Ten Memorable Car Scenes from The Sopranos

HBO’s mob drama The Sopranos, now in its sixth and final season, is an interesting case study in how cars can define one’s character. The hit series follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano, who heads two families — his biological one, and the New Jersey mafia. The huge SUVs Tony drives, first a Chevrolet Suburban and then a Cadillac Escalade, reflect his character — they’re imposing, macho and powerful.

Our previous coverage of The Sopranos focused on ranking the most luxurious vehicles owned or driven by the show’s most important characters. This time around, as the show enters the second half of its final season, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most memorable scenes featuring cars.

The show is set in the suburbs of New Jersey, so cars appear in nearly every episode. And with these gangsters always on the move, there are far more worthy car scenes than we could include here. So in compiling this list, we looked at how important the characters in the vehicles were to the show and how relevant the scenes were to the overall plot and character development. (The HBO writers responsible for pairing characters to their cars were not available for comment.)

Most, if not all, of the scenes that made our list feature roomy, muscular cars; the kinds of cars that allow a speedy getaway and have space for a guy in the trunk, with enough room left over for a spare tire. Some of the larger SUVs that appear on The Sopranos also provide an intimidating presence, which fits with the mobster theme. Others are luxurious and pristine — also fitting with the “glamorous” gangster lifestyle.

Three of the scenes on our list feature a Cadillac — which some say is the stereotypical gangster car. Tony, his nephew Christopher Moltisanti and onetime mob captain Sal "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero made our list repeatedly.

From attempts on Tony’s life to actual murders to unlikely bonding moments between characters, here are the top 10 most memorable scenes — in chronological order — involving cars from The Sopranos.

Slideshow: Ten Memorable Car Scenes from The Sopranos