Cadillac SRX
The Cadillac SRX didn’t die so much as it was replaced by something much more advanced. Production for the luxury SUV lasted from 2003 to 2015, with Cadillac selling more than 506,000 examples in the U.S. in 12 years on the market, spanning two generations.
The death of the SRX wasn’t all that unexpected, admittedly. The new XT5 is better looking, more advanced, and has already proved to be a big seller. The company sold 68,312 examples of the SUV in 2017. So while the SRX may be dead, the XT5 is picking up right where it left off.
Lincoln Aviator
From 2002 to 2005, Lincoln built the Aviator. It was the smaller, less-successful sibling to the Navigator, and was based on the Ford Explorer, as noted by its obvious Ford-Inspired styling elements. Though the company sold as many as 29,000 examples in 2003, the SUV wasn’t exactly well received. Competition with both the Ford Explorer and its Mercury Mountaineer clone held back the Aviator from success.
The Aviator saw no direct successor, but the introduction of the MKX and the MKT soaked up most of the sales Lincoln lost with the death of the Explorer-based SUV. Rumor has it that the nameplate could make a return to the range in just a few years.
Jeep Patriot: 27
In 2007, Jeep expanded its lineup with the Patriot and Compass. Jeep still sells the Compass today, but the automaker discontinued Patriot production at the end of 2016.
Chrysler Pacifica
The Chrysler Pacifica isn’t so much dead as it is thoroughly reinvented. From 2004 to 2008, the American marque built the Pacifica midsize crossover. It was the first jointly engineering product of the 1998 DaimlerChrysler merger, and proved to be a relative success from the get go.
With stiff competition from luxury crossovers like the Lexus RX and BMW X5, the Pacifica peaked at 92,363 examples in 2004. In its seven years on sale in markets like the U.S. and Canada, the company moved a total of 391,313 examples. The Pacifica crossover was eventually discontinued in 2007, but the nameplate was revived in 2016 as a replacement to the Town & Country minivan.
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
While the Escalade itself may still be on the market – and has been since 1999 – the short-lived Escalade Hybrid made its debut in 2008 in Miami and had an asking price of $74,085 for the standard two-wheel-drive model.
Power came courtesy of a 6.0-liter V8 paired to two 60-kilowatt electric motors supplied by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack under the rear seat. Not only was the SUV good for 379 horsepower (282 kilowatts) total, but it also allowed for 20 city / 23 highway MPG. A respectable return for such a large SUV. The Escalade hybrid lasted for five years on the market before being discontinued in 2013.
Nissan Xterra
For more than 15 years, the Nissan Xterra was the go-to option for buyers wanted something that was both road friendly, but capable when you needed it. Sharing its platform with the Nissan Frontier pickup, it was capable enough and came powered by a 4.0-liter V6 delivering 265 horsepower (198 kilowatts) in its most powerful application.
In its time on the market, the Xterra took home 12 major awards in the U.S., including Motor Trend’s Sport Utility of the Year, the North American Truck of the Year, Edmunds.com’s Editor’s Most Wanted Vehicle, and 4Wheeler Magazine’s SUV of the Year, among others. The Xterra was officially discontinued in 2015, but rumor has it that the nameplate could make a return to the lineup in just a few years.
Subaru Tribeca
For nine years, the quirky Tribeca was Subaru’s answer to other seven-seat SUVs of the world. While it may not have been as successful as some of its more mainstream competitors – moving just 76,774 examples in the U.S. in a nine-year span – the Tribeca proved to be a big step forward for the Subaru brand.
The SUV took home awards like the 2006 "Interior of the Year" presented by Ward’s Auto, and earned a “Top Safety Pick” ranking by the IIHS. The three-row Tribeca was discontinued in 2015. It will be replaced by the more modern Ascent, which hits Subaru showrooms later this year.
