(first posted 13/3/2013) This isn’t the kind of speculation one may find in the Future Classics column of Collectible Automobile. I am not arguing that any of these cars will become Barrett-Jackson trailer queens. Instead, I pose these as the cars us Curbside Classic car-nerds will be fussing over in 15-20 years’ time when we see one on the street. Not every Curbside Classic-er will like these cars now or like them in the future, but I am sure in 15-20 years’ time each of these will summon the kind of vigorous debate and historical analysis this site is known for. And I am sure this website will still be around then!
Now, this list does exclude one type of car: the top 20 best-seller. We have seen numerous articles on this site where an inconspicuous yet ubiquitous car like the 1995 Chevrolet Lumina has been chronicled. Of course, those kinds of plebian family sedans become exponentially more interesting to see as they fall off of the roads and enter the junkyards. However, this article would be three times as long if I included every uninteresting and currently still common car. To limit the scope, I elected to profile more obscure cars and only from 2000-2012. So, what will we be shocked, surprised, excited and/or pleased to see by the curbside in 15-20 years’ time?
Saturn L-Series
When global platforms don’t work
The L-Series is an example of the inherent difficulties in bringing a European car over and selling it under an American brand. There are two major ways this strategy can fail. The first is a car could be brought over and changed very little, and the packaging and performance requirements of Americans aren’t met. An example of this would be the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique – criticized for lacking interior space – or the Cadillac Catera’s lack of power and reliability. The second possible failure is the car could be changed too much, and whatever advantages of bringing a European car over are lost under soft suspension tuning and cheaper interior materials. The Saturn L-Series is an example of the latter. The GM2900 platform it sat on was already old, and wasn’t even receiving critical acclaim in Europe by the time the Opel Vectra crossed the pond. GM could have saved the expense and chopped and reskinned a Malibu or Grand Am, but let’s not even get into the myriad missteps GM made in the 1990s.
Despite a neat wagon variant and reasonably sharp styling – oddly very different from the Vectra it was derived from – the L-Series only did half the volume of the similarly sized and priced Grand Am each year. Perhaps this was due to a smaller dealer network, or maybe the L’s smaller size and ugly, plasticky interior are to blame. It is interesting to note that even in 2002-03, after Oldsmobile’s demise was announced, the Oldsmobile Alero outsold the L-Series. Saturn took this as a sign and shelved the L-Series, replacing it with the Aura. Despite Opel-esque styling, the more premium Aura sensibly shared the LWB Epsilon platform with the Pontiac G6.
Acura ZDX
Crossing over too far
It seems like any company lately can put out a crossover and find success, no matter how ugly (X6, JX35) or impractical (FX, X6) or overpriced (X6 once more). Acura’s own MDX is up to generation 3, and has always been a sales success. It has always offered plenty of space, a strong V6 and a decent chassis. Acura decided to utilize those solid foundations and chase the very small niche of four-door crossovers with no luggage space and a sloping roofline that makes rear passengers uncomfortable. It failed. The moribund ZDX sat at the bottom of sales charts. Was the niche too small? Was the styling too polarizing? Did people go to the Acura dealership and realize they could get a vastly more versatile MDX for the same dough? Or, does Acura just lack the prestige to go diving into obscure niche markets? Whatever the reason for its failure, the ZDX is a rare sight now and will become even more of a curiosity in the future.
2005-09 Ford Five Hundred, Freestyle, Taurus X, Montego, Sable, Taurus
The Forgotten Fords
These are the kinds of cars I can see being absolutely forgotten about by most people. The initial Five Hundred, Freestyle and Montego never lit up the sales charts, most likely due to a combination of bland styling and an anemic powertrain. The comprehensive 2008 revision attempted to remedy both of those, but succeeded only partially. Despite bringing back better-known nameplates, the (now) Taurus, Sable and Taurus X never made much of an impact either and lasted only two model years. The Taurus X was replaced with the now-ubiquitous Explorer and the bolder Flex; the Taurus was given much cooler duds; and the Sable died for the last time, and was soon joined by its parent marque on the automotive scrapheap. These 2005-09 D3 Fords were unique, though, in offering a higher, SUV-like driving position and…. Umm… Well, they were pretty big, too. Otherwise, they offered a type of nondescript competence that will ensure they are forgotten by most. Except by us.
Kia Borrego
A Kia what?!
Remember that time Kia launched a vehicle on an all-new platform, in a segment it had never competed in, and then shelved it after only one model year? No? It was Kia’s only V8 vehicle, so far? Still nothing?
The Borrego is one of the more bizarre automotive footnotes in recent history. I have never seen one on the roads. It was pretty unusual for a company like Hyundai, who are growing rapidly and finding great success, to make such an unexpected misstep. The Borrego entered a crowded yet dwindling segment of mid-size, body-on-frame SUVs. Crossovers were taking off at this point, and high fuel prices and CAFE were conspiring to kill SUV demand. In just a few years, the segment would shrink from ten entrants to just a handful. Despite smart styling by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, and fairly keen pricing, buyers didn’t flock to the Borrego and Kia decided to axe it after only one model year (although it remained for two more in Canada and until now in the Middle East).
GM’s V8 W-Bodies
The Ultimate W-Bodies
In 2006, with the Epsilon platform underpinning GM’s volume mid-sizers and a LWB Epsilon taking over for the full-size models, it seems GM wanted its 1989-vintage W-Body to go out with a bang. There had been performance W-Bodies for some time, with the well-balanced Regal GS, Monte Carlo SS, Impala SS and Grand Prix GTP packing a decently gutsy supercharged Series II 3800 V6 with 240 horsepower and 280 lb ft of torque. Of course, the mid-size sedan horsepower wars had begun and Nissan’s Altima had 260hp from a naturally aspirated V6. The Grand Prix had been redesigned in 2004, but the Impala, Monte Carlo and Regal were looking very tired.
To coincide with the 2006 launch of a freshened Impala, Monte Carlo and the Regal replacement, the Lacrosse, GM gave their not-quite-full-size Ws the 5.3 V8 LS4 engine, with 303hp and 323 lb ft. Of course, GM was no stranger to shoehorning V8s into a FWD package and from some accounts they did a decent job combatting torque steer in the Grand Prix GXP. The GXP even boasted differing wheel widths (wider at the front) and paddle shifters for the tried-and-true 4-speed auto. The Impala and Monte Carlo SS received less favorable reviews, and Buick didn’t even launch its V8 variant, the LaCrosse Super, until 2008. By then the entire Monte Carlo range was shelved, and NASCAR fans cried a thousand tears (although the vastly more focused Camaro hit dealerships soon after and sold far more than the aged MC could dream of).
These new V8 models were far less balanced than the supercharged 3.8s they ostensibly replaced, with a significant chassis/power imbalance and nose-heavy handling. Buick even ditched the modern 3.6 High Feature V6 for 2009, so in the LaCrosse and Grand Prix lineups there was a yawning 100hp and 100 lb ft gap between 3.8 V6 and 5.3 V8 variants. Fuel economy wasn’t the best either, with each of the V8 Ws saddled with a four-speed auto.
I like to think of this era for GM as being their ballsiest, if not their best. Even if the idea was less than sound, they were willing to try it ($100k XLR-Vs; Solstice/Sky; Aztek). You certainly couldn’t get a V8 in an Accord or a Camry! The Impala SS boasted elegant styling, with interesting chrome wheels. The LaCrosse Super had subtle touches of aggression and a unique all-brown leather interior. The Grand Prix GXP built on its already muscular visage with nice wheels and red brake calipers. The only problem was Chrysler and Dodge had just launched far more conventional RWD V8 sedans. But if you were a GM man, these were the ultimate W-Bodies.
Isuzu Axiom
A razor-edge design for a company on the edge
If this article were about obscure COMPANIES of the 2000s, Isuzu would take the cake. In 15-20 years, most people will probably have forgotten Isuzu ever sold passenger cars or SUVs in the American market. We will be explaining to blank faces, “They even sold a sports car, and this actor named David Leisure played this Joe Isuzu character…” So, I present one of the more obscure vehicles from this obscure marque: the Axiom.
