The Renault 5 is the only car I've seen reviewed in recent years which I've actually got excited about. I'd love to get one but unfortunately I now live in Canada and there are barely any normal cars for sale. I couldn't even upgrade my Golf to the new equivalent because they only sell the GTi and R in North America now.
Watching the series and seeing the absolute beauties that've been awarded from the 1960s to the 2000s and seeing the 2025 picks and how they're basically all the same car is kinda depressing.
Especially if you compare that to some Chineese cars like the Zeekr Mix. Renault has done some nice things with the new 5 and Twingo. But that's about it for EU cars.
It's sad looking at the same shape SUV blobs we have now over the last few winners when innovation was key earlier on. I'd have the Renault 5 for this coming year
@@williamfence566 what's up with you and many others spreading the lie that SUVs have less interior space than hatchbacks? My parents have a 2016 Qashqai that was based on the Pulsar. It has more storage space (430L vs 385L), it only weights 35kg more and has a more premium interior. The same is true for many other SUVs based on existing hatchback platforms.
@N1ckZ I've not got a problem with what people chose to buy . But in every measurable factor like for like an SUV is worse. Heavier taller vehicles need heavier strengthen suspension, bigger wheels, bigger engines than their equivalent with minimal space gained except possibly in the boot ( unless compared to an estate ) . Just from a driving dynamic they are worse and more difficult to park. Jonny Smith , Jay Emm etc established motoring journalists say the same. We've had a decade where the manufacturers have steered the public into believing the raised driving position is everything which if that is what you want then that's fine. But better , I beg to differ.
Totally agree - It's getting a little depressing how difficult it is to buy an actual car these days, especially if you discount ultra-luxury or bargain basement options. My admittedly few experiences in small/medium SUVs felt more claustrophobic than any traditional hatchback/saloon. I can only guess that is to limit how far you can be thrown in a crash and so improve the NCAP rating (which I completely support - the greatest thing your car can do for you is 70-0 in 0.1 seconds and have you walk away unharmed), but it negates the feeling of space I would expect from the cost of buying and running a SUV.
@@drunkenhobo8020 they’ve always put the same cars with different names or under different brands together, they’ve put the Citroen C3 & eC3 together as well
I can't imagine just how difficult it will be to judge the 2025 winner. If I was a judge I don't think I could summon up enough enthusiasm on the day of judgment to get out of bed!
I reckon the Renault 5 for the win. Personally, I'll be going for the eC3, but that's because it suits my needs, not because it will draw attention to itself.
@@PedroConejo1939 Woah, you mean you don't do daily 200+ mile trips without stopping? If you go by the TH-cam comment section that means you're in the vast minority of people!
Thanks for the great series on European car of the year!! Must say, when I proposed it I thought the outcome would be much more lemons than peaches. Being Swedish, born in 1971 probably has a lot to do with that. Many foreign cars rutted away here in our harsh climate during the 70s, 80s and 90s. We all thought every car was a lemon as long as it didn’t say Saab or Volvo on the hatch. 😂😂
Thank you once again for all the work you put in to create this series for us over this festive period, I greatly appreciated the content. Looking back at the history of the Car of the Year, you can see that style was important in the good old days, nowadays all new cars or should I say most new cars are bland and look like one another. Where's the creativity gone! It's a shame and it's probably because of aerodynamics and weight limits. I'm glad I lived through some of the creative times in the automotive history. Thanks again and Happy New year to you and Mrs Big Car. 👍🏻🥂😊
I think overall and generalising the judges picked the winners well with the info they had at the time of judging. I had no idea which cars had been awarded “Car of the year” besides the Chrysler Horizon in 1979, and I’m suprised the Peugeot 205 never got the award, I wasn’t suprised at the Fiat Tipo or the Punto mk1 as they were roomy, comfortable and good value for money cars, I had both a few years ago. Cars from the mid 2000’s onwards don’t really do anything for me so I can’t comment but thanks for your hard work in producing a very interesting set of videos.
Thank you Big Car - great vids. I have been in bed for 5 days with flu and these have been the highlight of my day!! I wondered how the 208 could win as I was sure it was just a facelift of the old car, but looking it up it does have a complete new platform. What a sad offering for this year! It feels like we dined at the Ritz in the 80s and now we are in the late night chicken shop. Thankfully there are many cars that do not find their way onto the car of the year contention that do still offer something for the driver. Keep up the great work in 2025!
I watched every episode of the series and absolutely enjoyed every minute of it! Have a great new year and thank you for a years worth of fabulous videos
Brilliant 1 through 7 series, and another sublime Big Car production -- simply unmatched. The background chosen for this series will more than likely become Big Car iconic as differentiating from the Lego builds.
Thanks for your great work throughout the year, mate. I hope your viewership increases 10 fold in 2025 . Happy New Year, everyone from Australia ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Very enjoyable series of videos. I own a 208 and it's a worthy winner of car of the year. Great looks, fun to drive, and reasonably priced. Happy New Year!
