5 cars we’ll miss in 2024—and 5 we won’t
As 2023 winds to a close and we turn our attention to what lies ahead, a moment of reflection is due for cars that won’t see another year. In true end-of-year fashion, we’re feeling a bit dismayed about a few vehicles that are making their way to the big parking lot in the sky. We’re also happy to show a handful of vehicles to the exit.
Presented here, in no particular order, are five cars that we’ll miss come 2024—and five that we most certainly won’t. Be sure to join us in the comments: Which of our choices do you agree with? What other vehicles should have made the list?
We’ll miss:
Chevrolet Camaro
We’ve already covered the Camaro’s demise in extensive detail, from the last sixth-gen to roll off the assembly line (a manual ZL1 1LE) to four unique models that time forgot. But to say we’ll miss the Camaro remains an understatement.
Over six triumphant generations, the Camaro stoked the pony car wars to ever-increasing heights. With no word yet from Chevy on any sort of succession plans, there’s an Alpha-platformed hole in our hearts. The sixth-generation car was a genuine performance masterpiece, gifting the Camaro with a superb chassis that finally matched (or even exceeded) the heroic powerplants found under the hood. Pour one out, folks: The loss of this one stings.
Dodge Challenger/Charger
If the Camaro was the athlete of the Detroit muscle crowd and the Mustang was the icon, then the Dodge Charger and Challenger siblings were the ones you wanted to hang with at a party. Their boisterous demeanor and ability to meet buyers at seemingly any price point meant that there was a Mopar solution for everyone.
While there are rumblings of a new gas-powered Challenger on the horizon, and Dodge snuck a new vehicle silhouette into a holiday ad, such a vehicle will likely ditch the rumbling Hemi V-8 in favor of a twin-turbo inline-six. The Challenger and Charger names may endure, but their ethos will change significantly. For that reason, we mourn the demise of the Mopar twins.
Audi TT
When Freeman Thomas sketched out the first lines for the Audi TT, few could have predicted the impact the car would have—not just on Audi’s trajectory, but on the entire world of automotive design. When the Mk1 TT hit the streets in 1998, it was an immediate success. Early examples are now starting to find a place within the collector-car zeitgeist.
The TT spanned three generations over 25 years, but it will not see the calendar turn over again. Little sports cars like this are a hard segment to survive in, but the TT managed to do so without ever sacrificing the avant-garde styling that made the first one such a revelation. The gorgeous green going-away present pictured above is one of 50 Final Edition cars, all of which are coming to the U.S. The TT departs this world with its head held high—for very good reason.
Kia Stinger
The shapely proportions of a four-door liftback, a 365-hp twin-turbo V-6, all- or rear-wheel-drive, and genuine sporting intent … from a Kia? That was the thought clanging around much of the automotive world when the Stinger arrived in 2017.
Kia wanted to use the Stinger to change the public’s perception of the company from rental-fleet-chic to something a bit more aspirational. The success of the Stinger in that regard is up for debate—the Telluride did more of the heavy lifting—but the fact that the Stinger was a genuinely interesting machine is fact. Like the Pontiac GTO—yes, we went there, figuratively and literally—the Stinger was an attempt to get buyers to pay attention. Unfortunately, the Stinger was always in for an uphill battle, and 2023 marks the year it finally waves the white flag.
Audi R8
Over two generations, Audi’s mid-engined supercar shone as the brand’s most aspirational product. It may have been overshadowed a bit by the Lamborghini Huracán, with which it shared a platform and engine, but the R8 was no snoozer.
After a few years of coasting down the depreciation curve, first-gen R8s are starting to catch the eyes of collectors. Heck, we put it on last year’s Bull Market List (though, one year on, it hasn’t ascended to the heights we thought it might.) Perhaps the second-gen cars will experience a similar fate one day. This author certainly hopes so, because he has a bit of a soft spot for the R8. Way back when I first left college 10 days early to start my first job at Car and Driver, the Audi R8 was the first car I was allowed to drive—very slowly, through the parking lot of Virginia International Raceway over to the gas pumps. Still counts.
We won’t miss:
Fiat 500X/Jeep Renegade
We won’t miss either of these two, but our distaste for each stems from different places. The Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade were basically two adaptations of the same basic platform and drivetrain by two different brands.
