Some good. Some bad. All about to be killed.
Every year automakers discontinue a few models. Sometimes it’s long overdue. In other cases we’re sad to see an old friend drive off into the sunset for good. That’s pretty much the situation for 2015. The year will soon come to an end and the 2016 cars are already on dealership lots, with the sole exception of these seven. You guessed it; all seven are finished. No direct successors are planned and once they’re gone they’re gone. Obviously not all is lost, but we figured you’d at least like to know what won’t be around anymore in literally just a couple of months.
Yeah, we’ve known this was happening for a long time now, but that still doesn’t make
things any easier. The Evo was and always will be special. Sure, it had its shortcomings like any other car. It was the last remaining performance Mitsubishi sold in the US and, for that matter, the rest of the world. So long, Evo. It’s been a hell of a ride.
We’ve always had a thing for big GT coupes, and the XK fit the bill quite perfectly. Fortunately, Jaguar isn’t leaving us hanging out to dry; that’s what the fabulous F-Type is for. Still though, a grand touring coupe is never a bad thing to have in the lineup.
Despite the drop in gas prices in the US, the pure SUV (none of that crossover bullshit) is a dying breed. The Nissan Xterra, first launched in 1999, is a classic, body-on-frame construction example of off-road goodness. It looks rugged because it is rugged. It rides rough because that’s how a true SUV ought to be, but apparently Nissan cares more about the Altima-based Pathfinder. Sorry, I mean Mallfinder.
If anyone could prove that minivans didn’t need to be big and still get the job done, it’d be Mazda, and the Mazda5 fit the bill perfectly. What’s more, it was actually fun to drive and could even be had with a five-speed manual. The Mazda5 is really an MPV, but it was the go-to option for gearheads with a family to tote around. Not anymore.
Quite frankly, we’re a bit surprised it’s taken Scion this long to drop the xB. No less strange looking now than when it debuted in 2004, the xB really only appealed to a certain type of funky buyer. That’s not a bad thing and the xB did offer decent enough cargo space and versatility, but weird is weird at the end of the day.
Really, Infiniti. Once we finally get your whole renaming strategy, which saw the G (before that the G37) sedan become the Q40 for 2015, you go and do something like this; you discontinue it for 2016. The Q50 will be its official replacement, so it’s doubtful few will care about the Q40’s demise.
7 Cars That We'll Be Saying Goodbye To After 2015
By wired point | 8:20 PM
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