Sold for only three model years, the Axiom was ostensibly a replacement for the long-running and moderately successful Trooper. It was hardly a clean-sheet design, though, as underneath the sexy, sharp body was Isuzu’s aged Rodeo. The lone engine choice wasn’t new, either, and came from the Trooper. This 3.5 V6 was good for 230hp and 230 lb ft of torque. 2004 saw the addition of direct-injection, which improved fuel economy and upped the power to a respectable 250hp and 246 lb ft. Yearly sales, though, never cracked the 10,000 barrier. The writing was on the wall for Isuzu’s automotive operations in the US. The Rodeo Sport was axed in 2003, the Rodeo and Axiom after 2004 and all that remained were two rebadged GM products: the Ascender, a GMT-360 mid-size SUV; and the i-Series, a rebadged Chevy Colorado.
Like something out of Weekend at Bernie’s, though, Chinese company Great Wall blatantly copied the Axiom’s exterior sheetmetal for its Hover/X240 SUV and used this reanimated corpse to launch its worldwide brand expansion. Well, at least they picked a good-looking truck to rip off!
Obscure Rebadges: Part 1
Remember when Suzuki sold a Nissan pickup and a bunch of Daewoos? Or when Mitsubishi had a V8 Dodge pickup in the showrooms? How about when Mercury dusted off a full-size sedan nameplate for a rebadged Ford minivan, or when Chrysler dusted off a mid-sized Dodge nameplate for a rebadged Dodge SUV?
These rebadges were all employed as a cheap way to fill a hole in the lineup. Suzuki’s North American operations (RIP) had never fielded a pickup truck and had such a small dealer network, so I think they take the cake for most pointless rebadge of the 2000s with their Nissan Frontier-based Equator. If you want a mid-sized pickup, though, you can probably get a great deal on one now!
Mitsubishi’s Dodge Dakota clone, the Raider, made a little bit more sense. Chrysler and Mitsubishi had collaborated for years, and the Raider filled a gap in the lineup that had existed since the hilariously named Mighty Max bit the dust. It was also considerably cheaper than federalizing the decent L200/Triton pickup, thanks to the ridiculous Chicken Tax. Sold from 2005-09, it never cracked 10,000 units annually and for three of those model years didn’t even reach the 5,000 mark! This was despite coming with a choice of V6 or two different V8s.
Mercury’s Monterey pointlessly brought back a long dormant nameplate for a clone of the limp Freestar minivan, replacing the Nissan Quest-based Villager.
Chrysler’s luxed-up Dodge Durango dusted off the Aspen nameplate once used by Dodge. Despite the name’s connotations of wealth and adventure, it probably just reminded many people of rusty fenders. This tweener-size luxury SUV sold in small numbers from 2005-09, and was fairly unremarkable except for one model. The Aspen Hybrid (and its twin, the Durango Hybrid) was Chrysler’s application of the Two-Mode Hybrid system jointly developed with GM and BMW. Mated to a 5.7 Hemi V8, the Hybrid achieved 20/22 MPG city/highway, which was a big improvement over the non-hybrid’s 13/19. If only Chrysler’s bankruptcy hadn’t happened, and they hadn’t shelved a significant chunk of their lineup. The Aspen and Aspen Hybrid bit the dust for 2009, and only 400 Aspen and Durango Hybrids were built. If you see one on the road, it is quite a rare car. As for the Aspen itself, the market was shifting away from body-on-frame SUVs to more fuel-efficient and car-like crossovers.
Stay tuned for Part 2, and share your thoughts in the comments!
The “Forgotten Fords” were so due to Ford’s insistence that the Volvo 4WD chassis fit everything including 4 door sedans. Those cars look bloated and coupled with inadequate powertrains, met with the sales success they deserved. The current Taurus sedan still rides on that platform and looks just as bloated. At least the “Forgotten Fords” had good visibility, the Taurus does not.
Ford had it all figured out with the 500.
These are very good cars.
It was the Panther for the new Century.
It was bigger, more comfortable, roomier and modern than the Panther.
Ford went wrong in a few critical ways however.
The transmission was unacceptable for the Panther market.
It needed to have been noticeable on the road.
It was front wheel drive.
The 500 could have survived one of these problems, but not all three upon launch. The Panther market could have accepted a front driver and even the boring bland Audi-knockoff styling, but not with that transmission. The CVT was a bridge too far.
There is a lot to like with these cars, especially in the Taurus/Sable years. And Ford ended up making the Taurus/MKT in essentially the same configuration. Today’s Taurus/MKT fixed the 500’s problems, then made it work better.
They were also hugely reminiscent of the 1997 Audi A6.
Is it the case that the 500 actually has more interior room than the current Taurus? (edit – saw Dan’s comment below after I wrote this)
A very astute analysis by VanillaDude.
I will defend the original Ford Fivehundred and its 2008-2009 slightly restyled variants. Why? Cavernous interior space and trunk.
America builds few truly LARGE sedans anymore, like the B-body Oldsmobile 88 featured yesterday. The Fivehundred platform is LARGE and in charge. 21 cubic ft trunk and well over a 100 cubic ft of interior volume. I was given one as a loaner off the used car lot of the local Buick/GMC dealer and I fell in love! It was HUGE inside. I adjusted the drivers seat for myself and got in the back seat, at 5’11” my knees didn’t come close to touching the seat back, I’m sure there would have been room for my 6’5″ brother in law no problem. The car was also WIDE like a proper full size car should be.
The Taurus redesign for 2010 effed it all up by squashing the greenhouse and truncating the trunk.
The Fivehundred/Montego/Freestyle is cursed with a CVT although from what I’ve been able to see in forum posts it is a reliable unit if the fluid is changed religiously every 80,000 miles but I’d rather have a 2008-2009 model just for the 6 speed auto and larger displacement 3.5 V6.
Don’t forget that they also got pretty good fuel economy for something so huge.
Unfortunately Americans rarely choose practical when flashy is available. 🙁
Ford is getting the last laugh, by selling tons of D3 based Explorers since 2011. They look like stretched Freestyles, but hit the sweet spot and get buyers to sign papers.
The current Explorer is certainly the most popular style to ever hit this platform, but it is quite cramped compared to my Freestyle – a trend in Ford cars, but the current Fusion seems to have broken that a bit.
The current Flex on the same platform suffers a dopey name and controversial styling, but is very spacious and comfortable on the inside.
The Flex and darn near any Lincoln, especially the MKT, could be on this obscure car list as well.
I love the Freestyle and Taurus X. Shame they spit them out. I like the Flex a great deal but wanted better gas mileage. My wife’s Edge with the 3.5 gets 17-18 mpg…horrible in my book.
The Explorer does nothing for me…it’s too ‘bunkered up’. Great chassis from Volvo though.
Correction: I believe the Axiom was set to replace the Rodeo, not the Trooper. I mourn the loss of the Trooper to this day – great visibility, climbs like a mountain goat, very reliable if you ignore transmission woes. Slow, yes….but the most comfortable car I’ve ever had.
Finally, the ZDX perhaps has a future as an Aztek-level collectible. Along with the Suzuki X-90, the trinity of hideousness.
I never drove one, but I remember the Taurus X getting rave reviews.
Agreed. I’ve owned a Merlot 2005 FWD Freestyle Limited since new. Very spacious wagon and the third row seat is functional for moderate size people. Decent gas mileage for what it does, and it has been decently reliable. My CVT is going strong – I do change the fluid, but I think the interval is 60,000 miles. That is a bizarrely expensive job, $586.63 at the dealer. But, it’s $7,000 to replace the tranny. If it comes to that, I’ll sell it for scrap. Goes through rear brakes a bit fast. My AC started crapping out last fall, I’ll have to face the music in the spring.
I had strongly considered the 500 Sedan as it did seat five comfortably and the trunk was flat out amazing for a modern car.
I am driving a 2009 Taurus SEL. Bought in May ’11 with 75K miles for $11,000. Best car value ever.
I absolutely love that car and hope it lasts forever. I may just get another one like it if it doesn’t. I couldn’t think of a more perfect car. Enough room for everything and everyone, built tight as a drum, incredibly reliable, comfortable, great ride, and not too hard on gas. And my car is one of the few with SYNC (but no touchscreen, just the standard CANBUS radio/CD unit), so I even have hands-free and voice activation for my iPhone but without the touchscreen hassle.