We’d consider the Jeep the more appealing of the two, because, well, Jeep, but neither model wowed the American buyer. The 500X always felt quite compromised and uninspired, with European styling that failed to translate to our shores. The Renegade, while cute, is a spendy (just shy of $30K) proposition that’s also priced too similarly to the Compass ($27,495), a more spacious offering. Sales for the Renegade have plummeted in recent months, while sales of the 500X never really took off.
Mazda MX-30
Sold exclusively in California, the Mazda MX-30 was kind of destined to be a flop. With a 35.5-kWh battery and a meager, EPA-estimated electric range of 100 miles, this thing was handily outgunned by the competition by the time it arrived. Small and cramped, with a rear-hinged second-row door that opens like those on older extended-cab pickups, the MX-30 felt like the bizarre answer to a question almost nobody asked. That it won’t survive another year might just be in the best interests of everyone.
Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
For a while there, the Mercedes-Benz order catalog reminded us a lot of the menu at The Cheesecake Factory: We’re sure many of the offerings on hand are quite tasty, but the sheer volume of options triggers paralysis by analysis.
The CLS-Class was initially pitched as a style-forward tweener that employed the E-Class chassis and a copious amount of sweeping bodylines. (It also fell into that silly camp of “four-door coupes” at which we loved to roll our eyes.) When Mercedes announced in 2022 that it would begin trimming its product lineup to focus on core offerings, we knew the writing was on the wall for a few of these go-betweens. For 2024, the CLS-Class is no more—not that most will notice.
Jeep Cherokee
Let’s make one thing clear here: We do miss the Jeep Cherokee. We just won’t miss this Jeep Cherokee.
Revived in 2014 for a lower-rung model situated below the costlier Grand Cherokee and above the Renegade, the Cherokee nameplate has, for the better part of a decade, come to denote a unibody crossover SUV that never could quite hack it against the competition. The nine-speed automatic gearbox was a consistent disappointment and the interior always lagged behind the competition in terms of finish, design, and quality.
Maybe we can all just forget this thing ever happened and agree to envision the loveable, boxy XJ when we talk about Jeep Cherokees. What do you say?
Kia Rio
Normally, we’d lament the demise of yet another affordable car that could be had new with a warranty for under $20,000. But in the case of the Kia Rio, we’ll hold our tongues. Ask gearheads to explain what they picture when you say, “Kia Rio,” and you’ll quickly hear jokes about engines flying through the hoods and tales of generally terrible build quality.
The current Rio is a fine car, but fine doesn’t cut it in a segment where the profit margins are thin and sales trends are only pointing down. In reality, there’s probably room for two, maybe three offerings in the subcompact sedan segment these days in America, and Nissan’s Versa and the Mitsubishi Mirage will carry this banner into 2024.
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Yes, I agree with your picks and your reasoning. I wasn’t aware that the Stinger was going, and I’m mostly sad about that (Camaro notwithstanding). I’ve admired them and thought a time or two of looking for a good used one, but most local owners seem to want to hang onto theirs. Expect that’ll get worse with no new models to entice them.
I, too think that the more modern Cherokees let the legacy of the XJ down. I’ve had a couple of the boxy ones (latest was an ’88 with 4.0) and I absolutely loved them. If you’re not a Jeep person, you won’t get it, but if you are, you will see why the attempts to make a soccer mom ‘car’ out of the old Cherokees broke the hearts of many of us.
I am a Jeep guy who was disappointed when Jeep let the Patriot go. I am on my second and was looking forward to my third. Was the only design honoring the classic Cherokee XJ. If they brought it back it would probably look like any other crappy Euro design suv. Shame on you Jeep, maybe it’s time the brand goes the way of AMC.
We had four Jeep xj’s and loved them all….. well the 2.4 L four banger 1984 was grossly underpowered but once we got into the straight six 4.0L engines in the ‘93,’98, and ‘01 we were in business.
….. if I told you some of the stupid things I did with those Jeeps it would make you look over your glasses at me. 🙂 but I’ll give you a couple quick examples. I hit a snow bank at the end of the driveway so had one time I pushed the radiator into the fan and then the fan cut off the transmission cooling lines. Yep…. It gets better.
It rained at the cottage for a straight week and the bilge pump in the Mercruiser killed the boat battery. So I put the front wheels of the ‘98 in the lake and boosted the boat off the Jeep. Yep, standing in a lake with a jumper cable in each hand. I got the boat going but I closed the door on the Jeep and it locked all the doors while running. Regretfully, I had to call my wife in town and she drove out, close enough in the driveway to push her remote on her Jeep keys , and drove back to town.
