This year at CarLocate, we’ve been busy. Here is a recap of our top five most viewed blog posts. We hope you’ll take a stroll down memory lane with us, or catch up on some great posts if you missed these. Wishing you a Very Happy New Year!

5.  Past Figures, Present Rides: Theodore Roosevelt In this series important historical figures choose the car they would drive today, if they could. This particular post takes a look at Theodore Roosevelt’s car preference, and it’s sure to impress.

4. Ford Parties after the Fiesta takes Bronze, Silver, and Gold at X-Games RallyCross: In late July, X-Games 17 took place and Ford dominated the field in RallyCross taking first, second, and third.

3. The Best Cars for Road Trippin’: 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo: This series of blog posts highlights the best cars for taking a road trip. Whether it be cross-country or cross-town, the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is equal parts fun, style, and performance.

2. The Best cars for Road Trippin’: 2012 Honda Odyssey: Another top performing blog from the “Best Cars for Road Trippin’” series! The 2012 Honda Odyssey isn't just "soccer mom cool".  See how style meets functionality and performance.

…and finally, the number one viewed post in 2012:

1. Winner or Dinner: The Best and Worst Vehicles for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: In this series, we examined the best and worst vehicles for surviving the zombie apocalypse. A particular fan favorite was this article showcasing the best car for surviving the zombie apocalypse runner-up:  the Maybach 62.

Week 11

Best Car to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse – ’88 Toyota Pickup

As many predictions of the end of the world are floating around, one has to think, “what do I need to do to prepare myself!?” Not only do you need the essentials such as food and shelter, you will also need transportation, unless of course you live in a Piggly Wiggly. Here at CarLocate, for weeks we have showed some of the runner-ups of the best vehicles to survive the worst and this week we have finally revealed the best pick for surviving the worst. “What is the worst” you might ask? Zombies.

“Zombies!?” you say!?   Yes, zombies! It could happen! You always thought that your boss, old gym teacher, or annoying neighbor were the worst to deal with!? Just imagine if they could no longer pair two words together, never slept, had zero concern for your privacy, completely disrespected your time and oh yes… were on a constant mission to eat your flesh!

While you might doubt that this could happen, it is always better to be safe than sorry so we recommend you continue reading. If you currently own one of our top picks, you are in luck! If not… you’d better start looking! If you own one of our worst picks, either trade that sucker in or lather yourself up in butter and stock up on seasoning… you are about to become a zombie midnight snack!

For our top pick, we have selected a 1988 Toyota V6 Crewcab SR5 Pickup! For video back-up, you can see the punishment that the team at TopGear put the European version of this truck through.  In the first part, they run it into a tree, down stairs, into the ocean, and even light it on fire while starting it right up after using only a few minor tools! In the second part, as if hitting it with a wrecking ball wasn’t enough, they place it atop a tall building just before they demolish it. Did it survive!? Check out part three and name one zombie that you have met that could cause more carnage.

Durability aside, this truck has four wheel drive that will take you virtually anywhere. It can comfortably haul plenty of gear as well as another passenger. Zombies getting in your way on the main roads? A full grown tree didn’t stop this thing! With an independent front suspension and large tires to boot, you won’t even notice the bone crushing trips to refuel your 13 gallon tank. The engine doesn’t have the highest output but zombies aren’t too fast and lack the dexterity to drive anything themselves, so you are safe.

Safety concerns are totally different when it comes to zombies. Airbags would blow on the first impact with the living undead and would then merely be in your way. You want safety? Here is what you need to consider. Ground clearance, check. Minimal number of doors to avoid having zombies sneak in the extra doors, check. Hauling capabilities, it is a pickup, check. And finally, durability… yea, pretty sure we covered that one.

If you haven’t checked out at least the first video yet, do so, then tell us what you would feel better putting your trust in! No “stuck accelerators” here!

Week 10

Worst Car to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse – Smart fortwo

While the Smart fortwo is a great car for that city commute and gets great gas mileage, you still can’t shake the feeling that this car was expelled from the exhaust pipe of some H2. Not to mention having trim names like Pure and Passion makes you think more of a fruit juice mix than a vehicle in which one would battle zombies in.

With its appearance resembling a golf cart, the fortwo’s 1.0-L, three cylinder engine only puts out 70-hp reminding you of a golf cart as well. You’d be lucky to escape any zombie, much less run one over, with a pedestrian 0-60 mph time of 14.6 seconds. Weighing only 1808-lbs makes it an easy target for zombie hordes to push around. Combine that with its already grim 22% rollover rate, one can easily picture zombies knocking this car over and cracking it open like a peanut shell, with you being the tasty treat inside. Smart fortwo’s 7.8 cubic feet of storage space is barely large enough to hold your trophy for bravest man in the world which, “coincidentally”, you won for driving this thing in a zombie apocalypse.

On the plus side, if a miracle happens and you survive in this car, you can rest easy knowing that with 33/41mpg you can roll around in a very fuel efficient manner. When you wake up from that dream and face reality, driving the fortwo is pretty much the equivalent of covering yourself in melted butter and running down the streets yelling, “Eat me!”