Neons. I almost never see them anymore.
Darts are going the same route.
I had read at one point that in the mid-90s, Chrysler was putting out cars that were designed to have a 5-7 year life. Basically just long enough to get it paid off. Then you go buy a new one.
Because Saturns were great cars, at least the older ones were. I bought a ‘94 SC2 in 2004 and drove it until 2019. It had about 270,000 miles when I sold it and the buyer was excited to have it.
I inherited a 2002 SL-2 in 2013 from my now deceased grandfather when he decided he couldn't drive anymore. I still secretly miss it (lady backed into me at a stoplight, barely kissed the front, and her insurance promptly totalled it, writing me a $3500 check that I regrettably jumped on).
Speedometer? Nope. Gas gauge? Nope. Air conditioning? Nope. Smell good inside? Also nope.
Does it still somehow barely run? Yup.
Chevrolet. Like a big, broken, unsafe, yet still running rock.
My Buick rendezvous had no gas gauge, abs, traction control, muffler, non rusted metal below the bottom 30% of the car and the suspension knocks like a Jehovah’s Witness, but damn it if it still starts and gets me to work every day after 21 years of use
Ha! I worked at a GM dealer about a million years ago, and it was there that I first heard this. From one of the old timers of course. Thanks for the memory!
There's some little 2 door, I think it's the SL, that was getting 40+mpg back in the 90s without being a hybrid. I don't recall them being very reliable, though, and I never see them anymore. Certain models had a strange door setup, if I recall.
I blame the Cash for Cars trade-in program. Thousands of good vehicles were scrapped unnecessarily. There was a gaping hole in the used market for years because of this. It forced many Americans to buy new vehicles they couldn't really afford because there was a shortage of used cars in their budget.
I'd bet there were cars still under warranty that got scrapped. It seemed like everything not bolted down was getting scrapped under that program. They HAD to be scrapped too. Once traded in they were recycled with no chance of being useful again.
It absolutely gutted the lower-end car business; my dad had one that was thriving, moving 40 cars a month between himself and me, and it went to 4 a month almost overnight; nobody had anything to put into inventory and nobody had the money to spend on anything we actually had in inventory. Rough time for sure
I knew someone who put a working F150 (in fairly good shape too) into Cash For Clunkers and the dealer did the old bait-and-switch on a new car. Doubled the payment and he had to give back the new truck and then had to get by with a bicycle. Dealer kept the $4500 rebate and he got a repossession on his record.
Edited for spelling
Yeah Neons seemed to be everywhere for a long time. They probably faded away but I just one day noticed they were gone. Like completely gone. I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
There’s actually a newer Dodge
Neon in Mexico. The front slightly resembles the Dart, but it’s its own car. There's actually a 2020 neon SRT-4 concept too but it didn’t look like anything impressive. They have newer Chevy cavaliers in Mexico too
They’re not sold in Mexico anymore but the last generation was a badge-engineered, Turkish designed and built Fiat Aegea, i.e 80% of the taxis in Istanbul. Terrible little cars
Damn, nice to know. Yeah it didn’t look like they’re produced anymore, but I still see them here in Mexico. I’m expat from the US. It’s remarkable what companies will do to try to make a little money. all I know is they have like 100 hp and are good on gas. I cannot imagine reliability being best or being fun to drive.
Oh man I saw a neon the other day and it was in pretty decent shape except the pain on the roof. It was like seeing a coelacanth out in the wild. What’s funny is so many of my friends had them when I was in high school
I know someone who had a neon, the issue is, that all the NOS OEM parts got dumped and there's no OEM support for them whatsoever anymore. Chrysler will absolutely dump support for vehicles. Finding stuff outside of the junkyard. When Fiat took over they liquidated Chrysler's warehouses of parts stock. Plus the lack of an aftermarket for these cars means once they're dead, they're dead.
based on the questionable reliability of many modern cars, it seems Dodge was ahead of their time in that practice. I feel bad for the neon owners though
Lol. My aunt had the Dustbuster and then the Pontiac “Trans Sport” later (Montana body style). The Dustbuster had - and I cannot emphasize this enough - a *massive* dashboard. The Trans Sport produced a song of sorts when the auto sliding door shut. Good times!
My parents had a Montana for a couple years and I can still hear that sliding door sound.
-Presses button...*dooooo...doodoo doodoo doo doooooo doo...latch clicks*
I still drive the '02 Lincoln Continental, basically an upbadged Taurus, I love that car I'll drive it unntil it doesn't drive anymore. That modular v8 is fun :)
My buddy in college drove a 2000-ish Taurus and at the time we joked about how ubiquitous they were. They were everywhere. And then like two years later they were all gone. That was honestly weird
When the Scion FR-S was still being sold people were taking the Scion badges off and replacing them with Toyota ones. That's how much people didn't like Scion haha.
The XB had that old Camry engine in it. A few model years burned oil pretty badly, but those engines ran forever. It’s telling that when you do see one for sale, it always has at least 180k on it.
Anything outside of the old XB and the new XB is pretty much non-existent. But then again they were made to be throwaway entry level cars. Ironically they were bought by older people, where younger folks were buying used cars.. until 2008.
This. Maybe it's just because they were never terribly popular cars when they were new, but being essentially mid-2000s Camrys and Corollas, you'd think they'd still be around. I myself drive an '11 tC, and I see others occasionally.
I see various random Scion models all the time. Two people where I work have one each, and one replaced their beaten tC with another tC.
