The Best 90s Cars of the '90s
The decade when performance returned— these are the best 90s cars.

Image via Complex Original

In the '70s and '80s, most cars really, really sucked. Almost all of the designs were overly boxy, many were poorly proportioned, and performance was, for the most part, terrible. Strict emission requirements due to the clean air act amendments of 1970 prevented car manufactures from being able continuing to put out the fast and popular muscle and sports cars of the ‘60s. Nothing was fast, but in those years, the decision had been made— environmental protection was more important than fast cars.
In the '90s things changed a lot, and definitely for the better. Designers put down the straight edge and the T-square model and began to use curves again. Consumers benefited greatly, with manufacturers producing mass market cars that were mechanically simple, safer than ever (due to the rise of the airbag), and also surprisingly fun to drive. Electric cars, which hadn’t really been seen since the mid 1800s began their climb back into the the mainstream. Technology finally caught up to the engine emissions requirements, which led to something that had been sorely missed, extremely fast cars, but now they were faster than anything that the world of the ‘60s could bring to the table. The idea of what was required for a car to be considered truly fast had changed for good. The '60s may have been a golden age of motoring and motorsport, but we'd argue that the '90s represent the dawn of a new one, one that is not only much easier on the environment, but also lets the average consumer go from 0 to 60 in a time that would boggle the minds of car enthusiasts of the ‘60s. Without further ado, these are The Best 90s Cars.
25. Hummer H1

24. Lexus LS400

23. Ford Ranger

22. Lincoln Navigator

21. GMC Syclone/Typhoon

20. Nissan 300ZX

19. BMW M5

18. Ford F-150 SVT Lightning

17. BMW M Coupe

16. Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

15. Buick Roadmaster

14. Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

13. Ferrari 500

12. Nissan Skyline

11. Mazda RX-7

10. Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

9. Ford Escort RS Cosworth

8. Dodge Viper

7. Toyota Supra

6. Ferrari F50

5. Jaguar XJ200

4. Mazda Miata

3. Acura NSX

2. Lamborghini Diablo

1. McLaren F1
