Everybody forgets things once in a while.
There are the things we don’t want to forget, like keys or a meeting. There are things we wish we could forget, like tragic events or that thing you bought that was supposed to last forever and didn’t.
Then, there are things that just fade with time. Often, those are the things that just never made a huge impact on anything or anybody. In the world of cars, that happens a lot, in part, because there have been so many different kinds that it’s just hard to remember all of them.
Here are a few that time forgot. Some are still being made. Others aren’t. All have their own reasons for fading into the background or just blending into it. I’m excluding those vehicles that were the products of collaboration efforts such as the Suzuki Equator (Nissan Frontier), Mazda Tribute (Ford Escape), and Saab 9-2X Aero (Subaru Impreza).
Suzuki Kizashi
Photo: Courtesy of Edmunds.com
I remember this car fondly. I first saw it in a magazine and told myself that I wanted one when it was time for me to start driving. That wouldn’t happen for me or for a lot of other people.
As Suzuki gradually pulled all of its vehicles from the U.S. market, the Kizashi went with it. Though I believe it was a valiant effort by the fine folks at Suzuki, apparently it wasn’t good enough. Along with Suzuki, the Kizashi was one of the best cars that everyone just forgot about.
It was small but handsome and stylish. You could get one with a manual transmission and all-wheel drive. Being a Japanese-made vehicle, it was practical and not over-the-top or “in-your-face” about anything. All in all, it was a solid car.
You can still find a used Kizashi if you look, but don’t let the price fool you. They are pretty solid cars if you get one that hasn’t been driven too hard with a reasonable amount of miles. They are just underappreciated, and therefore, they are really affordable.
Izuzu Axiom
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Unlike a lot of vehicle that people forgot because they were weird, the Izuzu Axiom wasn’t all that strange. It was quite “normal” in its appearance.
Yet, the public didn’t buy it. It only lasted 3 years on the market before Isuzu pulled the plug and started making the Ascender, which is one of those collaboration vehicles I talked about earlier.
At any rate, there was absolutely nothing astounding or terrible about the Axiom. They can be found today, but it’s difficult. Any example that is still out there probably hasn’t lived the life of a pampered house cat. Though not a workhorse vehicle like a work truck, most have seen their fair share of family hauling and errand running.
Rust issues caused the Axiom to be shoved farther into the corner, and today, it’s little more than a dim shadow in the currently exploding SUV market.
Subaru Baja
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
What do you get when you combine a classic Chevy El Camino with its distant modern cousin, a Chevy Avalanche? Well… we aren’t quite sure. But, if you also give it the reliability, fuel economy, and well-roundedness of a trusted Japanese automaker, you get a Subaru Baja.
The Baja was more like the El Camino because it was more like a car than a truck, but being a Subaru, it had all-wheel drive. That made it more like the Avalanche. In a way, it’s like having the best of both worlds. Except, it really wasn’t.
It was essentially an Outback station wagon with the “wagon” part literally removed. That’s fine, but it didn’t have the classic muscle car, American-made, roots that came with the El Camino. Even Chevy’s own homage to the El Camino, the Chevy SSR, was a total failure.
The Avalanche never had any fantastic success, but it did better than the Baja, probably because it was more like a pickup than a car. And, even though the Baja was more an homage to their own Brat model from the pages of their own history, Subaru couldn’t quite pull off what so many others have tried since the iconic El Camino.
Volkswagen Phaeton
Photo: Courtesy of Road and Track
The Phaeton was Volkswagen’s version of a Mercedes S Class or BMW 7-Series. Only available in the North American market for a few years in the early 2000s, the Phaeton lived and died an unsuccessful, underappreciated life. It did live on until 2016 in other markets as sales were better elsewhere.
You could get one with a 12-cylinder engine, a far cry from the Beetles, Jettas, and Golfs of the world. Just like a typical German car, any repairs were costly. And, just like the modern day Genesis brand, the Phaeton tried to reach into a segment that was much higher over its head than it could muster.
Simply because it was German, it probably should have done better, but it was a living testament that brand perception goes deeper than cultural influence. You will be lucky to see one of these cars today and lucky to have even heard its name mentioned.
Cadillac XLR
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
It’s hard enough to imagine that Cadillac makes a coupe, sedan, and station wagon with a Corvette engine. It just doesn’t fit what most people envision as a Cadillac. As hard as that is to picture, it may be harder to believe that they also used to make a 2-door, 2-seat convertible.