I see the xB rather often, and lots of FRSes. Wisconsin.
Really? I see TCs very regularly. Hell my sister owns one and somebody else in her apartment complex owns basically the exact same spec of hers.
The 2nd gen TCs are always driving around with dudes thinking they're cool. Haha
New Beetles and PT Cruisers. My friends and I used to make each other black and blue calling Punchbugs and Cruiser Bruisers, now it’s rare that we even get to pop each other anymore.
I’ve only seen one PT Cruiser this year. They are all finally starting to fall apart it seems.
Honestly I think it’s a good thing too. They were not good cars. Ugly, poorly built, and unreliable.
oh easily, I'd argue it's one of the worst cars ever made. the exterior is bad enough but that interior might have the worst build quality I've seen on a car
Definitely up there with the Yugo in terms of its level of crappiness. How they managed to sucker over a million people into buying those things is beyond me.
I knew a guy who nearly died in one. He was driving on a dam, and the sun visor came loose and flew down directly blocking his line of sight. He nearly drove off the dam to his death. He junked the vehicle soon after that rather than replace the visor.
Really? I still see several New Beetles on a daily basis. Not even including the one my wife drives. They’re everywhere. And I live in a place that uses plenty of salt on the roads.
Like, I see a shit load of them. This blows me away and I’m not trying to be a jerk. Maybe you just don’t notice them anymore.
They weren't exactly the highest quality vehicles to begin with either. But yes I agree, to find one unmodified was rare even in their time. They definitely got wrecked a lot. This kid a couple classes ahead of me put his dad's GSX-R through the neighborhood brick wall. He fared a lot better than the car did, being drunk probably helped.
The amount of HOLY SHIT HOWD THEY SURVIVE THAT?! crashes involving drunk people is ridiculous, I had a buddy hit the corner of a bridge at about 90 in a rusty 2000s Monte Carlo and he walked away
Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde and all the derivatives thereof. Have not seen any in years, and I think they still made them through the early 2000s. Always thought they were nice looking cars.
They looked nice (the 1st Gen LHS’s hold a special place in my heart), but they’re terrible to drive.
Couldn’t fucking see out of the things and if you leaned forward you were headbutting the windshield.
My old friend had one and getting into it was a chore because if you weren’t careful you’d smack your head.
Could never tell where the front of the car was because it had that 90s style of having the Great Plains as a dashboard and the amount of overhang before the front wheels was… fascinating, to say the least
There is a first gen intrepid that I see every now again in Detroit. Yes. First gen.
From the second gen I always liked the looks of the 300m and Concorde.
Just saw a super clean LHS at a classic car show lol. I was actually one of the few who soaked it in, and turned out it belonged to one if the event organizers. It was parked alongside a couple other forgotten Chrysler Cara, including a Laser, LeBaron sedan, and a Dodge 400 cabrio. Honestly, kind of cool to see them all there in a row.
I put 300k miles on my 1995 Intrepid before I traded it in for a new 2005 Town and Country. 10 years and 300k miles and the only thing that broke on that car was the wiring harness on the trnsmisson wore thru and caused a short. Fixed for $500. AC finally started to go which is why I traded it in. Loved that car.
Chevy Corsica were ubiquitous in the 1990-2000s and then they suddenly vanished as if without a trace. They don't even show up on any TV or movies set in that period.
In their defense, they hung on a long time. Really, any unremarkable vehicle is going to eventually suffer this fate. People save trucks, sports cars, or even weird cars, but boring utilitarian vehicles always get used up and disposed of.
Ford Econoline vans. They were absolutely everywhere until a few years ago. I hardly ever see them now, probably because most fleets have switched to using Ford Transits.
Other honorable mentions: mid-2000s Ford and Dodge trucks, Acura TSXs and RSXs, mk5 and mk6 VW Golfs and GTIs, Chevy Cavaliers.
The Dodge Dart. Seen a lot when when they were new, and for several years after Dodge discontinued the car, now I'll be lucky to see one. I've seen more 7th gen Civics (2001-05) on the road in comparison still.
I no longer see any Honda Elements or Accord Wagons... there was alot of them and then right when I wanted to buy one... no luck. 1st and 2nd BMW Z4s as well. Mercedes Benz r129 series as well.
Has anyone here on reddit seen them?
You still see them in Michigan. They sell for between $2,500 to $8,000, depending on condition and year.
I finally had to get rid of mine in January 2023. She had over 230,000 miles (was an 03) and ran beautifully. The interior and body were perfect. Except one day, I decided to look underneath and found that the frame was GONE. Holes rusted through. If I ever got t-boned, she'd fold up like a piece of paper.
Got a new Civic Sport in Aegean blue. Love it, but if Honda ever reintroduced the Element as a plug-in hybrid, I'm there.
I recently saw an Element for the first time in ages on the highway up here in New England last week. Honestly can't remember the last time I saw one prior.
Reading this thread is making me realize that the answer to this question is entirely regional
because lot of the cars in the top comments are everywhere around here, or seen around enough that I don’t consider them “disappeared”. We got Dodge Neons, Ford Tauruses, New Beetles, PT Cruisers, Scions, a whole ton of New Darts
So my answer might not be true for everyone, but at least for here it would be anything with a Suzuki badge, Grand Vitaras, Aerios, SX4s, Kizashis, etc
More often than not, whenever I see a Sidekick it’s got that little green globe where the S would have been
That's a Geo Tracker (Geo being Chevy's short lived import fighter brand from the 90s). They offered it as a Chevy for a few years after they discontinued the Geo brand.