Many thanks for the series, which I have enjoyed daily. I note no Tesla made the list but then the journalists all work for journals in which Tesla does not advertise, while the other brands do. Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Big Car!🎉
Not sure where to stick requests but is there any chance of a Reliant Scimitar SS1 video? Love learning about the cars I used to see on the road when I was a kid. I have a huge love for all your Story videos either way. ❤
Thank once again for this series! Very nice to look back and see it from another perspective! For 2025 I would never vote for the Junior but I would certainly be looking in to that Duster or EV3!
I remember when German cars had cupholders in the rear only, because the idea was that a driver should never be distracted and should take breaks from long driving to be safe anyway. It was a long time ago but I was always taught that every 2 hours of driving one should stop and excercise for 15 minutes.
Thank you for a very interesting and revealing series. I’m with others in coming to the conclusion that in the main, car design has gone backwards - airy, space efficient and interesting car designs have fallen away to be replaced by immense, clunky urban battle cruisers owing more to computer gaming than automotive sculptures. Elegance is lost, and clumsy detail abounds. As for the 2025 winner, I’m betting on the R5 - out of all of the contenders it appears to be well resolved, and although it harks back to the original R5 for inspiration, offers a fresh take on the small(ish) hatchback. Have a happy new year, and I look forward to seeing more Big (and Little) Car in 2025.
Which of these Compact crossover clones will win? 🤣 Dacia Duster should for practicality. Who knows! Great series over the festive period. Happy New Year! 🥳
Yay! - I think this is the first one of the mini series where you aren't trying to catch flies in the opening shot. Your mouth is closed for a change 🤣😛
This has been a great series of videos. My vote would be for the Renault 5 for 2025. It looks like a great reinterpretation of the original, though I do have reservations about it being electric only. Also, it’s not yet another lookalike and dynamically compromised SUV, which can only be a good thing. I’d have a yellow one. Happy New Year.
For the 2025 winner, I choose the Renault 5 E-Tech because of its retro look inside and out. Renault combines the future of pure electrification and 1970s nostalgia.
I hope the Renault 5 wins. But then the Citroen C3 and Dacia Duster are fantastic cars for an affordable price. But maybe they’ll pick the excellent Cupra Terramar if they want an all rounder, like they did in the 2010s.
"compact crossover clones" indeed. Is this REALLY what customers are demanding? The only safety I need is side impact and airbags, not aesthetic safety (dullness). Back to the focus groups...
Yes it is, because they are way better, more comfortable, safer, have more space, they look more expensive and sometimes have better-looking and higher quality interiors than hatchbacks.
@N1ckZ Their safety is a false notion. They're actually increasing the number of fatalities on the roads. They seem safe for their drivers, but most people don't understand the safety impacts, of taller cars because those aren't obvious until you're rolling over after the slightest flick of the steering wheel or ran over a kid you didn't see, or unable to stop in time because the high sitting position gives you a slower perception of speed and you're actually speeding without knowing.
The 2025 line up of contenders all look the same! With the possible exception of the Renault 5, but even that has a whiff of crossover about it - but nevertheless, given the competition, I'd give it to that for at least being slightly different🤣 Great series / idea - really enjoyed it
The modern Scenic is nothing like the original. I don’t like how it’s all about crossovers these days. If you need an SUV because you live in the woods I respect that but you don’t need a fake SUV to drive to the grocery store in the city.
Nobody buys SUVs to go off-road. They buy SUVs because they look better, have more space, better interiors, are more comfortable especially on bumpy roads and usually have better interiors than hatchbacks.
@N1ckZ Considering how often I've seen your comments here and what they usually contain, how much is Nissan or anyone else paying you to feed the SUV fad?
@xalataf3365 I would love to be getting paid, but you can't complain about modern SUVs of any kind without ever having driven one. The Nissan Qashqai I keep talking about is the only SUV I have driven and it drives very similarly to a 09 Volkswagen Passat Variant (wagon) despite it being taller, because modern SUVs aren't like the old ones. There are lots of electronic systems on the car like Nissan's Active Chassis Control and Intelligent Trace Control which subtly applies the brakes to individual wheels when cornering and in rain conditions, at high speed it can make the car turn sharper by 2m and in normal conditions it can really prevent the car from understeering. I am not claiming it's a sports car, but the difference isn't anywhere near as big as it used to be between let's say C segment SUVs and estates. And I would always pick an SUV or a sedan over an estate, because estates scream "big family man" or "hearse ⚰️".
It was a very relaxing series, to remember all those years of car history. For 2025 the only real surprise would be for the Dacia to win, but chances are slim to non-existent, despite the fact it is really just a good car with big success in Europe. Happy New Year and thank you for all your videos! :)
Thanks for all your videos. What was the criteria for car of the year? Did it have to be a new model or gen? I live in the states and it is helpful when you mention the size of the vehicle and how it slots into the manufacturers other vehicle lineup. Thank you!