By the way, many of the ’05-’07 Five Hundreds on the road have a 6-speed automatic, not the CVT. It was a different 6-speed from the one in the Taurus- it was an Aisin Warner unit rather than the 6F Ford-GM transmission. The 6-speed was found in FWD SELs, which is the most popular trim level for that car. The 3.0L with that 6-speed was plenty adequate for that car and got 2MPG better fuel economy than the 3.5 Taurus. I had an ’07 with the 6-speed before I had the Taurus, and loved that car just as much, but unfortunately it was lost to a crash.
I certainly hope Part 2 includes my namesake. Who couldn’t love a mid-sized with understated sedan-like styling with large hatchback practicality? American V6 power in a lightweight, Euro-sized package? Excellent handling and steering feel with a battleship-like turning radius?
I would agree on the first gen, but 2010-12 was sedan only here. The hatchback and wagon should definitely make this list. I almost feel like the hatchback moreso just because it’s generally so hard to spot (on a quick glance, most will think it’s the sedan).
I’ll also add some other likely rare birds in 15 years:
Honda Insight
Dodge Nitro
CTS wagon (V or otherwise)
Lexus SC was still around. but since it’s looked largely unchanged for so long, this might not count
Yaris sedan perhaps?
The Insight never sold that well but it has a strong cult following with a bunch of dog owners who like the all plastic EZ-clean interior.
The Nitro was a pointless rebadge of the KK Jeep Liberty.
Another rare bird of badge engineering will be the Saabaru 9-2X, showing how Isle of Dr. Moreau the General got with their Brands in the middle of the last decade.
Did you mean the Honda Element, Ian? The Insight is Honda’s hybrid competitor that is a perennial also-ran to the Prius.
Not to mention the space-capsule first gen Insight
What about the CR-Z? I see one or two a week, if that, and it has been on sale over three years already. Such a poorly executed idea.
The hatchback was popular among sales reps who got a car allowance rather than company car, then it was dropped in the second Mazda 6 generation when they got “Camry fever”, wiped away everything unique about their product to follow the market leader and it fell off the face of the earth.
Mazda Attenza has two Ts bro, you call it a Mazda 6
We could wonder what if Ford had named the Five-hundred as Taurus right from the beginning if history might be different? If K.T Keller was still alive, he might like the 500/Taurus since he could hop in without removing his hat. 😉
I really liked the original Buick La Crosse, especially with the chrome package – just my style! Too bad Wifey and I didn’t want to spend the money for the newest La Crosse last year… Bought an Impala, instead.
A friend actually has a Borrego – not a bad vehicle, but he’s had lots of electrical gremlins with it, but that’s because all the items that trouble him were dealer-installed!
As far as the W-body Impalas go – well, I drove a 2004 for over 8 years, bought new, and I now have a bought-new 2012 LTZ, purchased just 17 months ago. All I can say it’s worlds better than the 2004 in every way. 300 hp makes an impression, too…
Now, the Ford Galax… er… Five Hundred – I really WANTED to like these cars because they were tall and had a huge interior. What killed the overall design for me was the slab greenhouse. A nice side profile, but almost straight sides looking from the front or rear. If only Ford used a more “bubble top” style and softened the greenhouse lines a bit, I believe it would have had more curb appeal. I still like them just the same, and would have seriously considered one if I already didn’t own my 2004 Impala at the time.
For the other rarities, I see Axioms around town from time to time – there’s one in the company parking lot. Suzuki? I don’t know why anyone would buy one. Ditto for the Mitsubishi Endeavor – those are very rare, and I even had one as a rental for a business trip back in 2004. A brute of a vehicle with a V8. Gas-hog all the way, but fun on the company nickel!
The other problem with the 2005 Ford 500 was that it was styled like a bulked-up 92 Crown Victoria. The car looked 7-10 years old when it hit the showrooms. Add that it was always underpowered and the unfamiliarity of the CVT, and we have a loser.
From what I have read, the CVT in those cars is a real orphan and will be responsible for wiping these from the face of the earth in fairly short order. The 17 owners who meticulously maintain their transmissions will save their cars for super-rare CC spottings in years to come.
I had forgotten all about the Kia Borrega. As a Kia owner, you would think that I would be tuned into their lineup. Not so. That company seems to change styling, models and everything else with a blinding speed, and I just can’t keep them all straight.
That Acrua ZDX is simply offensive. It will be the 62 Dart of the next generation.
This is a good point. There’s a Five Hundred in the neighborhood that I walk by from time to time and while it’s not an unattractive car, only the condition of the paint and headlights suggest that it wasn’t built in, say, 1995.
For what its worth
The W-body is from 1988
The 5.3 V8 in the W-body was actually lighter than the 3800 s/c engine it replaced.
Always liked the Lacrosse Super. A nice sleeper.
The Lacrosse makes an excellent used buy. Here in Vancouver, a two year old example, loaded to the gills, can be had for $18,000 or less. New they were over double that.
A base 4cyl maybe, the cheapest one I could find with a 6 was 25K.
I found one 4cyl for 19K and it was 3 years old.
The Lacrosse has not sold well in this market and used prices reflect this. Have a look yourself and you’ll see that. Makes for an excellent buy.
I did look and like I said, only found 1 for 19K, it was a 2011 (3 years old now) and was a base model 4cyl car. All of the other cars listed for your area were 25K plus.
We went over this with the Cruze vs Civic. Your personal perception of what is reality isn’t fitting with what is listed for your area on the internet.
I know someone with an Aspen Hybrid…or at least the used to have one. I’ll have to find out and get some pictures of it if it is still around.
Yeah, the Saturn L-series is definitely a future CC, partly due to that distinctive grill, and partly due to the Saturn badge. I rented one a few years back, and I kept thinking to myself, “This ain’t no Saturn.” It didn’t have much of a personality, and where were the plastic body panels? I don’t recall the interior as being particularly cheap or tacky, but my standards are admittedly low in that regard.
And, unfortunately, the L-Series is a prime example of the kind of “pork-barrel” thinking that got GM into trouble in the first place.
The Saturn L is a sad story.
GM waited too long for a larger Saturn sedan and when it finally happened, it happened in such a sloppy way they wasted the opportunity completely. Loyal S buyers were ready for a larger Saturn and Loyalists paid top dollar the first year the L was available. If the car was done correctly, Saturn could have kept the buyers who loved their Saturn S sedans, wagons and coupes.
GM selected Opel to become the new Saturn, but since a Saturn was to have plastic fenders and doors, one of the things GM wasted money doing was taking the Opel and giving it plastic front fenders and door skins, then beefing up the frame to make it work. So, like the S, the L had only the hood, roof and trunk composed of metal, but because of the body structure of the L – the rear fenders were also metal. The L was neither Saturn, nor Opel.
The L interior was better than the S interior, but it looked too much like the S interior – only slightly larger. For an upscale car, the L wasn’t upscale – just competent where the S was cheap. This left the L far behind the competition in its market.
The Opel the L was based on was too small for the US market it was to compete in. Similarly to what Ford experienced with the Mondeo/Contour, American buyers found the size of the L lacking in necessary leg room and interior space. What the L offered Saturn buyers moving up from the S was not significant enough to justify the window sticker price.
Finally, GM put the new Saturn L in a poor GM plant in Wilmington Delaware which was a far cry from the famous Spring Hill Tennessee Saturn plant. Unlike the S sedan, the L was not manufactured using the famous Saturn production techniques, but instead relied on obsolete manufacturing processes, resulting in a number of problems with the L. Quality was not good at all. It took too long for GM to fix the quality problems experienced by Saturn L owners. Consequently, Saturn lost Loyalists due to the poor build quality of the L.
GM did so many things wrong with Saturn. Billions were wasted.
As VanillaDude notes above, the L-Series had plastic front fenders and doors, while the rear fenders were part of the unibody structure much like the fourth-gen Camaro. The subsequent Aura was all-metal.
Maybe it’s the lack of coffee on the brain…dunno. But I always liked the shape of the Taurus X for a larger wagon. The only thing that slid it out of consideration for me was the CVT and the need to pull a boat. And some disappointment in earlier Ford wagons. Hence the still-thriving ’05 Highlander, now driven by my son at 180k miles.
