Cars that earn long-term loyalty sometimes don’t make loud first impressions, instead preferring to nail the fundamentals of longevity: powertrains that are powerful and/or efficient, reliability, comfortable ride, solid driving dynamics, interior refinement, intuitive controls, and low operating costs. They don’t nail them all, but what essentially makes a car “perfect,” if there is such a thing, isn’t flash; it’s consistency. Excellent cars age gracefully and often go about their business quietly.
As a result, many vehicles that check most of the boxes fade from memory almost as soon as they lose showroom space. The reasons are usually predictable: conservative design, badge perception, or simply timing. Other factors include today’s rapid tech cycles, marketing budgets that favor flash, and social buzz that judges books by their covers. They all contribute to making cars forgettable, as these examples illustrate.
2019 Ford Flex
Noted For Practicality And Usability
As it did when it was introduced in 2009, the Ford Flex stands out today for its boxy shape that was equal parts stylish and practical. It was a brick. Perhaps the last of the practical “bricky” shapes that maximize cabin convenience for both people and cargo—exceptional interior room, adult three-row comfort, and easy low-floor access. Its wide and long footprint gave it outstanding stability to improve ride and handling, and by the time it was phased out, after 2019, it had acquired a self-parking system and a reputation for reliability, and gotten most things right.
The traits that make the 2019 Ford Flex such a rational purchase even today also explain its relative obscurity. Its hunkered-down, “grampa’s station wagon” proportions didn’t jive in a market that was becoming, and still is, obsessed with taller, rugged-looking SUVs. Its infotainment and driver-assist tech lagged newer rivals, as Ford shifted its focus to smaller, more lucrative segments. It also never had a clear identity other than practicality (which, really, is its strongest trait).
2016 Hyundai Equus
Noted For Flagship Luxury In A Bargain Brand
The 2016 Hyundai Equus delivered luxury flagship sedan substance without the overly-inflated price-tag. It came in two upscale-named trim levels (Signature and Ultimate) starting at $62,450 and $69,700, respectively, and now is deemed fairly priced by KBB in the $12,000–$13,000 range, and offers the buyer a 429-horsepower V-8, library-quiet interior, executive-style rear seating, and extensive user and safety tech. It has every quality that buyers of executive luxury cars look for, except for one thing—badge cachet.
The Hyundai Equus is an interesting study in luxury perception. It was a car that had all the hallmarks of a luxury flagship sedan, but it wore a Hyundai badge, and to the buyer not willing to put pre-conceived notions aside, it represented the old adage about putting lipstick on a pig. Totally unwarranted, but it didn’t detract from the fact that it was a high-priced Hyundai (or a lowly Hyundai, to luxury intenders). It didn’t help that Hyundai dealers couldn’t deal with the premium expectations of luxury buyers, and the company moved in a different direction—creating the standalone Genesis brand.
2020 Buick Regal TourX
Noted For Well-Rounded, Rational Upscale Features
The 2020 Buick Regal TourX squarely hits the sweet spot of what makes a used car excellent—standard all-wheel drive, strong turbocharged engine, European luxury handling, and crossover cargo handling. Its low roof and wagon form make loading and unloading easier, while the ride stays composed and quiet in typical luxury sports sedan fashion. Its interior is simple and intuitive, mechanicals are straightforward, and it’s relatively affordable compared to European notchback sedans.
The problem was that market forces were skewing toward SUV styling, which effectively erased the 2020 Buick Regal TourX luxury wagon from relevance. Wagons had already fallen out of favor in the U.S., and buyers overwhelmingly prioritized taller ride heights and SUV styling over functionally similar, but more efficient and solid alternatives. Buick was on its own path to follow customer trends, doing away with all its sedans, and pumped bare-minimum into marketing. There was also no standout identity; just understated capability.
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2019 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack
Noted For Solid Engineering And Spacious Cabin
An elevated version of the Golf SportWagon introduced in 2015, the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack gets the fundamentals right in a way few modern vehicles manage. It blends standard all-wheel drive, SUV-like stance and cargo capacity, and solid engineering in a compact footprint that’s practical, efficient, and fun to live with. The venerable Golf is revered as a simple, user-friendly hatchback that has served millions of drivers the world over, the SportWagon catered to families that needed more space, and the Alltrack (introduced in 2017) offered a bridge to going into full bulky SUV mode.
Unfortunately for the 2019 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, that step between compact wagon and compact SUV was one buyers didn’t really want to take, and the Alltrack became a victim of perception and timing. Buyers preferred taller crossovers, even though they offered no real practical advantage over wagons like the Golf Alltrack, but the difference was apparently the ride height that conveyed a more rugged image and increased confidence in the snow-belt. Dated technology and higher maintenance costs also contributed to its abandonment.
2018 Subaru Legacy 3.6R
Noted For Its Bulletproof Engine And All-Season Confidence
The Subaru Legacy is one of a dwindling species of midsize sedans, with its main selling points being a very good AWD system and solid longevity (one of the reasons there aren’t more used examples available is because they last forever). It has always followed customer expectations and, for two decades, that included a six-cylinder engine, with a flat-six 3.6-liter unit in active duty from 2010 to 2019. The H-6 design (unique to the segment) provides vibration-free power delivery, while its packaging improves command-of-the-road perception.
Competing against segment heavyweights like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, the Subaru Legacy never really made a breakthrough, and even the advantages of the boxer-six engine didn’t sway buyers toward the generally conservative, easy-to-overlook character of the car. The Subaru Legacy 3.6R never really took advantage of its AWD performance potential, mostly due to its pairing with a continuously variable transmission, and buyers stopped noticing its fundamentally sound qualities in a field of flashier mid-size sedans.
