Driving By Numbers: 10 vehicles from 10 years ago that would sell well today

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The world was a very different place only a decade ago.

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Not so sure? In 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed; Prince William’s marriage was the biggest royal news; Occupy Wall Street was just becoming a thing; and the Tōhoku earthquake wrought devastation in northern Japan.

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Driving By Numbers: 10 vehicles from 10 years ago that would sell well today Back to video

If you’re still not sure ten years ago was forever ago , consider this: In 2011, Canadians were still buying Kia Borregos, Chevrolet HHRs, and Dodge Nitros.

The year 2011 was a markedly different time for the Canadian automotive industry. There were plenty of acute challenges. the Tōhoku quake and ensuing tsunami caused huge inventory shortfalls for many Japanese auto brands, a global recession had only just depleted coffers, and expectations for huge fuel-economy improvements posed major new challenges for automaker R&D departments.

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Yet there was also another threat that many automakers would struggle to fend off for much of the next decade. Consumer tastes were changing, and they were changing in a hurry. Charles and Linda may have been content with the traditional family sedan in the 1980; and Michael and Jennifer loved minivans in the 1990s; but Ryan and Jessica, and virtually all of their peers, were moving into crossovers in the 2010s.

Traditional passenger cars last accounted for the majority of Canadian auto sales in 2009, but a little more than a decade later, cars would produce less than one-fifth of Canada’s light-vehicle sales. Across the industry, future “potential favourites” were being put out to pasture, consigned to the dustbin of failed experiments.

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Of course, vehicles such as the Buick Lucerne and Mitsubishi Galant barely register in the memories of Canadian car shoppers. But just like those unloved sedans, plenty of other vehicles still fighting for market share after the last recession were discontinued. Now, it’s time for a comeback — ten  comebacks, to be precise.

We’ve scoured old sales spreadsheets and found a group of poor performers that would actually sell rather well, had they simply not hit the market prematurely. To be fair, in a couple of cases, we reached back just a bit before 2011, but this is a group that deserves another kick at the can. Almost none of them are likely to get that chance, mind you, but we’re putting estimated 2022 sales numbers on them anyway.

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Chevrolet Avalanche

A decade ago, the second-generation Chevrolet Avalanche was still pulling nearly 3,700 sales annually in Canada. And that was before the market hit its rapid post-recession growth phase, and before pickups became the engine of the Canadian auto industry.

Based on the Silverado/Avalanche ratio in the past, you can imagine GM Canada would be able to sell at least 5,000 Avalanches per year now. It wouldn’t be at significant cost, either, as the Avalanche was basically a Suburban – itself an enclosed three-row Silverado – with an exposed cargo area, and a “midgate” that expanded the cargo area into the bed. Production of the Avalanche ended in 2013.

Chrysler Aspen

An upscale version of the Dodge Durango, the Chrysler Aspen’s lack of popularity at the end of its lifespan – only 15 were sold in 2010 – suggests dealers couldn’t rid themselves of their final allotments. The Aspen went out of production in late 2008. But this was a vehicle that at one point outsold competitors such as the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon. On that basis, we suspect the malnourished Chrysler brand would benefit greatly from an estimated 4,000 annual Aspen sales today.

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Dodge Caliber

No, the Dodge Caliber wasn’t a good car. Some might say it was a bad car, and some are likely right. But in its prime, the Caliber was still managing to collect around 19,000 sales per year, though only 4,919 were sold in 2011. If the Caliber were to return in 2022, it would enter a market in which it wouldn’t be viewed as an off-beat rival for the Civic and Corolla; instead, it would be a Subaru Crosstrek and Honda HR-V alternative, and it would almost certainly manage 13,000 sales per year. Caliber production ended in 2011.

Dodge Dakota

Even at the end of its run, the Ram’s little brother collected 1,347 sales in 2011. That level of market share would return roughly 2,000 sales in today’s burgeoning midsize truck market. The Dakota would likely produce much more than that with a concerted effort. Honda, for instance, sold nearly 3,000 Ridgelines in 2020. Midsize truck volume jumped 22 per cent in 2021’s first quarter.

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Honda Element

True, the Honda Element only managed a measly 180 sales in 2011, but that was its final year. The Element was at times able to produce roughly one-sixth as many sales as its popular CR-V sibling. That suggests Honda Canada could sell nearly 10,000 Elements per year in today’s huge SUV market. And don’t we deserve something different, in a segment where class leaders such as the CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue are all rather staid and common?

Mazda B-Series

The Mazda B-Series pickup existed because of Ford’s relationship with Mazda – it was a version of the Ford Ranger pickup – although that relationship no longer exists. Production of the little Mazda truck ended in 2009, though the final 661 B-Series trucks didn’t clear out until 2011.

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Based on the truck’s end-of-life market share, it’s likely that Mazda could produce at least 2,600 truck sales in a year, though the real figure would likely be at least double that. Where Mazda would find its truck donor remains another issue altogether, but it’s clear that the company’s tiny lineup could use the support.

Mazda RX-8

The rotary-powered four-door Mazda RX-8 was never a high-volume vehicle. But the Canadian market’s sports-car resurgence during the pandemic – first-quarter Mazda MX-5 sales jumped 361 per cent, along with big gains from various others  – suggests Mazda could find a home for perhaps 500 or more RX-8 sales in Canada each year. Production of the RX-8 ended in 2012. Only 165 were sold in 2011. To carve a niche for itself, the RX-8 would likely require all-wheel-drive, a hybrid option of some kind, and a price point well below $50,000, none of which will happen.

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Nissan Xterra

A decade ago, when Nissan managed only 1,258 Canadian sales of the Xterra, which exited the market in 2015, Jeep was selling around 1,300 Wranglers per month, and Toyota was selling around 200 4Runners. The Wrangler number has escalated, and in the fourth quarter of last year, Jeep averaged nearly 2,100 Wranglers per month. Toyota sold nearly as many 4Runners in the first quarter of 2021 as in the entire 2011 calendar year. There’s room for an affordable Xterra to grab at least 5,000 and perhaps 10,000 sales per year in Canada if Nissan took the plunge.

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Okay, it’s not at all realistic, because Suzuki doesn’t even operate as an automotive brand in Canada these days, but bear with us. The Grand Vitara is the perfect fit for a compact SUV market that has forsaken its rugged roots; even if a model returns to rugged styling, such as the Toyota RAV4 Trail, it’s still mostly for just urban adventurism. Suzuki sold 1,904 Grand Vitaras in 2011, and the brand left Canada in 2014. Based on growth in the segment and its historic market-share figures, the Grand Vitara could easily generate 4,500 annual sales today.

Toyota FJ Cruiser

It doesn’t get any more obvious than the Toyota FJ Cruiser. Its Canadian sales plunged from 4,919 in 2006; to only 899 in 2009; and then only 639 in 2011. FJ production didn’t stop instantly upon its Canadian demise, and the SUV has been available in various other markets.

But a new FJ would serve as prime competition for the Jeep Wrangler and upcoming Ford Bronco. Based on astronomical resale values, it’s clear that there is demand for the FJ. Could Toyota now manage 15,000 sales per year? We think it probably could, and that’s why it rounds out our list.