Driven Car Guide hands Kiwis the keys to choose the best (and worst) cars of the past decade

New Zealanders are being asked to vote for the best cars of the past 10 years, with Driven Car Guide launching its first-ever Car of the Decade competition today.

Sponsored by MTF Finance, Car of the Decade puts the big decisions in the hands of Driven Car Guide readers, with finalists selected across nine categories: Ute, Game Changer, Family SUV, Hybrid/EV, Aussie Big Six, Sports/Performance, Urban, Luxury and Dud of the Decade.

Kiwis can vote for their favourite in each category, and the finalist with the most votes overall will be crowned Car of the Decade. For obvious reasons, Dud of the Decade votes won’t count towards the top prize.

Driven Car Guide editor David Linklater says the past decade has been a time of immense change in the automotive world, with new brands and new technologies arriving on Kiwi roads.

“That makes it the perfect time to take stock and think about what has really mattered and which models have made the biggest impact on Kiwi motorists. We’re celebrating the success stories, but the car industry doesn’t always get it right, so we’re also looking forward to the debate around Dud of the Decade.”

Chris Lamers, MTF Finance CEO, says cars are about more than simply getting from A to B.

“Over the past decade, MTF Finance has helped hundreds of thousands of Kiwis get behind the wheel. That’s a lot of journeys started, opportunities created and connections made. Car of the Decade celebrates the vehicles that have made their mark on our roads, and with the winner chosen by the public, it’s a genuine reflection of the cars Kiwis value most,” he says.

The Radio Hauraki Big Show, sponsor of the Dud of the Decade category, will launch Car of the Decade on air on Friday 13 November. The following week, The Big Show will open the phone lines for listeners to debate the decade’s worst cars and share their best bad-car yarns.

The Big Show co-host Chris Key says: “Everyone’s had a dud, I’ve had plenty. So for the next two weeks, every terrible car you’ve ever owned is finally worth something. We want the oil leaks, the service lights and the weird noises that only go away when you turn the stereo up. If your car was a nightmare on wheels, barely scraping through a WOF, then give us a call.”

Car of the Decade voting and feature stories on all finalists go live at drivencarguide.co.nz today - Friday 13 November. Features will also run in the Driven Car Guide pull-out magazine in the NZ Herald over two weeks, starting tomorrow - Saturday 14 November.

To vote, visit the Car of the Decade website. Voting closes at 4pm on Monday 23 November with the winners announced on Friday 4 December.

ENDS