Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Automotive News & Views Inside Line Article Comments Edmunds turns 40 - guess the most significant car from each year!
349 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2007 at 5:26 AM
You are in the Inside Line Article Comments Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
Edmunds Most Significant Vehicles, 1966-2006
but the RX7 for 1993? The third-gen Camry was VASTLY more influential, as much fun as a twin-turbo 2700-pound rotary is. At this rate, we might as well whip out the Sharpie and put the Mark IV Supra in for 1994.
|
|
|
I would've picked the Dodge Intrepid or Chrysler Concorde. I think they were one of the first aerodynamic mainstream sedan styles that was really good looking. The Taurus, in contrast, was kinda utilitarian, while GM's efforts like the Lumina or those Grand Prixes and Regals with the football-shaped greenhouse were downright weird. The Intrepid/Concorde showed that big cars didn't have to be floaty, cushy, old-fogey mobiles. They were good handlers and with the optional 214 hp OHC 3.5, good performers. They definitely helped jump-start a resurgent horespower war in mainstream cars. These LH cars were also one of the pioneers in the current trend of having cars with a wide track and long wheelbase, with a comparatively short overall length. While nobody's going to call ~203" short, at the time that was short for a car with a 113" wheelbase. For 1994 I'd guess the Ram pickup? It put Dodge back on the map in the pickup truck arena, and its combination big-rig/retro macho style has left its mark on just about every truck designed since then (except for that 1997 girly-truck looking F-150). It also helped up the ante in the hp department with the Magnum 318/360, although to be fair these engine were launched either in 1992 or 1993 in the older-style Ram.
|
|
|
Replying to: bumpy (Oct 10, 2006 9:41 am) Watch Neon get it in 94 ROFL
|
|
|
Replying to: fintail (Oct 10, 2006 9:55 am) Good Lord I hope not! Although I can think of a few things in the Neon's defense. First, it was one of the first small cars I can remember fitting comfortably inside, both front and rear. I think that was compliments of its long 104" wheelbase. That was pretty big for a small car back then, when you consider a Celebrity was only 104.9", a Dynasty was ~104.3", and a Taurus was only 106". It was also pretty peppy, offering a 132 hp 2.0 4-cylinder engine standard. A lot of small cars had optional engines that were stronger than that, but most of them had very tame base engines. I always thought the Neon was kinda like the Citation for Chevy...would've been an awesome car in their lineup if only the quality had been there.
|
|
|
Replying to: andre1969 (Oct 10, 2006 10:05 am) I just know that almost everyone I have known who had one had a bad experience. 1994...hmmm...those Dodge trucks...new Accord that year...nothing else that I can recall |
|
|
the Neon was a 1995 model, but I remember test driving one in early 1994, like February or March. And yeah, I've heard all sorts of horror stories with the first-gen model as well! The 1994 Accord was a good car, but it wasn't considered much of a leap over the 1990-93. In fact, at least one magazine critized Honda for going the domestic route and doing change just for the sake of change, as opposed to the more traditional Japanese route of change for the better. The 1994 Accord was criticized for being too small, probably because the Camry had grown considerably for 1992 and now the Altima was out, and the 626 was getting bigger, so I guess the Accord was kind of the runt of the litter. One of the managers here at work has a 1996 Accord. Not a bad little car, but it definitely has a compact car feel to it. A bit tight in legroom, short seat cushion that doesn't have much thigh support. I'd call it a "15 minute" seat, as in it takes about 15 minutes of riding in it before some part of my body starts aching! Still, a likeable little car. Also, while it wasn't new for 1994, I think GM dropping the LT-1 350 into the Caprice/Roadmaster/Fleetwood was kinda significant. Really improved their performance, and even gave them a slight improvement in fuel economy. But by 1994, traditional-sized big cars wasn't where the market was heading. |
|
|
... I don't know... I don't see them as significant, at all... I would have pegged the Camry for 1992... That was the first year that they were all grown up.. The Intrepid would be good for '93.. that was the first decent car that Chrysler had made since... well.. since... a long, long time... |
|
are cool cars, IMO they're just too nichey to really be considered truly significant. They only build a handful of Vipers a year while the RX-7 was just another example of the once lithe, nimble, affordable Japanese sporty coupe suddenly becoming something that wants to eat Corvettes for breakfast, and ultimately doomed to the same fate as the Supra, 300ZX, and Prelude.
|
|
|
Replying to: andre1969 (Oct 10, 2006 12:17 pm) Cars like the PT Cruiser, the T-bird, the HHR, the GT, the upcoming Camaro, etc. all in some measure owe their existence as they are to the Viper. |
|
|
Replying to: andre1969 (Oct 10, 2006 9:48 am) I agree. While the RX-7 was a nice sports type car with light weight, lots of power, etc., it had a lot of problems as I recall. That car model did not have any sucess at all in the marketplace, did not inspire imitators, nor did it last long. It was discontinued. What kind of signficance was that? Intrepid and Concorde with cab-forward design, great interior room, good visibility, nice styling and so forth was a heck of a lot more significant than the Mazda. There were imitators within a couple/few years. Think that we should ask the Edmunds folks to state/restate what is their criteria for the term "most significant". Seems like some of their picks are highly arbitrary with scant justification.
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Automotive News & Views Inside Line Article Comments Edmunds turns 40 - guess the most significant car from each year!
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