I bought 3 Ford Freestyles, and they were a very practical package for someone who didn’t want to buy a minivan, and they were pretty inexpensive compared to the other 6-7 passenger options too. The CVT wasn’t great, but was much better than Nissan’s terrible CVTs, and the 200 horsepower 3.0 six wasn’t great either, but all my freestyles were FWD and that blunted the weakness a bit. Available with captains chairs like a minivan, and with fold flat second and third rows, it was hugely practical. And like a minivan, it has a “well” behind the third row that greatly expands the cargo capacity.
Unfortunately, the quality was suspect at best, hence the three I bought. I bought a 2005 right when they came out, and it leaked and smelled of mildew immediately. At 4,000 miles the car visited the shop to fix the leak for the 4th time (in Maryland, 4 unsuccessful attempts to fix a single problem is the prerequisite for starting the lemon law process), but on the way home from the dealer, the car was rear-ended hard by a texting teen, and GEICO opted to fix it. Three months later, I was presented a car that drove down the road sideways. I dumped the car at Carmax, and Ford rolled over my negative equity into a zero percent loan on a 2006 Freestyle, this time with a sunroof.
And boy did this one leak too! I got this one replaced by Ford under the lemon law and got a 2007 Freestyle. The 2007 is still in the family and a good car, but in 2008 when they came out with the 3.5 and the 6-speed I was jealous, and still am. In fact, when I parked in the garage at work this morning I parked next to a Taurus X and wished again that I had gotten a 2008!
Thank you for a great topic and article William.
As an initial very broad comment, I am going to say that ALL of the cars you have presented will have significant measurable Curbside Classic appeal. As will the vast majority of cars on the road today.
In 15-20 years most cars will look like elongated eggs with large corporate brand emblems on the front end, to differentiate them.
IMO most of these cars presented here, and on the market now, will seem decadent and flamboyant in terms of exterior style and size within 20 years. Styling differences are going to become more and more subtle, unfortunately. I feel branding, as in big corporate logos, will be a large factor in creating status and prestige for most cars. Place a Mercedes logo on a large egg, with great features and technology, and people are going to drool over it. As that’s what most other concurrent cars will look like besides. It’s more the content and features that will determine quality and prestige.
It’s the technology inside and underneath, that we don’t see, that will make some cars so much more valuable and treasured. They will continue to make corporate badges on cars as large and as prominent as they have become today. While the bodywork becomes more aerodynamic, and generic. Cars as status symbols will become even more understated, by today’s standards. Cars will look like transportation ‘devices’. For better or worse unfortunately.
The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are so high for 2025, that aerodynamics will play a huge role. Today’s cars in general, will collectively seem very stylish.
For example: For large cars, with a footprint of 55 sq ft (5.1 m2) or bigger, the 2025 CAFE average will be 46 MPG. While the EPA window sticker MPG will be 34.
For small cars, with a footprint of 41 sq ft (3.8 m2) or smaller, the 2025 CAFE average will be 61 MPG. While the EPA window sticker MPG will be 43.
These high fuel economy standards will necessitate smoother egg-like aerodynamics, amongst other technologies.
Yes but…
It is easier to make a large car more aerodynamic than a small car and…
You don’t have to sacrifice style for aerodynamics.
The new Mercedes CLA is a prime example of that, it has a cd of .25 which is better than a Prius.
Agreed, but the topic of this article is cars we will be photographing. The majority of cars will become more streamlined, and platforms more homogeneous, they’ll look more similar. The trend has been happening already since the 50s and 60s.
I’m saying the vast majority of cars today will be stylish enough to be very desirable to photograph in the future. Many CC Classics.
Just as the majority of cars from the 1960s look so stylish today. Most of today’s cars will look very good (and unique) as say a 1965 Corvair looks today. We really are in a golden age of nice design and aerodynamics right now.
Eh, remember, people were predicting the same doom and gloom before, all it takes is a change in administrations, remember that Regan froze CAFE in the early 80’s, keeping it at 27.5 for years and years. Things hardly ever fully set in stone.
Also remember that powertrain advances will also help contribute to those MPG increases, not just aerodynamics alone.
Totally agree… Just saying that car aesthetics have very generally become more homogenous over time… I think most cars today are going to look great in 20 years. Won’t be many dawgs.
Better technology and relying less on oil will help too for sure.
The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are so high for 2025, that aerodynamics will play a huge role. Today’s cars in general, will collectively seem very stylish.
I completely disagree, but on the grounds that we’re already basically there. Cars do all look the same today, only differentiated by the ever more obnoxious grille designs and a few subtle details. The bodyshapes are all basically continuous arches with sloping tails, headlights are all slanted and pulled far into the fenders, bodysides are skirted with little tuck under towards the rockers, taillights are triangles and there’s basically two distinct greenhouse designs left. Oh yeah and there’s only two total bodystyles: 4 door sedan and 2 box S/CUV.
Pick your size and pick your grille. That’s about all that matters in choosing a car now a days.
I hear ya Matt. Back in the 1980s, I was finding cars were already starting to look strongly alike. However, looking back by today’s standards, they were still quite unique. There was quite a bit of variety amongst manufacturers. A Corolla didn’t look so much like an Escort or Horizon, for that matter. Not as closely as a Corolla, Focus, or Dart look today. I agree, many cars look very similar today. I have a suspicion some cars will look even more homogenous in the future. Especially as there are more joint manufacturing ventures. Just a prediction on my part. Making modern cars today appear more individual. Simply my view, as it has seemed to be the trend since the 50s/60s.
Sort of like the GM B-bodies and Ford Panthers from the 70’s, no? Or the NOVAs? Rebadging has been happening for a LONG time….
Dave, I’m not talking about corporate rebadging, what I’m pointing out is that entire car segments are already sharing a basic body design, only really differed by the grilles and of course powertrains of their respective maker, adding onto the original point that all cars will eventually end up as an aerodynamic egg with a different brand logo. Sort of like the 1930s and prior.
Really it’s a wonder why suppliers don’t just make universal bodyshells for all the different automakers to start off with. Imagine the production efficiency.
But the difference back then was one could easily tell the difference between a Lincoln and a Cadillac vs a Japanese car vs an Audi or Mercedes. Today it looks as though the same designer drew up most of these sedans as they look far more alike now than ever.
I can only guess why the Ford 500 was such a failure, but I think the Freestyle failed to gain an audience based on three major factors:
1) At the release of the Freestyle, Ford had 4 SUVs (Excursion, Expedition, Explorer and Escape), 2 Crossovers (Flex and Freestyle) and a Minivan (Freestar). Five of those vehicles had three rows of seating. The Freestyle was trying to fit a fairly small niche even within the Ford Dealership.
2) The Freestyle name is soooo close to Freestar that it’s difficult in conversation and even in print to tell them apart.
3) The Freestyle is best categorized at a “tall wagon.” To my knowledge all of the tall wagons sold in the US were sales disappointments. I don’t fully understand why, as I love tall wagons, and in fact have two others: a 2009 Cadillac SRX and a 2009 Kia Rondo. But no one else seems to like tall wagons. Cadillac switched the SRX to a more popular crossover style in 2010. Kia stopped selling the Rondo in the US, etc.
So the better engine, transmission and name made it a better car, but still not a car that appeals to US buyers.
Flex didn’t exist until the 2009 model year.
You’re right! I meant Edge! So in the naming scheme, all Ford SUV’s got names that started with E, and they stuck the Freestyle with a car/minivan name…
For future CC criteria, I am surprised the Chrysler Sebring (07-10) isn’t on the list. It seems to combine many of the things that we love to see in the rare CC car whose siblings have long since been scrapped en masse: questionable/WTF? styling, Ladaesque build quality, an abysmal reputation, and a complete superfluocity of its very existence, thus ensuring a genuine desirability ten or twenty years down the road.
I mean- if Gremlins, Vegas, Pintos, BL Allegros and Princesses (for the UK readers), and most 70s junk is now cool, will our kids be lusting after a Sebring with Airflow inspired bonnet fluting, fold-down passenger seat and gen-u-wine transparent plastic tortoiseshell accents. I think the fact they used a type of plastic last used for 1920s makeup boxes for dashboard accents earns the Sebring a future CC if nothing else, and in my mind takes the concept of fake-wood into the realm of post-modern irony.
