous model, although do not expect great design boasts. The truth is that we are facing a car that meets with a grade in all sections, it is spacious, comfortable, silent and has very good engines.

Year 2016: Opel Astra

The compact German that stars in our cover image, came to improve an already good model, but solved the biggest problem of its predecessor: weight. In addition, it has state-of-the-art equipment and provides its occupants with ride comfort above the segment average.

Year 2017: Peugeot 3008

It won the latest Best Car of the Year award with its futuristic design and turned heads at its presentation. In addition, for an SUV, its dynamic qualities are at the height of a compact and at just 4.44 meters in length it is capable of offering a spacious and comfortable cabin to enjoy with the family.