The last stunned thing I did …. That I’ll mention with those long suffering boxes from Toledo was hook onto a tree ( by the front hooks ) and pull a fully grown spruce dead fall out of the lake. After I heard a loud crunch I found myself permanently in four wheel drive. A Jeep tech at the dealer laid beside the wounded Jeep , asked me to start it up , turn the wheel hard to the left , and roll ahead a few inches without running over him. He quickly diagnosed a broken transfer case chain. Apparently it was really hard to break those chains but I managed. 🙂 fyi , you’re supposed to pull from the back not the front.
A few years ago a young fellow came to our front door. I guess he’d been admiring our ‘01 for some time. He asked if I would sell it , I said no it’s the last model year. He came back three times. It was pretty mint and I told him to keep it original as he drove it away. We moved into Cayennes. They’re ok but not near as much fun. The Jeeps were like having a Labrador Retriever parked in the driveway . The Porsches are not the same.
Great XJ stories, Ken! I won’t try to top you for “Stoopid”, but I do have a very fond memory of my last one. This was in 1993 and I took my oldest son up into the Owyhee Mountains on an October hunt. We had a small 12-volt portable TV and by parking way up high, we were able to watch a World Series game the first night. The next morning, we woke up to 4″ of snow, and more coming down fast. We had one buck hanging and figured we’d better get off the mountain. A chain on the left front and another on the right rear (and a kick in my rear for not bringing four chains!) – and we crept off that rock faced peak like we were in a limo. Last hunting trip I made with that son before he got married and moved away. Great Jeepin’ memory for me!
Agree about the Cherokee, miss the old boxy ones. They screwed it when they “SUVed” it. I remember when a Cherokee was equal to a pickup truck with seats behind. They were solid as a rock. And then later they converted it to a “metro civilized” SUV, and screwed everything.
My grandmother had an ’85 XJ – Wagoneer Limited – with a glorious 2.8 V6 and fake wood siding. Slowest car I’ve ever driven in my life. Zero to 60 was measured in minutes. Quarter mile time was about an hour. Once riding with the family up Hwy. 64 uphill towards Franklin, NC, I asked my auntie why she was going so f’ing slow. She angrily growled at me that she had her foot on the floor. We were going about 30 and dropping by the second.
I’m sure the 4.0 was better.
The 2.8L V-6 was a GM engine. Apparently it’s the only V-6 GM would sell AMC. It didn’t have much more power than AMC’s own 2.5L I-4. I don’t know who made the bad choice, but from a Jeep engineer who published a book in the early 2000 after leaving Jeep (and I can’t find my copy now!), the crew designing the XJ intentionally made the engine bay just short enough that the old 258/4.2L straight six wouldn’t fit. They wanted AMC to update to a more modern V-6, and knew someone would put the straight six in if it easily fit. Well, a few years later the old straight six was updated with a change in bore and stroke, new head and EFI (XJ came out in 1984, 4.0L in 87) and did indeed “stuff” it into an XJ. No, the 4.0L won’t fit in a 84-86 model due to the firewall, which was modified for the 4.0L. IIRC it was the VAM (Mexican/AMC partnership) that demonstrated that the 258 would fit and took an example to Kenosha. They did a cut and paste job on the firewall, but the execs at Kenosha saw it could be done, and realized updating the I-6 would be much faster and cheaper than creating a new V-6 by lopping off the AMC V-8, and save money by not having to buy engines from GM. With the help of Renault engineers that was done, and a new serpentine accessory drive made the engine package about an inch shorter, so only about 1.5″ had to be found at the firewall. If AMC had been able to buy better, larger V-6s the venerable 4.0L may not have been developed. It’s also another thing AMC could thank for their association with Renault — the EFI could be developed quickly.
As an interesting side note the AMC 2.5L four used the same bell housing to engine bolt pattern as the GM small V-6 rather than the AMC pattern. The AMC pattern was retained on the 4.0L, but the GM pattern was retained on the 2.5L four. The GM pattern was originally used so that the four and V-6 could share automatic transmission casting (AMC was buying Chrysler autos since 1972 and continued on the XJ). Since the molds were already there for the GM pattern 904 AMC just didn’t change anything. The 4.0L needed a heavier duty auto trans and in 1987 Chrysler didn’t have a suitable four speed/OD auto (the A500 came out in 1988 in limited numbers, not in wide-spread use until 1989). So AMC used an Aisin Warner trans (they called AW-4, Toyota used it as the A340E, and other Asian and European cars used versions of it). Of course a year later Chrysler bought AMC and in 1993 the 42RE (new name for A500) replace the AW4 in the Grand Cherokee with 4.0L (AW4 continued in the XJ to the end — 2001).
