10 Most Coveted Cars That Aren't Made Anymore | Hacker News Reader

10 Most Coveted Cars That Aren't Made Anymore

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10 pointsprostoalex15 comments

Someone hasn't been looking at prices on VW Westfalias, then. Maybe it's just the Pacific Northwest, but unless it's a rust bucket you'll pay more than they went for new. For example, we paid (admittedly, overpaid a bit) $17K for an '81. They sold for $14K new. You wanted the four wheel drive version? Prices start at $30K. They sold for $25K new.

But in the end I'm arguing with a mostly-pulled-out-of-the-author's-ass listicle. I mean, one cannot seriously argue that people are clamoring for a Toyota Matrix now that they're not made anymore. You know why they're not made anymore? Because no one was buying them. In contrast to, for example, the Westy which isn't made anymore because it wouldn't pass a crash test (your feet practically touch the front sheet metal on that rear engine vehicle).

This analysis isn't particularly quantified but it's interesting to see how many of these cars are on the practical end of the spectrum (240sx and s2000 notwithstanding) I for one miss basic 4wd trucks and cargo vans for under $25k

Cash for clunkers brought an end to the "beater truck" era. All of the cheap used trucks vanished, used truck prices shot up and therefore manufacturers figured out they could raise the price of new trucks.

I still see plenty of large beater trucks on the road. However, the midsized and low frills pickups (read: cheaper) were largely killed by CAFE standards:

http://jalopnik.com/5948172/how-the-government-killed-fuel-e...

How about the Honda Element? Or Subaru Justy? Or a full size Jeep wagon?

The sad thing is that it seems to me that most cars are now trying to look like the Lexus RX350: minivan-like crossovers. That's fine for lots of use cases, but something a little more funky would be nice once in a while.

Also check out http://jalopnik.com/lets-celebrate-the-50th-birthday-of-amer...

The Justy would probably have been more warmly remembered if it weren't for the oil pump bearings and CVT. I'm still always looking for a nice one.

As for the Element, it's seeing quite the resurgeance in interest as of late: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/08/no-fixed-abode-what...

It's also worth saying that most of the cars on this list deliberately don't weigh over 3000 pounds and don't have unmaintainable technology components.

The Element was really an uglier version of Scion xB, in my opinion. Though now the xB has been killed as well, so that leaves the Kia Soul (a pretty good car, mind you) filling this gap.

The Subaru Baja, now there's a car I wish I would have purchased before its demise.

The Element was really an uglier version of Scion xB, in my opinion.

It was, but there was more practicality in the Element. As an original style xB owner, as well as dog owner and outdoorsy type, I kinda wish we'd bought the Element (which was on the possibles list before we bought the Scion) with it's hose-it-down interior, slightly more space, and optional 4wd.

As for aesthetics, no one wins in an argument between the two. Maybe if you threw a Pontiac Aztek into the contest.

The Nissan Altima Hybrid (2007-2011), the more efficient, better performing cousin of the regular Nissan Altima: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Altima#Hybrid

This is one I'd like to see come back.

This article loses all cred cuz it does not have the toyota supra even on the list

don't remind me how hard/impossible/expensive it is to find some parts now.... There's a reason I haven't finished re-vamping mine yet.

It does. See Celica, Toyota Celica Supra.

I tried to cut and paste but the site doesn't let you do that, 1999 style, no right-click copy. The V6 Celica Supra looked amazing in the late 1990's, not sure it has done so well with the passage of time. The early 70's Celicas have greater kudos IMHO, particularly if inside with the massively high centre console bit.

Supras quit being Celica based in 1986, while the ones people covet are from the 90's.

RIP Dodge Magnum

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