Hi, greetings from Ethekweni (Durban) South Africa. I've watched you channel for many a year already, and enjoyed the experience. I'm 64, terminally ill and waiting to be admitted ti the hospice. Anyway, I enjoy your channel and would like to keep in touch/correspond from time to time.
Cars made in 2020s are guaranteed: 1. Catalytic converter failure at about 150k km (and it's more expensive than in older cars!), 2. Engine lives up to maximum of 350k if it's a 'good' one. 3. If it's a diesel up to 200k there will be at least two AdBlue malfunctions. One is likely to force replacement of entire system. That's 1500-2000 euro worth of spares only. 4. There will also be a DPF failure, another 1-2 thousand euro and I'm not counting labour. 5. Diesel injectors are going to fail somewhere between 200 and 250k km. Replacement of injectors alone is not enough as the system is probably contaminated with grinded metal from high pressure pump, so entire fuel system has to be repaced. That's 4 to 5 thousand euro worth of spares. 6. There will be a turbocharger failure within first 200-250k km. 7. From brand new it's likely to burn large amounts of engine oil. 0W20 is just too thin to be stopped by oil control ring so it burns in the combustion chamber. 8. If it's 1,5 DV5R it will destroy itself before 200k because it is faulty. 9. If it's PureTech, it needs timing belt replacement with almost every oil change. 10. If it's non-Toyota hybrid, random belt tensioner failures will occur. In some cases, expensive frequency mesuring tool is required to put a new belt on so most garages can't repair it. 11. 'Premium' cars are not safe from this stuff either. AdBlue is just as bad anywhere and BMW's have ABS pump issue that randomly immobilizes the car by locking the brakes permanently. How do I know this? I work in a car fleet and administrate service of 400 cars a month.
You don't know anything because cars made in the 2020s don't have 200k or 300k or 400k km yet. Also, almost nobody keeps the same car for over 250k km. Nobody at all. And almost any car of the past is somewhat unreliable after that many km.
@N1ckZ 1. Fleet cars can do. Sales representatives constantly travel. In security companies, when a car finishes patrol, they just change the crew and car keeps going 24 hours a day. By simple calculation, if average speed is 20km/h, and the car runs for 24 hours, in 365 days it's 175 200km. 2. Entire Eastern Europe has so far ran on second-hand cars reaching 500, 700, in some cases 800k km. Subsequently most of the word. There is only a hanful of countries where people can afford low-mileage cars. Average age of active car in Poland is 15,9 years. Many countries to this day run on cars from 1970s. 3. Sure, minor things may fail, but the engine should not require premature rebuilt or replacement. It's a different scale and cost of repair to replace a seal or broken circuit rather than a whole engine.
What I meant to say was that if you buy a new car, you are unlikely to keep it for 250k km before you sell it or upgrade to a new car. If you buy used cars, you'll find a lot of old ones with 250k km that look questionable at best. For example my parents' 2000 Citroen Xsara 1.4 70hp was a good car for the first 12 years and after that it had many MANY issues and they upgraded to a Nissan Qashqai in 2016. They still have the Xsara which has around 220k km, but is in terrible condition in terms of electronics, exterior paint which is so bad you after that many years that can be peeled off and then there is the interior. The speed dial has fallen off and is stuck somewhere between the speedo and the protective glass and the rear doors don't open from the inside. Its pretty much how you can expect a car of this age to be like. Although my uncle's Audi A4 2003 is in immaculate condition for its age.
The average age a car is scrapped in the UK is now 17 years old. 15 years ago it was 13 years old. The average mileage at scrappage is 125,000. Seems like they're more reliable than before and well within the demands of an average consumer.
I’ve driven a few of the Yaris’. They’re lovely to drive and they pull well. The lane keep assist tries to kill you though! A few times while using cruise control etc it’s tried to steer me into parked cars as I was trying to drive around them. Obviously this is down to the technology limitations rather than the car itself but still 😂😂😂
I've watched the series and find it interesting to see how during the 60s and 70s innovation was key to winning the competition while since around 2000, innovation appears to be completely lacking among the choices available. For most buyers, a car is the second largest purchase someone makes after the home. So in a way I can understand that consumers are conservative, yet, I also think it tells us something about the sentiment of the general public, auto journalists and manufactuerers. Maybe it was that 50-60 years ago, a new innovative car was seen a hope for an overall better future. People wanted innovation. They wanted everthing to be better and innovation was the way to get there. Now, it appears that the same consumers, journalist and manufactures only want predicability. Innovation always comes with risk, and everybody now is risk adverse. But risk aversion did not appear when all manufactures decided the crazy switch to all-electrics cars despite the lack of consumer interest, a kind of innovation that clearly has backfired. This risk aversion leaves us with cars that are virtually identical. I live in the US, and here it is virtually impossible to identify the brand of a small SUV or a large SUV without looking at the badge. Regular "cars" hardly exist. Having recently gone through the process of buying new cars (eg small SUVs) for both me and my wife, also on the inside they are utterly predicable. And so boring it makes my eyes bleed. Bring back the dashboards of the 1970s and 80s Citroën!
