The most important cars of the 21st century: Did your car make the cut into our top 10 cars of the first 25 years of the 2000s? What the Ford Territoy, BYD Atto 3, Mitsubishi Outlander, Tesla Model 3 and Mini Cooper have in common | Opinion

January 1, 2025 marks the first day of the 26^th year of the millennium.

Has a quarter of a century already passed since New Year’s Day 2000 and Y2K?

Time, then, for us to take a look back at the landmark vehicles of the last 25 years.

Listed chronologically, our candidates share key aspects – none existed in the previous millennium, all were special, they influenced others and every one made some social or cultural impact.

In a nutshell, they changed things. Let’s go!

BMW R50 Mini (2001-2007)

2001 Mini R50 Cooper.

Conceived in the 1990s but released in mid 2001, BMW reinvented one of the 20^th Century’s most important cars, with incredible and appropriate flair.

Designed and engineered in the UK, the R-for-Rover 'R50' Mini is a rare post-modern design exercise that still stands on its own, thanks to beautiful proportions and stunning attention to detail. The clamshell bonnet alone is a work of art.

Tellingly, the British-built hatchback transcended the retro fad of the time by continuing the Mini’s tradition of being a spectacularly endearing drive. This helped BMW to replicate the 1959 BMC Morris original’s party trick of breaking through price and class structures. It was expensive, but within reason and reach.

Speaking of reach, though similar thematically, subsequent Mini redesigns (2006 R56, 2013 F56) had their individuality diluted as BMW attempted to broaden their appeal globally, the exquisite new 'J01' Electric Mini is a return to form of sorts.

We’re glad Mini still exists. Can you imagine a place today for other 00s retro contenders, including Volkswagen’s New Beetle, the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Ford Thunderbird? Probably not. They’re more curio than classic nowadays. That’s the difference.

Toyota Prius II (2003-2009)

2003 Toyota Prius II.

If slow and steady wins the race then Toyota is an Olympic-level world champion, with its core models – from Corolla and Camry to RAV4, LandCruiser and HiLux – taking the time to mature and improve in the name of dependability.

The first Prius’ amazing hybrid tech wowed the world at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, and future automotive historians should acknowledge that moment as the beginning of the modern age of motoring.

But the 'NHW10' sedan original was largely a Japan-only exercise initially, so all bugs could be ironed out in time for the NHW11 facelift to go global from 2001.

Yet even that was just the entrée (or starter for our American readers), with the second-gen Prius of 2003 eschewing the original’s mousey oddballness for a sleek, standout hatchback hybrid that let your neighbours and the whole world know of your eco priorities.

Like the Mini, the 'XW20' became another classless blockbuster, with affordability, reliability and practicality making the Prius II the perfect second car. That it was a dreary drive doesn’t even matter for most.

Have no doubts. This is the world’s first, partly-electrified alternative to the internal combustion engine’s (ICE) near-century-long total global monopoly. And first-time and returning owners wanted more. Much more.

This is one massive reason why Toyota is number one. Now, Toyota Australia, bring in the gorgeous, current-gen Prius 5, and pronto.

Ford Territory (2004-2016)

2004 Ford SX Territory.

Much has already been said about Australia’s only-ever fully-manufactured production SUV.

Timeless design, rear or all-wheel drive-based dynamic prowess with pioneering stability control availability, excellent refinement and one of the most inviting interiors of any car of that era were the main drawcards.

Yet it’s worth bearing in mind that on its 2004 release, the 'SX' Territory was regarded as the world’s best SUV – regardless of cost and class.

That’s what its AUD$500 million – over $850 million in today’s currency – development budget bought us, making the BA Falcon-derived large SUV a credit to Australian ingenuity. Detroit’s failed attempt with the similar-looking but far-inferior Freestyle SUV underlined that fact.

And, don’t forget, the SX was largely paid for through the sale of acres of land the Blue Oval had owned since the 1950s around its Campbellfield head-office site.

Eventually, others like the second-gen BMW X5 caught up, but with the clever SZ facelift of 2011, the Territory remained competitive right through to the end.

A towering monument to the late Ford Australia president Geoff Polites’ vision.

Nissan ZE0 Leaf (2010-2017)

2010 Nissan ZE0 Leaf.

Tesla and other electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers can posture all they like. All owe a massive debt to the world’s first modern mass-produced EV, the Nissan Leaf.

What, you may exclaim? The same overpriced and under-ranged dag box that came and went inside two years in 2012 after barely breaching a few hundred sales?

That’s the one. Setting the template for most of today’s battery EVs, the original 'ZE0' Leaf was proof of concept, backed up by hundreds of thousands of sales across the globe.

For scores of buyers, the easy, comfortable and disarmingly charming hatchback from Japan became a symbol of a future free from ICE motoring, and until Tesla’s Model 3 came along from 2017, it was history’s bestselling EV of all time.

However, Nissan’s financial and internal political woes stymied the Leaf’s progress as the far-more-mainstream ZE1 second-gen replacement rolled in.

But we’re expecting an OG comeback during 2025, that would rightly restore the Nissan’s place in the pantheon of EVs.

Ford T6 Ranger (2011 to current)

2011 Ford T6 Ranger.

The locally-created Territory SUV’s many accolades likely helped Ford Australia win the 2011 T6 Ranger ute homeroom program in the latter 2000s, dramatically bolstering the brand’s future, while inertia and a lack of vision sealed Holden’s fate.