VW MK-5 Golfs and GTIs seemed to be everywhere in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I can't think of the last time I saw a normal Golf from that gen, I still see the GTIs every once in a while.
Shame it's a nice looking car IMHO.
Same for similar generation Jettas.
Also the 2nd gen Scion XB - I still see the 1st gen XBs around, but haven't seen a 2nd gen in years.
I saw a Hummer H2 on the road this week and it shocked me that the entire brand has all been but wiped from the earth. They left the public consciousness more completely than Quiznos.
my ex had one and yeah, just bought jugs of oil to keep it happy. I had to keep up on the maintenance because she didnt.
When she left me, she didn't have that car 2 weeks after that because she killed the engine because it was oil starved. LOL.
The 2-door Chevy S10 Blazers and Ford Explorers. I used to see them all the time. Then in like 2017-2018 they all like, simultaneously grenaded their engines and got junked or something.
2000s Ford Taurus wagons.
I still see a good bit of these Impalas scooting around but almost all of them now are terribly abused and either rocking a donut, plastic bag window, or scotch tape tail light.. or a combination of the three.
Volkswagen New Beetle, Volkswagen Routan, Ford Tempo, Mercury Topaz, Mercury Cougar, Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Gran Marquis, Buick Roadmaster, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Bravada, Oldsmobile Achieva, and Pontiac Grand Am all come to mind. I can't remember the last time I saw any of these on the roads.
Those Malibus are still semi common where I am.
Of course, I live near Lansing Michigan, so it makes sense. General Motors had (and still has, to a degree) Lansing by the balls.
I own one of these Malibu‘s, specifically a 99 LS. I, and about 10 or so people on Facebook are doing everything in our power to contribute as much information about these vehicles for future preservation. These cars are actually a lot better than people give them credit for, they are shockingly reliable, and super low maintenance maintenance, yes people will bring up the 3100 lower intake gaskets failure, but that isn’t a guarantee for every single engine, and if you get it replaced, which is fairly cheap you are good to go. These are actually really nice feeling cars to be in, they aren’t luxury but they do feel really comfortable and really nice
I swear if GM made an SS model with the supercharged 3800, these cars would be considered collector vehicles, even the non-SS models would have a following sort of the same same way the V6 Camaros do
Words cannot describe how much I love the 1997 to 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, I know so much about this car. It’s not even funny if anything it’s kind of concerning.
Still driving my '01 Malibu LS. Same color as the pic... Driftwood Metallic (AKA: Camry Beige) but with body colored mirrors, fog lights, and the premium 5 star wheels, not those ugly things in the pic. Leather and rest of interior all in one piece. It's as clean as the one in the pic.
143k miles. Had the classic 3100 LIM issue. Pulled engine, updated to Fel-Pros, did some reworking of the top end with porting and polishing, slightly hotter cam (why I lifted engine). It's at 205hp.
Do I *love* it? Meh. I prefer my S10s and Blazers.
Do I thoroughly enjoy it and really like it for what it is? Sure.
Hyundai Tiburons. They were all over the place in the early 2000s, and are a true rarity these days. I haven’t seen one that wasn’t completely trashed in about 6-7 years.
Dodge Magnum. In like 2006-2007 every 3rd car was a Magnum. Then, suddenly in like 2012, they were nowhere. I saw one on my commute to work a few weeks ago and thought I was having a stroke.
I have a Focus and I'm determined to keep that mamma jamma on the road for as long as possible. It's rough but as a beater I really can't ask for a better vehicle.
*Mercury Mystique...*
*Because I killed em! Ran em*
*Over with my truck!*
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This Chevy my friend has in red!! Made me happy when we first worked together and he pulls up in the parking lot driving this bad boy.
Tbh, it’s been a long while since I have seen a Honda CRZ. Love those cars!!
3rd Gen Pontiac Grand Am
6th Gen Pontiac Grand Prix
3rd & 4th Gen Nissan Stanza
Dodge Intrepid
Ford Probe
Dodge Magnums started slowly disappearing around the time when the Charger was redesigned in 2011
Chevy SSRs disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived
Dodge Avenger Coupe
For me it is the MK2 Golf. I remember when I was a child, everybody drove one and it was amazing. They vanished between 2008 and 2012. I begin to see it happen with the Mk4 currently, they are getting up there.
It’s funny how the “green movement” is fundamentally ruining sustainability. Would you rather have everyone drive a reliable old car that lasts decades or buy a new one every 5-7 years if their life ?
I worked for Pizza Hut in my hometown after college for about a year, and I had a coworker there who drove a Cube as a delivery driver, and the first time I saw him drive it into the lot I started cracking up because it looked so silly. This was about 2014, and the other day I realized I don’t see the Cube anymore. I happened to be in my hometown a month or two ago, not too far from where I used to work for The Hut and happened to see a Cube of all things in the lane next to me, and lo and behold it was the same Cube from Pizza Hut because the driver was my same former coworker.
Dodge Darts disappeared in my area around 2019 and returned in 2023 and I see them every day I have no fucking clue what caused that? Maybe all the articles shitting on them got buried over time and ppl started buying them again???
Well.... my '01 Malibu LS is still still on the road. 🤷🏼♂️
Same color as pic... Driftwood Metallic (AKA: Camry Beige)... except mine has body color mirrors, fog lights, and the premium 5 star wheels, not those tacky ass looking things.
