2000-2024: The biggest car disappointments of the last 25 years according to Drive
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The last quarter century has seen a lot of change in the automotive industry, and not all of it for the best. Here are Drive’s biggest disappointments from the last 25 years.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that it has already been 25 years since the turn of the century, but the end of this year will close the chapter on a quarter of a century of automotive history.
A lot has changed since the year 2000, and there have been some incredible models that have shaped the future for years to come.
But there have also been some major flops that have landed with a resounding clunk rather than anticipated fanfare.
Here are the Drive team’s biggest disappointments of the last 25 years.
Fixed-price agency model – Bailey Mackin, Publishing Manager
While a fixed-price agency model seems good for customers, giving them peace of mind on how much their new car will cost, I don’t like it.
It removes competitiveness from the market as I believe haggling should be part of the car buying experience.
The days where you would trawl through multiple car lots on a weekend are behind us, and that makes me sad.
US car brands that aren’t Tesla – Alex Misoyannis, Deputy News Editor
In the first half century of motoring, the Big Three US car makers – the Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Chrysler Corporation – dominated their domestic market, and had a considerable presence overseas.
How that has changed. It began with the global expansion of the Japanese – and the VW Beetle – in the 1960s and 1970s which began chipping away at that lead, then it was the Koreans in the 1980s and 1990s, and today it’s the Chinese.
There are plenty of innovative and interesting vehicles coming out of the US, but these days most seem to be electric – and with a Tesla, Rivian or Lucid badge.
Holden has gone and General Motors’ presence in Australia is small, Ford’s best cars are arguably designed in Europe (Fiesta, Focus, Puma) or Australia (Ranger, Everest), and Chrysler/Dodge (now Stellantis) is not in great shape.
The Americans have built plenty of fantastic cars over the years, so here’s hoping the electric-car era – as Ford’s new ‘skunkworks’ EV project, and its CEO’s appreciation of China have begun to show – can add a few more to the liast.
What happened to fun? – Jordan Hickey, Journalist
With the odd exception, it seems most cars released these days are sold in some shade of white, silver, grey or black, with a boring black interior, no manual option, and you're getting either an SUV or a ute, thanks.
Understandably, it's down to business – there's no point for a manufacturer to spend millions developing and marketing a bright green manual wagon with zero demand, while its competitors are making the next hotly-demanded white SUV with a CVT auto.
It seems – at least in the mainstream car industry – customisation and giving consumers choice has fallen out of favour while simplification is in, likely in the pursuit of growing profitability.
Still, I'd like to see manufacturers bringing some fun back, please. Starting with bringing the manual back.
Alfa Romeo 4C – Ben Zachariah, Journalist
The automotive industry is littered with stories of models that never quite lived up to their expectations. Plenty missed the mark – but the one that sticks out for me over the past quarter-century is the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Italy’s answer to the Lotus Elise, but nowhere near as good. The driving dynamics never lived up to its quasi-supercar looks, its two-spoke steering wheel looked like it was out of a Fiat Punto, and the automatic-only powertrain was enough to make grown adults cry.
While not as striking in its design, it was the French Alpine A110 some years later which managed to do everything the Italians couldn’t.
Where have all the cheap fun cars gone? – Tung Nguyen, News Editor
Remember when you could pick from a range of hot hatches or even sporty coupes for under $40,000? Yeah, I remember, they were there at the turn of the century and have now largely disappeared from showrooms.
I understand the argument that more advanced models cost more to produce, especially with the level of active safety required to meet ever-tightening safety standards, but over the last 25 years models like the Toyota Corolla Sportivo, Ford Focus XR5 Turbo, Nissan 350Z and Toyota 86 could be had for a relative bargain.
Now, in 2024 and beyond, the successor to those cars will cost nearly double.
Inflation plays a part, sure, but it leaves the young car enthusiast with few options for fun.
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