As the owner of the new scenic, I can say that its award is richly deserved. It is absolutely brilliant. Thanks for this great series and all your other videos this year. Wishing you a very happy new year!
I have really enjoyed this such history put together thank you I think the surprise for me was the Fiat Panda I never new it sold so well as for 2025 I think the Kia stands a good chance I always enjoy your content will be watching in 2025 so a very Happy New Year to you best regards Andy & Sue Allen
Interesting series, thanks. I live in Canada so we only get by default what Americans want - which is trucks and SUVs. GM, Ford and Chrysler don't even make cars anympre - well Mopar did but they were only the huge 300 and Charger and I wanted something about the size of an Accord. When I wanted a new car in 2021 I had to look at Japan or Europe for a four door sedan (I know you call it a saloon) I ended up with a BMW 330e which has been perfectly fine so far (knock on wood) but I wish they sold the Touring here.
Just want to say thanks for all the effort to produce such a watchable series at this time of year.
Please be the 5.. ive been in one and its perfectly sized.. not a crossover or suv.. and not grey black or silver.. these alone make it a winner
I tried it and honestly, if I were to buy a car this year, the R5 would be it!
@gregonline6506 soon as you see it just screams yes doesnt it! More like this please..and stop making ugly fridges 🤣
The Renault 5 is the only car I've seen reviewed in recent years which I've actually got excited about. I'd love to get one but unfortunately I now live in Canada and there are barely any normal cars for sale. I couldn't even upgrade my Golf to the new equivalent because they only sell the GTi and R in North America now.
They can choose whatever winner they want. In the end Dacia will sell their cars because most people just cannot afford the other models.
How much is Renault paying you guys?
Watching the series and seeing the absolute beauties that've been awarded from the 1960s to the 2000s and seeing the 2025 picks and how they're basically all the same car is kinda depressing.
Yes, I agee. A horrible line up!
Please get your eyes checked immediately.
Especially if you compare that to some Chineese cars like the Zeekr Mix. Renault has done some nice things with the new 5 and Twingo. But that's about it for EU cars.
Yea this was my thought as well. There are a lot of good and legitimate reasons why cars have become so homogeneous, but it's still sad to see.
@@future62 Stellantis. There is a dealer locally and the difference between the Jeep Avenger and Alfa Romeo Junior seems to be mild cosmestics.
It's sad looking at the same shape SUV blobs we have now over the last few winners when innovation was key earlier on. I'd have the Renault 5 for this coming year
20 years ago they were all hatchbacks. Massive invention.
@N1ckZ Excluding the higher ride position they are worse in interior space, handling ( just physics ) economy Pound for pound.
@@williamfence566 what's up with you and many others spreading the lie that SUVs have less interior space than hatchbacks? My parents have a 2016 Qashqai that was based on the Pulsar. It has more storage space (430L vs 385L), it only weights 35kg more and has a more premium interior. The same is true for many other SUVs based on existing hatchback platforms.
@N1ckZ I've not got a problem with what people chose to buy . But in every measurable factor like for like an SUV is worse. Heavier taller vehicles need heavier strengthen suspension, bigger wheels, bigger engines than their equivalent with minimal space gained except possibly in the boot ( unless compared to an estate ) . Just from a driving dynamic they are worse and more difficult to park. Jonny Smith , Jay Emm etc established motoring journalists say the same. We've had a decade where the manufacturers have steered the public into believing the raised driving position is everything which if that is what you want then that's fine. But better , I beg to differ.
Totally agree - It's getting a little depressing how difficult it is to buy an actual car these days, especially if you discount ultra-luxury or bargain basement options. My admittedly few experiences in small/medium SUVs felt more claustrophobic than any traditional hatchback/saloon. I can only guess that is to limit how far you can be thrown in a crash and so improve the NCAP rating (which I completely support - the greatest thing your car can do for you is 70-0 in 0.1 seconds and have you walk away unharmed), but it negates the feeling of space I would expect from the cost of buying and running a SUV.
Excellent series of videos. I'm going on record, it will be Renault5 in 2025. Unless it's not. :)
Good shout! Seems like exactly the kind of car they would vote for. Or the Fiat Grand Panda (is that available yet?).
@@rodoherty1the Grande Panda isn’t on sale yet, so it would be eligible for the 2026 award instead.
It’s absolutely loved everywhere so I see it being true!
Lumping it in with the Alpine version is also a neat trick, as they can talk both about cost and performance.