The XLR was just that, and it was part of Cadillac’s push to recreate themselves into something more than a manufacturer of mobile nursing homes. The XLR certainly did its best to change that.
It had a V8 engine, over 300 horsepower, and a design that gave away the designer’s love affair with a ruler. It was over the top, which is why it probably didn’t do too well. It simply wasn’t Cadillac’s jam.
Don’t feel bad though… you weren’t the only one who forgot about this one. Even “car guys” commonly ask what just went down the road, if they have ever had the privilege of seeing one.
Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
You’ve probably heard of the Raptor. The SVT Lightning was like the Raptor, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. The SVT Lightning was the king of the street. Sort of like a hot rod pickup from the factory, there were two generations that made their way into the world.
The First generation came out in 1993 and had 240 horsepower. The second generation is the more well-known of the two and featured a 380 horsepower V8 engine.
Only offered in two doors with a single non-extended cab, the lightning was quick and as nimble as one could expect a pickup truck to be. Given the popularity of the regular F-150, and even the Raptor now, the SVT Lightning is the version that everybody forgot about.
Ford Freestyle
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Do you remember the Ford Flex? We talked about it recently. Just about everything we said about the Flex can be said about the Freestyle. In fact, the Freestyle very nearly did just about everything the Flex does now, just before the Flex.
The Freestyle was the Flex’s predecessor. It featured an available 7 seats and all-wheel drive, but rather than being an “uncool” minivan, it was an SUV… ish. Technically it was supposed to take the place of the Ford Taurus station wagon.
Its conservative styling and wagon-ish vibes ensured that it wasn’t a huge success. It should have done better, because it was actually pretty good. It just became lost in the mix after a short production run.
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Photo: Courtesy of Edmunds.com
Subaru is known for making smaller, car-like SUVs with all-wheel drive. Before the B9 Tribeca, they didn’t really have a full-size SUV with third row seating. Even until recently, when they announced the Atlas, they didn’t have one after the B9 Tribeca.
That’s probably part of the reason that nobody really remembers it. That, and it was a departure from what Subaru normally makes. They dove headlong into a market they’d never entered before that.
Considering the Tribeca was a late-comer to the party from a manufacturer that already offered all-wheel drive options across its line, the SUV just tried to fill a hole that not many Subaru owners needed to fill. The rest is history.
Kia K900
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The K900 is Kia’s version of Hyundai’s Genesis G90. Based on the same platform and using similar versions of the Hyundai engines available in the G90, Kia has had similar success to a lesser extent than even the G90.
Kia is known for making small, affordable cars that have also become very reliable in the past 10 years. Unlike Hyundai, who has made Genesis their own brand, the K900 is still a Kia, and a luxury one at that.
It’s one of the best cars everyone routinely forgets. I’ve only ever seen one in the wild. That’s saying something. Unlike some of the vehicles on this list, the K900 is still in production. Before it goes away, you may want to get yourself a car that nobody’s ever heard of and a future car that “time forgot.”
Subaru SVX
Another Subaru makes the list. Considered one of the largest flops of all time, the SVX is now considered a classic… a forgotten classic.
The SVX was introduced in 1991. It was doomed from the start. Having to compete with the likes of Honda’s NSX and Mitsubishi’s 3000GT – another often forgotten gem – the SVX couldn’t back itself up with all the goods.
It had a flat 6 engine that made 236 horsepower and was only available in a 4-speed automatic transmission. That meant that the performance lagged behind the aforementioned cars, though, for the time, it wasn’t bad.
It also started at a much higher MSRP than most other Subarus, and again, reached for a totally new clientele than their other models. Add an economy in decline, and you have a vehicle that didn’t do too well. It’s the perfect recipe for a car that you, I, and everyone else forgot.
Audi Allroad
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Blue Book
I remember the original Audi Allroad when it first came out. It was cool, it was techy, and it was innovative. What I didn’t realize is that nobody else really cared. That is, after they started buying them. Everyone found out pretty quickly that the car wasn’t all that great.
Some would say that the Allroad, at the least the first generation, was probably one of the worst cars ever made. It was plagued with issues, including shoddy reliability of the adjustable suspension, one of the very things that made the car so innovative.
Embarrassingly, I only recently found out that the Allroad was still being manufactured as the A4 Allroad, being based on the A4 platform. If you want a perfect example of a car that everyone forgot about, I present you with the Allroad.