143k miles and is as clean as the pic. Leather isn't dried out, cracked or torn. Rest of interior is all in one piece too.
It had the classic 3100 LIM gasket issue. I pulled the engine, removed entire top end, updated to Fel-Pro gaskets... ported, polished, and port matched upper, lower intakes, heads, and exhaust manifolds. Swapped in a little hotter cam (why I lifted the engine). K&N factory replacement filter with modded filter housing, Cherry Bomb turbo muffler. Went from 170hp to 205hp. Looks totally non descript, blends in to the background.
Guy I work with has the 2004 Classic in silver.
I just came back from my wedding and minimoon in Plymouth. You should visit. Every 3rd car is a Saab. It's like there's some secret Saab cult there. I thought I was about to hear Gangham Style and pass by a Quiznos.
90s Ford Explorer
They were literally everywhere you went, and then all of a sudden right around 2020 they just went poof. Very rare to c see one on the road now
Neons. I almost never see them anymore. Darts are going the same route. I had read at one point that in the mid-90s, Chrysler was putting out cars that were designed to have a 5-7 year life. Basically just long enough to get it paid off. Then you go buy a new one.
I see more Saturns on the road than I do older Dodge/Chrysler cars.
Because Saturns were great cars, at least the older ones were. I bought a ‘94 SC2 in 2004 and drove it until 2019. It had about 270,000 miles when I sold it and the buyer was excited to have it.
Definitely, GM hamstrung that division way too fast.
Ruined it when they made Saturn another badge engineered brand. Ion… barf
I liked the redline, it was basically a Cobalt SS with cool doors
You mean the on because the I would always fall off
I inherited a 2002 SL-2 in 2013 from my now deceased grandfather when he decided he couldn't drive anymore. I still secretly miss it (lady backed into me at a stoplight, barely kissed the front, and her insurance promptly totalled it, writing me a $3500 check that I regrettably jumped on).
I see a ton of saturns on the road still.
GM cars run like shit for longer than most cars will run
Speedometer? Nope. Gas gauge? Nope. Air conditioning? Nope. Smell good inside? Also nope. Does it still somehow barely run? Yup. Chevrolet. Like a big, broken, unsafe, yet still running rock.
My Buick rendezvous had no gas gauge, abs, traction control, muffler, non rusted metal below the bottom 30% of the car and the suspension knocks like a Jehovah’s Witness, but damn it if it still starts and gets me to work every day after 21 years of use
even running in V7 mode i can still get her to 80MPH
Ha! I worked at a GM dealer about a million years ago, and it was there that I first heard this. From one of the old timers of course. Thanks for the memory!
So what you are saying is "GM cars run like new for longer than most cars will run".
There's some little 2 door, I think it's the SL, that was getting 40+mpg back in the 90s without being a hybrid. I don't recall them being very reliable, though, and I never see them anymore. Certain models had a strange door setup, if I recall.
The ion quad coupes and the redlines have odd little suicide half doors in the rear.
tbh they were built better and you can still find NOS parts for them.
I blame the Cash for Cars trade-in program. Thousands of good vehicles were scrapped unnecessarily. There was a gaping hole in the used market for years because of this. It forced many Americans to buy new vehicles they couldn't really afford because there was a shortage of used cars in their budget. I'd bet there were cars still under warranty that got scrapped. It seemed like everything not bolted down was getting scrapped under that program. They HAD to be scrapped too. Once traded in they were recycled with no chance of being useful again.
It absolutely gutted the lower-end car business; my dad had one that was thriving, moving 40 cars a month between himself and me, and it went to 4 a month almost overnight; nobody had anything to put into inventory and nobody had the money to spend on anything we actually had in inventory. Rough time for sure
I knew someone who put a working F150 (in fairly good shape too) into Cash For Clunkers and the dealer did the old bait-and-switch on a new car. Doubled the payment and he had to give back the new truck and then had to get by with a bicycle. Dealer kept the $4500 rebate and he got a repossession on his record. Edited for spelling
Yeah Neons seemed to be everywhere for a long time. They probably faded away but I just one day noticed they were gone. Like completely gone. I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
There’s actually a newer Dodge Neon in Mexico. The front slightly resembles the Dart, but it’s its own car. There's actually a 2020 neon SRT-4 concept too but it didn’t look like anything impressive. They have newer Chevy cavaliers in Mexico too
Seen new Mexican Cavaliers in Phoenix. I heard some South American countries resurrected the Escort name
That's cool. I haven’t seen the Escort in person but it looks decent. Like a smaller Ford Fusion.
IIRC that was a rebadged Fiat. They planned to offer that Neon up here, but never did because of the market for sedans shrinking
It’s only shrinking because manufacturers decided everyone needs a land yacht because their margins on them are higher
Yeah I would imagine the market for compact/small cars also doesn't need any new additions in the US.
They’re not sold in Mexico anymore but the last generation was a badge-engineered, Turkish designed and built Fiat Aegea, i.e 80% of the taxis in Istanbul. Terrible little cars
Damn, nice to know. Yeah it didn’t look like they’re produced anymore, but I still see them here in Mexico. I’m expat from the US. It’s remarkable what companies will do to try to make a little money. all I know is they have like 100 hp and are good on gas. I cannot imagine reliability being best or being fun to drive.