Very cool story, I never knew any of this. Always wondered why the cherokees sourced a sluggish GM engine. Which was equally bad in the s-10 blazer, but when increased in displacement to 3.1 and later 3.4 and used in car applications, not a terrible engine – odo stopped working on my 1991 camaro but probably had 220-230k before the 700R4 trans died.
I’ve had 3 XJ’s and loved each one.. My 2000 XJ Sport is still ploughing ahead and parts are available!! Still!
HyunKia stinger was forgetful from the get go. The credit challenged person that primarily buys rental grade cheap cars, will always flock to HyunKia, Mazda, Nissan , Mitsubishi, and Toyota. But this isn’t the norm. And it being on a list that someone will miss, must of been a mistake. Hagerty; stick to the classics. Evaluating throwaway brands for the masses is what Cars.com is for
Typical answer from someone that’s never driven a Stinger or a modern Kia. You don’t know what you’re talking about. They are fantastic cars that suffer from a stigma created by ignorant people like you.
Agreed!
Well said, my Stinger gets plenty of stares from the German car crowd…real shame when a Kia outperforms BMW, Audi and Mercedes at half the price and equal if not better build quality.
Well said…. Kia’s and Hyundai’s may not be for everyone-but they are PERFECT for those that want as much car for their hard earned money that they can afford. Just ask my dayghter…
Agree to all of the above! Kia has outperformed and outlasted and thrived where many have not. They can hold their heads high while many other car companies are clenching their intestines.
Excellent response to Suton who clearly knows nothing about cars. I have an M2 and I almost went for the Stinger but since it was the first year of that car I opted for the M2. Yes, more expensive but the bugs were rung out by the time I bought it.
I’m not even a Kia owner and I respect the Stinger. Good job on the styling, nice power, nice handling. If I hadn’t already planned to purchase a different vehicle (competing in a segment where the Stinger can’t fit), it would have been on my short list.
I believe the toughest part of the sell for the Stinger was that it is a sedan and not an SUV.
Correct!
Here Here!
Typical of the Neanderthal domestic lover who has never owned or driven an Asian car.
If you would open your mind, you might find that these are reliable, comfortable and even fun vehicles. Sadly I’m positive that you will remain in your little xenophobic bubble along with your Neolithic friends.
Now, now. The man is a brand snob, not a caveman. He’s wrong, but within the limits of normal. It’s not like he’s hating on Supras or M-cars…
Wow get down
The brand is irrelevant in this case, as the Stinger is an exceptional car; and the comparison with the GTO — which was a cheapola PONTIAC, for gottsake, but transformed *that* brand’s image from dowdy to sporty — makes that point clearly. Sadly, the Stinger did not turn Kia into the next GTO/Firebird Trans Am/Grand Prix GTP maker… even though the Telluride solidly spanks most of its competition.
I drive a Nissan, a Ford, and a C2 Corvette. I would like to think we’re well rounded. I won’t spend 60k on a car that goes down in value to nearly nothing in five years. The Nissan and Ford were the cheapest cars I could get my hands on at the time and both have performed great and the depreciation is not as much as the 60k car, In the meantime, the C2 Corvette is going up in value helping offset the loss on the newer cars.
I’ve Owned 9 Hyundai’s – All great, except my current one that they try to steal due to that stupid Tik Tok video. It’s been recalled and fixed, but other than that 9 cars and 0 problems !!! I had more problems with my Honda Odyssey that cost me a fortune to fix/ maintain. Only reason I bought that Honda, was that Hyundai stopped making a minivan, and I needed one for the kids at the time. I agree, that the stigma of the 90’s Hyundai’s which were AWFUL, is still what some ignorant people think about, and for good reason. But, “this ain’t your Daddy’s Hyundai” anymore. I’ll buy a Hyundai forever, as they are great. Best warranty, better than Toyota (3 year 36,000) and Honda (3 year 36,000) mile drive train. Hyundai (10 year 100,000) drive train & 5 year , 50,000 mile bumper to bumper !!! Oh, and usually 2/3rds the price to buy than Toyota / Honda.
