Wild news stories about changes in Detroit's automotive landscape have been running rampant this year. Both Chevrolet and Ford announcing massive cuts in their respective ranges and then there's the rumor going around of Chrysler's demise. GM is shutting down factories to save money for more profit, cutting cars that don't sell well compared to its competitors, including the long-lived Impala range which has spent generations in Chevrolet's line-up since its transition from a Bel-Air trim to a standalone model in 1959.
Along with the Impala, the Cruze and its sister car, the Sonic, are getting cut as well. Meanwhile, Cadillac is losing most of its range besides SUVs and the CTS. Everyone is aware of the bold plans that Ford is putting forward next year. The plan consists of cutting nearly every car besides the Mustang, Continental, and MKZ, letting them concentrate more on the SUV's, crossovers, and pickups. Some will argue how foolish this move is, but it's one where we have to wait and see how it plays out.
Though the cuts are massive, I want to skim through what GM and Ford have to offer before they disappear, the best and most interesting trims that come with each car, and even some of the cars themselves, as they may prove to be the last the company offers for a while. So with our heads hung down in memoriam and maybe our eyes set to get some of these models before they disappear forever, let's go through these 23 GM and Ford cars that are getting discontinued next year.
23 Chevrolet Impala Premier
Lasting on and off since 1958 as a Bel Air trim line, the Impala had staying power until the mid-80s when it was first discontinued. It returned in 94 for only two years, finally becoming a mainstay once again in 2000. Lasting another two generations, the Impala is once again on the chopping block for the drop in sales since the beginning of the current generation starting in 2010. Buy any Impalas now before they disappear (until approximately whenever—most likely when this Crossover fad ends).
22 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
This is a very different answer to lowering fuel consumption compared to other things that Chevy is offering. Diesel cars have been around for a very long time, but it seems we can't accept such a cost-effective way to try and save fuel while retaining the type of power we request. These little diesel cars are getting discontinued along with the entire trim line for the Cruze, with no idea of a replacement in the near future.
21 Chevrolet Cruze RS
Now onto the other half of the Cruze. Both the Sedan and the Hatchback comes with LT Manual Trim which, with some tuning, can give you a proper RS-badged factory hot hatch that rivals the VW GTI. Pick these up before they go because whenever that successor comes around, I can almost guarantee that there isn't going to be the manual option that some car people love. The sedan can be bought for around $20k, whereas the hatchback can be had for a couple thousand more.
20 Chevrolet Volt
The hybrid sister to the all-electric Bolt, this one is getting killed off due to the downsizing and other hybrid options, not to mention the low sales. Toyota may not have a monopoly on this market, but they definitely have everyone in a corner as the Prius continues strong through each generation. Everyone else, including Chevy, is left struggling to try and cut out a piece for themselves and the Volt looks to be just another casualty in the massive reconfiguration.
19 Chevrolet City Express
This one may not affect the general populace, but rather the small business owners who don't have the money to buy a Mercedes van but don't want to buy a used van from someone else. The City Express van is small enough to be able to navigate city streets and alleys that would be otherwise difficult in a full-sized van. That's exactly what these are built for but now it seems the job is left to Ford, Dodge, and Mercedes.
18 Chevrolet Sonic RS Sedan
The sister car to the Cruze, this one doesn't have a diesel option but has instead a slightly more powerful ECOTEC 1.8-liter along with the shared turbo 1.4-liter motor. Slightly smaller, these cars can still be had with the RS trim as long as you pick a manual transmission package. Again, scoop these up while they're still new, their replacements are more than likely not going to have those sacred standard transmissions.
17 Chevrolet Sonic RS Hatch
The Hatch variant just adds that much more to the sedan, and also has that RS option to rival the worlds hot hatches, but never really gaining the traction it needed for staying power. The Hatch of course getting cute because of the cuts GM is making across the board, saving them upwards towards $6 billion. It's just too bad they lose their entry in the hot hatch category that Ford seems to be dominating least over in Europe, which also now I think about it, I wonder if this is the end for the Opel Astra and Corsa as well?
16 Cadillac ATS Coupe
The only coupe in the whole of Cadillac's line up, the base model ATS only has a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Opting instead for the Performance or Premium Trims will get you a nice V6 that is also shared with the XTS. This car is produced with the same base as the Cruze, so it makes sense that it's getting cut as well. It's just a shame that Cadillac has to take these cuts, leaving them with just four models: the CTS, the new XT4 and XT5, and the Suburban-based Escalade.
15 Cadillac ATS-V
Tack on another $30,000 and you get this ATS-V, which is already such a cool car that I shouldn't have to explain why people should get this while it lasts. Just to be sure though, with the ATS-V, you get a 464-hp twin-turbo V6 that also has 445 lb-ft of torque and comes with a six-speed standard. Also, it's rear wheel drive! Now sure, this type of fun can be had at about $70,000 without any options. The price may be steep but collectibility makes this one that needs to be had before they're completely gone.