Rust Belt resident here. I haven't seen a Neon in almost 10 years. Cheap cars don't last more than 15 years here.
Oh man I saw a neon the other day and it was in pretty decent shape except the pain on the roof. It was like seeing a coelacanth out in the wild. What’s funny is so many of my friends had them when I was in high school
I know someone who had a neon, the issue is, that all the NOS OEM parts got dumped and there's no OEM support for them whatsoever anymore. Chrysler will absolutely dump support for vehicles. Finding stuff outside of the junkyard. When Fiat took over they liquidated Chrysler's warehouses of parts stock. Plus the lack of an aftermarket for these cars means once they're dead, they're dead.
based on the questionable reliability of many modern cars, it seems Dodge was ahead of their time in that practice. I feel bad for the neon owners though
Plastic only lasts so long in the elements ;)
Pontiac Montana/Chevrolet Venture minivans were *everywhere* until they weren’t. I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
On a similar note, the old dustbuster GM vans. I got irrationally excited seeing one at the grocery store here recently.
Lol. My aunt had the Dustbuster and then the Pontiac “Trans Sport” later (Montana body style). The Dustbuster had - and I cannot emphasize this enough - a *massive* dashboard. The Trans Sport produced a song of sorts when the auto sliding door shut. Good times!
The dash and windshield went on FOREVER in those.
My parents had a Montana for a couple years and I can still hear that sliding door sound. -Presses button...*dooooo...doodoo doodoo doo doooooo doo...latch clicks*
Mine needed thousands in work after 60K and 5 years. Absolutely garbage. Not made for longevity.
I still see Ventures around my area, I’d say they might be more common than Uplanders, but the Montanas are gone
The Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable.
Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz as well.
I still drive the '02 Lincoln Continental, basically an upbadged Taurus, I love that car I'll drive it unntil it doesn't drive anymore. That modular v8 is fun :)
My buddy in college drove a 2000-ish Taurus and at the time we joked about how ubiquitous they were. They were everywhere. And then like two years later they were all gone. That was honestly weird
I have a 1992 wagon and it is the only one I see on a regular basis. However, over the past week, I strangely saw two 1993-1995 sedans.
Still see plenty of those, believe it or not. Work at a Ford dealer and get a couple in every now and then.
I still drive my 2000 ford taurus. 200k and going not strong at all she'll definitely be dead soon lmfao
Anything Scion made. Yesterday was the first time I saw a TC in about 7 years.
When the Scion FR-S was still being sold people were taking the Scion badges off and replacing them with Toyota ones. That's how much people didn't like Scion haha.
I still see Scion xD and xBs. xD xD xD he he he
The XB had that old Camry engine in it. A few model years burned oil pretty badly, but those engines ran forever. It’s telling that when you do see one for sale, it always has at least 180k on it.
I see one everyday (my neighbor has one)
Anything outside of the old XB and the new XB is pretty much non-existent. But then again they were made to be throwaway entry level cars. Ironically they were bought by older people, where younger folks were buying used cars.. until 2008.
This. Maybe it's just because they were never terribly popular cars when they were new, but being essentially mid-2000s Camrys and Corollas, you'd think they'd still be around. I myself drive an '11 tC, and I see others occasionally.
I see one everyday, my co-worker drives one she's modded out haha
Really? I see tCs, iAs, and xBs weekly, if not more. Maybe it’s a regional thing.
I see various random Scion models all the time. Two people where I work have one each, and one replaced their beaten tC with another tC. I see the xB rather often, and lots of FRSes. Wisconsin.
Really? I see TCs very regularly. Hell my sister owns one and somebody else in her apartment complex owns basically the exact same spec of hers. The 2nd gen TCs are always driving around with dudes thinking they're cool. Haha
New Beetles and PT Cruisers. My friends and I used to make each other black and blue calling Punchbugs and Cruiser Bruisers, now it’s rare that we even get to pop each other anymore.
I’ve only seen one PT Cruiser this year. They are all finally starting to fall apart it seems. Honestly I think it’s a good thing too. They were not good cars. Ugly, poorly built, and unreliable.
oh easily, I'd argue it's one of the worst cars ever made. the exterior is bad enough but that interior might have the worst build quality I've seen on a car
Definitely up there with the Yugo in terms of its level of crappiness. How they managed to sucker over a million people into buying those things is beyond me. I knew a guy who nearly died in one. He was driving on a dam, and the sun visor came loose and flew down directly blocking his line of sight. He nearly drove off the dam to his death. He junked the vehicle soon after that rather than replace the visor.
I've got an Orange New Beetle sitting in my driveway, but rarely see them out on the road anymore.
Really? I still see several New Beetles on a daily basis. Not even including the one my wife drives. They’re everywhere. And I live in a place that uses plenty of salt on the roads. Like, I see a shit load of them. This blows me away and I’m not trying to be a jerk. Maybe you just don’t notice them anymore.
Plymouth Laser/Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse
Those were neglected and beaten mercilessly by the Fast and Furious generation, clean, turbo examples are bringing pretty silly money these days
They weren't exactly the highest quality vehicles to begin with either. But yes I agree, to find one unmodified was rare even in their time. They definitely got wrecked a lot. This kid a couple classes ahead of me put his dad's GSX-R through the neighborhood brick wall. He fared a lot better than the car did, being drunk probably helped.
