Zoomie Car of the Year Awards 1990-2014

25 Years of Zoomies

Here are my Car of the Year Awards for the first 25 years of the Savage On Wheels column, as they appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This year the Zoomies will appear only on this website. Watch for their posting …. very soon!

Here are the past Zoomie winners:

2014: Mazda3 (light, swoopy hatchback with power, fun handling and fuel efficiency)

2013: Dodge Dart (sassy smart looking small car, full of youthful features, value)

2012: Chevrolet Volt (good looking, well built and cutting edge technology)

2011: Ford Mustang (in any trim a beautiful, fast, fun car with excellent ride and handling)

2010: Suzuki Kizashi SLS (modest price, good looks/handling, loaded with goodies)

2009: Volvo C30 (sassy, economical, fun with fresh styling)

2008: Nissan Altima Coupe (awesome looks, good value, fun drive with power)

2007: Mazda5 (stylish blend of sportwagon-van, low price, practical)

2006: Ford Fusion (good looks, good value, improved fit and finish)

2005: Scion tC (good handling, great power, youthful interior, good looks, low cost)

2004: Acura TSX (sporty looks, super acceleration/handling, good mpg, moderate cost)

2003: BMW Mini Cooper (square but hip looks, excellent handling, fun for the bucks)

2002: Hyundai Elantra GT (sporty, fun, quick, and a good-looking, useful hatchback)

2001: Chrysler PT Cruiser (fun, versatile, economical and a styling knockout)

2000: Ford Focus (stylish, substantial small car with excellent handling, peppy acceleration, modest price.)

1999: Volkswagen Beetle (super styling, fun drive, solid car)

1998: Chevrolet Malibu (affordable family car with style)

1997: Ford Escort/Mercury Tracer (econocar with more flair than most)

1996: Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire (economical, sporty looking coupes)

1995: Chrysler Cirrus (styling flair and affordable family car)

1994: Chevrolet Camaro Z28 (good-looking muscle at blue-collar price)

1993: Dodge Intrepid (extraordinary style and interior space in a large family sedan)

1992: Eagle Summit, Plymouth Colt Vista, Mitsubishi Expo LRV (way ahead of their time, mini-minivans offered all-wheel drive, like sport-utes. Beat Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V by years.)

1991: Buick Park Avenue (handsome full-size luxury car at entry-level luxury price)

1990: Mazda Miata (re-invented the cute, affordable, fun-to-drive roadster)

Hey, they may not all be gems, but they all had something major going for them at the time, and a few are now icons, like the Miata, Mustang, Beetle and Mini Cooper. All had style, compared to many of their competitors at the time too, and you wouldn’t go broke buying any of these Zoomies!