10 CARS PAST THEIR EXPIRATION DATES

10 Cars Past Their Expiration Dates
By Ben Stewart, Popular Mechanics, 11 December 2012.

The auto companies generally redesign a given model of car every five years. So every half decade, you'll see a thoroughly refreshed version of the most popular mainstream cars like the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, or Ford Fusion. Of course, there are always exceptions to that five-year rule. Here are 10 tired cars and trucks that are currently living well beyond that half-decade mark. In fact, one vehicle here has remained in production and virtually unchanged since 1979.

1. Lotus Elise (Current Generation Debuted in 2002)

By the late 1990s, Lotus's flagship (and only) sports car, the V-8-powered Esprit, was nearing retirement age. Lotus wanted to return to its roots: producing lightweight, tossable, and undeniably fun-to-drive cars. The result was the feathery (less than 2000 pounds) and relatively inexpensive Elise. America didn't get the Elise until 2005, and it came packing a Toyota 1.8-litre four-cylinder and an incredibly rewarding driving experience.

The Elise has been a huge hit for Lotus - one that lives on even after it was supposedly going to end production in 2011. And the excellent chassis was so adaptable that Tesla used it as the basis for its first car, the Roadster. But now, late in 2012, the Elise goes back more than 15 years. With the more modern, powerful, and roomier (but no less fun-to-drive) Evora now in the Lotus stable, the Elise could certainly use a full remodel.

2. Toyota Tacoma (2004)

Pickup truck designs tend to turn over at a slower rate than cars. Perhaps it's because most of these workhorses use a relatively predictable setup: body-on-frame chassis with a solid axle and leaf springs at the rear and double A-arms up front. Still, Toyota has been selling the current Tacoma for nearly a decade. And though the automaker has altered the grille and hood design once or twice, and the Tacoma is the clear best seller in the midsize pickup class, it's time for a full refresh.

To meet looming fuel economy targets, Toyota will need to employ more fuel-efficient engines and six-speed (or more) automatic transmissions. After all, the current truck's base 2.7-litre four-cylinder comes mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed (!) automatic. That's old tech. Lastly, the Tacoma could lose a few pounds to help it meet fuel economy targets as well as to boost payload and towing capacity.

3. Volvo XC90 (2003)

Volvo was relatively late to the SUV and crossover explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lexus, BMW, Acura, and Mercedes-Benz all had firmly established players by the time the Swedish car maker rolled onto the scene. But the XC90 was unusual-looking, could seat up to seven, and, because it was a Volvo, featured a breakthrough roll-sensing stability control system.

The XC90 was a solid crossover, based on the bones of the company's S80 sedan. But it's been nearly 10 years since Volvo launched the XC90, and it is beginning to look a little tired. Volvo's competitors have updated their SUV and crossover entries at least once since the XC90 hit the road. (Mercedes-Benz is now on the third-generation of its ML.) And many of those competitors have either grown larger or more fuel-efficient, or both. It's time for a new XC90.

4. Nissan Titan (2004)

The Nissan Titan was a ground-breaking truck when it launched in 2004. Here was an American-made Japanese pickup with all the size and more grunt under the hood than most other half-ton pickups - the Titan's 305 hp 5.6-litre V-8 made more power than any competitor except for Dodge's Hemi. The Titan was like a muscle truck, hitting 60 mph in well under 8 seconds - excellent for that time. PM was so impressed that we picked the Titan as our favourite in a 2004 comparison test. And by 2007, when most manufacturers had redesigned their trucks, the Titan was still our favourite.

But if we were to do that same test today, it's unlikely the Titan would retain the title. Nissan's competitors have moved on with redesigned models that placed a stronger emphasis on fuel economy, while the Titan is available only with that V-8. Nissan's entry could use a thorough overhaul, and the new truck should offer smaller displacement engine options and transmissions with more gears, like in the new Ram or Ford F-150.

5. Land Rover LR2 (2006)

The LR2 replaced the Freelander in the U.S. as Land Rover's smallest vehicle. Its design reflects the Rovers of the time, with big rectangular headlamps and a relatively upright grille. But these days, the LR2 looks out of place in the company's line-up. That's largely due to the stylish new Evoque. The Evoque is now the "entry-level" Land Rover, and its sleek design was so well-received that many cues have appeared on the all-new US$100,000 Range Rover.

