10 Discontinued Sedans Enthusiasts Refuse to Forget
When you drive on the road today, you’ll notice the automotive landscape as a whole has changed. All you see are crossovers and SUVs. You don’t see many new regular four-door sedans anymore. Even the enthusiast space, where big four-door performance sedans were a staple in the mid-2000s, is now occupied by only a few in favor of performance SUVs. Over the last decade, automakers looked at spreadsheets and noticed that crossovers and SUVs commanded higher profit margins, and systematically axed sedans.
While the public is okay with this change, enthusiasts are mourning the loss of some of their favorite four-door heroes. They are realizing that a lifted hatchback with a high center of gravity cannot replace the balance, aerodynamics, and pure soul of a proper sedan. We’ve rounded up 10 incredible sedans that automakers threw away, but the culture refuses to forget.
10
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
(Discontinued: 2016)
If you want to talk about automotive betrayal, you start with the Mitsubishi Evo. For ten generations, the Lancer Evolution was the blue-collar giant-killer. It didn’t care about soft-touch plastics or fancy NVH levels; it cared about cutting a line through tarmac, gravel, and snow faster than cars that were triple the money.
The 2016 Final Edition made 303 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbo inline-four. But the Evo’s magic was its clever Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. Combined with the Active Yaw Control (AYC) hydraulic rear differential, it used steering, throttle, and G-sensors to bend the laws of physics. It was a grip monster on any surface. True gearheads have never forgiven Mitsubishi, and clean Evo Xs command insane premiums today because nothing else delivers that raw, analog rally car for the street vibe.
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9
Chevrolet SS
(Discontinued: 2017)
The Chevrolet SS was an absolute sleeper masterpiece. General Motors took the brilliant Australian-built Holden Commodore VF chassis, slapped a bowtie on the grille, and shipped it to the States without even advertising it to the world. It looked like a rental-spec Malibu, but to those in the know, it was essentially a four-door Corvette.
Under the hood sat the iconic 6.2-liter LS3 V8, cranking out 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque straight to the rear wheels. When GM added a six-speed manual option and standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension for its final years, it elevated the car significantly. It was balanced, loud, and incredibly rewarding to drive at the limit. It was a car built by engineers, for engineers, and GM killed it because it didn’t fit into the money-printing crossover blueprint. It’s a tragic loss, but its cult-classic status is permanently cemented.
8
Toyota Avalon
(Discontinued: 2022)
You might look at the Avalon and wonder what it’s doing on an enthusiast list. But hear me out: true car nerds appreciate a purpose-built highway cruiser. The Avalon didn’t pretend to be a track car; it was designed to swallow thousands of interstate miles in absolute, unbothered silence. Built on the rigid TNGA-K platform, the final generation of the Avalon offered an unexpected level of composure.
If you checked the box for the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) trim, Toyota went full rogue: it added matte-black wheels, a stiffer, track-tuned suspension that lowered the ride height, upgraded brakes, and a cat-back dual exhaust that let the 301-horsepower naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 actually growl. Its power delivery was also quite responsive for a car of this type.
Toyota replaced it with the high-riding Crown—a vehicle trying desperately to be both a sedan and a crossover. In doing so, Toyota proved just how much it missed the point of the Avalon’s pure, traditional three-box comfort.
7
Kia Stinger
(Discontinued: 2023)
When Kia hired Albert Biermann away from BMW’s M Division, they weren’t playing around. The Stinger was a declaration of war against the European sports sedans. It was a stunning, low-slung liftback that offered genuine grand touring capability at a fraction of the German tax. The GT models packed a punchy 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 with 368 hp and a healthy 376 lb-ft of torque. It was long, comfortable, exceptionally stable at triple-digit speeds, and crucially, it loved to step its tail out if you opted for the rear-wheel-drive configuration with the limited-slip diff.
The Stinger proved Kia could build an elite enthusiast machine. Yet, despite widespread positive reviews, buyers kept gravitating toward taller, heavier utility vehicles. Kia ended production with the Tribute Edition in 2023, leaving a gaping void where an affordable, long-wheelbase GT car used to live.
6
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
(Discontinued: 2024 for North America)
Driving an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was an experience. It wasn’t just fast; it felt alive and hyperactive. Alfa gave this car a steering rack so lightning-quick it felt like driving a Ferrari sedan. Speaking of Ferrari, it had a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 that made 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque.