@@drunkenhobo8020 they’ve always put the same cars with different names or under different brands together, they’ve put the Citroen C3 & eC3 together as well
Thanks for these videos over the last few days mate. Much appreciated 😊
We finally found a treasure trove of lemons! Happy New Year Andy & all, it's already 8.10pm down here. 🎉 💥 🇦🇺
I know I get old and, not everything is better, but if you see the competition of this year, you can only cry... They. are. all. the. same.
1 Dacia Duster, 2 Renault A290, 3 Kia EV3
I can't imagine just how difficult it will be to judge the 2025 winner. If I was a judge I don't think I could summon up enough enthusiasm on the day of judgment to get out of bed!
I'd verdict the 1986 Audi 80 to be 2024 Car of the Year. So old but still won't rust ir break down.
Thank you for your videos in '24. Your videos are a balm for a bruised soul.
Thanks for an enjoyable series, and the work that went into it!
Happy new year to you, and all your viewers!
I reckon the Renault 5 for the win. Personally, I'll be going for the eC3, but that's because it suits my needs, not because it will draw attention to itself.
I would never buy that as my main car. The petrol version is ok, but an EV as cheap as this, doesn't go very far.
@N1ckZ "suits my needs"
@@PedroConejo1939 Woah, you mean you don't do daily 200+ mile trips without stopping? If you go by the TH-cam comment section that means you're in the vast minority of people!
Thanks for the videos! Always a plesure when you upload something new!
I have really enjoyed this series. Watching from Vietnam.
I enjoyed this mini series very much, I hope you make more of this kind of content in the future. Happy New Year to you and your family 🎉
Danke!
Thanks Stefan!
Thanks for the great series on European car of the year!! Must say, when I proposed it I thought the outcome would be much more lemons than peaches. Being Swedish, born in 1971 probably has a lot to do with that. Many foreign cars rutted away here in our harsh climate during the 70s, 80s and 90s. We all thought every car was a lemon as long as it didn’t say Saab or Volvo on the hatch. 😂😂
Thank you for this series, & indeed for being a pretty solid fixture of Friday evenings. All the best to you & your famly for the
New Year.
Happy New Year to you! I've enjoyed this series as is the rest of your content. Thank you and looking forward to more for next year! Cheers🥂
Thank you once again for all the work you put in to create this series for us over this festive period, I greatly appreciated the content. Looking back at the history of the Car of the Year, you can see that style was important in the good old days, nowadays all new cars or should I say most new cars are bland and look like one another. Where's the creativity gone! It's a shame and it's probably because of aerodynamics and weight limits. I'm glad I lived through some of the creative times in the automotive history. Thanks again and Happy New year to you and Mrs Big Car. 👍🏻🥂😊
Fantastic series Andy. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Happy New Year to you and your family. Looking forward to more videos in 2025 🏴
Voting a Stellantis Jeep for car of the year is a joke.
why? it's a very good car
Agree ,utter garbage 🗑
Peugeot are garbage since the 2000's. Very unreliable.
It’s actually a pretty good little car.
I love it
These videos are great. Hopefully we will see more similar videos in the future!
I think overall and generalising the judges picked the winners well with the info they had at the time of judging.
I had no idea which cars had been awarded “Car of the year” besides the Chrysler Horizon in 1979, and I’m suprised the Peugeot 205 never got the award, I wasn’t suprised at the Fiat Tipo or the Punto mk1 as they were roomy, comfortable and good value for money cars, I had both a few years ago.
Cars from the mid 2000’s onwards don’t really do anything for me so I can’t comment but thanks for your hard work in producing a very interesting set of videos.
Thank you Big Car - great vids. I have been in bed for 5 days with flu and these have been the highlight of my day!!
I wondered how the 208 could win as I was sure it was just a facelift of the old car, but looking it up it does have a complete new platform.
What a sad offering for this year! It feels like we dined at the Ritz in the 80s and now we are in the late night chicken shop.
Thankfully there are many cars that do not find their way onto the car of the year contention that do still offer something for the driver.
Keep up the great work in 2025!
Glad it helped!
I watched every episode of the series and absolutely enjoyed every minute of it!
Have a great new year and thank you for a years worth of fabulous videos
That was an excellent series Mr Big Car. Happy new year to you and Mrs Big Car 🎉
Awesome, and Happy New Years Eve!
I've really enjoyed this series. Fun and informative, as always.
Thanks for a very well-done and enjoyable series.
I really enjoyed this series. Happy New Year sir!
Brilliant 1 through 7 series, and another sublime Big Car production -- simply unmatched. The background chosen for this series will more than likely become Big Car iconic as differentiating from the Lego builds.
Great series! Enjoyed it immensely. Thanks.
Fantastic series and a great idea. Wonderful way to end 2024 knowing when I wake up there's a Big Car video every day.
Enjoyed this series of vids. Well done! Cheers.
Nicely done, very informative and enjoyable.
Thank you for a wonderful series!
Great mini series! Thanks for making the weird limbo land between xmas and new years fun!
Thanks for your great work throughout the year, mate. I hope your viewership increases 10 fold in 2025 . Happy New Year, everyone from Australia ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Have a happy new year, Andy! More great videos in 2025, please!