We know that today, but back when the locally designed and developed T6 launched, it quickly became obvious that the Australian team did not fluke the Territory’s greatness.

The one-tonne ute has remained the world’s best in its fiercely-competitive category, pushing out boundaries for packaging, dynamics, safety and refinement. No other ute is as capable and affordable and yet complete in so many other areas anywhere on the planet. Even rival Volkswagen acknowledged this by basing the latest Amarok wholly on the Ranger, resettling designers and engineers in Melbourne during the latter’s T6.2 gestation.

That there are two Australian vehicles on this list only highlights the heartbreaking loss that is the death of our full-line vehicle manufacturing industry.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (2012-current)

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

If the Prius ushered in the hybrid era and the Leaf introduced EVs into a world hitherto overrun with ICE vehicles, the original Outlander plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) was the broad middle ground for millions of consumers who thought that Toyota didn’t go far enough but the Nissan was a step too far.

You can easily understand why the Mitsubishi was just right for those seeking electrification without the cost or range anxiety issues, especially back in the early days. A more apt automotive Goldilocks analogy would be hard to find.

Using the eternally in-demand medium SUV as a basis was a masterstroke of brilliant marketing, because it normalised the electrification experience.

The resulting third-gen Outlander-derived PHEV from 2012 to 2021 comprised of a trusty four-cylinder petrol engine and midsized battery pack, for everything from (limited) EV-only motoring to ICE-backed electrified long-distance driving. A full tank of fuel could last months for many commuters.

That the Mitsubishi could do all that, not suffer much compromise from a packaging or dynamic point of view (though it wasn’t a great drive, let’s face it) and still be priced and positioned reasonably against a mundane previous-gen Toyota RAV4 made the Outlander PHEV a global smash hit from the get-go.

With demand surging for such vehicles in 2024, the concept is still as relevant today as it was at the beginning of last decade.

Tesla Model S (2012-current)

2012 Tesla Model S.

The Nissan Leaf introduced the modern EV to the world with relative affordability and accessibility, but its main Achille’s Heel (after the inadequate air cooling for the battery pack that led to premature degradation) was a laughable lack of range.

With a modest 24kWh Lithium-ion battery to draw upon, sub-100km distances between recharging was the reality for the vast majority of buyers, and that figure just fell with age (blame that air-cooled battery). The same range fate also applies for the brilliantly-flawed early BMW i3 EV.

But the Tesla Model S blew minds when it surfaced (from late 2014 in Australia), with even the base P85 60kWh version touted as offering over 330km of range. Dual-motor models bumped that up past 440km, and subsequent larger options breached 500km. Why wouldn’t you go EV?

Obviously, the timelessly elegant styling helped, along with an incredibly sharp dynamic experience that brought astounding handling and roadholding grip to match the Porsche 911-pounding performance.

Sure, it cost twice (and even thrice) the price of a Leaf, but that did not matter one iota. What the Tesla did was catch premium rivals completely unaware, reframing luxury and/or sports motoring with an ambition and prowess nobody in history had managed so effortlessly.

Affluent, early adopters could not believe what they were seeing and driving. The Model S deserves it place in modern history.

Tesla Model 3 (2017-current)

2017 Tesla Model 3. (image: Byron Mathioudakis)

Though basically a scaled-down Model S, the Model 3 feels like the first software-defined vehicle (SDF), probably because of the sheer size and scale of its unprecedented success. They’re everywhere.

Almost everything that the big Tesla liftback brought to the table applies to the smaller sedan, only on a more-affordable level.

This is the EV that infiltrated suburbia and mums and dads throughout the middle-class world.

Despite tremendous quality issues, glitchy tech and software faults that have reportedly led to carnage, the 3 and its humpy Model Y SUV offshoot remain the industry’s movers and shakers. And that’s ignoring the considerable baggage associated with the brand.

Toyota RAV4 hybrid (2019-current)

2019 Toyota RAV4 hybrid.

The first RAV4 of 1993 ushered in the SUV era.

No other style of vehicle has so much blood on its hands – decimating sedan, wagon, people mover and sports car sales with ruthless disregard for history or heritage. Yep, even the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon are among the Toyota’s victims.

As one of the world’s bestselling models over the past two decades, it was inevitable that the RAV4 would gain the hybrid tech pioneered by the Prius.

That it took so long to happen in Australia is an enduring mystery, but when that finally arrived with the colossally-improved fifth-gen series in early 2019, consumers across the planet went berserk for the tech.

To this day, even as production has entered its sixth year, waiting lists still apply for some grades.

It’s also incredible that, in Australia, the RAV4 was the first affordable hybrid SUV back in 2019. Now, almost every rival has followed suit.

The handsome Toyota is the standard of the medium SUV hybrid universe.

BYD Atto 3 (2022-current)

China’s BYD (Build Your Dreams) has been around for decades, but a massive investment in electrification and battery tech has meant that it has been well placed to run with the EV leaders.

Which is what happened when the Atto 3 arrived during 2022, offering excellent range in an advanced small-to-medium-sized SUV package, at an affordable price. That it is good in some areas, and not-so-great in others, barely matters.

Undercutting the awkward-styled but hugely popular Tesla Model Y, the BYD has been its most persistent threat.