These Are The Biggest Fumbles Of Automotive Legacies

Saab

Last week we asked you what nan biggest fumble of an automotive bequest was, and you each had a batch to vent about. Memories are made successful cars, kids are brought location from nan infirmary successful cars. Cars tin prevention your life successful a crash, and they tin beryllium nan point that you've yearned for since you first saw it successful a movie aliases connected a poster. Unfortunately, cars person to make money for nan companies that nutrient them, and nan pursuit of profit seldom leaves room for affectional connections, truthful once-loved models alteration and get discontinued, and once-celebrated brands tin extremity up changing their accuracy aliases moreover ending operations entirely. It sucks, but that's nan measurement things spell erstwhile maximizing profits and expanding shareholder worth are nan superior motive for businesses.

I said nan biggest fumble of an automotive bequest is Mitsubishi's handling of nan Eclipse, but immoderate commenters raised nan awesome constituent that Mitsubishis fumbles spell beyond nan Eclipse. It besides killed disconnected immoderate of its coolest and astir desirable models for illustration nan Lancer Evolution, nan 3000 GT, and nan Montero, which is simply a awesome point. We miss Mitsubishi's breathtaking enthusiast vehicles! Beyond those important fumbles, these are immoderate of your answers to nan biggest fumbles of automotive legacies. As always, location were measurement much awesome answers that I can't see here, truthful consciousness free to publication done immoderate of nan comments that didn't make it into this roundup. 

The full Nissan brand. How does a institution get everything truthful incorrect for truthful agelong and still beryllium around? They erstwhile had competitory sedans pinch nan Sentra and Altima, a beloved Xterra, a history of nosy sports and athletics cars pinch nan 300zx, 350zx, and SE-R trim sedans to simply chasing volume. Their products are built pinch ancient platforms, they look and consciousness cheap, their merchandise strategy is each complete nan place, and nan marque worth is truthful debased that different companies spot nary worth successful merging aliases acquiring them. To spell from wherever they were successful nan 90's to wherever they are coming is really sad.

Submitted by: Andrew William

Nissans from nan '80s and '90s were cool, innovative, and desirable. Three words that don't really use to its existent lineup, sadly.

Definitely not nan worst, but it's a comparatively caller announcement and I'm still sore astir it...but Volvo discontinuing each wagons and sedans (save for nan V60 CC, for now) and shifting to an SUV-laden lineup is ace depressing. When you deliberation of Volvo, does your mind conjure images of SUVs?

I get it, 1 has to travel nan market, but abandoning decades of practice and marque personality conscionable because everyone other is doing it erases a batch of goodwill and loyalty.

Submitted by: Funky Dynamite

I work together that Volvo seems to beryllium experiencing an personality situation astatine nan moment, and that it mightiness use from reigniting a dose of nostalgia from its iconic brick-shaped wagons and sedans of nan '80s and '90s, but I besides understand that modern buyers only look to want crossovers. If Volvo could onslaught a equilibrium pinch a crossover that is reminiscent of its legendary past models, though, that would beryllium really cool.

Going from nan aged Ranger to nan caller Ranger. The Maverick is much what I person successful my mind erstwhile reasoning of an update to aged Rangers. The aged rangers were small, quirky, inexpensive (well, was until nan later 2000's). The caller Ranger is excessively tall, excessively wide, excessively expensive. It should person been named nan F-075 aliases thing for really overmuch BTE (big motortruck energy) they are trying to springiness it. Let nan Maverick beryllium nan ranger and fto immoderate cool mini electrical car beryllium nan Maverick

Submitted by: Christopher Ralph

I for illustration nan measurement you think, Christopher. 

Mustang II, pinch nan 4 aliases 6 cylinder engine, and nary V8 successful 1974.

Anemic.

Then nan Mach E was astir a flop astatine first, pinch nan artillery power soak issues, only allowing astir 5 seconds WOT. Slowest ever tested to get to 150kph ish connected nan autobahn by immoderate car magazine, sewage passed by minivans.

Submitted by: DieselOx

I was hoping personification would bring up nan Mustang II, and respective folks did! I deliberation nan Mustang Mach-E is different since it's still a sporty and accelerated model, but I don't deliberation simply calling it nan Mach-E would person wounded its income astatine each while preserving nan sanctity of the Mustang's legend.

Saab

GMs handling of Saab and allowing it to die. Epsilon platform, badge engineering. I cognize nan business pinch nan waste to different entities was apt much analyzable than we each saw connected nan surface, but I can't thief but consciousness for illustration GM fumbled it horribly erstwhile companies were fresh and consenting to acquisition it. I cognize nan institution still technically exists, but not successful a meaningful measurement to fans of nan brand.

Submitted by: Frosteeman

General Motors mightiness conscionable return nan crown for singlehandedly fumbling nan astir legacies. Saab deserved truthful overmuch better!

As a Subaru instrumentality I'm going to nominate nan WRX, starting successful 2015 erstwhile they killed nan hatchback, and past pinch nan existent generation. The WRX utilized to beryllium a due basking hatch – inexpensive, fast, unsmooth astir nan edges, but unsocial and very nosy to drive. The bug oculus WRX and blob oculus STI were legendary vehicles. You can't moreover perceive nan turbo connected nan existent one, its value tin get dangerously adjacent to $50k, it's slower than nan 2010 model, half of them connected trader tons person a CVT, and its styling has gone from quirky to conscionable plain ugly. I'm looking guardant to nan time erstwhile Subaru really recommits to its enthusiast following.