Very enjoyable series of videos. I own a 208 and it's a worthy winner of car of the year. Great looks, fun to drive, and reasonably priced. Happy New Year!
Andy, What a great series of videos! Thanks so much. Are you now living in the UK?
For now, just a few months.
Excellent, enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
Excellent little series which brought back lots of memories. Thank you.
I appreciate that you found pictures of cars in different colours for the 2025 nominees because there is no other way to tell them apart.
Really enjoyed this series. Thank you.
Many thanks for the series, which I have enjoyed daily. I note no Tesla made the list but then the journalists all work for journals in which Tesla does not advertise, while the other brands do. Happy New Year to you and Mrs. Big Car!🎉
Great series 👌🏼. Happy new year 🧱👍🏽
Not sure where to stick requests but is there any chance of a Reliant Scimitar SS1 video? Love learning about the cars I used to see on the road when I was a kid. I have a huge love for all your Story videos either way. ❤
Thank once again for this series! Very nice to look back and see it from another perspective! For 2025 I would never vote for the Junior but I would certainly be looking in to that Duster or EV3!
Many thanks for this series of videos!
Thanks for the Christmas present, was wonderful, see you in the New Year...!
I'm always amazed how are Kia EV6 looks so modern and it just works so well.
The Scenic won E-COTY because of the rear seat cupholders, as that's pretty much the only neat thing about it other than running Android Automotive.
It has very good range
I remember when German cars had cupholders in the rear only, because the idea was that a driver should never be distracted and should take breaks from long driving to be safe anyway.
It was a long time ago but I was always taught that every 2 hours of driving one should stop and excercise for 15 minutes.
@N1ckZ Yes it does - only beaten by a few ev's and every single petrol/diesel/hybrid ever made.
Thank you for a very interesting and revealing series. I’m with others in coming to the conclusion that in the main, car design has gone backwards - airy, space efficient and interesting car designs have fallen away to be replaced by immense, clunky urban battle cruisers owing more to computer gaming than automotive sculptures. Elegance is lost, and clumsy detail abounds. As for the 2025 winner, I’m betting on the R5 - out of all of the contenders it appears to be well resolved, and although it harks back to the original R5 for inspiration, offers a fresh take on the small(ish) hatchback. Have a happy new year, and I look forward to seeing more Big (and Little) Car in 2025.
Which of these Compact crossover clones will win? 🤣 Dacia Duster should for practicality. Who knows! Great series over the festive period. Happy New Year! 🥳
Thanks for the whole series, great content! Do you really see the R5 as a crossover? I just assumed it was a small compact car
R4 is the crossover version
Thanks for livening up my "twixtmas"! Interesting stuff x
Dodge also sold a sedan called the Avenger in the US so they probably did hold onto the naming rights the whole time.
Yay! - I think this is the first one of the mini series where you aren't trying to catch flies in the opening shot. Your mouth is closed for a change 🤣😛
This has been a great series of videos. My vote would be for the Renault 5 for 2025. It looks like a great reinterpretation of the original, though I do have reservations about it being electric only. Also, it’s not yet another lookalike and dynamically compromised SUV, which can only be a good thing. I’d have a yellow one. Happy New Year.
I loved this series!
And it proves every year we have more lemon trees around...
choosing 1 car from the 2025 finalists is like choosing which leg or arm to amputate 😂 all are horrid
Loved it, hope to see another round 2030!
Top stuff. Nice trip down memory lane.
For the 2025 winner, I choose the Renault 5 E-Tech because of its retro look inside and out. Renault combines the future of pure electrification and 1970s nostalgia.
I hope the Renault 5 wins. But then the Citroen C3 and Dacia Duster are fantastic cars for an affordable price. But maybe they’ll pick the excellent Cupra Terramar if they want an all rounder, like they did in the 2010s.
I love the Terramar
Good slip into 2025 Mr. BigCar! Enjoyed your vids throughout the year. Thx for your hard work.
Happy new year!
Fingers crossed for the Renault 5 this year - the only one with real charm and character
Excellent series. Well done.
Renault 5 for the win.
My 307 series 2 is also bulletproof. I kid you not😅
The series 1 certainly were not.
Enjoyable series of videos. Happy New Year!
Great series, really liked it. Nice 1
Great video buddy. I wish you a very Happy 2025.
For me a lemon is a car that breaks down a lot, not a car that sells badly. That makes all Peugeot since 2000 lemons.
You could still get bulletproof stuff like the 406 after 2000
"compact crossover clones" indeed. Is this REALLY what customers are demanding? The only safety I need is side impact and airbags, not aesthetic safety (dullness).
Back to the focus groups...
Yes it is, because they are way better, more comfortable, safer, have more space, they look more expensive and sometimes have better-looking and higher quality interiors than hatchbacks.