That leaves the LR2 as an oddity in the line-up. It's not the sleek, carlike Evoque. It's not like the off-road capable LR3. And it doesn't pack the on-road sportiness of the Range Rover Sport. So why does Land Rover continue with this vehicle? For 2013, it's been upgraded somewhat with the same four-cylinder turbo-charged power train as the Evoque. But that makes this model's existence just that much more puzzling. It's probably time to rethink the LR2.

6. Honda Ridgeline (2006)

The Ridgeline is Honda's first pickup truck. When it launched in 2005 (as a 2006 model), the Ridgeline was both daring and revolutionary. Instead of following Japanese rivals Nissan and Toyota by building a full-size body-on-frame truck, Honda went an alternate route. The company used a beefed up version of the architecture underneath the Pilot SUV, and that meant V-6 power, a unitized chassis, and four-wheel independent suspension too. Although its styling was - and still is - a bit odd, the Ridgeline packed smart features like a giant below-bed storage container and a tailgate that opens down, like a regular pickup, or to the side, like a door.

The Ridgeline isn't the strongest seller for Honda, however; it moved less than 10,000 of them last year. The Honda Pilot received a full redesign for the 2009 model year - why no upgrade for the Ridgeline? With fuel prices and fuel economy becoming an ever-growing concern, a redesigned Ridgeline could be the right truck for the times.

7. Mazda Miata (2005)

Everyone who's ever driven a Miata, digs the Miata. And we're at the top of that list. Since 1989, it has been the reliable and pocketbook-friendly incarnation of the classic British roadster. The fact remains, though, that Mazda hasn't given the Miata a thorough makeover since 2005. Slide behind the wheel of one and, compared to a car like the all-new Subaru BRZ, it feels less stiff, less powerful, and generally a half-decade of development behind.

The Miata has become an icon for the Mazda brand. So the company almost certainly has a new one waiting around the next bend. Judging by the swoopy lines of the new 2014 Mazda6, the next Miata will be as fun to look at as it will be to drive.

8. VW Jetta Sportwagen (2005)

Why would VW let the wagon version of the Jetta lag one generation behind the sedan? We don't know, but that's the case. So if you want a sedan Jetta, you can get a sixth-generation model that launched in 2011. But wagon buyers are stuck with the older car, which hit the market in 2005. (Okay, technically the Sportwagen version of VW's fifth-generation Jetta didn't arrive until 2009, but that doesn't change the fact that the wagon is rolling around on the older generation platform wrapped in dated sheet metal.)

To make matters more confusing, VW charges US$3720 more for this older model Jetta Sportwagen than it does for the new sedan. Perhaps the older Jetta's chassis with its independent rear suspension (vs. the new car's beam axle) is more expensive to produce? Whatever the reason, VW wagon fans deserve to have a car based on the most modern mechanicals.

9. Chevy Express/GMC Savana (1996)

These are sad days for hippies (there are still a few of you, right?) and custom van fans (there are still a few of you, right?). The classic American cargo and passenger van is on the endangered species list. Dodge's classic Ram Van ended production in 2003, replaced by the larger Mercedes-Benz based Sprinter van. And the 2013 model year marks the end of the line for Ford's Econoline. Ford will use another European van to replace the classic E-Series.

The last remaining old-school van on the market is the Chevrolet Express and its GMC twin, the Savana. Vans often last decades before a major remodel. So in van years this pair isn't that old. But with Ford and Dodge moving to roomier, more fuel efficient, and more modern European platforms, GM will need to modernize the Express and Savana soon.

10. Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG (1979)

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen (Geländewagen) is one of the oddballs of the automotive world. The beautifully boxy 4WD SUV was originally developed in the mid-1970s as a military vehicle. Over 30-plus years, it's been available in two- and four-door body styles, with a host of power plants. The early versions were largely fitted with bare-bones interiors, steel wheels, and small diesel engines. These rigs, with their solid axle suspension, eventually got the option of fully locking differentials to further evolve their off-road capability.

At some point in the late 1990s, these G-Wagens were finally imported to the U.S. as grey market vehicles commanding six-figure price tags. In 2001, Mercedes-Benz officially began to import the G-Class. Although all U.S.-bound G-Class Mercedes have had potent gasoline V-8s, it is the AMG models that are truly ludicrous. First, in 2006, came the G55, powered by a 469-hp supercharged V-8. Later, the G63 would top 500 hp. Today's US$130,000 twin-turbo G63 belts out a ridiculous 544 hp. Remember: All this power is strapped to the chassis of a 1970s military truck.

The G-Wagen is too wonderfully insane to change. Even though it's decades overdue for a refresh, we hope it lives on forever.

[Source: Popular Mechanics. Edited.]