by "Jagvar" (Jagvar)
Published 02/17/2017 at 12:48
by "Jagvar" (Jagvar)
Published 02/17/2017 at 12:48
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STARS: 4
Some cars are completely forgettable. Maybe they were once popular, but even then, they were always at the fringes of your memory. Like, I guarantee you there aren’t a lot of people thinking about a Kia Sephia right now. Anyway, here in no particular order are my most forgettable picks. Feel free to add any suggestions of your own!
1. Chrysler Cirrus
Your memory of this one-time Chrysler mainstay is likely as hazy as the clouds which bear its name. The Dodge Stratus and even the Plymouth Breeze don’t seem too long past, but today it’s almost as if the top-end model with its faux-fancy chrome grille never existed.
2. Oldsmobile Intrigue
What was so intriguing about the Intrigue? Not a lot, it turns out. Positioned between the more memorable Alero and Aurora, the Intrigue was an inoffensive, middle-of-the-road lesson in mediocrity.
3. Suzuki Esteem
The Esteem was Suzuki’s offering for the automotive consumer not discriminating enough to afford a Chevy Cavalier. Maybe it’s so forgotten because most of them have long since gone to the scrap yard.
4. Hyundai Scoupe
Hyundai made a small, sporty car before the Tiburon? Sure they did! Have you ever seen one? Because I sure as hell haven’t.
5. Acura Vigor
The Vigor’s big brother, the Acura Legend, was...well...legendary. Heck, it was named Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year when it made its US debut. The Vigor? Not so much. It’s the Acura that time forgot.
6. Oldsmobile Achieva
Oh look, another Oldsmobile. Regrettably, Oldsmobile had become something of a forgettable brand by the 1990s. The Achieva was a car in the same way that a tuna fish sandwich is a meal. It gets the job done, but it’s probably not something you’ll remember.
7. Subaru Loyale
Long before Subaru became the automotive choice of hipsters and philosophy majors everywhere, there was the Loyale. Sure, the wagons still have their niche today, but who remembers that there was a sedan, too? It hung on until 1994, by which time it was already largely forgotten.
8. Daewoo Nubira
Daewoo’s US-market debut in the late ’90s was too ridiculous and tragic to forget, but there is nothing memorable about the Nubira. The Lanos is remembered for being the cheapest crapcan in America at the time, and the Leganza for sounding like an appetizer at Olive Garden, but the Nubira? Daewoo’s middle offering never got noticed. Oh well. At least there was a wagon.
9. Nissan NX
In the early ’90s, Nissan dropped the Pulsar nameplate and introduced the NX. It was supposed to compete with the Mazda MX-3 and Toyota MR2, cars you no doubt remember, but who thinks of the NX today? Even back then, it was just kind of there, like a Geo with less personality.
10. Acura SLX
Perhaps the most egregious example of badge engineering, the SLX was Acura’s first SUV model. But instead of going to all that work of building a car from the ground up, the suits in marketing slapped an Acura grille on an Isuzu Trooper and decided to call it a day. Most people today don’t remember the SLX ever existed, and Acura probably prefers it that way.
"Roundbadge" (Roundbadge)
02/17/2017 at 12:52, STARS: 0
#6
The last year they were built, they were only sold to rental companies.
#7
One of my best friends drove one for several years in high school.
"interstate366, now In The Industry" (interstate366)
02/17/2017 at 12:54, STARS: 0
Surprisingly, there’s a Cirrus down the street from me. I hadn’t seen one for a long time before it showed up.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
02/17/2017 at 12:56, STARS: 0
I forget NOTHING! and have driven 6 of your list. the olds was driving within the last 2 years!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
02/17/2017 at 12:57, STARS: 0
My friends first car was an Acura Vigor. Bumpin’ Jurassic 5 everywhere we went. You’re right I forgot about all of the others.
"The World of Vee" (theworldofvee)
02/17/2017 at 12:59, STARS: 0
Hey now! all of those except the Esteem and Loyale were suburban mainstays throughout the 90s. I had a friend with an esteem though and it was straight garbage, but I sure remember them!
"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
02/17/2017 at 13:06, STARS: 4
I saw an Acura SLX the other day and I freaked out. My family just looked at me like what is wrong with you.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
02/17/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 5
Toyota Paseo
So forgettable it doesn’t even make a forgettable cars list.
