Which One-Generation Car Deserved a Second Chance?

Bringing a new car to market is tough, especially when it rides on a unique platform or has to lure buyers away from established favorites. Sometimes automakers launch a fresh nameplate, or revive an old one, only to cancel it after a single generation. In some cases, that's for the best, but in others, it feels like a real loss.

That's the question posed by Jalopnik: which vehicle deserved a second generation but never got one? The focus is on cars that lasted just one generation before being discontinued, though a mid-cycle refresh is acceptable. Examples mentioned include the Plymouth Prowler, Chrysler Crossfire, Chrysler PT Cruiser, and Dodge Stealth, all Chrysler products, notably.

One writer's pick is the Buick Rendezvous, described as the Ashlee Simpson to the Pontiac Aztek's Jessica Simpson, overshadowed for too long. The Rendezvous was Buick's first SUV, an early unibody three-row crossover offering Buick-style luxury, and it shared underpinnings with GM minivans like the Chevrolet Venture and Pontiac Montana.

That platform gave it a tall, roomy interior, with a center console big enough for a full-size laptop in 2002. It was a rare seven-seat, three-row crossover at the time, though cargo space behind the third row was limited.

The Rendezvous lasted just five model years, with no direct replacement as a mid-size three-row Buick crossover. The larger Enclave came later, but it wasn't the same. The name itself, the writer argues, sounds great and deserves a revival. What vehicle do you think should have gotten a second generation?