Submitted by: JonRob 951

Accounting for inflation, nan existent WRX is really costs astir nan aforesaid arsenic nan bugeye WRX, but I work together that nan capacity is not arsenic breathtaking arsenic it utilized to be. And sidesplitting nan STI is beautiful unforgiveable. 

Just nan full trajectory of Mercedes successful nan 90's, going from timeless slope vaults to blobby, biodegradable position symbols.

Submitted by: Maymar

Period.

Acura

Can we opportunity Acura successful nan 00s?

Acura TL was trading gangbusters and was a very handsome creation for nan 2nd and 3rd generation. I retrieve nan precocious 90s-00s erstwhile that point walked connected water, and past nan 4th gen came retired and it killed nan nameplate. The 3rd Gen TL is still a awesome looking car, and I emotion to spot a 2nd gen Type-S.

The Acura TSX, a tight, Euro-style sedan pinch a screamer of a 4-cylinder, and they bloat it up for nan 2nd gen, past adhd a wagon that is only their weakest centrifugal and only an automatic.

They person a nosy and playful small RSX, termination it for crossovers.

The CL was ne'er going to beryllium a measurement leader, but it was slick, truthful it had to go.

The MDX was nan only point they sewage right, and it's astir apt nan logic they're still a marque astatine this point.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe

2000s Acuras are still truthful bully and bully looking. Even nan first-generation RDX had a rowdy demeanor pinch its turbocharged engine, but I deliberation nan SUV-ification of everything really deed Acura hard. It doesn't thief that location was a play wherever Acura produced a batch of very meh cars, though.

The Pathfinder. Nissan turned it from a very tin upland goat of a motortruck – to 1 sliding doorway distant from minivan status. Here's a pic of nan past 1 that was still worthy its sanction and looked great.

Submitted by: PLAN-B 77

Pathfinder and Xterra! 

I'll opportunity Saturn, moreover though it wasn't overmuch of a legacy. But successful nan beginning, though they had immoderate flaws, they were genuine alternatives to imports, had a awesome dealership experience, were genuinely beloved by their owners (go lookup Saturn homecoming). Pretty quickly GM turned them into parts bin crap and nan marque was gone.

Submitted by: JBodyBuilder

Thank you for saying Saturn! Old Saturns were ever truthful different, innovative, and enticing, but by nan company's extremity they conscionable became truthful bland. This mightiness beryllium controversial, but I deliberation GM could person Saturn return (astrology joke) arsenic an EV-only marque and revive its cool factor.

One caller fumble would person to beryllium by GM (this database could beryllium comprised wholly of GM products) and Chevy erstwhile they truthful unceremoniously fto nan Camaro dice pinch truthful small fanfare. While it seldom sold successful nan volumes that nan Mustang and later versions of nan Challenger did, nan past 2 generations were loved by nan journalists and driving enthusiasts, not conscionable for nan burnout capacity but for their handling prowess. To nan constituent that respective bequest magazines compared nan last generation's SS to BMW M3s. And won. And don't hide nan way monsters that nan past Z/28 and ZL1s were.

Submutted by: LarriveeC05

Chevrolet has fumbled nan Camaro doubly now, and I cannot ideate why. Maybe now that emanation regulations and biology protections are fading distant Chevrolet will beryllium much inclined to technologist a due caller Camaro? 

Reaching measurement back...in 1954 Packard and Studebaker merged, pinch Studebaker someway anointed nan elder partner successful nan deal. By 1956 Packard's Detroit operations were shuttered and Studebaker decided to instrumentality a mates of chrome pieces of "Packard" book connected a fewer gussied up Studebakers. Nobody was fooled and aft 1958 nan Packard sanction was genuinely dead.

Submitted by: Spinner145

The demise of nan immense array of American automakers successful nan mediate of nan 20th period boggles my mind. There were truthful galore brands that look truthful unique to me, but they each conscionable folded, Packard and Studebaker included. 

Chevrolet

How is nan Chevy Blazer not here? It could person been title for nan caller Bronco and/or Wranglers, alternatively it is yet different forgettable mid-size SUV

Submitted by: cwheels

I had nan Blazer successful mind erstwhile I brought up this question, truthful convey you for submitting it. I perfectly agree, and fearfulness that if a K5 Blazer saw what its modern siblings person become, it would beryllium mortified.

Chevrolet Impala, successful nan 21st Century . . . GM was capable to people money pinch it, for galore years, only to spot it slice distant into fleet sales, earlier they yet pulled nan plug.

Submitted by: JimmyZZZzzzz

Sadly, nan Impala has ever been a joke successful my lifetime. I do respect nan early Impalas and nan effect they've had connected car culture, but I can't really envision a clip erstwhile nan Impala wasn't conscionable a fleet car. 

There are immoderate very bully suggestions successful present already. Nameplates that suffered astatine nan hands of trading aliases different bad ideas.

But I'm gonna nominate Tesla. They exploded onto nan car scene, nan first afloat caller marque successful who knows really long. They built immense factories and were conscionable basking erstwhile they made nan S.

Then, what? 'We're not a car institution immoderate more.' What nan hell? That's 1 of nan weirdest wastes of a marque ever.

Submitted by: Poorsche

I utilized to activity astatine a Tesla shop when I was successful college, and I was proud to punctual group that nan company's motto was "accelerating nan world's modulation to sustainable energy." Beyond nan original Tesla Roadster and Model S, Teslas are not peculiarly appealing to accepted car enthusiasts, but they are awesome EVs pinch a awesome charging network. Thanks to nan moronic actions and choices of nan company's CEO, Tesla has conscionable go cringe.