• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC on the Cheap

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

smarter traveling, driving and spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
You are here: Home / Budget Cars / Good buys: cars discontinued in 2017

Good buys: cars discontinued in 2017

Leave a Comment

NORAD Santa

End-of-year car shopping? Get good buys on 2016 cars discontinued for 2017. It’s the end of the road for these sedans, coupes and SUVs, including hybrids, cancelled entirely, or being replaced by similar models.

Buick Verano – Unlike the popular luxury Buick LaCrosse, the mid-size Verano sedan never caught on. Maybe it was the “eh” styling, inside and out, even though it’s a near match to GM’s best-selling European brand and model, Opel Astra. Buick gave it four years – it was introduced in 2012 – but killed it in 2016, although after a few models were produced for 2017.

Chrysler 200 – Launched in the days of sky-high gas prices (remember those?), this was one of the first new models launched by the “new” Fiat/Chrysler merger, after Chrysler’s divorce from Daimler (remember that?) and near demise.  The 200 simply paled by comparison with its beefy and more popular larger sibling, Chrysler 300. Get 15% off MSRP on the last of the 2016 models, which are the last of the Chrysler 200, unless Chrysler brings it back under another name.  

 

2016 Dodge Dart

Dodge Dart – I’m truly unhappy about the end of this fuel efficient, affordable compact sport sedan.  First, it was the return of a great nameplate – Dart – from when Detroit ruled the roads (remember that?).  With parts – including the award-winning MultiAir engine –  and design influences from Alfa Romeo, which Chrysler parent Fiat also owns, the new Dart held the promise of production cost efficiencies matched with Italian oomph.  Seems that Fiat/Chrysler is betting on the new Alfa Romeo Guilia instead.

 

2016 Honda CR-Z

Honda CR-Z – This hybrid hatchback had a small but devoted following, which loved its sportscar styling and available manual gearbox, a rarity in the automatic world of hybrid-ness. But that, apparently, wasn’t enough to save it. With an MSRP of $20,295, solid fuel economy and good looks, this is a great car.

 

Cadillac ELR – What a shame, since a gorgeous hybrid coupe named Cadillac should have blown the doors off sales.  Unfortunately, this great looking puppy was both over-priced and under-powered. Even Elvis wouldn’t have spent $75,000 for a Caddy with just 181 horsepower, even if it came in pink, which it didn’t.  You’ll find info on it now on Cadillac’s dedicated “legacy vehicles” website, along with all the other models that have driven into history, including Eldorado and Seville from the good old days, and the Escalade Hybrid more recently. Why does Cadillac keep killing off hybrids?

 

2016 Hyundai Genesis

Hyundai Genesis (pictured) and Hyundai Equus – Hyundai finally bit the bullet and acknowledged that its low-priced brand reputation impacts the sale of luxury cars, even though Equus and Genesis offered more for the money than comparable models from other luxury brands.  Like Ford/Lincoln, Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Nissan/Infiniti before it, Hyundai has unshackled its two top models into a wholly new brand, called Genesis. It’s confusing, but the new Genesis brand is redesigning, rebranding and remaking new versions of these two cancelled Hyundai models.

 

Lincoln MKS – Despite a great, quirky ad campaign featuring Matthew McConaughey, this luxury sedan never caught on with the public, only with so-called “black car” services, and that’s just not enough sales to keep it going, especially with the return of the Lincoln Continental.  I’ve long believed that Lincoln made a huge and stupid mistake that may have sunk sales when it renamed its vehicles with meaningless letters.  Seriously, even an auto writer like me can’t remember the difference between vehicles named MKS, MKT, MKC, MKX.  Which one is the sedan and which is the crossover? The MKS mid-size sedan being cancelled has a $39,015 MSRP, which means you can buy it at discount for the same price as the smaller MKZ luxury compact.

All photos courtesy of the respective manufacturer.

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Budget Cars, Green Travel, Hybrid Cars Tagged With: Alfa Romeo, Buick Verano, Cadillac ELR, Chrysler 200, Dodge Dart, Honda CR-Z, Hyundai Equus, Hyundai Genesis, Lincoln Continental, Lincoln MKS

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you. Cancel reply

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
    Scam Alert: Kars4Kids Car Donation Charity
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
    Lamborghini Stretch Limousine for Rent
  • Best Used Car Buys: 2005-2010 models
    Best Used Car Buys: 2005-2010 models
  • Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
    Free Hotel Rooms for Cancer Patients
  • About ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter
    About ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter
  • Test Drive: 2019 Lexus NX300 Hybrid
    Test Drive: 2019 Lexus NX300 Hybrid
  • Mad Men's Jon Hamm is New Voice of Mercedes-Benz Commercials
    Mad Men's Jon Hamm is New Voice of Mercedes-Benz Commercials
  • Scam Alert: Bahamas Free Cruise Fraud
    Scam Alert: Bahamas Free Cruise Fraud

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.

Also follow my NYC website, www.nyconthecheap.com.

Search ecoXplorer by category

Translate ecoXplorer

© 2010-2020 EcoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All the stories and photos on our site are protected by US Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC on the Cheap

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.