"Probenja" (probenja)
02/17/2017 at 13:08, STARS: 1
There are still quite a lot of Esteem’s (Baleno’s) in Chile, with rust being less of an issue they are pretty unkillable. Now they introduced a new generation and it’s selling like hot cakes!
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
02/17/2017 at 13:08, STARS: 1
It’s OK, I understand. I would have been freaking out right along with you.
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
02/17/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 0
I actually thought about including the Paseo, but wondered if it was forgettable enough . The convertibles were kind of neat.
"dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford" (dtg11)
02/17/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 1
I just learned of the Nissan NX a couple days ago after I saw one on CL and went “what the heck is that red Nissan blob”.
"punkgoose17" (punkgoose17)
02/17/2017 at 13:11, STARS: 0
4, 5, 7, and 9 I forgot about
No one supports my desire to buy a Suzuki Esteem.
"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
02/17/2017 at 13:11, STARS: 2
its like Toyota say the del sol and said...we’ll obviously we can do that, but I don’t want to spend a lot of time or money on it.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/17/2017 at 13:12, STARS: 2
Oldsmobile was such a great brand with such a cool history, but by the 90s, they were pointless. Makes me sad.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
02/17/2017 at 13:13, STARS: 0
I actually didn’t forget most of them, though half of them weren’t even sold in my country.
"Sweet Trav" (thespunbearing)
02/17/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 5
Interesting Note about the Intrigue. I once lost a case of beer because my then roomate said it had a 3.5. V6, I said no GM never made a 3.5L it had to be the 3.4L 60 degree motor. He bet me a case of beer, then went outside and popped the hood. Sure enough a 3.5L DOHC V6, the LX5
“
Shortstar
”
V6, it was only used in Oldsmobile Intrigue and Lower model Aurora, based off of the Aurora V8, it was named to Wards best engine list a few times too.
"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
02/17/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 3
Many moons ago, when I was but a wee lad and my dad could still afford to lease new Acuras, we had an SLX and a Vigor with a manual. I think we had both in 1996? Maybe 97. Too young to remember.
"bwp240" (bwp240)
02/17/2017 at 13:16, STARS: 3
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
02/17/2017 at 13:17, STARS: 1
Oh jeez. I forgot about the Eagle Summit.
"facw" (facw)
02/17/2017 at 13:18, STARS: 1
Also the ‘80s, and the ‘70s, and the ‘00s.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
02/17/2017 at 13:18, STARS: 0
Imma forget anyone who forgot the Scoupe
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
02/17/2017 at 13:22, STARS: 0
Well, because of the cutlass supreme and the trofeo, I’ll argue that olds still had some mojo through the 80s. But, their heyday did end in the 70s.
"SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie" (sidewaysondirt)
02/17/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 0
Most of these are cars I’ve been desperately trying to forget about. My Dad had an Esteem. It was indisputably the worst new car I’ve ever been in. It’s the perfect car for robbing a bank though. It’s more generic looking and invisible than any Corolla.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
02/17/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 0
The Intrigue was from the 90's? Then it’s aged well, regardless of how “meh” it is.
"Hoccy" (Hoccy)
02/17/2017 at 13:26, STARS: 0
My parents owned a white Subaru sedan like the one in the picture in the late 90's so won’t forget that one. The Suzuki was called Baleno here and they sold loads of the 4wd wagon. That one pops up in my used car search all the time.
We also got the bastardized Chrysler Stratus here, still a handsome car if it’s maintained.
And I can go one up on the Daewoo. Here’s the Espero:
Another addition could be the Volvo 440/460, even if they were a product of the 80's.
"7:07" (fanbrain001)
02/17/2017 at 13:27, STARS: 0
"bwp240" (bwp240)
02/17/2017 at 13:31, STARS: 1
or basically all of Eagle outside of the Talon
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
02/17/2017 at 13:34, STARS: 0
See, the Vision and the Premier I remember pretty well, actually. Even the short-lived Dodge Monaco that the Premier ultimately became.
"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee)
02/17/2017 at 14:00, STARS: 4
You forgot about the Dodge Avenger and its cousin, the Chrysler Sebring Coupe.