Buick Regal GS
The most forgettable cars often the ones you don’t expect, with a few exceptions. Just like it’s a little strange to see a Cadillac sports car, a big pickup truck from a predominantly car manufacturer, or a high-end luxury Kia, it’s a bit odd to see the words “performance”, “sporty”, and “Buick” all share the same sentence.
This used to be different in the 70’s and 80’s, but just like Cadillac, Buick has become synonymous with the elderly population’s means of transportation. Recently, that has changed. Or, at least, Buick has tried to change it, especially with their Buick Regal GS.
The Regal GS is a handsome sports sedan that comes complete with all-wheel drive, a V-6 engine, and 310 horsepower on tap for 2018. It’s not a rocket ship by any means, but it does deliver adequate performance.
It’s stylish enough for anybody. It has the practicality of any other family sedan with the added benefit of all-wheel drive. Again though, all these things don’t add up to spell the word “Buick” in just about everybody’s dictionary.
You don’t even have to settle for the V6 engine if you want one used. The Regal GS offered a 4 cylinder turbo prior to 2018. And get this… You could even get one with a manual transmission! I bet you didn’t know that Buick was so interesting.
Chrysler Crossfire
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Chrysler used to be one of the premier automobile manufacturers in the world. Gradually, throughout the past several decades, that has changed. Today, they only offer two models from which to choose: The 300 sedan, and the Pacifica minivan.
The Chrysler Crossfire was one of the few sparks during their decades of decline. It was a spark only noticed by a few and used to start a flame by even fewer.
The Crossfire wasn’t overwhelmingly good in any respect. It wasn’t a great performance car. It wasn’t exceptionally luxurious. It was, however, at least a little interesting.
It was built in conjunction with the fine folks at Mercedes Benz. It featured two seats, a Mercedes-sourced V6 engine, and even looked different enough from anything else they had to turn some heads. A real, rear-wheel drive sports car was born but never reached its peak anticipated success.
You don’t hear much about the Crossfire anymore. It just wasn’t good enough to be an option for anyone today, and their price didn’t justify the right kind of attention from the right demographic when it was new. The result is another forgotten gem, albeit a slightly unpolished gem.
Isuzu VehiCROSS
Many objects that aren’t actually UFOs are often mistaken for UFOs. I have no doubt that the Suzuki Vehicross has often had this problem.
The VehiCROSS was a very capable SUV produced from 1999-2001 for the United States. It was meant to compete with the Jeep Wranglers of the world. It did.
In many ways, the VehiCROSS was much better than the Wrangler. It was different, it was Japanese, and it was just as capable off-road. It was, however, more expensive than a Wrangler at the time. It was also an Isuzu rather than a Jeep. That mattered.
Production numbers were never meant to match the Wrangler’s, and today, that shows. It’s so difficult to find or see one of these that you might have a better chance of just waiting to go see one in a museum in a few years. Still, you could see one, and if you do, you really need to take the time to walk over and look at it.
Every 1990’s “Sports Coupe”
Photo: Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
This last forgotten vehicle encompasses as whole genre – if you will – of cars that doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s the sole reason that everyone’s forgot about it.
Today, we have sedans and sports cars. There are so few in between the two that you may not even know of one that exists. The “sports coupe” isn’t so much a sports car with four doors but rather a sedan with two doors meant to cater to a slightly different demographic than a sedan would.
The best and most recent example of something like this would be the Honda Accord Coupe. The Accord is known as a reliable family sedan. There was a coupe version you could buy, but the sedan was the more popular of the two. The coupe was discontinued in 2017.
The 90’s was both a fantastic time for cars and a terrible time for cars. Out of the 90’s came a market for two door coupes that also weren’t full-on sports cars. Mainstream cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix, Pontiac Grand Am, Toyota Camry, Nissan Sentra, and even the Mercedes 300 series all featured coupe versions of their four door vehicles.
In addition to the four door vehicles also offered as two door coupes, the 1990’s featured a plethora of other coupes that weren’t sports cars but also didn’t have a four door counterpart. The Volkswagen Corrado, Ford Probe, Honda Prelude, and Toyota Celica were just a few.
There are so many different cars that have been forgotten about over the years that have been both good and bad. They have been forgotten because they never made a huge impact on anything or because they were introduced at the wrong time.
Whatever the reasons may be, it’s easy to forget sometimes. Every single car that has been forgotten by most will always live on in at least a few hearts. That makes us feel a little better, because it means that no car is ever truly left behind. No car is ever really the one that everybody truly forgot.
