Top 10 Cars We Said Goodbye to in 2018
The automotive industry is changing and automakers are responding, restructuring their lineups in a bid to reduce spending and make themselves more flexible in a tumultuous business climate.
SEE ALSO: Top 10 Cars We Love But Can’t Have
Today we’re going to count down the Top 10 cars we said goodbye to in 2018. Our list includes some vehicles that will actually be made through to the end of 2019, as their demise was announced sometime this year.
Scroll down and see our picks for the doomed and discontinued cars we’ll miss the most.
10. Cadillac CT6
General Motors is killing off a ton of cars this year. The Cadillac CT6 will technically be sold through to the end of the 2019 model year, but since GM announced its demise in 2018, we think it counts towards our list. The CT6 was the result of a massive investment from GM and will end up having been built for just three full model years. Strangely, GM just updated the car and added a 550-hp V8 version, which started out as the CT6 V Sport, then later was renamed the CT6 V. It’s odd times over at GM for sure.
9. Chevrolet Impala
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The Chevrolet Impala is another GM product that’s headed to the grave. This current Impala is the 10th-generation of the iconic nameplate, so it’s rather indicative of the times that GM is killing this well-established sedan off. We quite like this version of the car – it’s a bit of a hidden gem, if you ask us.
8. Chevrolet Cruze
Another well-known GM product that will soon be no longer is the Chevrolet Cruze. This is another shocking discontinuation, as the Cruze still sells relatively well, with Chevy moving 109,662 of them this year. That’s way down from last year at this time, but it’s still a significant amount of sales.
7. Ford Taurus
Ford, like GM, is also going through some major restructuring and is killing off a ton of major nameplates this year. The slow-selling and aging Taurus is one them, not surprisingly. We’ll miss the Taurus, as unsuccessful as it’s been lately. They were everywhere once upon a time and helped power America through the 1990s and early 2000s. Rest easy, Taurus.
6. Cadillac ATS Sedan
While the Cadillac ATS Coupe is destined to remain in production, the Cadillac ATS sedan, along with the high-performance ATS-V sedan, will be killed off soon. The ATS was a bit cramped in the back seat and has some awkward dimensions if you ask us, so this one won’t be missed. Cadillac has plans to replace it with a similarly sized four-door as well called the CT4.
Check out Last Year’s Discontinued Cars List
5. Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe
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The Alfa Romeo 4C is one of the most fun cars on sale today. We prefer the looks of the coupe over the spider, but sales of the 4C are lowly, so it’s hard to blame Alfa for pulling back on the hardtop version of the sports car. If you have the means, we’d suggest picking up a 4C when you can. They are great to drive and are destined to become collectible.
4. Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta is a great little compact, but sadly, it too is going away shortly. We liked the Fiesta for its punchy looks, spritely handling, and awesome ST variant, so we’ll definitely miss having this little compact around.
3. Ford Focus
The Ford Focus was once an iconic American family car, but this lackluster third-generation car with its forgettable driving experience and problematic Powershift transmission has spelled the end of it in North America. That’s a shame because the fourth-generation Focus actually looks quite nice. It will be sold in Europe, China, and other markets, but not in the US or Canada.
2. Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is another victim of GM’s radical restructuring. This likable range-extended EV sedan is a bit expensive and cramped, but it gets great fuel economy and is fun to drive. GM has true battery electric vehicles in the works, so the Volt was killed to make way for them, but this four-door is still a solid vehicle. These will make a great used car one day, in our opinion.
ALSO SEE: Top 10 Least Reliable Cars: 2018 Consumer Reports
1. VW Beetle
When the VW Beetle goes out of production in 2019, it will be the first time VW hasn’t made a Beetle for seven decades. The Beetle might come back one day (probably as an EV), but you can kiss it goodbye for now.
2018 was a sad year for the automobile, to be honest, with Ford and GM killing off numerous vehicles and VW killing off the Beetle.
More cars may be set to die off in coming years, with more automakers likely looking to cut spending as profit margins in the auto industry shrink. Consumer tastes are also having an impact on what kind of vehicles automakers are making, with many preferring a vehicle with some ground clearance such as a crossover, truck or SUV.
What will be on our ‘Top 10 Cars we Said Goodbye to’ list in 2019, we wonder?
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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