Maybe in 20 years there will only be the one left and it will become the CC holy grail. Yes, I think our kids will be snapping pics of the ‘last’ Sebrings on some street in Oregon before long.
Or, will (and I’m laughing while typing this) the cars actually prove somehow cocroach like in their longevity- like M bodies or minivans? Chrysler has a habit of actually making things unintentionally good- like the 96-02 Minivans, which tend to take abuse few other vehicles can, ditto post-78 F and M bodies, which proved their worth as taxis and police cars well into the 90s. Yes, the Sebring may become the next ‘ironic’ car- like the hipsters driving around in Pacers and Pintos. …or maybe hipsters will be gone by then and replaced by something else equally atrocious.
“Maybe in 20 years …”
The early 70’s era of Pintos/Gremlins is now 40 years ago, not 20. It’s now the 40th anniversery of Gas Crisis #1. Time flies!!
Good call on the Sebring. All of the styling and refinement of the Studebaker Lark, but with a 21st Century flavor!
Ah, yes. The Sebring indeed. I have three coworkers who have Sebrings, and they all remind me of partially-assembled AMT model kits. I think if you look at a Sebring funny, the bumper falls off. They must be easy to work on, since they basically disassemble themselves. No tools required; just give the car a dirty look.
We got BL Princesses and Allegros in NZ and they are already very rare and that in a place known for keeping cars alive too long, I see very few of anything BL/BMC except Morris Minors Minis and 1100/1300s the later stuff had very little appeal new and survivors are quite rare now
Jeez, I had already forgotten about the Ford Five Hundred. I remember trying to persuade someone to get the Crown Victoria instead. Those were the days.
I think a lot of these make sense, with the caveat “IF” they are still on the road 15 years from now. We may be in kind of a golden age for Curbside Classics. For me, anyway, it is hard to think of an era other than the 80s and early 90s that produced so many old cars that people are still driving around. Certainly not before that time, and it doesn’t seem, for whatever reason, like as many after that time, either.
Regarding the KIA Borrego, that wasn’t Hyundai’s only “misstep” in that time period. How about the Hyundai Entourage minivan, basically a rebadged KIA Sedona. Apparently it was a good effort but didn’t sell well, so was only sold from 2007-2009.
You briefly mentioned that the Isuzu Ascender was a rebadged Chevy Trailblazer (GMT-360 platform). How about the SAAB rebadge, the 9-7X? They’re already a pretty rare sight, so I was surprised to see one on my way to work this morning.
Or the Buick Ranier flavor of the GMT-360 that I saw at lunch today. Future CC for sure!
Or the ever rarer GMT-360 Olds Bravada. Just saw a decent one the other day, the first
Ooop, stopped midstream :D. The first GMT-360 Bravada I’d seen in quite a long time.
I think in a decade we’ll be playing GMT-360 BINGO! Who will be the first to photograph every variation of the platform? From Saab to Isuzu.
The 2000’s were a weird decade for cars because I do not think there was a decade in which cars changed more, both technologically and astheically. Maybe Ford in the 80’s? Anyways, there were several cars that will likely meet future CC status, and some that I think were left off here.
1) Pontiac Aztek. The car that makes all the lists for all the wrong reasons. But…c’mon, it came with a tent! And a cooler! It is truly the AMC Pacer of the 20th Century. Nor, unlike other late model Pontiacs (G8, Solstice, GTO)…they will never be collectable. The only people that will still have them are those like my mom who realized the unknown genius at GM for putting minivan seats in a crossover: you can put skis under the seats.
2)While we are on Pontiac…the last gen Bonneville. A car that today when I see it is still quite striking but underneath is explained everything that was wrong with GM. The last “I’m really trying to be sporty” full-size American car.
3) Suzuki SX/4 and/or Kizashi. Both were too little, too late for a doomed marque. The SX/4, using an AMC Eagle moniker, was a Subaru for those of whom a Subaru was too expensive. The Kizashi was a very well rated car, but doomed on impact.
4) Jag X-Type. I feel we will be talking about these for more reasons than the car deserves, but after owner #1, they are likely to be pretty disposable. It’ll be interesting to see a well-maintained one in 10-15 years.
Wifey and I loved the Aztek, and would have bought one if we were in the market back then.
There’s a very nice red Aztek in my neighborhood, along with a super-nice Z34 Lumina in the same driveway. Good taste knows no bounds!
I always thought it was a decent concept (with tent etc.)…. unfortunately ugly.
2)While we are on Pontiac…the last gen Bonneville. A car that today when I see it is still quite striking but underneath is explained everything that was wrong with GM. The last “I’m really trying to be sporty” full-size American car.
Just curious, how does it say what is/was wrong with GM? I think the only thing that really killed this kind of car is that everyone and their mother started offering AWD on their RWD “sporty” cars in the last decade. I miss the big “sporty” FWD GM cars myself, but I’m in the minority I think.
One other problem with 2000 Bonneville was overlap with Grand Prix. Why pay more for a car not much bigger than the W body? Chevy got the right formula with a stretched W Impala that same model year.
But also, this Bonneville overlapped with the last gen Aurora. Both aiming for same buyers, in shrinking segment.
I can see how someone might think that looking at the outside. The Bonneville feels bigger on the inside, and uses nicer plastics than the GP. It also drives better. The platform is quite a bit more refined than the W-body.
I kind of disagree on the Aurora vs. Bonneville argument. I don’t see them being cross shopped because they aim at different buyers. The Aurora is the more international one, aiming at the ES and Infinity buyer while the Bonneville seemed more like the more traditional American buyer was its goal. Of course I’m just about eccentric enough to have cross shopped them new.
I’d love to see see conquest sales for the Aurora…they all came from within the GM house I’d bet.
Nothing really wrong with the Xtype under the skin its a Mondeo which was a good car it was a cheaply made Jag in true Ford style over substance but not a bad car.
the x-type, though good looking, was a complete turd and couldn’t compete in the segment it was trying to compete in. It may have been a decent car at the Ford price point, but not as a Jag.
The X type was aimed at BMW 3 series drivers the company car for sales reps and similar it wasnt a luxury offering and wasnt priced as such, basically Ford selling two cars aimed at the same market.
It could not compete with the BMW or any other RWD based car in the segment on any level except looks. A FWD based AWD sedan can be sporty, but not a sports sedan.
If the X-type or Jaguar as a whole was truly competitive the X-type or something like it would still be in production and Ford wouldn’t have sold Jag.
There is a Chrysler Aspen rolling around my town with a license plate frame that reads, “I got me a Chrysler, it’s as big as a whale.” I chuckle every time I see it.
Are you living in your own Private Idaho?
I see what you did there…
Great article – these are all cars I never really paid attention to when new, but I now find interesting due to their quirks and the incredibly low sales volume they did. I had no idea the Suzuki pickup and Kia Borrego even existed until recently. I’ve never seen either, and I only ever saw a Mitsubishi Raider pickup on a dealer’s lot when they were new.
I also never knew there was a Durango/Aspen hybrid although I kinda remember it being announced. I know people scoffed at vehicles like this, but the 7mpg improvement in city mileage is very impressive. I still see the GM fullsize hybrid trucks (do they still make them?) regularly trudging around midtown Manhattan.
Count me in as another fan of the Ford Five Hundred. I think it was calibrick who once pointed out that these were, along with the same-era Hyundai Sonata, clearly a little more than “influenced by” the B5 VW Passat – which is fine with me. That was a look worth repeating a few times, so I can file it under imitation as a form of flattery..
Suzuki’s US lineup in their last decade made very little sense, and I believe at one point the only thing they sold here that they actually built was the XL-7. The Verona (Daewoo Magnus?) deserves mention for being one of a very small number of cars ever built with a transverse inline six under the hood. I see two of them at my local train station each morning and someone on my block has a Suzuki Reno 4-door hatchback (another Daewoo) which I actually have to admit is a nice looking car. I liked the Aerio, SX4 and Kizashi as well and the former two seemed to sell at least moderately well here. I feel bad for poor Suzuki (and Isuzu). Mitsubishi looks like they’re on their way out these days, too.
