These Are the Practically Forgotten Cars You're Still Obsessed With

A good car never really dies, it just fades away. I asked you earlier this week about your favourite cars that the world seems to have moved on from, and I got a delightful list of mainly small cars from the '80s and '90s. Does this say something about the general age of our readership? Probably! As an 80s/90s kid myself, however, I will allow it. Almost all were the kind of affordable and fun vehicles that are long gone today – Geo Storm GSI, Isuzu Impulse RS, and the Mazda MX-3 all made the cut. Long forgotten by many, but not by the readers of this site.

I want to say this article makes a strong argument for the return of the small sporty hatchback, but you can't argue with automakers about anything. Believe me, I know, I've tried. If these cars were on the road today, they'd just lose money and get crushed like Coke cans by the latest mega trim of a Jeep Wagoneer L or Cadillac Escalade. But oh, the fun we would have before these cars were panic-pulled from the streets.

Scroll on through for a walk down memory lane.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore

'91 Isuzu Impulse RS. My mum's car in the late 90s. Such a wonderful forgotten gem from that era and she and I had a lot of great memories driving in that car. Sublime handling, truly ahead of its time.

From Sector7GWagen

God, what a good looking car

I almost put the Impulse's twin brother here – the Geo Storm GSi. I recall the Isuzu having the better handling (tuned by Lotus I recall) but both of them were fun, light, cheap for a first-time buyer, and damn near impossible to find one today.

and

My 1991 Geo Storm GSI hatchback.

Essentially a rebadged 2nd gen Isuzu Impulse. Came with a Lotus-tuned suspension, 5-speed manual and 1.6L DOHC I4. Such a fun little hatch that would rev forever.

Bought it as my beater to my new at the time 2000 F150 XLT Supercab. When I would go snowboarding from San Diego to the local mountains, if I went by myself I would just take my Geo Storm, I could fit everything in the hatch and back seats, could go there and back on a Saturday using half the gas and wasn't worried about the occasional nick from some snowboarder walking by.

I sold it several years later, wished I'd kept the car.

From Xavier96 and SD 197

I used the 2007 one cause that's my favourite

I don't know why, but the Volvo C30 always looked cool to me.

From Very Stable Genius

A forgotten Mazda? No, never

The 1992 Mazda MX-3 V6. Only sold for a couple of years in the US. A friend of mine got one for high school graduation (thanks Mum and Dad...), with the manual, and it was a lot of fun to drive. They were a little odd looking, the tiny V6 made absolutely no sense to use especially when four-cylinder engines of that era (like the Sentra SE-R) were making similar power, and the back seat made the Ford Probe back seat look like a limo, but deep down, if one were to come along with the V6 and low miles, it might be hard to say "no" to, especially if it's in one of those 1990s-specific colours like the bright teal that was popular at that time. I loved driving that little car with the smooth V6 and slick manual and so few were sold that I think it qualified as a practically forgotten car.

From Xavier96 (again!)

Nissan ate with this one

I'm glad the MX-3, Impulse and Geo Storm are getting some love and I'd add the Nissan NX2000 to that as well. I just miss that whole late 80s – early 90s CRX-inspired class of cars that was basically...

a fairly swoopy 2-door hatchback body style

two seats plus an upholstered place to belt in your groceries or backpack but few humans who'd aged into double digits could fit

a manual to provide that "slow car driven fast" fun factor

great 4-banger gas mileage (the V6 Mazda was an outlier)

And none were that expensive because without that body it was that manufacturer's basic econobox sedan. They all lived below that MX6 / 240SX / Celica / Prelude / Corrado price point.

From DungBeetle62

Foxy lady

The late 1980s VW Fox saloon and estate. Inexpensive, basic, and a bit jaunty. The perfect car for a first-timer or a great second/third car for a household. I wish there was something like that on the market today. I guess the Slate might come somewhat close, but the Fox nailed the "just what you need" balance AND a truly low price.

From BuddyS

Got deep in your brain

I still think about the Ford Probe a weirdly large amount. Imagine an alt history where Ford really leaned into the Mazda relationship and the Probe spawned other Ford-Mazda sports coupe / sports saloon collabs.

From LAX4THEWIN

The wagon that would be king

I'm not obsessed with it, but I did see a Mazda Protege 5 this morning.

But the real "forgotten" car is the Mercedes EQS. You know, the electric S-Class. I think they're so anonymous and forgettable that most people don't even realise it's actually a car that's still manufactured. With available power over 500hp, available AWD, four-wheel steering, air suspension, and range typically over 300 miles, it is the electric S-Class. Yeah, the styling isn't doing it any favours, but it's doing me a favour in resale value. I know the four-wheel steering and air suspension could be pricey repairs down the line, but I'm at that age where I'd like to own a big, comfy car at least once in my life.

I'm itching to get a used one sometime soon, so I'm a little obsessed with them.

From DynamicPresence

Legitimately forgot about this one

Anybody remember the Kia Borrego? Kia made a big, body-on-frame, V8-powered SUV and introduced it right as the bottom dropped out of the economy.

I have seen exactly two in the wild in the city I live in, and I still occasionally see one of them.

Every time I run across it, I get excited. If my wife is with me, I'll point it out to her and tell her the story of the awful timing of its release. I'm sure she's heard it enough, but she's a saint and humours me.

From Stillnotatony

Shot through the heart

The late 1970s Plymouth Arrow. I had one of these in black and gold in the late 80s and had no idea how awesome a car it was until I managed to destroy it. It was quick, light, and it had a 5-speed manual transmission in 1978. I've periodically looked for one since but it truly is a forgotten car. I'd also probably find it unliveable by today's standards but it looked so good... and was the car one of the characters drove in the movie "Illegally Yours".

From Leon Grossman