@N1ckZ Their safety is a false notion. They're actually increasing the number of fatalities on the roads. They seem safe for their drivers, but most people don't understand the safety impacts, of taller cars because those aren't obvious until you're rolling over after the slightest flick of the steering wheel or ran over a kid you didn't see, or unable to stop in time because the high sitting position gives you a slower perception of speed and you're actually speeding without knowing.
Yes, we have a aging population and low birth rates combined with lower purchasing power overall especially in the young generation demographic
@@santostv. And among that aging population, people would be surprised how often the number one concern is "how easy is it to get in and out of?"
SUVs are very dangerous in Moose manuver
Loved the series.
I support all your thoughts on the new Scenic!
Really enjoyed the series. Interesting to see what cars won.
Great series. Thanks, mate.
Great again and best wishes.
The 2025 line up of contenders all look the same! With the possible exception of the Renault 5, but even that has a whiff of crossover about it - but nevertheless, given the competition, I'd give it to that for at least being slightly different🤣 Great series / idea - really enjoyed it
Thanks for the great series, I enjoyed it a lot! Best wishes for 2025 from France.
It have been a really interesting serie with Car of The Year and it’s clear that after the 90’s things really went backwards.
The modern Scenic is nothing like the original. I don’t like how it’s all about crossovers these days. If you need an SUV because you live in the woods I respect that but you don’t need a fake SUV to drive to the grocery store in the city.
Nobody buys SUVs to go off-road. They buy SUVs because they look better, have more space, better interiors, are more comfortable especially on bumpy roads and usually have better interiors than hatchbacks.
SUVs are mostly unfit to go offroad. A random 80s car has better offroadability than an average modern SUV.
You will find as you get older that SUVs are easier to enter and exit than low slung cars.
You can slide into them.
@N1ckZ Considering how often I've seen your comments here and what they usually contain, how much is Nissan or anyone else paying you to feed the SUV fad?
@xalataf3365 I would love to be getting paid, but you can't complain about modern SUVs of any kind without ever having driven one. The Nissan Qashqai I keep talking about is the only SUV I have driven and it drives very similarly to a 09 Volkswagen Passat Variant (wagon) despite it being taller, because modern SUVs aren't like the old ones. There are lots of electronic systems on the car like Nissan's Active Chassis Control and Intelligent Trace Control which subtly applies the brakes to individual wheels when cornering and in rain conditions, at high speed it can make the car turn sharper by 2m and in normal conditions it can really prevent the car from understeering. I am not claiming it's a sports car, but the difference isn't anywhere near as big as it used to be between let's say C segment SUVs and estates.
And I would always pick an SUV or a sedan over an estate, because estates scream "big family man" or "hearse ⚰️".
Enjoyable series
It was a very relaxing series, to remember all those years of car history. For 2025 the only real surprise would be for the Dacia to win, but chances are slim to non-existent, despite the fact it is really just a good car with big success in Europe.
Happy New Year and thank you for all your videos! :)
I don’t think they care too much.
Fat chance that it’s sales number beats that of the 6 others. Combined.
@ludosys4903 could be a nice free ad for their brand, though.
Happy new year to you. As it looks, not much to pick from for 2025 as far as cars. But looking forward to new directions for myself. 😊
Great videos 👍
Thanks for all your videos. What was the criteria for car of the year? Did it have to be a new model or gen? I live in the states and it is helpful when you mention the size of the vehicle and how it slots into the manufacturers other vehicle lineup. Thank you!
Hi, greetings from Ethekweni (Durban) South Africa.
I've watched you channel for many a year already, and enjoyed the experience. I'm 64, terminally ill and waiting to be admitted ti the hospice.
Anyway, I enjoy your channel and would like to keep in touch/correspond from time to time.
Cars made in 2020s are guaranteed: 1. Catalytic converter failure at about 150k km (and it's more expensive than in older cars!), 2. Engine lives up to maximum of 350k if it's a 'good' one. 3. If it's a diesel up to 200k there will be at least two AdBlue malfunctions. One is likely to force replacement of entire system. That's 1500-2000 euro worth of spares only. 4. There will also be a DPF failure, another 1-2 thousand euro and I'm not counting labour. 5. Diesel injectors are going to fail somewhere between 200 and 250k km. Replacement of injectors alone is not enough as the system is probably contaminated with grinded metal from high pressure pump, so entire fuel system has to be repaced. That's 4 to 5 thousand euro worth of spares. 6. There will be a turbocharger failure within first 200-250k km. 7. From brand new it's likely to burn large amounts of engine oil. 0W20 is just too thin to be stopped by oil control ring so it burns in the combustion chamber. 8. If it's 1,5 DV5R it will destroy itself before 200k because it is faulty. 9. If it's PureTech, it needs timing belt replacement with almost every oil change. 10. If it's non-Toyota hybrid, random belt tensioner failures will occur. In some cases, expensive frequency mesuring tool is required to put a new belt on so most garages can't repair it. 11. 'Premium' cars are not safe from this stuff either. AdBlue is just as bad anywhere and BMW's have ABS pump issue that randomly immobilizes the car by locking the brakes permanently.