When the rear tires hooked up and that V6 sang through its active exhaust, the Giulia Quadrifoglio could humble supercars on a backroad. It held the Nürburgring sedan record in 2016 for a reason. The chassis tuning was spectacular, offering an organic connection between the tarmac and your palms that modern, over-isolated sport sedans completely lack. Alfa pulled the plug on the gas-powered Quadrifoglio twins to pivot toward electrification and crossovers. We’re left remembering a car that, when it worked perfectly, was arguably the most emotional four-door driving experience in a modern car.
5
Infiniti Q50
(Discontinued: 2024)
The Infiniti Q50 had a long, complicated production run, but enthusiasts will always remember it for one primary reason: the heart of this beast. Specifically, the VR30DDTT engine is found in the Red Sport 400. That 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 pumped 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. It was a tuners’ playground, capable of making more power with little more than a downpipe, exhaust, and a tune.
While the Q50’s steer-by-wire system drew criticism for isolating the driver, the raw straight-line acceleration and old-school rear-wheel-drive dynamics kept it relevant for a long time. Infiniti cut production of its sole remaining sedan to transition into an all-SUV lineup. It marked the end of an era for Nissan’s premium performance division, one that gave us iconic Skylines and G-series sedans that once competed with the best of Europe.
4
Audi S7
(Discontinued: 2025)
The Audi S7 was always the sensible enthusiast pick. It perfectly blended the sleek, sloping roofline of a four-door “Sportback” with genuine high-performance executive muscle. It avoided the boy-racer look entirely, choosing instead to serve the enthusiastic professionals in a German suit.
In its final generation, power came from a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and an electric-powered compressor making 444 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. Audi’s permanent Quattro all-wheel-drive system and a crisp 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox, made the S7 a grip machine. It simply hunkered down and moved down the road with authority. Audi is drastically realigning its portfolio around EVs and high-margin utility platforms, pushing the traditional gas-powered S7 out of the picture.
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3
Acura TLX Type S
(Discontinued: 2025)
The Acura TLX Type S was a menacing sport sedan with serious road presence. It felt like a return to form for a brand built on precise engineering and high-revving fun. The Type S had a bespoke 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 355 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque through Acura’s brilliant Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). This system actively overdrive the outside rear wheel in a corner to fight understeer and rotate the sedan around the apex. Along with Brembo brakes and a stiffened chassis, it was an absolute weapon in the twisties.
But with a massive footprint combined with a relatively tight interior, the packaging didn’t appeal to mainstream buyers who preferred the usable space of an RDX or MDX. Acura had to let it go, leaving sport sedan purists mourning one of the best-handling chassis the brand had built in a generation.
2
Subaru Legacy
(Discontinued: 2025)
The Subaru Legacy is the unsung hero of the foul-weather commute. While the WRX got all the glory, the Legacy quietly went about its business for over three decades, offering a low center of gravity, a boxer engine, and Subaru’s legendary Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. For those who wanted a sleeper, the Sport and Touring XT trims had the 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine from the WRX, detuned to a stout 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque.
In heavy downpours, snowstorms, or gravel roads, the Legacy felt completely unfazed. It offered a level of mechanical reassurance that modern front-wheel-drive-biased crossovers simply cannot replicate. Subaru ended production of the Legacy to allocate more manufacturing capacity to the Outback and Forester. It’s a classic case of an automotive giant abandoning its foundational sedan roots to fuel the ongoing utility craze.
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1
Chevrolet Malibu
(Discontinued: 2025)
The Malibu was the ultimate survivor. It was the last midsize rental-spec sedan available from Detroit. While base models were standard commuters, the 2.0-liter turbocharged Premier models got you 250 hp and a smooth nine-speed automatic. The chassis was shockingly competent, light on its feet, and offered a smooth, compliant ride that put modern, oversized crossovers to shame. It was an honest, traditional American midsize sedan.
With the Malibu’s retirement, Chevrolet’s historic line of traditional passenger cars is officially dead (excluding the Corvette). The factory that built it was retooled to produce electric utility vehicles, signaling the death of corporate affordable American four-door sedans.
Sources: Chevrolet, Infiniti, Audi, Acura, Toyota, Mitsbuishi, Kia, Alfa Romeo, Subaru
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