Nine Hyundai’s ???? What, a new one every month ?
Lol
I was going to write the same thing lol!
Traveling salesman, no doubt.
You didn’t need a minivan. 🙂 I’ve survived my whole life without one. Raised children to adulthood. Perhaps you thought it was practical and were willing to sacrifice in the name of practicality. And just because people like me hate on minivans doesn’t mean you need to be ashamed of choosing one. 😁
We don’t know much about his life, now do we? A cousin has 8 kids, and they need a full-size van (Chevy Express in this case) to carry them all. Some folks do need a minivan – or a big van, or maybe a Suburban. We raised two kids with mainly a mid-sized coupe, but that clearly would not work for many folks out there.
I’ve owned 11 Hyundai/Kia products since 2004 and still have 4 of them. Only one was bought new, the rest used and most going well over 100K miles:
2004 Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 (bought new, sold @ 36K miles) my first Hyundai
2006 Hyundai Tucson GLS V6 (bought @ 18K miles, sold @ 110K miles) my car
2006 Kia Sedona EX (bought @ 49K miles, sold @ 135K miles) wife’s minivan
2006 Kia Spectra5 SX hatchback (bought @ 76K miles, sold @ 125K miles) oldest child’s first car
2008 Kia Rondo EX V6 (bought @ 67K miles, sold @ 78K miles after rear end accident) wife’s car
2006 Kia Spectra SX sedan (bought @ 135K miles, sold @ 178K miles) middle child’s first car
2011 Hyundai Tucson GLS (bought @ 39K miles, still own at 124K miles) wife’s current car
2011 Kia Forte5 SX hatchback (bought @ 33K miles, still own @ 66K miles) my current car
2012 Hyundai Veloster (bought @ 62K miles, sold @ 112k miles) oldest child’s second car
2013 Kia Forte Koup SX (bought @ 74K miles, still own at @ 136K miles) middle child’s current car
2014 Kia Forte EX sedan (bought @ 110K miles, still own @ 112k miles) youngest child’s current car
You apparently do not know what the Stinger was, and why it was above the “rental grade” car. Your loss.
That has to be the most “Look down your nose” post I’ve read in a while.
I think Mazda was just thumbing its corporate nose at the “electrification” fad sweeping the automotive Executive suites Boardrooms. CA was a perfect place to drop this MX-30 egg. My wife bought a ’17 Mazda3 Sport to replace her ‘14 Mercedes SLK right as the Mercedes warranty was about to expire because the covered warranty repairs that car required (inc a section of the convertible top, plus the center-stack computer – twice) frightened us to think how much money we were likely to pour into that car after the warranty expired. We were delighted with the fit and finish of the Mazda3. Our son now has that one. She replaced it with the completely remodeled 2020 Premium w/a contrasting black and red leather interior that is gorgeous. Both are better road trip cars than the Mercedes by far. We’ve owned 4 total Mazdas including 2 NA MX5s, all reliable and delightful to drive. AND, my daughter bought a new ‘12 Hyundai Sonata, kept it 10 years, having absolutely no issues whatsoever.
@Jms- Smart way to buy cars. We currently own two Toyota products and a Nissan purchased from Hertz. They were purchased for our three children for use during their college years. All three are graduated and the cars are still in use and payment-free.
@Dave Suton- Pretty easy to decode your meaning behind “The credit challenged person”
Well Dave I will say two things; you’ve ignited the crowd and also, you’re wrong… Hyundai/Kia has and to this day make some outstanding cars as do the other manufacturers you list. The Stinger had my full attention the moment I read about it in the press and when I went to drive one it was not a letdown. I don’t know what you consider a great car but the cars you list as second rate are among the best cars made.
Wow, pretty high brow there bro. I’d be curious to know what make and model vehicles you own, but I’m guessing they’re 6 figure price tag stuff, and it’s quite obvious you are well above the average Joe. Congratulations on your success. Get off your high horse you brand snob. I wonder what the odds are you don’t even change your own oil. What a schmuck.
I miss CARS, period. Just give me a coupe, or even a sedan, to get excited about in this black, grey, and white sea of boring crossovers and SUV’s.
Well put!
Boy you couldn’t have summed it up better! 45-50 years ago personal luxury coupes & cars with personalities took to the streets. Any car I admire today (now that the Dodges & Camaro is gone) is going for nearly $100k or more merely because it has a V8 and a presence!
