Article Highlights

• Base trim VW Golf, Hyundai Veloster, and Volvo V60 and V90 discontinued, special editions survive
• Canceled sports cars from Mazda and Mercedes are sure to be future classics
• While other markets get an all-new Toyota Landcruiser, this SUV is leaving the U.S. altogether

The automotive world is in flux. The crossover is becoming the default mode of transportation; automakers are ditching the lagging base models of their cars and station wagons. In addition, manufacturers are dumping old models to make room for new electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Another wave of cars will be going extinct after 2021. Discontinued cars include the Mazda6, Volkswagen Golf, Volvo station wagons, Mercedes S-Class, and Toyota Land Cruiser. Here are our favorite future classic cars. Get them while you can.

2021 Mazda 6: an award-winning sports sedan discontinued

The Mazda 6 will go down in history as one of the best four-door sedans. To better compete with Honda design and Toyota engineering, Mazda had to thread the needle between fuel efficiency, technology, and performance. With an available V6 engine and 6-speed manual, many Mazda 6 sedans were both sensible and fun. The Mazda 6 was even one of the most beautiful sedans of the year. But Mazda only sold 16,000 of the sedans in 2020. The 2021 Mazda 6 is listed for sale currently, but there will be no 2022 model. The Mazda 6 starts at $24,475. Buy this discontinued car while you can.

2021 Mazda CX-3: an outdated crossover

You might be tempted to say that those darn crossovers stole the Mazda 6’s market share. But after 2021, the Mazda CX-3 is canceled too. That said, this subcompact crossover has been around since the 2015 model year and is starting to show its age. Its largest engine is a 2.0 liter and its automatic transmission is only a 6-speed. As importantly, the Mazda 3 is now available as a hot-hatch and the CX-30 small crossover is debuting, so there is little need for the CX-3. The 2021 Mazda CX-3 starts at $20,790.

2021 Volvo V60: station wagon discontinued, crossover is a special order

What is the difference between a station wagon and a crossover? We would say ground clearance. With increasingly stable crossovers, there is not much reason for most drivers to choose a lower station wagon. This sad fact brought about the death of the beloved Volvo V60 station wagon. Beginning in 2022, you won’t be able to buy it in the U.S. But wait, you can still special order the Volvo V60 Cross Country–according to J.D. Power. What is the Cross Country? A lifted station wagon with some body cladding. If you want the standard height version, you’ll have to buy the discontinued car this year. The 2021 Volvo V60 starts at $40,950. The Cross Country version will run about $5,000 more.

2021 Volvo V90: another station wagon car canceled

Just like the above V60, the 2021 Volvo V90 station wagon is leaving the United States. Volvo is attempting to reinvent itself as an electric and hybrid car company, and the pokier models cramp its style. The Volvo V90 is a bit longer than the V60 and offers 4 more cubic feet of storage space. With the back seats down, you can place longer objects in the V90 than the V60. The V90 also has slightly more conservative interior colors and materials. Again, the Volvo V90 Cross Country, with increased ground clearance, will still be available as a special order. But if you want a standard-height V90, you’ll have to hurry. The 2021 Volvo V90 starts at $51,800.

2020 Fiat 500L: one of the last surviving 500s

Stellantis actually tried to pull a Volvo in 2019. With the base-model Fiat 500 sales lagging, it canceled the standard car. The company focused its energy on selling the larger, four-door, Fiat 500L. Unfortunately, with a car as funky as the Fiat 500, everyone who badly needed one bought one early on. The result is a low resale value and lagging sales. While Stellantis once moved 12,000 of its Italian crossovers in one year, in 2020, it only sold 475 of them. In 2022, the only Fiat 500 Stellantis will keep making is the upmarket, sporty, 500X. The 2020 Fiat 500L supposedly starts at $22,500. But considering last year’s sales numbers, you can probably get a deal if you are willing to haggle.

2021 Volkswagen Golf: a popular discontinued car

The Volkswagen Golf is the most recognizable name on this list. Even worse, the rest of the world is getting a fully updated eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf for 2022. Luckily, the Golf is not leaving American shores entirely: Volkswagen recognizes its base-model hatchbacks are losing sales to its crossovers but the hot hatches still have performance-minded buyers. Therefore, VW dealerships will no longer carry entry-level Golfs, but will still offer the 2022 Golf GTI and Golf R. If you want a VW hatchback on a budget, you had better hurry and buy a base 2021 Volkswagen Golf. This hatchback starts at $23,195.

2021 Hyundai Veloster: only the N will be available

The story here is very similar to the VW Golf. The quirky three-door Hyundai Veloster falls somewhere between a sports coupe and a hatchback. The base model of this less-than-practical vehicle is lagging, so Hyundai is canceling it. That said, the fan-favorite Hyundai Veloster N will be back in 2022. This tuned, front-wheel-drive compact makes an incredible 275 horsepower–according to Motor1. But if you want a regular Veloster, you will need to pick one up before dealers run out. Starting at $18,900, it’s one of the most affordable vehicles on this list. The 2022 Veloster N will be in an entirely different bracket, starting at $32,500.

2021 Mercedes Benz S-Class (coupe and cabriolet): luxurious discontinued cars

We are not sure how we feel about this new iteration of Mercedes-Benz company. The manufacturer that invented the car has offered sporty, fun convertibles for decades. Sometimes they have even been affordable.

Last year, the company canceled the 2021 Mercedes SLC, a Miata-sized roadster. Because modern roadsters are rare, we expect The SLC will be hot commodities to collect and eventually restore. And now, Mercedes has done it again. It canceled the S-Class coupe and cabriolet after the 2021 model year. Finally, under pressure from supply chain issues, Mercedes is ceasing V8 engine production. This may shake up entire product lines.

If you want a sporty and relatively-cheap two-door Mercedes, you should buy it soon. The S-Class coupe starts at $130,150, the convertible at $140,000.

2021 Toyota Land Cruiser: the end of an icon

The Toyota Land Cruiser is an icon and we’re especially sad to see it go. From its humble Jeep-like FJ40 origins, the Land Cruiser became a global phenomenon. In the United States, Toyota added more luxury features to every successive generation of its Land Cruiser. As a result, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser 200-series starts at $85,665. Toyota had put itself in a bind: the Land Cruiser’s cousin, the Lexus LX starts at $86,970. At these nosebleed prices, many American buyers opted for the Lexus.

Toyota’s solution was to ax the Land Cruiser in the U.S. market. This is especially painful for Toyota fans, because the rest of the world is getting an all-new lighter, faster, and more capable Land Cruiser 300-series for 2022. U.S. 4×4 fans can either pick up the Land Cruiser 200 by the end of 2021 or shell out for 2022’s Lexus LX 600 version to enjoy the upgraded drivetrain.

Act fast to own a future classic

The auto industry’s current motto seems to be “out with the old, in with the new.” With many manufacturers unveiling exciting electric prototypes, we must bid our internal combustion favorites farewell. If you want one of these discontinued cars, you had better act fast. You may be rewarded by owning a future classic.