As Christmas approaches, we often think of making lists of things to acquire. Nevertheless, several auto manufacturers have devised lists of things to get rid of. Here are a few of the vehicles that will not return for 2016. Some will be missed, others cheered. If you want one, perhaps you’d better put it on your list now before they are all gone.
Chevrolet Spark EV
Truth be told, I didn’t even know they had one.
2014 Honda Crosstour.
Honda Crosstour
Oh why, why, why didn’t we make this car the runaway success it deserved to be? It does the same thing that the Subaru Outback does and in grand fashion, I think. It may have even gone in reverse, where looks are concerned, but nothing a little mid-cycle refresh couldn’t have fixed. Nonetheless, with the new 2016 Civic sedan approaching, it would have been lost in the shadows anyway.
Honda Accord & Civic Hybrid
Honda’s great idea: “let’s hybrid the Accord with a new and clever gas-electric drivetrain.” Done. It won Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy award in 2014, but sold only in handfuls before car-buyer indifference sent it back to the drawing boards. (A new plug-in Honda Clarity hybrid is coming, and the ’17 Accord will likely bring back a hybrid powertrain.). The hybrid versions of the Civic were strong sellers for a time, when gas prices hovered near $4 a gallon. But after state incentives and HOV access withered, so did sales.
Infiniti Q40
When Infiniti changed its car names, it needed a clever way to keep selling the former G37 sedan while it pivoted its product lineup. When the new mid-level model came on the scene, the G37 was still selling well. Such is not the case now, so we bid farewell to you, sir.
Jaguar XK
This one is far down on the list because I was on denial. I know the architecture is ancient and the ergonomics are sub-par, but a big, luxurious Jag coupe is always in order. There are somethings an F-Type just can’t replace. Please Jaguar, come up with another flagship coupe!!
Land Rover LR2
The LR2 was the replacement for the unloved Land Rover Freelander, but it didn’t warm the cockles of the SUV-shopping public. It’s taking a dive in favor of the much more evocatively named Discovery Sport, which practically implies some sort of sub-Saharan safari could happen at any moment once you bang a right out of the soccer-field parking lot.
Mazda 5
The 7-Up of minivans, the Mazda 5 was neither particularly roomy nor sporty–and it posted some ugly counterintuitive data for family-car buyers in the form of poor crash-test results. The altogether more handsome and useful 2016 CX-9 will be a better idea, in almost every dimension, we think.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
But at least in this case, the less expensive AMG GT is here to spoon with us, and reassure us that everything’s okay.
MINI Coupe and Roadster
I’m not surprised.
Nissan Rougue Select & Xterra
We’re not sure how to feel about the recently departed Xterra or the old Rogue that was still produced alongside the new one. Bottom line, we loved the idea of the old Rogue and Xterra more than we loved the actual SUV’s.
Porsche 918 Spyder
It made noise about its coming for longer than its model run.
Scion xB
I’m not sure how you feel about this car. I just thing that when the PT Cruiser and SSR went off the scene, this car could have just as well.
Scion iQ
It’s been a Toyota, a Scion and an Aston Martin. Pretty good testament for badge engineering.
Toyota Venza
I thought it was going to be better than it actually was. Sorry Toyota, apparently only BMW can produce niche-ambiguous mid-market, in-between cars for no reason at all.
Cadillac ELR and SRX
The SRX will be replaced by the new XT5 and the ELR will be replaced by a nice plant to accentuate the showroom floor.
Ford Taurus
Gone in America because the Fusion has stolen its U.S. thunder, Taurus will pull an Allen Iverson and play overseas. Specifically, China.
Honda CR-Z
How has Honda remained viable producing so many cars that I totally thought they stopped producing ages ago?
Jeep Compass/Patriot
FCA will replace them both with a single model. I have despised them both since their inception. There, I said it!
Lincoln MKS
The last Lincoln vehicle I liked as much was the defunct LS. Says quite a bit about the hit-and-miss nature of the brand.
Lincoln MKT
Are you kidding me? People bought this thing when we had a perfectly good Ford Flex Platinum available. Go figure.
VW Eos
They may produce enough to call them 2017’s, but rest assured, it’s dead.
So there you have it, friends. A list of cars you probably won’t be getting for Christmas.
What car on this list would you like to see be kept around?