I couldn’t say it any better – agreed!
I detest the coal bin black interiors. My living room isn’t black from ceiling to floor and my car is my living room when I am driving. My 73 Valiant has a green interior, my 76 Fury has a red interior, and my 78 Aspen station wagon has red interior with red plaid on the seats and doors. No black anywhere except some trim on the dashboards. My 2016 Charger is red on the outside with red inserts on the seats and door panels but still too much black on the inside for me.
The really sad part is Dodge has/had a program that would allow the purchaser to change the color of the interior if they so desired to pay for it. I purchased a used 2017 Charger SRT 392 with tan interior originally but I took them up on their offer and had it changed to red. Cost an additional $4k but beats no option at all. BTW, the exterior is black so red was my obvious choice.
And the dealer and salespeople are still laughing at you.
That is why they make vanilla, everyone doesn’t like chocolate.
AGREED. That’s why my daily driver is a 68 Cougar XR7. Definetly miss any traditional pony car that bites the dust. No Camaro or Challenger? Do we want to live in that world even if your a “Ford” guy?
Expanding on that, I miss CARS that didn’t pretend to be SUVs or trucks. The gigantic and heavy 19+” wheels that are all the style rage put way too much unsprung weight on a car, preventing good handling and control that a nice 15” or 16” would provide at half the unsprung weight.
My sentiments exactly.
My wife needed to replace her 2008 Mercury Mariner so she bit the bullet and humored me to go to the auto show. She looked at every offering from the competition except the Cherokee which for some reason wasn’t represented. On our way home we ran into her friend the produce guy at Kroger (she knows everybody). We told him where we’d been and he mentioned that he had a 2017 Cherokee for sale. We went to his house and it turned out that my wife had worked with his wife (I told you she knows everybody). She let us test drive the car and we agreed to their price that day. We’ve had the car for 5 years now and my wife loves it. I drive it from time to time, mostly on the freeway. I’m here to tell you that the 9-speed isn’t nearly as quick as my Corvette, but once you get up past 75 mph that little 4 cylinder sucker will pull strongly up into the 90s – perfect for getting by the 71 mph left-lane huggers and the text-and-drivers not using their cruise control (you know who I’m talking about). The paint is nearly flawless still and the interior is nicer than the Mercury.
I guess we just didn’t know what a crappy car it is. Ignorance is bliss.
We have a 2015 Cherokee with the 3.2L Pentastar V6 and it is fantastic. Comfortable, good in snow and ice and probably the most reliable and trouble free version of the Cherokee ever made. Yes the interior materials could be a bit better but it is light years better than the first generation Rogue it replaced in our family fleet. I agree that the 9-speed transmission does whatever it feels like instead of that it should, but it is a piece of junk no matter what vehicle it’s in. If only Chrysler would have put the 8-speed ZF unit in, then it would have been an even better driving experience. If only we were saying goodbye to that horrible 9-speed transmission, then I would join the celebration. As it is, I’m sad to see the Cherokee go.
Great post, with a laugh or 2, many Thanks and Merry Christmas
You forgot ‘silver’.
I dunno. Silver almost seems retro now. Wife, daughter and i were having the same conversation yesterday at a diner. Every new car driving by was gray, dark gray or white. Mostly white. The silvers almost seemed refreshing. Daughter noted how bad most bulbous cars of today would look with a classic paint color, and that dark gray hides the boring shape—she had a good point.
I noticed that, too.
My parents have a 2014 Cherokee. Very reliable SUV, and looks better than many of Jeeps other offerings.
Chrysler 300 will also be missed.
I have a ’21 Limited with all the toys. Good vehicle, lots of comfort, and better mileage than my prior Grand Cherokee. Its namesake left such an impression on the market that there can never be a true replacement for it. Chrysler/Daimler/Stellantis, or whoever they are, should never have reused the name.
Just so people are clear, *I* don’t have a Jeep. 😁
Glad you mentioned the 300, an under rated and unappreciated domestic sedan.
…based upon an older model Mercedes.
I agree with the won’t miss list.
The Stinger is a great car that has a poor dealer network to deal with. Makes a great used car deal!
Camaro will be missed but it was a car that could not do the daily driver duty as well as the Mustang or the Dodge Charger and was ultimately doomed to fail.
