Insider Car News states that one of the biggest reasons certain car models are discontinued each year is because of the needs and demands of consumers. These needs are constantly changing, and it is up to car innovators to come up with a vehicle that addresses each of those needs. Sometimes the needs of years past are no longer relevant, especially when new technology is considered, so instead of remaking a collection it is just easier to start with a new one.
Cars to be discontinued
Popular cars said to be discontinued in the coming years are the Dodge Grand Caravan, Acura TL, Chevrolet SS, Toyota FJ Cruiser, and the Nissan Cube. The models are only a few of a much larger list. Consumers definitely have their favorite vehicle types, so saying goodbye to these models might hurt business if car companies cannot deliver bigger and better models that help us forget the past.
Personally I think a lot of the new cars all look the same. Its maybe become too expensive for them to design fresh cars so try to differentiate themselves with gadgets like cameras and crash detectors. I hope not but I really find it hard to find much really fresh outside of gadgets. I rented a Jeep a few weeks ago and outside of it being truly boring, every time it was started a paragraph would pop up on the display asking you to agree to follow all traffic laws, drive safely, etc. Maybe only on the rentals but I really hope this is not the future of fresh design.
Only a few of that list are really going away. The TL (and TSX) were replaced by the TLX, and the Grand Caravan’s Chrysler branded twin will still be sold. Of the rest, none were classics and all three were only sold for one generation in modest numbers, so few people will even notice they’re gone. The SS is a car GM tried to sell previously (twice) as a Pontiac. Not a bad car, but kind of bland looking.
@Bing. Every time I start up my 2014.5 Camry a “Nanny” nagging warning message pops up on the rearview monitor screen; so, no, it isn’t just rental cars with that. I just ignore it.
Hi - I removed the links and plugs for the insurance company, and cut out some of the more gratuitous spammy parts. I figured it would generate some discussion, so I’ll leave the thread.
Thanks for the clarification, Carolyn. When I first tapped onto this thread just now I wondered about the “spam” comments, but your explanation clarified the issue.
Re: the cars themselves, I expect the companies to replace poor sellers, but what I miss are the concept cars at the car shows. Many years ago in my youth car companies used to populate car shows with wild, highly futuristic cars to gage audience reaction to futuristic design ideas. Many of these cars weren’t even functional. The C3 Corvette originated as one of those futuristic concepts, originally called the Mako Shark. Car companies today just use the car shows as extensions of their showrooms, showing wares little changed from their current offerings. There are a few futuristic ideas, but it ain’t like it used to be.
Or perhaps current designers have been educated and mandated to not stretch themselves. They’re just copying the same stale old ideas.
One benefit, though, of car shows is for serious car shoppers to be able to compare numerous vehicles within a few hours at one place.
All three times I have bought a new car I did a lot of research then went to the annual car show where I could compare practicalities – ease of getting into and out of the cars, driver visibility all around, ease of dash controls set up, comfort of seats (to a limited extent as seat comfort really needs long test drives), ease of access to cargo area and practicality of the cargo dimensions for my typical use, could I manage opening and keeping open the front hood, etc. Such close contrast and comparisons helped eliminate some vehicles while putting others on my list for test drives.
As for the SS, when introduced in 2013, Chevy noted that it was going to be a limited production thing, and would go away after several years of production.
As for looks and styling, there aren’t very many shapes that work well in a wind tunnel, and customers these days value fuel efficiency over styling.
I mean, let’s face it. Here, we’re almost all car nuts. It’s why we’re here. For most folks out there, the car is little more than a self propelled mixmaster, just another appliance for them.
There is an FJ cult; it is a good off road car by today’s standards and it is a Toyota. But for the 99% of the buyers who are going to go to the local grocer with it, it is not comfortable or practical with limited visibility/harsh ride, so they might as well buy the RAV4.
"Let em go,good riddance,something better will come along "
Exactly.
The free market determines which vehicles will be sold over the long term.
When a vehicle is withdrawn from the marketplace, it is because the demand for it is too limited for the parent company to make a profit by marketing it.
The Chevrolet SS couldn’t continue for very long. It is a Holden VF Commodore,assembled in Australia. Holden is shutting down assembly operations in Oz entirely. They wouldn’t keep building a limited production car the U.S. market while discontinuing the same model at home.