2020 Lincoln MKZ Black Label
Noted For Its Powerful Engine And Luxury Poise
There’s a lot of agreement about the excellence of European luxury sedans, but one of the more overlooked ones came out of Detroit (albeit heavily influenced by the corporation’s European division). The Lincoln MKZ was a near-perfect midsize luxury sedan that went away at the top of its game, with quiet comfort, impressive driving dynamics, and effortless power supplied by a twin-turbo V-6. The Black Label was affixed to uprate the MKZ with top-notch materials, unique interiors, and more ownership perks
The problem with the Lincoln MKZ Black Label is that it never stood out—a trait that serious luxury buyers actually adore, but one that doesn’t play out well with the nouveaux riches or those who like to flaunt their wealth. Good as it was at keeping up with Audis and BMWs, it never garnered the attention of Cadillac and Lexus buyers, primarily because it consistently (and mistakenly) got dismissed as a rebadged Ford Fusion. Lost in the Lincoln push toward SUVs, it was cast aside for being merely a well-rounded, comfortable luxury sports sedan.
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2017 Nissan Juke Nismo
Noted For Its Sporty Looks And Dynamic Handling
The Nissan Juke struck all the right chords—compact SUV, modern edgy styling, and, in the case of Nissan Juke Nismo variants, impressive performance. There was no other compact SUV really like it during its time, with its eye-catching design, short wheelbase that made it both a pleasure to toss about and to blend comfortably into crowded parking lots, and the Nismo-tuned turbo engine that effectively blended power and efficiency. The Nismo turn also added sportier interior appointments, making it a hot hatch in crossover clothing.
Unlike other cars on this list that didn’t do enough to stand out, the Nissan Juke Nismo was a victim of polarizing looks (you either love it or despise it; there doesn’t seem to be an in-between) that quickly became outdated, with more haters than lovers. Juke also lost the compact family attraction through a driver-centric interior that prioritized sportiness over family practicality (especially in the rear-seat versatility desired by families). Also, Juke performance wasn’t successfully played up as a Nismo model, and it basically came across as an expensive cosmetic package.
2020 Volvo V90
Noted For Superb Safety Features In A Full-Size Wagon
As we’ve touched on earlier, the wagon scene was beginning to fade out as the crossover/SUV segment built momentum, and the Volvo V90 was another victim of a segment that was no longer relevant, despite its relentless adherence to the fundamentals—exceptional safety, spacious and versatile interior, refined ride, and a size that rivals full-size SUVs in an easier-to-drive package. The Volvo V90 delivers the hallmarks of luxury in an understated package that prioritizes comfort over aggression, with a unique turbocharged and supercharged powertrain.
The Volvo V90 was working against a market that wanted more flash—it was a premium-priced station wagon in a world of rugged SUVs—and it pivoted toward a more SUV-themed V90XC and left the V90 in 2021. The V90’s restrained styling and comfort-first driving dynamics made it easy to overlook next to flashier midsize SUVs and performance-oriented German sports wagons. Its powertrain also worked against a market that expected more than a four-cylinder under a luxury car hood.
2017½ Mazda6
Noted For Smooth, Refined Ride And Precise Handling
The Mazda6 is another of those excellent midsize sedans that just couldn’t break through the barrier put up by its Japanese rivals (Camry and Accord). On paper, it is the “smart used buy,” nailing the family-car fundamentals with unwavering discipline. It’s efficient, it’s dynamically exciting to drive, it’s smooth and effortless, and its interior punches above its class. By the time it was refreshed partway into 2017, it got all its safety tech in order, while keeping its ownership costs predictable, and was ready to make its mark. But the segment was changing.
The Mazda6 remains an excellent overall midsize sedan that never dominated in any one category—it isn’t the fastest, the roomiest, or the most tech-forward, and its interior controls were far from simple or intuitive—so it struggled to gain traction in a segment dominated by Camry, Accord, and the Hyundai Sonata. Rather than upgrade the car with a hybrid powertrain and AWD, Mazda chose to dive into the compact SUV segment that was steamrolling into the future of family vehicles, leaving the Mazda6 to destiny, as an excellent used car buy.
The Forgotten American Sedan That Still Holds Its Own Against Luxury Rivals
This American sedan may not get the attention it deserves, but it is still an alluring combination of power, luxury, and performance-focused features.
2017 Chevrolet SS
Noted For Awesome Performance And Sports Sedan Persona
By the time Pontiac brought a true sports sedan back to North America, the brand was relegated to history, and the Australian-imported Pontiac GTO’s mission was recast as the Chevrolet SS, which in itself made no sense for a company that had for decades promoted SS as the top designation of Chevrolet performance across its muscle car and sporty coupe lines. Regardless of the ambiguity, there is no denying the Chevrolet SS as a well-balanced, manually-shifted 400-horsepower V-8 RWD sports sedan.
The Chevrolet SS was almost destined to fail in a bowtie lineup that already had a Camaro SS and a 400-horsepower Corvette. Its biggest flaw was definitely not engineering, but positioning. It just didn’t have a niche or a presence. It looked like the ordinary Chevy sedan to the world (except for those savvy observers who noted the excessively muted performance design cues), and an expensive one at that. It was also a victim of shifting demand for SUVs and the end of Australian production, both of which meant it had no future.
Sources: Kelley Blue Book, CarsDirect, Edmunds