Edmunds Top 5 Cars That Have Learned and Improved Over the Years
Everyone remembers the geek in junior high school, the outcast, the butt of many a mean-spirited practical joke who slinked into summer vacation, and lo, returned three months later for the new school year a completely changed, gleaming person. Whether she tamed her frizzy mop, cleared up her pizza face or developed in areas that were previously underwhelming, this new, confident creature bears little resemblance to the heretofore ungainly being. What happened, you wonder, and why is this person suddenly so intriguing?
Usually, it's Mother Nature working her magic (often with a little help from the lady at the Clinique counter), but with cars, it's the result of millions of dollars and market research. In honor of back-to-school month, we quizzed our editors about cars that have learned something and improved over the years.
![]()
2001 Volvo S60
Road Test Editor Liz Kim still does a double take when she spies the latest-generation sedans from Volvo - let's say the S60. The sleek, fluid lines resemble nothing of the boxy, cluttered shape of her old man's '91 740 clunker, yet the S60 doesn't eschew its traditional Volvo heritage, evident in its waterfall grille and square headlamps. Safety is still the top priority, as it's armed with an army of airbags and a standard stability control and traction system, but these features are housed in a vehicle whose image doesn't scream "2.4 kids, a yellow Lab and a mortgage on a home in the suburbs!" Yet its cushy ride and overboosted steering are sufficiently comfortable for inhabitants of such, and nobody dislikes luxury features like a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, dual zone climate control and an optional in-dash CD changer.
The others:
2001 BMW M3
2001 Hyundai Elantra
2001 Nissan Maxima
2001 Porsche 911
-Drew
Everyone remembers the geek in junior high school, the outcast, the butt of many a mean-spirited practical joke who slinked into summer vacation, and lo, returned three months later for the new school year a completely changed, gleaming person. Whether she tamed her frizzy mop, cleared up her pizza face or developed in areas that were previously underwhelming, this new, confident creature bears little resemblance to the heretofore ungainly being. What happened, you wonder, and why is this person suddenly so intriguing?
Usually, it's Mother Nature working her magic (often with a little help from the lady at the Clinique counter), but with cars, it's the result of millions of dollars and market research. In honor of back-to-school month, we quizzed our editors about cars that have learned something and improved over the years.
2001 Volvo S60
Road Test Editor Liz Kim still does a double take when she spies the latest-generation sedans from Volvo - let's say the S60. The sleek, fluid lines resemble nothing of the boxy, cluttered shape of her old man's '91 740 clunker, yet the S60 doesn't eschew its traditional Volvo heritage, evident in its waterfall grille and square headlamps. Safety is still the top priority, as it's armed with an army of airbags and a standard stability control and traction system, but these features are housed in a vehicle whose image doesn't scream "2.4 kids, a yellow Lab and a mortgage on a home in the suburbs!" Yet its cushy ride and overboosted steering are sufficiently comfortable for inhabitants of such, and nobody dislikes luxury features like a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, dual zone climate control and an optional in-dash CD changer.
The others:
2001 BMW M3
2001 Hyundai Elantra
2001 Nissan Maxima
2001 Porsche 911
-Drew