In Canada, all the Daewoo and Isuzu oddball stuff went to completely new “Asuna” (with funny dots over the u) and Passport. The Korean stuff was utter junk. Big dealers principal were basically told to open the dealerships or have their main store shut down. When GM Canada pulled the plug a short time later all the stores were closed at ZERO compensation. Loads of dealers went under and the relationship between GM dealers and GM, never good to begin with, got even worse.
GM paid the warranties for all the cars sold. The Isuzu stuff was good, as was the little Suzuki SUV, but the Korean cars were total junk. Even my Korean friends at the time of the car’s production said they were junk and nobody should ever buy a Daweoo car. Every Korean I knew detested them, although in those days, (circa 1995) they would buy anything available as most cars were exported and waits of a year or more were common.
All of the Verona stuff was utter crap. I was a service advisor at a GM store when they were sold and we had one car we never actually got to run. The dealership had to buy the car back and GM would not take it. The cars had a really weak structure and the windshields would crack all the time. The PCMs failed regularly. All the Daewoo stuff was horrid, the Aveo included.
Now with GM money and expertise, it is way better but still not class leading.
Shows how far the Koreans have come, really. They make a good, cheap car now.
The pre-GM-buyout Daewoos (the ones sold at Daewoo dealers with Daewoo badging) probably already qualify as CCs. Not many were sold, and I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
I worked with a gal who bought a Daewoo right before the bankruptcy/buyout. She was mostly attracted to a very long warranty then on offer (it might have been 10 years bumper to bumper) and was infuriated that the brand and the dealerships were evaporating. I would assume GM honored those warrantys, but she was not happy about owning an orphaned car.
Rover owners here suffered a similar fate they paid large for their BMW built cars only to have the company evaporate and be stuck with no parts supply on an unreliable car, yes they were better than the junk Rhondas but not that much better.
the question is how many of those cars are still gonna be on the road in 2 decades?with all those electronics&computerised parts&low quality&intentions of todays carmakers,not to build a car that lasts 10 years.time will tell.
I disagree. Today’s cars last much longer than their lower-tech predecessors.
Fuels are cleaner and are metered more precisely, steels are more corrosion resistant, paints no longer oxidize, lubricants are better, and maybe you don’t trust the electronics of a fuel injection system to last, but in the real world, they need a lot less attention than any carburetor ever did.
Cars had 5-digit odometers well into the late 1970s, because cars weren’t expected to last more than 100,000 miles before the body rusted out or the engine required a rebuild.
I got 250,000 miles out of an ’01 Cougar, giving it only minimal maintenance. My nephew is still driving that car, and it still gets the same gas mileage it got when new, and it only uses about 1 quart of oil between oil changes. A ’67 Cougar was a lot more stylish, but a Windsor engine of that era would have needed at least one rebuilt to last that long, not to mention the body rust that would have taken hold.
Getting rid of leaded fuel over here has led to cars lasting longer back in the 70s getting any car no matter who made it to go more than 160,000 kms was quite a feat even your much loved American cars were done at 100k miles and if you did the motor up as some of us were inclined the rest of it fell apart.
Cars have never been better. With any new car, one can be very reasonably assured that said unit will indeed last 10 years/160,000 km without any major problems. No car of the 1970’s or 80’s can make that claim. Cars of the 1960’s rusted so fast few in Canada ever reached 160,000 km.
Although I have my doubts about touchscreens lasting 100,000 miles… (Touchscreens are the leading contender for “stupid consumer fad I really wish would pass” — they’re useful for a fairly narrow range of functions and maddening for just about everything else.)
+1
+2
We had a rental Focus in the summer for two weeks. I never found out how to change the radio station. Everything you needed to do meant taking one’s eyes off the road. I want to be able to easily reach and actuate every control by pure feel, not punching through touch screens.
Nobody seems to like these things yet especially Ford flogs ’em to death, so there must be good money in it. The best Ford trim now is by far the SEL which is in fact a nicer car to drive, especially a manual.
I wouldn’t worry at all about mechanical longevity of new cars either. There’s a lot of debatable “improvements” cars have received over the years but that one is an iron clad truth, for the most part. I do however think new/newer cars with smartphone interfaces and touch screens are going to become the catalyst for the next wave of planned obsolescence.
The Ford D3s got their driving position form the Volvo XC90 crossover that donated its platform.
Also when mentioning the Mitsubishi Raider don’t forgot the Dodge Raider, which was an 80s rebadge of the Mitsubishi Montero SUV. The Suzuki Equator pickup appears to have been driven partly by a shortage of products and partly by envy for Ford’s successful Harley-Davidson badged pickups. Suzuki marketing thought that people would buy Suzuki pickups as accessories for Suzuki dirt bikes.
Fortunately by then I will be dead and most of that crap isnt available here anyway
When was the last time the Aussies or Nz’s designed/built a good car sold globally? 🙂
Aussie is exporting Chevrolets currently and has been for quite some time, NZ has no indigenous auto industry though the Trekka made it as far as Aussie, but it wasnt any good at all
I said good car that is sold global
Middle east, South Africa, UK, I would call global, you must realize US cars sell nowhere else in any numbers if at all
That is hardly global. They aren’t selling in any emerging markets like China, or large markets like Japan, and they sell/sold very few in the US.
I like the VE/VF platform, but from a global perspective it is a complete flop.
U.S. cars not selling globally? What about Jeep? Chrysler’s Mini Vans?
The Holden Caprice is being sold (& built) in China too. Holden-based cars were exported globally including to Europe and South America pre-GFC, albeit in small numbers because the cars were very much a niche product in those markets. I don’t think they resumed after the GFC.
It is a fairly pointless question/argument because there hasn’t been a ‘real’ Australian car company since the 1920’s other than cottage-industry type sports car makers.
Philhawk: Have you forgotten the current Camaro, perchance?
Following the development of the Zeta architecture and because of its position as the GM global center of RWD development, GM Holden in Australia led the final design, engineering, and development of the Camaro. (wikipedia)
No Paul I have not, but it is built in Canada. The Camaro isn’t global either (as far as I know).
So according to Bryce, everything from North America based companies is crap and he’s glad that he doesn’t have to and never has experienced it, yet there is not real contribution made by his brilliant dirt road driving people. 🙂
Jeep? Chrysler minivans? Are you Americans serious? I wouldn’t call them global.
This is an old post but I had to reply.
In New Zealand Jeeps/Chrysler people movers (Chrysler minivan is an oxymoron, Daihatsu Hijet or Suzuki Carry is a minivan) seem to need heavy discounting to sell will the exception of turbo diesel Wranglers.
Apart from Toledo built Wranglers, RHD Chrysler Jeep products were mostly built in Austria by Steyr until 2010.
During the Steyr built era you’d be out of your f ing mind to buy a new Chrysler people mover, when in the same show room you could get a 300 wagon, MB V6 turbo diesel or 5.7 Hemi powered for similar money.
Back to the present Jeeps new pick up is a step in the right direction but the engine options so far are a joke, the rumoured stop-start 3.0 V6 turbo diesel sounds idiotic on an offroad vehicle, it needs a detuned version of Nissan Titans 5.0 Cummins turbo diesel V8 to be competitive in Australia or New Zealand otherwise buyers won’t consider it over the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 4.5 single turbo diesel V8.
I get the difficultly of selling the Land Cruiser 70 V8 diesel in the US but not selling it in Canada is a crime against Canadians.
If we compared individual models of a single specification Ford probably sells more current generation Mustangs in Oz and NZ than most Jeeps/Chryslers.
The Mustang seems to be selling in the UK and Germany.
The current Mustang seems to be Ford USA’s biggest export success since the Model A and the most popular US built exported car in decades.
Gee whiz I guess if a US built car has acceptable styling, engineering, reliability, performance, specification and competitive price it will sell in overseas markets.
I drove the Borrego as a rental car from Vegas to Anaheim to catch the House of Mouse a few years ago. Competent and comfortable enough.
Built to a price point, not a standard. The owner’s manual had a comment that you should not operate multiple power windows from the driver’s door at the same time – it might overload the switch gear. I’ve NEVER seen a warning like that before. That alone is enough to keep me miles away from a Kia / Hyundai dealer.