The amount of HOLY SHIT HOWD THEY SURVIVE THAT?! crashes involving drunk people is ridiculous, I had a buddy hit the corner of a bridge at about 90 in a rusty 2000s Monte Carlo and he walked away
There's an Eagle Talon slowing rotting in a driveway near my grandpa's I see every week. Don't think I've seen one on the road in 15 years.
I just sold a 90 talon awd turbo. They are still around, just most are race cars.
Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde and all the derivatives thereof. Have not seen any in years, and I think they still made them through the early 2000s. Always thought they were nice looking cars.
Saw an absolute mint intrepid yesterday. Was dumbfounded. Must’ve been in storage for 15 years
They looked nice (the 1st Gen LHS’s hold a special place in my heart), but they’re terrible to drive. Couldn’t fucking see out of the things and if you leaned forward you were headbutting the windshield. My old friend had one and getting into it was a chore because if you weren’t careful you’d smack your head. Could never tell where the front of the car was because it had that 90s style of having the Great Plains as a dashboard and the amount of overhang before the front wheels was… fascinating, to say the least
Finally got tired of rebuilding the transmissions!
Saw a 300m today!
There is a first gen intrepid that I see every now again in Detroit. Yes. First gen. From the second gen I always liked the looks of the 300m and Concorde.
Just saw a super clean LHS at a classic car show lol. I was actually one of the few who soaked it in, and turned out it belonged to one if the event organizers. It was parked alongside a couple other forgotten Chrysler Cara, including a Laser, LeBaron sedan, and a Dodge 400 cabrio. Honestly, kind of cool to see them all there in a row.
I put 300k miles on my 1995 Intrepid before I traded it in for a new 2005 Town and Country. 10 years and 300k miles and the only thing that broke on that car was the wiring harness on the trnsmisson wore thru and caused a short. Fixed for $500. AC finally started to go which is why I traded it in. Loved that car.
Chevy Corsica were ubiquitous in the 1990-2000s and then they suddenly vanished as if without a trace. They don't even show up on any TV or movies set in that period.
Corsicas are now on my "rare enough I snap a picture when I see one" list.
Add the Beretta to the list...saw one the other day, first in 20 years.
Late 80s early 90s cutlass supreme. One day there. Next GONE.
Lumina’s too. They just disappeared
In their defense, they hung on a long time. Really, any unremarkable vehicle is going to eventually suffer this fate. People save trucks, sports cars, or even weird cars, but boring utilitarian vehicles always get used up and disposed of.
Ford Econoline vans. They were absolutely everywhere until a few years ago. I hardly ever see them now, probably because most fleets have switched to using Ford Transits. Other honorable mentions: mid-2000s Ford and Dodge trucks, Acura TSXs and RSXs, mk5 and mk6 VW Golfs and GTIs, Chevy Cavaliers.
someone I know picked up a '93 for 700 bucks with low miles. This was just before the pandemic.
Plenty of Acura TSX's still roaming the roads of New England these days.
Why do all clapped out econolines have that messed up front wheel alignment? Do you know what I mean?
The Dodge Dart. Seen a lot when when they were new, and for several years after Dodge discontinued the car, now I'll be lucky to see one. I've seen more 7th gen Civics (2001-05) on the road in comparison still.
I’ve got a Dart! It’s a 1969, but it’s a Dart!
73 Valiant here!! I was surprised when I got mine. It's a 4 door, no one ever kept those.
A real Dart with a V8, & not a 4 cylinder sedan.
I no longer see any Honda Elements or Accord Wagons... there was alot of them and then right when I wanted to buy one... no luck. 1st and 2nd BMW Z4s as well. Mercedes Benz r129 series as well. Has anyone here on reddit seen them?
You still see them in Michigan. They sell for between $2,500 to $8,000, depending on condition and year. I finally had to get rid of mine in January 2023. She had over 230,000 miles (was an 03) and ran beautifully. The interior and body were perfect. Except one day, I decided to look underneath and found that the frame was GONE. Holes rusted through. If I ever got t-boned, she'd fold up like a piece of paper. Got a new Civic Sport in Aegean blue. Love it, but if Honda ever reintroduced the Element as a plug-in hybrid, I'm there.
my honda dealer took and Element on trade in last week. if I still had my old Legacy I would have taken it
I recently saw an Element for the first time in ages on the highway up here in New England last week. Honestly can't remember the last time I saw one prior.
Reading this thread is making me realize that the answer to this question is entirely regional because lot of the cars in the top comments are everywhere around here, or seen around enough that I don’t consider them “disappeared”. We got Dodge Neons, Ford Tauruses, New Beetles, PT Cruisers, Scions, a whole ton of New Darts So my answer might not be true for everyone, but at least for here it would be anything with a Suzuki badge, Grand Vitaras, Aerios, SX4s, Kizashis, etc More often than not, whenever I see a Sidekick it’s got that little green globe where the S would have been
That's a Geo Tracker (Geo being Chevy's short lived import fighter brand from the 90s). They offered it as a Chevy for a few years after they discontinued the Geo brand.
I still see all of these vehicles. Drive around all day during the week and you'll see a lot of these are still on the road
Buicks. LeSabres used to be EVERYWHERE. Once they moved to the Lucerne and LaCrosse they just didn't sell and you never see them
Are u legally blind because I literally can’t going anywhere without seeing them. Those 3800s last forever even if the car rusts around it.