"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee)
02/17/2017 at 14:01, STARS: 0
It was just a droptop Tercel is what it was.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
02/17/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 0
The NX 2000 with the SR20DE was basically a Sentra SE-R with cool T-tops.
The Vigor grew up into the TL/TLX lineup whereas the Legend turned into the RL/RLX. Which one of those is the afterthought now? Although the TL/TLX is more in line with the first couple generations of the Legend.
The SLX was part of an agreement between Honda and Isuzu that also turned the Isuzu Rodeo into the Honda Passport, and the original non-sliding door Honda Odyssey into the Isuzu Oasis. Isuzu also sold rebadged Accords and Civics in Japan.
Fun fact: the Isuzu Aska started out as a GM J-car, then became a rebadged Subaru Legacy, then became a rebadged Honda Accord.
"The Stig's former college room mate" (das-stig)
02/17/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 4
16-year-old me wanted a Cirrus/Breeze/Stratus because he had a poster of this car on his wall:
16-year-old me wasn’t too bright.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/17/2017 at 14:17, STARS: 0
dodge neon. they just disappeared one day.......
"xyzabc" (stackofoldwood)
02/17/2017 at 14:30, STARS: 1
The Olds Intrigue with the 3.8l and up-level trim was a great car.
"Jagvar" (Jagvar)
02/17/2017 at 14:59, STARS: 2
Head gasket failures, overheating problems, oil leaks, even oil in the spark plug tubes...all of the above killed the first-gen Neons, usually in less than 10 years. They simply weren’t well-made cars.
Even more forgotten: the 2-door Neon.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
02/17/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 2
they might not have been well-made, but they were EVERYWHERE. i couldnt swing a dead cat without hitting at least one.
youre right on, with the headgaskets, and crappy coilpacks, shoddy water pumps, and the valve cover design that bled-out so many.
i saw a neon the other day, and that was when it occurred to me that they were ALREADY gone.
could probably do like that guy who had all those lebarons, and buy the leftovers cheap, and make a few zombie roach neons to live on.......
"jkm7680" (jkm7680)
02/17/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 0
Unfortunately, I remember all of these. Except the Loyale and maybe that specific Daewoo.
"Pistol Whipped Cream" (heynickhere)
02/17/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 0
Saul Remembered the Esteem...
"The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!)" (steve-still-hasnt-wrecked-the-powershift-in-his-12-ford-focus)
02/17/2017 at 16:17, STARS: 1
I’ll never forget about the Acura Vigor due to it inexplicably having a longitudinally mounted inline 5 (and still being front wheel drive). I’m not sure what motivated Honda to design it that way, but it was certainly distinctive.
"NojustNo" (front24200)
02/17/2017 at 18:02, STARS: 0
hey now I remember the Nissan nx2000 model it was THE hatch that I wanted when I was in high school.it had the same motor as the original sentry SE-r but was lighter. It got great reviews but never caught on.
"QCGoose" (chrismcfate)
02/17/2017 at 23:23, STARS: 1
Agreed. I always liked and still like its understated looks and plastic cladding-less body in relation to its Grand Prix and even Regal platform mates. I wish they came with the s/c’d 3.8, but regardless they’re still my favorite W-Body car.
A clean ‘98-’99 with the 3.8 would make a fantastic cheap DD, but all the ones I find these days are rusting apart with high miles to boot.
"Jayvincent" (jayvincent)
02/18/2017 at 01:18, STARS: 0
It’s so forgettable that you forgot to include the 2nd Gen Mercury Sable, which proves it deserves a spot on the list, right?
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
02/22/2017 at 04:43, STARS: 0
Shame they made that NX so ugly. Previous gen was fantastic
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
03/19/2017 at 19:49, STARS: 0
I haven’t forgotten any of them :o)
The NX is awesome because it has T-Tops and a digital dash. Basically a Camaro done right.
The best part of the Achieva was the SCX model available from 92-93. 190 hp 2.3L I4 (Honda hadn’t sold the H22 here yet).
And of course, the Esteem was also available as a wagon, so it’s cool too.
After the Vigor came the first-gen TL. Fun fact: the 2.5TL and 3.2TL were completely different cars forward of the firewall. Different hoods, bumpers, grilles, lights, suspension, etc. Both have longitudinal engines.