How do I know this? I work in a car fleet and administrate service of 400 cars a month.
You don't know anything because cars made in the 2020s don't have 200k or 300k or 400k km yet. Also, almost nobody keeps the same car for over 250k km. Nobody at all. And almost any car of the past is somewhat unreliable after that many km.
@N1ckZ 1. Fleet cars can do. Sales representatives constantly travel. In security companies, when a car finishes patrol, they just change the crew and car keeps going 24 hours a day. By simple calculation, if average speed is 20km/h, and the car runs for 24 hours, in 365 days it's 175 200km.
2. Entire Eastern Europe has so far ran on second-hand cars reaching 500, 700, in some cases 800k km. Subsequently most of the word. There is only a hanful of countries where people can afford low-mileage cars. Average age of active car in Poland is 15,9 years. Many countries to this day run on cars from 1970s. 3. Sure, minor things may fail, but the engine should not require premature rebuilt or replacement. It's a different scale and cost of repair to replace a seal or broken circuit rather than a whole engine.
@N1ckZ "Also, almost nobody keeps the same car for over 250k km. Nobody at all." You really don't have a clue what you're talking about, do you...
What I meant to say was that if you buy a new car, you are unlikely to keep it for 250k km before you sell it or upgrade to a new car. If you buy used cars, you'll find a lot of old ones with 250k km that look questionable at best. For example my parents' 2000 Citroen Xsara 1.4 70hp was a good car for the first 12 years and after that it had many MANY issues and they upgraded to a Nissan Qashqai in 2016. They still have the Xsara which has around 220k km, but is in terrible condition in terms of electronics, exterior paint which is so bad you after that many years that can be peeled off and then there is the interior. The speed dial has fallen off and is stuck somewhere between the speedo and the protective glass and the rear doors don't open from the inside. Its pretty much how you can expect a car of this age to be like. Although my uncle's Audi A4 2003 is in immaculate condition for its age.
The average age a car is scrapped in the UK is now 17 years old. 15 years ago it was 13 years old.
The average mileage at scrappage is 125,000. Seems like they're more reliable than before and well within the demands of an average consumer.
I’ve driven a few of the Yaris’. They’re lovely to drive and they pull well. The lane keep assist tries to kill you though! A few times while using cruise control etc it’s tried to steer me into parked cars as I was trying to drive around them. Obviously this is down to the technology limitations rather than the car itself but still 😂😂😂
I've watched the series and find it interesting to see how during the 60s and 70s innovation was key to winning the competition while since around 2000, innovation appears to be completely lacking among the choices available. For most buyers, a car is the second largest purchase someone makes after the home. So in a way I can understand that consumers are conservative, yet, I also think it tells us something about the sentiment of the general public, auto journalists and manufactuerers. Maybe it was that 50-60 years ago, a new innovative car was seen a hope for an overall better future. People wanted innovation. They wanted everthing to be better and innovation was the way to get there. Now, it appears that the same consumers, journalist and manufactures only want predicability. Innovation always comes with risk, and everybody now is risk adverse. But risk aversion did not appear when all manufactures decided the crazy switch to all-electrics cars despite the lack of consumer interest, a kind of innovation that clearly has backfired. This risk aversion leaves us with cars that are virtually identical. I live in the US, and here it is virtually impossible to identify the brand of a small SUV or a large SUV without looking at the badge. Regular "cars" hardly exist. Having recently gone through the process of buying new cars (eg small SUVs) for both me and my wife, also on the inside they are utterly predicable. And so boring it makes my eyes bleed. Bring back the dashboards of the 1970s and 80s Citroën!
As the owner of the new scenic, I can say that its award is richly deserved. It is absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for this great series and all your other videos this year. Wishing you a very happy new year!
I have really enjoyed this such history put together thank you I think the surprise for me was the Fiat Panda I never new it sold so well as for 2025 I think the Kia stands a good chance I always enjoy your content will be watching in 2025 so a very Happy New Year to you best regards Andy & Sue Allen
I'd bet anything that it's the Renault.
@@pistonburner6448 You could be right sir we will see what is chosen thank you for your comment Happy New Year to you and yours Andy Allen.
Interesting series, thanks. I live in Canada so we only get by default what Americans want - which is trucks and SUVs.
GM, Ford and Chrysler don't even make cars anympre - well Mopar did but they were only the huge 300 and Charger and I wanted something about the size of an Accord.
When I wanted a new car in 2021 I had to look at Japan or Europe for a four door sedan (I know you call it a saloon)
I ended up with a BMW 330e which has been perfectly fine so far (knock on wood) but I wish they sold the Touring here.
The almost 20 year old Duster I drove all over Iceland was a real hoot. I hope some of that character remains in the new one.
Thank you so much 😢