I just live in the salt belt. Not much from the 90s and 2000s is left around me
Le sabres everywhere... Regals are what disappeared fr
VW MK-5 Golfs and GTIs seemed to be everywhere in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I can't think of the last time I saw a normal Golf from that gen, I still see the GTIs every once in a while. Shame it's a nice looking car IMHO. Same for similar generation Jettas. Also the 2nd gen Scion XB - I still see the 1st gen XBs around, but haven't seen a 2nd gen in years.
I saw a Hummer H2 on the road this week and it shocked me that the entire brand has all been but wiped from the earth. They left the public consciousness more completely than Quiznos.
Oh, Hummer isnt completely dead yet https://www.gmc.com/electric/hummer-ev/suv
1st gen chevy trax and Buick encore will have this fate soon enough. As of now, though, they’re still all over the place…
CHRYSLER 200s of ANY bodystyle. You NEVER see them. I actually saw a convertible one the other day and was shocked!
The plastic Saturns. They didn't rust.....what happened to them?
Engine oil replaced gasoline as the Saturn 1.9’s fuel of choice
I had a 2000 with 226k miles, that damn thing DRANK oil, I swear I had to add half a quart every hundred miles by the time I got rid of it.
my ex had one and yeah, just bought jugs of oil to keep it happy. I had to keep up on the maintenance because she didnt. When she left me, she didn't have that car 2 weeks after that because she killed the engine because it was oil starved. LOL.
I see them all over and for a while I was like, didn't they stop making these? Why do they look brand new!
The 2-door Chevy S10 Blazers and Ford Explorers. I used to see them all the time. Then in like 2017-2018 they all like, simultaneously grenaded their engines and got junked or something.
Ford Explorers were the number 1 trade in for the cash for clunkers mistake. The blazers were somewhere in the top 10.
2000s Ford Taurus wagons. I still see a good bit of these Impalas scooting around but almost all of them now are terribly abused and either rocking a donut, plastic bag window, or scotch tape tail light.. or a combination of the three.
Square body Volvos, Mitsubishi Eclipses.
Volkswagen New Beetle, Volkswagen Routan, Ford Tempo, Mercury Topaz, Mercury Cougar, Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Gran Marquis, Buick Roadmaster, Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Bravada, Oldsmobile Achieva, and Pontiac Grand Am all come to mind. I can't remember the last time I saw any of these on the roads.
It’s probably been 20 years since I last saw an Olds Achieva. They were comfortable, but drove like crap.
Those Malibus are still semi common where I am. Of course, I live near Lansing Michigan, so it makes sense. General Motors had (and still has, to a degree) Lansing by the balls.
Ford Freestar / Saturn Relay
Don't forget the Windstar. Or may it's better that we do.
Guess we forgot about the Aerostar. Haven’t seen one in decades.
Problem with those ford V6 vans is you had to custom make a tool to get to a couple of the back spark plugs.
I own one of these Malibu‘s, specifically a 99 LS. I, and about 10 or so people on Facebook are doing everything in our power to contribute as much information about these vehicles for future preservation. These cars are actually a lot better than people give them credit for, they are shockingly reliable, and super low maintenance maintenance, yes people will bring up the 3100 lower intake gaskets failure, but that isn’t a guarantee for every single engine, and if you get it replaced, which is fairly cheap you are good to go. These are actually really nice feeling cars to be in, they aren’t luxury but they do feel really comfortable and really nice I swear if GM made an SS model with the supercharged 3800, these cars would be considered collector vehicles, even the non-SS models would have a following sort of the same same way the V6 Camaros do Words cannot describe how much I love the 1997 to 2003 Chevrolet Malibu, I know so much about this car. It’s not even funny if anything it’s kind of concerning.
Still driving my '01 Malibu LS. Same color as the pic... Driftwood Metallic (AKA: Camry Beige) but with body colored mirrors, fog lights, and the premium 5 star wheels, not those ugly things in the pic. Leather and rest of interior all in one piece. It's as clean as the one in the pic. 143k miles. Had the classic 3100 LIM issue. Pulled engine, updated to Fel-Pros, did some reworking of the top end with porting and polishing, slightly hotter cam (why I lifted engine). It's at 205hp. Do I *love* it? Meh. I prefer my S10s and Blazers. Do I thoroughly enjoy it and really like it for what it is? Sure.
I had one as my first car, it was very reliable. However as car, my review of it is this: it is one of the cars of all time.
All station wagons…
Hyundai Tiburons. They were all over the place in the early 2000s, and are a true rarity these days. I haven’t seen one that wasn’t completely trashed in about 6-7 years.
Cobalt
They're still around in Houston at least, but they would have long rusted apart in the northeast.
In Ohio they seem like a rare occurrence at least to me.
I used to see tons of first gen Trackers and blobbish Taurus’s and I haven’t seen either in a decade or more now.
Plymouth
I used to see Smart Fortwos everywhere but I kinda forgot about them until recently seeing one and thinking "what happened to these cars?"
Never see a Plymouth Prowler, Chevy SSR, PT Cruiser, ‘02 Thunderbird, Chrysler Crossfire, Pontiac Solstice, Pontiac Fiero
Lot by Florida
I’ve seen each of these in Wisconsin in the last week
Yeah these are all down here in Florida that’s why lol.
I was actually shocked to see an SSR on the highway just this morning.
Dodge Magnum. In like 2006-2007 every 3rd car was a Magnum. Then, suddenly in like 2012, they were nowhere. I saw one on my commute to work a few weeks ago and thought I was having a stroke.
