The best things in life are often here for a short period of time. After that, they are either whisked away, disappear completely, or are discontinued with the hopes and dreams of being brought back one day.
This is part of what makes so many special things actually as special as they are.
Vehicles are the same way.
The best ones are often the most exclusive, most short-lived, or misunderstood during the time that they were produced.
It’s time for another list.
This week, we are taking a look at some of the best vehicles that have been gone or are about to be gone and should make a comeback. Hold on as we take a trip down memory lane.
Mazdaspeed 3/Mazdaspeed 6:
Even the most basic Mazda vehicles are considered sportier than almost any other competitor in their class. Imagine how that would be even better with the return of a Mazdaspeed version of Mazda3 and Mazda6.
The Mazdaspeed 6 has been gone for longer than its sibling, the Mazdaspeed 3. It’s time for a comeback, especially considering Mazda’s history, design focus, and desire to connect man and machine.
They would be affordable, fast, and stylish, not to mention that they would probably send you to the hospital for breaking your face after driving one. You know… because you’d be smiling so much.
Jeep Cherokee XJ:
Yes, we know that Jeep already makes the Cherokee. But, we all also know that it’s just not the same as the iconic Cherokee XJ.
The Wrangler rules the road and the beaten path. It has also remained true to its heritage and its classic design with the latest safety tech and up to date features bringing it into 2019.
Why can’t they do the same with the Cherokee?
Bring back the shape, the heritage, and the classic feel of the XJ, but give it the modern touches of a modern vehicle. It can be done and the Wrangler is living proof. And, with SUVs being as hot as they are now, it’s not just a fantasy vehicle that everyone knows wouldn’t sell.
It would sell by the boatload, and we want to see a little bit of history back on the road.
Even better… also bring back the iconic, beloved 4.0 liter, inline 6 engine that helped make it so famous.
Nissan Xterra:
Nissan got rid of the Xterra too soon.
A few updates would have provided the traction for a comeback even before it died, but alas, it wasn’t to be.
We want it back, it should have never been canned, and it was one of the closest Wrangler competitors on the market.
It was also a great alternative to the Toyota 4Runner as it had legitimate off-road capabilities. Think of it as a great compromise between the Wrangler and 4Runner.
The good news is that you can still find them used, but just be aware that they have held their value tremendously well. That’s what happens when people like them and want them.
Toyota FJ Cruiser:
The FJ Cruiser was funky, cool, and full of enough spite to topple the Jeep Wrangler from its prideful perch of being the best off-road SUV on the market.
They are beginning to climb in value, but most of the ones available on the market have over 150,000 miles on the odometer. At least they aren’t sitting around in some garage scaring everybody away from driving them.
This also means that people would go nuts for these things now if Toyota brought them back.
Part of the allure may be the fact that we can’t get them anymore, but they really were tremendous vehicles.
Pontiac GTO/G8:
The GTO and G8 were actually brought in from Australia’s GM subsidiary, Holden. The spirit of the old GTO lived on in one of Pontiac’s last vehicles produced, but not really the sentiment.
It didn’t really do all that great. Similarly to the Chevy SS, there’s just not that much of a market anymore for a two or four door muscle car beyond the Dodge Challenger and Charger.
It’s not that the GTO and G8 weren’t cool. They were… which is why we want them back.
We understand why they were canned, and for some reason, we dismiss them a little more than a lot of other vehicles on this list. Bring them back and that won’t have to happen anymore.
Honda S2000:
The S2000 was one of the greatest Hondas of all time. Values have gone up a little bit recently, and if anybody could bring back a small batch vehicle that doesn’t really need to be made, it is Honda.
The S2000 would be a breath of fresh air – literally, being a convertible – to the auto industry dominated by large trucks and SUVs.
The S2000’s calling cards were its light weight, handling abilities, and it’s brilliant engine.
The Mazda MX-5 would be the only true competition to the S2000 were it to come back. Comparable BMW convertibles would be so far removed from the Honda’s price point and the Subaru BRZ isn’t a convertible. Even the MX-5 Miata would be a little too underpowered to truly compete with it.
Honda… Toyota brought back the Supra. You guys are up next!
Dodge Viper:
Unlike most other vehicles on this list, there have been rumblings that the Viper would make a comeback from the day it was discontinued.
The Viper got better with age, becoming its best self by the time it was retired. That made its going away party hurt just a little more than it should have. The fact is that there are quite a few people still hurting.
But, there is a real chance that the iconic American supercar could make a comeback. We aren’t getting our hopes up, but… when it comes back, we will be pretty happy.
GMC Syclone/Typhoon:
Two of the largest travesties in the auto industry is that these two fine vehicles have been relegated to the history books on the top shelf where nobody ever looks.
They were performance variants of the GMC Sonoma (which was really an S-10) pickup truck and GMC Jimmy (Chevy Blazer).
Think of the GMC Syclone like a Dodge Ram SRT 10 in a smaller, more manageable package and the Typhoon as a true sports SUV – unlike most of the SUVs today which offer a sport trim without real performance.
The reason everyone forgets about them is because of their short run and limited production numbers, along with the fact that there just aren’t many survivors.
At baseline, these two vehicles weren’t anything more than a GMC Sonoma and GMC Jimmy with a little more spunk.
Look past that and you see that the entire package was ahead of its time. For the time, their performance actually separated them from the regular versions of the vehicles off of which they were based.
Bring them back now, and we would have ourselves a few winners with the growing demand for trucks and SUVs.
Ford Fusion:
We’re jumping the gun here. Consider it a preemptive strike.
Everyone knows the Fusion will be gone, along with all of Ford’s other cars in just a few years. Though the Focus ST, Focus RS, and Fiesta ST are the ones we like the best, we can’t deny that the Fusion is a great car that has given millions of people the rentals they need and family cars that got them to work and back home.
Car sales are down, which is why Ford is liquidating half of their lineup. We just can’t imagine they don’t sell enough of these to really justify pulling them from the market altogether.
C’mon Ford… bring them back even before they go away.
Coupes based off of larger cars:
Regular cars are having enough trouble keeping up with trucks and SUVs, so why would it make sense to bring back a whole bunch of two door cars that were around in the 1980’s and 90’s?
It wouldn’t, but it doesn’t have to.
This is almost a non-existent segment in the market today. And yes… we can take out the Dodge Challenger because it’s kind of in a different segment of the market.
Cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix, Cadillac Eldorado, Toyota Solara, and even the recently deceased Honda Accord Coupe all offered more space than a dedicated sports car while still retaining some degree of normalcy.
Not every single one was a winner, but some really were, and we miss seeing them.
Not all on this list of vehicles were incredible in every way. Some were quite average. But, there is something about each one that makes us want them back.
Some would make a great comeback. Other would go on sale and flop.
Whatever speculation exists, we can’t deny the fact that they were axed for a reason. Times might be different now, but people can’t see the future. These vehicles may simply be a victim of our inability to do that. All of these vehicles, and many more may never grace our streets again, but it’s always fun to remember what each one brought to the table – good or bad.