14 Cadillac CT6
This one is a little bit of a shocker—Cadillac's short-lived flagship model getting discontinued! The base-model CT6 is already a decent luxury car, coming with that same twin-turbo V6 I mentioned that came in the ATS-V. Well, that same motor is less potent in this car, only making around 400 horsepower and coming with a 10-speed automatic. This car isn't as much about numbers as it is about comfort and accessibility. These cars come with Super Cruise, a semi-autonomous mode that is meant for use on the highway.
13 Cadillac CT6-V
Another V-series that's going to be gone is this full-sized, modern-day land barge. Now, this is already taken off of the website so you can't order it, but I have no doubts that you can still find one out there sitting at some dealership. Instead of a slightly tuned twin-turbo V6, the CT6-V has a 550-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 that pushes out over 600 lb-ft of torque. That's some crazy numbers for a luxury car, rivaling those of Mercedes-Benz's AMG division.
12 Cadillac XTS
Without the XTS, Cadillac is left with just the CTS as the sole sedan model. Also, it's the only front wheel drive sedan on the roster and comes with only a standard 3.6-liter V6 putting down 304 horsepower and 264 lb-ft of torque behind a 6-speed automatic. The same V6 can be had as an AWD platform, as well. The XTS may not be top of the line like the V-series, but an AWD V6 Caddy may be something to pick up while it's still around.
11 Cadillac XTS-V
An instant classic, not only is it an AWD only option, but it also has that sweet twin-turbo V6 pushing all four of those wheels through a 6-speed automatic. Now sure, this is way above the $48,000 base price for the standard XTS, and for about $27,000 more can get you the V-series trim package with all the options. The way I see it, if you've got the money for a Cadillac, you might as well get the best they got. Especially since now these cars are going to be a thing of the past, and like I've stated before, who knows when they're going to have anything like this again.
10 Buick LaCrosse Avenir
This is the only Buick on the list, and this one, though overlooked—much like the rest of the Buick line-up—is a bit of an underdog. The base Lacrosse 1SV comes with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine complemented with a 24-cell lithium ion battery. It's pretty safe for someone looking for a comfortable enough ride. The luxury Avenir model is just about as luxury as you can get without full-on buying a Cadillac. A 3.6-liter V6 pair to a smooth nine-speed automatic. The price rivals that of the Cadillac XTS base model, so it's up to which you prefer: a high-end Buick or a low-end Caddy.
9 Ford Focus ST
The ST may not be as powerful as the RS, but as a more affordable option, it certainly can put down the power. Not carrying the 160-hp, 2.0-liter, Ti-VCT inline-four, instead, it has the 2.0-liter EcoBoost that puts down 252 horsepower through a six-speed transmission. It's a good hot hatch for a decent price at just above $25,000. With the flow of Ford these days, and the plans they have laid out, it'll be a while before we'll see anything like the ST again.
8 Ford Focus RS
For about $20,000 more than the Focus ST, you not only get one of the best Fords they've produced in recent years. Instead of the front-wheel-drive ST, the RS instead comes with a 350-horsepower, 2.3-liter inline-four that puts that power to all four wheels through a Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD system that has been a staple of the Focus RS since its inception. This is destined to be a future classic, much like the whale tale Escort of years past. Let's hang our head in mourning, as Ford has sent out the last RS.
7 Ford Focus Electric
The only full electric option in the whole line-up is getting axed along with just about every other car of the Ford line-up. The Focus Electric car is still something that has yet to really catch on, and instead of trying to rival Toyota, they're also putting the fight to Chevy's Volt and Nissan's Leaf, the latter of the two having made a bit of a name for itself. Needless to say, the Focus hasn't sold well here in the States compared to Europe and also hasn't sold well compared to other cars in the market.
6 Ford Taurus SHO
The SHO can be discussed without much introduction, having first appeared in the 1990s with a Yamaha V6. The fourth and seemingly final generation features an in-house built EcoBoost V6 making 365 horsepower. Even though every generation before has only featured front-wheel-drive, Ford gave this generation all-wheel-drive. Based off of the old D3 platform, the car that was once much awaited and celebrated by the public has been overlooked in favor of SUVs and Pickups.
5 Ford C-Max Hybrid
This is Ford's aim at the Toyota pie, much like Chevy's Volt but without the crazy design. This hybrid is another cheap option that is being outed for its failure to really make any profit for Ford. Thus, as a part of the infamous downsize that Ford is pushing forward, not cutting their only hybrid, but the only one that seems to make any sense. Originally from the European Ford division, it seems like it might continue there, but I doubt we'll see another one here.
4 Ford Fiesta ST-Line
I didn't know about this trim until I played around on the website. The ST-Line trim package is just basically a better-looking Fiesta SE. It sports the look up and keeps the base drivetrain to give you a more economical package that isn't as fast as an ST. With only 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque from the same 1.6-liter as the SE, the car isn't made for speed but rather to look good while cruising through town.