What killed the Camaro for me was the low greenhouse. Makes the car look fat & bulky, plus gives the driver the same view as in a Sherman tank.
I wont miss the Camaro. It was a ugly POS.
Now I REALLY want a good used Stinger!
Just give me a roadworthy coupe, please.
The Mopar twins were feasting on their predecessor’s legacy. The Charger was a homely four door and the Challenger was a bloated imposter. That inline six better be slanted to 30 degrees or just make it electric.
I have never understood why so many revered the “slant six”, especially those who seemed to think that the slanting made the engine inherently better. What it did do was allow a lower hood line, but the engine itself (while quite durable) was no better because of its slant.
For those who were not aware of it. the “slant” enabled them to give it a long enough stroke so as to give it GREAT torque, since you were not going to rev a 6 like a small block Chebbie !
AMC 6 cyl. engines had fantastic torque, the Moars didn’t without stroking them.
And, for a demo-derby car, a Mopar slant 6 will run for better than a 1/2 hr. WITHOUT coolant. I drove AMC’s, I demo’d Mopars, and neither ever let me down.
ALWAYS ran when they had to.
I kill cars with very little effort, LOL and I beat on my Plymouth wagon with that slant 6 for 10yrs…..ran like a top when the Police impounded it😂😂😂
The Chargers were never really Chargers in my mind. Prior to the LX platform a Charger was always a 2 door. In b-body form the Coronet was the 4 door.
You also forgot the 300 it is going away as well. The Chrysler corporation that I remember is very dead. CUVs and SUVs everywhere no thank you.
Indeed, RIP. WP must be turning over in his grave,
Yeah- these last “Chargers” were best called Polara or Coronet. Too bad they’re going away, though. The 392 & Hellcat versions made glorious noise!
Spot on with your comment, I agree especially on a 4 door Charger. But will admit a little sad when I read Dec 22, was the last day of production of the Charger/Challenger
Won’t miss any of them. As for small sports cars…they fail when the “sport” aspect is removed. They succeed when they remain true sports cars: Miata, GR86, Boxster/Cayman, 911.
Good one, Rick. What ever happened to color and style and “personality”…?
They all died in 1965 with the death of the Porsche 356.
I agree. I’m finally having to let my ’60 356B go after 42 1/2 years and a recently completed full restoration. I hope the consignment folks at Grand Prix Motors can find a new appreciative owner!
I will miss the Cherokee. Bought a 2014 and used it for my job as a real estate appraiser. AWD when needed in the Chicago winters. Not soo expensive that I was afraid to haul materials to a job site when I was rehabbing houses on the weekend. It looked like an angry lizard at night. Now retired from appraising and I hire out all of the rehabbing work. Bought a used 2016 Jaguar F type R to get groceries. Told the wife that the Jaguar was practical with its AWD. Had to buy her a purse that matched the interior. Good Times.
Have to disagree with Jeep Cherokee. Equipped with the ActiveTrack2 (i.e. legitimate 4 wheel dirve) and the winter package, my 2015 has been a solid workhorse that does not resemble a space ship and has been dead reliable. Other mid-sized utes are also great, but Jeep is left with expensive Wranglers and bloated Grand Cherokees, nothing to compete with this popular niche.
Agreed, could not pry the fob from the wife to use her 2019. She was counting on a new one in 2024
Will Italian Jeeps (Renegades) still exist? Who cares?
Agree with the Hagerty choices. But I still miss the cars of the 1930’s.
I suppose the Camaro should not be eliminated. I have suggested for years that car makers don’t need to build tons of any particular lines like the camaro, the mustang, etc. Rather build a limited number to keep the model alive and to make them more buyable. I own a 1969 SS396 el camino. Almost from day one I started my love affair with this car/truck. As an autobody tech, I’ve raced it, modified the drivetrain several times, repainted it 5 times (each a different scheme) and put it up from time to time where it currently is since 2016. She is somewhat iconic, althought several think otherwise. Chevrolet throttled down the el camino back in 1987. It was time, but again they look for sales not keeping the line going. Ford on the other hand started the Mustang in 1964 and hasn’t really looked back. For me, the 1969 B-body el camino remains my favorite!
Don’t ever try to run a car manufacturing company. Your ideas would bury you in debt in 2 years. You want to make fewer cars AND make them cheaper (making them more “buyable” only happens if they are cheaper). That’s f’n impossible and completely backwards from how making and pricing cars works.