Ask AutoGuide: Fixing 5 Iconic Vehicles For The True Enthusiasts
Bringing back a historic vehicle nameplate is nothing new in the automotive industry.
There's a lot of brand equity in well-known model lines that helps with consumer recognition and marketing appeal. But a lot of times, the historic name does not match the modern product. Remember the late 1970s Dodge Charger, the 1980s Pontiac LeMans, or the bubbly Mercury Cougar?
A highly successful car, truck, or SUV is going to attract a devoted following. Inevitably, the diehard enthusiasts who are infatuated with a specific product do not want future iterations to stray too far from the formula that they know and love. It's not to say fans don't want a vehicle to evolve or stay modern over time; they just don't want a complete upheaval of what they feel are the nameplate's core competencies. Sometimes a bit of change is good, other times, a complete reinvention results in an enthusiast revolt.
Below we've picked out five vehicles that continue to get a lot of feedback from our readers, who are not onboard with the current versions of their beloved nameplates. In a complete exhibition of whimsy and conjecture, we've concocted solutions on how manufacturers could build the vehicles that diehard fans feel would better represent the nameplate's legacy and history.
Jeep Cherokee
This is a bit unfair. The new Jeep Cherokee is barely even in the market yet and folks already want the current design torn down and rebuilt. What's wanted is a recreation of the second-generation model, the beloved XJ. Fans need a boxy, rear-wheel drive bias off-roader with a true two-speed transfer case. The problem is, Stellantis doesn't have a compact unibody platform that fits this bill currently.
One solution could be to scale down the Grand Cherokee platform, but that could be costly. We suggest going body-on-frame for the Cherokee, using the Wrangler platform, but replacing the solid front axle with an independent suspension. Graft a hard-top body on the frame and give it the 3.6-liter naturally aspirated Pentastar, and voila, an old-school off-road box for the fans.
Honda Prelude
Here's another entry that maybe hasn't been around long enough to draw the amount of flak it has received. But putting an automatic transmission hybrid drivetrain in Honda's beloved front-wheel-drive sports car is blasphemy for many enthusiasts. This one is a much easier fix than the Cherokee.
The Prelude already has the suspension and chassis chops to live up to the historic nameplate; it's really the drivetrain many folks want changed. Honda has multiple combinations available that the brand could install in the Prelude, like the 1.5-liter turbo and six-speed manual from the Civic Si. Or if we really want to get nutty, the Civic Type R's 2.0-liter engine and manual transmission.
Chevrolet Blazer
For decades, the Chevrolet Blazer was a rough-and-tumble true SUV that was at home off the road as it was on it. The latest Blazer is much more of a family-friendly crossover and is quite a good vehicle in its own right. But maybe Chevy should give it a different name and save the Blazer moniker for something more capable.
Using the body-on-frame mid-size Colorado pickup truck platform, Chevrolet could really create something ready to take the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler head-on.
Subaru Outback
The newest Outback may be the best overall Outback ever created, and it still drives a lot like the old Outback. But every generation Outback has been a bit less car and a bit more crossover. Now, the vehicle is wearing a full-blown SUV body and lacks the sleek, raised wagon look that defined the model for decades.
We don't even need to suggest any fixes for this model; the perfect solution already exists. Overseas, there's a fantastic Subaru WRX-based wagon called the Levorg we've lusted after for over a decade. A few years ago, it got a raised-up, crossover variant called the Levorg Layback, which is essentially a rebirth of the original Outback.
BRING IT TO US NOW, SUBARU.
Hummer
The Hummer becoming a full-electric vehicle may be one of the most dramatic changes of all time. That stated, it's still a master off-road, and is more capable than most other vehicles on sale today. Fans of the brand though, want a big, fuel-burning monster like the Hummers of old.
May we suggest building a widebody SUV on the GMC Yukon platform, then giving it all of the off-road goodies from the Sierra AT4X AEV. It can even have a diesel. Heck, maybe even go further than that. You know people will pay excessive amounts of money GMC.
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A 20+ year industry veteran, Mike rejoins the AutoGuide team as the Managing Editor. He started his career at a young age working at dealerships, car rentals, and used car advertisers. He then found his true passion, automotive writing. After contributing to multiple websites for several years, he spent the next six years working at the head office of an automotive OEM, before returning back to the field he loves. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). He's the recipient of a feature writing of the year award and multiple video of the year awards.
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Its "XJ" not JX for the Cherokee. Yes, the second generation XJ from 1997-2001 are the best.
There's no fixing anything from Stellantis. The XJ is/was a miserable vehicle. Drove poorly, ate fuel, unreliable. A perfect Jeep.
The prelude would do better with a 2.0t from say an Accord or RDX.
The Subaru, crush it and start over, it's so ugly, both inside and out. And give it power and a conventional automatic. Most people can walk faster than that thing can accelerate.
The Blazer, well, sure, give it a full frame, then GM would drop in a 2.7, 3.6 or 6.2 and the 10speed auto, watch them all blow up