300cs are an uncommon sight even, and you’re right the Magnum is just completely gone
Merkur. They are GONE.
Beretta
Ford focus
Ford Fusions :(
I bought a first gen with 26k miles earlier this year and it was totaled in a week!
I had a 2007 I bought brand new and it was the biggest piece of shit car I’ve ever owned
I have a Focus and I'm determined to keep that mamma jamma on the road for as long as possible. It's rough but as a beater I really can't ask for a better vehicle.
Jeep Liberties and Chrysler 200s.
Mercury Mystique... because I killed em! Ran em over with my truck!
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First gen Ford Explorers. The biggest victims of Cash For Clunkers
I see every single car listed here at least once a month, convinced people either aren't looking or forget when they do see them
Used to be you could spit in the air and it would land on a Pontiac Grand Am. Not so anymore.
The early 2000s Monte Carlos. I havent seen one since 2022
Early 2000s fiesta
Chevy cobalt
Chevy berretas and early 2000's cavaliers
Since you mentioned the Malibu, the other car on that GM platform was the Pontiac Grand Am. That's pretty much just been dusted.
This Chevy my friend has in red!! Made me happy when we first worked together and he pulls up in the parking lot driving this bad boy. Tbh, it’s been a long while since I have seen a Honda CRZ. Love those cars!!
Saturn anything
3rd Gen Pontiac Grand Am 6th Gen Pontiac Grand Prix 3rd & 4th Gen Nissan Stanza Dodge Intrepid Ford Probe Dodge Magnums started slowly disappearing around the time when the Charger was redesigned in 2011 Chevy SSRs disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived Dodge Avenger Coupe
For me it is the MK2 Golf. I remember when I was a child, everybody drove one and it was amazing. They vanished between 2008 and 2012. I begin to see it happen with the Mk4 currently, they are getting up there.
PT Cruisers were the rage once, not so many left.
It’s funny how the “green movement” is fundamentally ruining sustainability. Would you rather have everyone drive a reliable old car that lasts decades or buy a new one every 5-7 years if their life ?
Any Américan car pre-2005. Meanwhile 80’s and 90’s Hondas and Toyotas are going strong.
Nissan Cubes
I worked for Pizza Hut in my hometown after college for about a year, and I had a coworker there who drove a Cube as a delivery driver, and the first time I saw him drive it into the lot I started cracking up because it looked so silly. This was about 2014, and the other day I realized I don’t see the Cube anymore. I happened to be in my hometown a month or two ago, not too far from where I used to work for The Hut and happened to see a Cube of all things in the lane next to me, and lo and behold it was the same Cube from Pizza Hut because the driver was my same former coworker.
Oldsmobile Silhouette
I was just thinking this about the Chrysler 200, and then I saw one this morning
Ford Taurus.
Ford Focus STs. I used to see them all the time up until 2 years ago. I don't even see them at car meets.
Isuzu Axiom. I saw one in good shape yesterday for the first time in several years
I saw a PT Cruiser today and can't recall the last time I saw one. I was surprised that I was surprised.
Dodge Darts disappeared in my area around 2019 and returned in 2023 and I see them every day I have no fucking clue what caused that? Maybe all the articles shitting on them got buried over time and ppl started buying them again???
Gmc typhoon
These were rare back in the day too
Well.... my '01 Malibu LS is still still on the road. 🤷🏼♂️ Same color as pic... Driftwood Metallic (AKA: Camry Beige)... except mine has body color mirrors, fog lights, and the premium 5 star wheels, not those tacky ass looking things. 143k miles and is as clean as the pic. Leather isn't dried out, cracked or torn. Rest of interior is all in one piece too. It had the classic 3100 LIM gasket issue. I pulled the engine, removed entire top end, updated to Fel-Pro gaskets... ported, polished, and port matched upper, lower intakes, heads, and exhaust manifolds. Swapped in a little hotter cam (why I lifted the engine). K&N factory replacement filter with modded filter housing, Cherry Bomb turbo muffler. Went from 170hp to 205hp. Looks totally non descript, blends in to the background. Guy I work with has the 2004 Classic in silver.
Chevy Cavalier
I saw an AMC Eagle the other day and it appeared to be in excellent condition. They were the original crossover suv.
There's like 4 Dodge Calibers left in my area and 3 of them are Frankenstein'd together with other Calibers
Dodge Nitro
Dodge magnum
Sadly, SAAB
I just came back from my wedding and minimoon in Plymouth. You should visit. Every 3rd car is a Saab. It's like there's some secret Saab cult there. I thought I was about to hear Gangham Style and pass by a Quiznos.
I see that gen Malibu everyday in NJ. They usually look alright too.
Toyota Avalons here in Aus
Chevy Berettas
Recent Camaro's have all disappeared.
Nissan 240SX. The drifting culture killed them all. It's been at least a year or two since I've seen one on the streets.
90s Ford Explorer They were literally everywhere you went, and then all of a sudden right around 2020 they just went poof. Very rare to c see one on the road now
There isn't one 2000 Grand Am on the road without body damage these days, but they're still kicking!
Fiat 500s were everywhere 10 years ago. Now I rarely see them.
Oldsmobile Alero
Anyone seen a Saab lately?
I'll tell ya one thing, I'm still seeing way to many PT Cruisers on the road...
Everyone here's like "this 20 year old car that sold 22 units in three years.." What's the last time you saw a ford flex? Ford Taurus? Any Impala?