Kia is sold here as a cheaper Hyundai you cant expect much.
I can’t comment on the Borrego, but I have a 2009 Kia Rondo with 62,000 miles that I bought new and it’s been one of the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned (and I’ve owned around 26 cars including Buick, Honda, Saab (3), Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, BMW (2), Mercedes, VW (2), Ford (4), Cadillac, Porsche (2) and Infiniti).
I highly recommend Kia to everyone I can!
I have been quite happy with my 2012 Sedona.
This is such a depressing thread… seeing a glimpse of what will eventually be CC-material. Many of these are probably fine vehicles but to my eyes they are and will always be dull-as-dishwater appliances.
The Axiom is almost interesting, sigh. 🙁
Agree
I find we always appreciate a generation of cars moreso, once they are longer sold new. So, these might grow on you. 13 years later, I wish they still sold the Cherokee XJ, and find them more pure than many SUVs today.
While the Axiom is ‘almost’ interesting (primarily for its name), an Isuzu that actually ‘is’ interesting and I can see being a future CC is the VehiCROSS.
For the brief period (’99-’01) it was sold in the US, the odd little SUV (sort of a Japanese, AWD AMC Gremlin) was packed with an advanced, high-tech AWD system which, hopefully, was reasonably reliable enough to keep them running for a while without a lot of maintenance. Plus, with only 4,153 sold in the US, it’s not like they’ll be seen everywhere.
The Nissan Murano convertible will probably be a future CC, as well.
Pretty much all post 2000 Lancia models.
Like this Delta:
And this Thesis:
As in actual Lancias as opposed to rebadged Chryslers – then again those may be rarer!
* I realise that is not really the pedantically-correct way to describe any Lancia after 1969…
Although Aztek comparisons are cliché these days, the Thesis is an Italian Aztek in its concept-to-production metamorphosis. The Diàlogos concept car is kinda neat in a late ’90s retro-futuristic way; the Thesis looks like a clown car from the Simpsons.
Not depressing at all, Citroën C6.
You forget the US readers cant get Citroens so they have no concept of how a decent FWD car can actually be
I’d add some sure-to-be-obscure 2-doors to the list:
Nissan Altima Coupe
Saturn Astra
Cadillac CTS Coupe (and upcoming ELR while we’re at it)
Mini Coupe
Kia Forte Coupe
Hyundai Elantra Coupe
Audi TT Coupe
Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ
I love my ’08 Astra XR 5 door. Bought it new for $18K with the big*** sunroof and 5spd, though in hindsight should’ve gone for the leather and heated seats. Its now over 105K miles and has been nearly trouble free. Brakes have been replaced once for $300 (all four rotors turned and new pads), two sets of tires for the 16″ wheels, and one battery which admittedly was $120 but has a five year warranty. Great gas mileage, great in the twisties, cheap to maintain, fits a bike with the seats down, and still looks like nothing else on the road.
Kizashi!
… and Pontiac G3.
Gesundheit.
The City and County of Honolulu (the Hawaiian Island of Oahu) is home to these obscurities, although not in great numbers, in my daily commute I do see at least one Axiom, Mitsubishi Raider. I did see a Mercury Monterey (Freestar, Windstar, Windbag, etc.) and in the last six months ONE Kia Borrego (it was from the mainland). Never did see a Suzuki Nissan truck variant in the flesh here on island as they weren’t sold here; same with the Suzuki badged Daewoos. Only Suzukis sold here recently (Servco in Waipahu still has a few) were the Grand Vitaras and Kizashis.
For Part II, add the ‘new’ Mitsubishi Mirage. Saw one here in the islands last month and thought I was looking at a Little Tykes Cozy Car. Saw two more last Friday at the Phoenix Auto Show (29th of November). Made in Thailand; looks like a breakthrough small car with all the modern safety features – for 1991 anyway. For 2014, it is just cheap, cheap, cheap. The lowest quality Tupperware bowl cover wheel covers. Paint jobs look like robot-applied rattle can quality with a shot of clear coat. Mitsubishi obviously brought these over to America on the way-cheap to fill a “hole” in their N.A. offerings(the whole U.S. Three-Diamond auto/CUV/SUV lineup is a hole all unto itself).
So for Part II, the U.S./Canadian (if they offer it there) 2014 Mirage and the last generation Mitsubishi Galant (few and far between; the 1992 Camry redux).
The ‘premium’ Mitsubishi (Outlander) can cost right over $30k and it’s like sitting inside a 1997 time capsule. Horrible plastics, fabrics, designs, etc.
And five years later, you can still buy one! Though the PHEV is at least a unique option.
I would add a few others:
– The original (1999-2009) Honda Insight. An acquaintance who owned one said (I’m paraphrasing because I don’t recall the exact words) that it was great fun to drive if you approached in the right spirit: that is, as sort of an Austin-Healey Sprite for the Nintendo generation, where you make a game of conservation of energy.
– The Toyota GT 86/86/Subaru BR-Z/Scion FR-S. For reasons that I think are blindingly obvious.
– The Suzuki Swift Sport. Possibly the last of the old-school hot hatches.
– The Hyundai Genesis. Still looks more like Hyundai’s answer to the Volkswagen Phaeton (i.e., the question no one was asking) than a latter-day Lexus LS400, but no doubt something for future historians and pundits to chew on.
Re: Hot hatches. I have hope that the 1.0 liter Fiesta might represent a bit of a revival. Sure it’s a little on the porky side, but if it revs willingly and likes being tossed around a bit, that can be excused.
I don’t mean that the Swift is the last hot hatch, by any means, but that it is one of the last of the basic, normally aspirated, no-frills hotted-up econoboxes. The Fiesta 1.0 is intriguing (as is Ford’s claim that they can potentially get 180 PS out of the 999cc EcoBoost), but it’s not the same kind of thing, nor is the Fiesta ST, which is the real hot hatch version.
I see what you mean Aaron, but I’d say it is still too tall to be ‘old school’, and sitting up so high ruins the feel. I think the last old school hot hatch was the 1998-2005 Renaultsport Clio, a 2L engine in a tiny car.
The current C-segment cars are to big and heavy by comparison regardless of the horsepower.
From what I hear the Genesis is selling quite well for what it is(better than the lexus GS at least) . I see a lot of them here in CT seems alot of the “wealthy but I don;t want to show off too much” former Saab owners have taken a liking to it.
I nominate the Pontiac G8. It received good reviews and was looked at as the car that might finally give Pontiac its credentials a the performance division back. Then, after 2 model years, Pontiac was no more.
Also, strong CC effect today. I made 2 stops after work. Coming back to my car in parking lot #1, I had a Five Hundred in front if me and a last gen Sable next to me. At lot #2, an Aspen parked behind me, but it wasn’t a hybrid.
We recently bought a lightly used 2006 Mercury Montego for a daughter. Wonderful ride, tons of room, uber comfortable seats and decent mpg. It’s got the 6 speed Aisan tranny which is quite smooth. I believe only the 4wd versions had the CVT. Yeah, it’s not the most sleek vehicle on the road but it’s Volvo underpinnings make it safe and that was my primary concern. We’re very happy with it.
Interesting article, the only car shown here that I will be able to photograph is the Great Wall X240, with (not very) honorable mentions to the Holden nee Opel Vectra and Nissan Navara (aka Frontier).
Locally in 15-20 years time I think the exciting CC sightings will be the Ford Falcon, Territory and Holden Commodore (originals, not rebadged Impalas), I think it goes without saying. Almost in CC territory now are the Holden Adventra (Subaru Outback type crossover) and Crewman (double cab pickup) and the more interesting local Mitsubishi or Toyota variants, eg the 380 TMR or Aurion TRD.
Other things that will be CC fodder from an oddball point of view are any North American-produced car or truck (only Jeeps or Chrysler minivans are sold in any quantity), early Chinese or Indian efforts such as the Geely J1 or Mahindra Pik-up, SsangYongs or non-German European large cars – eg the Renault Laguna was sold in reasonable numbers ~10 years ago but is rarely seen now.
I don’t think the 2008- 2009 Taurus was that bad looking. It was built on a modified Volvo platform(look at the front springs on one of these cars, they are massive for a car) and the seating height and greenhouse are excellent.
I also think if you look at the 2008-2009 Taurus from about 50 Ft it looks a bit like the 86-91 Sable with its rounded front end and jelly bean type styling(Ironic when the 2008-2009 sable looks a bit blocky in the front)
My folks have a 2009 Taurus and I had a 2008 Taurus for 2 months till a drunk driver in a shitty beat up Chevy pickup rear ended me last month(I walked away unscratched while the idiot had to be pried out of his truck. All it did to mine was cave in the trunk but did not damage the passenger compartment(which meant that had there been folks in the back seat they would have walked away also) )
Those cars are tough but easy to drive. I was banging in 26mpg on the highway which is so much better MPG and more horsepower then the panther it was meant to replace. The 2008-2009 taurus/Sable actually had more interior room then the Crown Vic or GrandMa and had one of the biggest trunks on the market.
Here is a pic the day I bought the car from carmax. It was getting ready for its detailing before I took it home.
I’m not sure how getting 26mpg on the hwy in the Taurus is so much better than a Panther that will also get 26mpg on the hwy. Don’t get me wrong I like the 08-09 Taurus and they do have better rear seat room than the lesser Panthers.
Gee, my 93 Crown Victoria gets 26 mpg on the highway too. Progress?
The 2005-2007 and 2008 to 2009 500/Taurus cars embarrass the current 2010 onward version in interior room, visibility and trunk opening space. Also headroom is better. Such progress
Agreed. It’s almost like Mulally looked over a last-gen Taurus and said “make this… much worse” for the current model.
“Back in the 1980s, I was finding cars were already starting to look strongly alike”
To me, most cars before 1955 look alike, as ‘blobs’, just have different grilles. And the 1920s/30’s classic era all look like Model A’s or Beverly Hillbilly trucks.
I got two. The first is the ’04-’06 Suzuki Verona with the seriously funky Daewoo-developed XK6 transversely mounted inline-6 engine. A friend of mine had one; nothing special really but still had to marvel how they fit an I-6 at a 90 degree in the engine bay (mainly because it leaves you wondering Why would they even bother?)
The other is the uber hideous Nissan Murano Cross-Cabriolet, a car so heinous it should have its butt shaved and taught to walk backwards.
I’ve never seen a Kia Borrego, or Isuzu Axiom (never officially sold in Canada), however just last week I’ve seen Chrysler Aspen Hybrid.
I’d like to add to the list Chevy Captiva (seen one in Canada with NY plates) and Chevy SS, since GM is only planing to sell 5,000/yr.
With the Genesis being suggested for addition to this list, it seems right to mention the preceding XG’s and the real question-nobody-asked Eqqus. Doesn’t it seem like each time Hyundai introduces a car over a certain price point there’s an article about how much they’re coming up in the world, yet the cars are never sales successes?
(My current daily driver is an ’08 Taurus Limited AWD. I absolutely love it. Still can’t believe how they managed to eliminate so much space in the ’10-up model.)
Another obscure rebadge everyone’s forgotten about, the Pontiac LeMans. No, not the one that was the basis for the classic GTO. No, the *other* one, the one that was really a Daewoo, which itself was really an Opel.
And for forgotten recent cars, there’s the Saab 9-4X, the Mexican-built crossover SUV that was only for sale a few months before Saab went under, all 2011 models. Only 457 were built.
I’m not sure why but I see a few of these cars in Baton Rouge where I live. My neighbor for a period of time was an older lady named Mrs. Butler owned the Saturn station wagon which just sat there looking lonely and sad. My friend’s grandpa owned a mercury sable from this period of time. There is a Suzuki Equator near my neighborhood., and every now and then I see a Kia Borrego near my job. I’m not sure why there are so many of these obscure models where I live.
So, five years after the original publication of this list, what new cars do you think should be added? I’d nominate the Kia Cadenza. I actually saw one on the road a few weeks ago and my reaction to it was “Woah, a Cadenza! I’ve heard of those but I’ve never seen one before.”
Five years on, and to me, the more interesting thing is what we got wrong. It is like seeing Blade Runner and realizing it it set in 2019, or Back to the Future and having it set in 2015, and realizing what they got wrong. No flying cars, no hovering skateboards, none of the really cool stuff.
The comments section has a plethora of possible candidates, but they seem to have missed on some marques that have become relatively successful (Genesis and the Mitsubishi Mirage, the thing that will not die) while other ideas are spot on.
For better or worse, I nominate Hummers as candidates. There are fewer and fewer in use, and in a few more years, they will become cult classics like a Suzuki Samarai, almost impossible to see still in stock configuration.
Kia K900, Hyundai Equus/G90, and any Honda/Acura hybrids that aren’t the Accord or Civic. (Insight? Clarity? RLX Hybrid?) Also, any Infiniti hybrid. I know there’s been more than one, but I can’t remember what they were called off the top of my head. Hmm…the Q50 has a hybrid option, and the QX60 and Q70 had one.
Speaking of which, did you know you can still buy a 2019 Q70 (née M)?!? I didn’t. Yet at least 3,000 were sold this year so far. I wonder if many are to rental fleets. (Thanks, GoodCarBadCar.)
Oh, and the Fiat 124 Spider. Outsold even by the weathered Q70.
There’s an Isuzu Axiom in my apartment complex. The front end is odd – it looks like the grille and headlights from an economy car have been stacked on top of a large industrial cooling unit.
A suggestion for the future – the Kia Amanti. A fair number could be seen some years ago. What happened to them all? I haven’t seen one on the road in ages.
I still see Amantis in Vancouver fairly regularly. I always mistake them for an older Mercedes at night due to the headlights, which is probably what Kia was going for.
“Saturn L-Series – When global platforms don’t work”
True, the size class overseas didn’t match the US. Opel Vectra, that L-x000 was based on, was claimed to be a ‘D’ class, but really a compact over here. Same thing happened with Ford Coutour [Mondeo].
Now, there can never be “too many sizes of CUV”
If the Opel Vectra was a “compact”, in what class/segment was the Saturn (Opel) Astra then?
I think that looking ahead 15 to 20 years, we will look back at the cars I call “the long lived.” By this I mean cars and trucks that were updated some and still sold since the 1980s or 1990s. Their chassis stayed the same. The Ford Crown Victoria and Ford Ranger come to mind. Also the Chevy Astro vans made from 1985-2005. The “long lived” cars would be equivalent to the early 1960s Ramblers and the Studebaker Lark that were still based on cars from the early 1950s. Also we will look back at the “retro era” the the PT Cruiser, Chevy HHR, and early 2000s Thunderbird to name a few.
Mitsubishi Raider, the Dodge Dakota clone, was a vehicle I’d completely forgotten about, that is if I ever paid attention to them in the first place. One ratty example turned up recently on a local BHPH used car dealer’s lot, my reaction was “What the hell is that wreck Timmy is peddling now?
I like the Ford 500 – I thought it was one of the most Teutonic looking designs to ever come out of Dearborn, it reminds me of my favorite generation of the VW Passat. Ford should of continue to call it Taurus & Sable. I dislike the Chrysler 300 looking restyle it received.
Acura only made & sold 7191 ZDX in the three years it was on the market in North America, I think I’ve seen 2 or 3. The ZDX was an unpleasant design.
The Chrysler Aspen (and similar generation of Dodge Dakota) was cheap looking and another unpleasant design (in my opinion).
I would say my 2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT is a future collectable !
I enjoyed all the pro/con comments about Ford Five Hundred, Montego, and Taurus/Sable. I was very tempted by these this past summer–harder to find a lower-miles one in 2018 than it was in 2013. Here’s the ’08 Taurus that’s right in the sweet spot with the 3.5 Cyclone engine, no CVT, but preceding the 2010 bulked-up Taurus restyle that compromised sight lines, trunk, and so on. One careful owner, 73K; even if $7500 is a bit higher than KBB, could be a great value unless gas prices go crazy: https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/d/2008-ford-taurus-limited/6666808373.html
These underappreciated Fords were incredibly roomy inside and had a huge trunk. Fine family cars with more room than a Crown Vic.