In most cases, new is always better - the latest iPhone is surely more desirable than the one from years ago. But when it comes to things like cars, the same rule may not always apply. That's why there are vintage and classic car enthusiasts, along with some who are willing to fork out exorbitant amounts to renew the COE for their ageing cars.
When a new model is introduced, it often include changes to its design, interior and mechanical components such as the engine. Design is subjective and in some cases, a new design language might not sit well with everyone, which can make the new model less desirable. Meanwhile, emissions regulations and the pursuit for efficiency means large capacity, fire-breathing engines that make all sorts of race car noises are now few and far between.
So, today, we'll look at these five cars where their previous iteration may arguably be more desirable than the current one.
BMW M3 (F80) vs M3 (G80)
The F80 M3 came with a downsized but powerful turbocharged engine BMW's M3 is quite the cult classic. I mean, if we were to look even further back, the E30 might be the one heralded as the holy grail of M cars. But today, we want to argue the case for the F80 M3.
The shift from the E90 M3 to the F80 was quite a big one indeed, with the latter being the first-ever turbocharged M3.
While the engine lost two cylinders and shrunk by a litre, the addition of two turbochargers gave the F80 marginally more power along with gobs of twisting force.
The new M3 actually looks really good, but that front end just isn't widely accepted... While the E90 looked good, the F80 actually manages to look even better. All the sporty M-specific details found throughout the car along with the iconic quad tailpipes at the rear work perfectly well with the massive flared arches. The end result is a performance sedan with an incredulously muscular and aggressive stance. The F80 M3 indeed set a high bar.
Then came the new G80 M3, which definitely is no slouch, packing more power and performance. There was one highly controversial design choice, though - the massive front grille just didn't sit well with most. Long before the official launch of the G80 M3, there were plenty of renders online, trying to fix the front end of the otherwise perfectly good looking car. Hence, to some, the F80 M3, despite being older, is the more desirable one.
Want to hop into an M3 right away? Check out the ones available in the market now!
Honda Jazz (GK) vs Jazz (GR)
Over the years, the Honda Jazz/Fit has evolved into a sporty hatch with great looks The Honda Jazz, or Fit, depending on whether you get one from the Authorised Dealer, or from a Parallel Importer, has always been a popular city car.
Despite being a small hatchback without particularly high power, its pleasant and rather sporty design, along with a fair price point, has won the hearts of many.
With an abundance of aftermarket parts from all sorts of brands, including the famed Honda tuner Spoon Sports, this city runabout quickly became the choice of car enthusiasts. In fact, Spoon Sports even has a couple of Honda Fit race cars in its stable!
Then came the GR Jazz, which lost almost all of its aggression to a rounded, cutesy design Since its inception, Honda Jazz's design style has pretty much been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Each new iteration since the first has all been consistently sporty. The GK Jazz was the culmination of the evolution, resulting in a truly aggressive design that made it more hot hatch than a cute city runabout.
When the current GR Jazz was released, Honda basically took all that aggressive good looks and threw them out of the window, opting for a cutesy design that doesn't work for most people, especially fans of the past models. It's no surprise that many will gladly opt for the older GK Jazz over the latest iteration.
Looking for one of those sporty Honda Jazz? Check out the ones currently in the market!
Mercedes-Benz C63 (W204) vs C63 (W205)
The W204 C63 Black Series is undoubtedly one of the most desirable AMG cars in the world I know this might sound pretty biased, considering how we favoured the F80 M3 that had a downsized engine.
But I would argue the W204 C63's case to be an exception - it's a massive, muscular 6.2-litre V8 in a compact executive sedan!
From its design to the raw power that it puts out, the W204 C63 is one impressive performance sedan indeed. In fact, its performance wasn't an accident - the W204 C63 was the first AMG that was designed from the ground up for its purpose.
While the W205 C63 is no slouch, you just can't replicate the muscular traits of the 6.2-litre V8 with a much smaller engine Most avid car enthusiasts would likely remember its tyre-smoking shenanigans as displayed on various car review videos and magazines alike. This generation of the C63 is definitely an icon! Oh, and then there's the Black Series Coupe that is simply ludicrous.
While the W205 C63 is an equally impressive car with amazing performance (I had so much fun with it), there's just something that you can't replicate with a substantially smaller engine. It might be the raw, responsive power, or it might just be the earth-shattering exhaust note...
Want to get your hands on one of these 6.2-litre monsters? Here are the ones you can buy!
Mitsubishi Evolution IX (CT9A) vs Evolution X (CZ4A)
Mitsubishi's Evolution IX is well-loved by enthusiasts and are potent weapons on the race track when done right Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution line up has came a long way, spanning 10 iterations, with the Evolution X being the final one.
These hotted-up Mitsubishi Lancers had its roots in rally competition and brought motorsports performance to the streets, and are among the cars that gave Japanese Domestic Market cars such a cult following.
The Evolution IX is known for its performance and prowess in both on and off-road competition, especially after plenty of performance parts have been dumped into one. Many would also agree that it's one of the best-looking Evos among all 10 iterations. With a copious amount of aftermarket support, you will definitely be able to build something that's uniquely yours as well!
The Evolution X isn't a bad car, but many simply prefer its predecessor for various reasons Meanwhile, the final Evolution is simply less loved. Personally, the heft that it has put on, along with a rather bulky design, made it lose quite a fair bit of charm.
Well, just look at the prices of the Evolution IX as opposed to the Evolution X on the used car market here, and you’ll get the definite answer on which is more beloved.
Have a look, see how much these Evolution IX and Evolution X are going for in the used car market now.
Subaru Forester XT (SJ) vs Forester (SK)
The unassuming Forester XT puts down enough power to shame most other commuter cars The latest Subaru Forester came with a fair bit of features - there's now a mild-hybrid version that promises improved efficiency, and then there's Subaru's EyeSight system that allows the car to almost drive itself.
All these modern technology are nice and dandy, but with the introduction of the SK Forester, Subaru dropped the most powerful variant, the XT, which had a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
Despite being a crossover, the Forester XT proved to be a popular platform for enthusiasts due to the large amount of parts that could be adapted from the Subaru Impreza WRX and STI.
The new Foresters are great cars, but the XT has been dropped from the lineup And even from the perspective of the typical driver, the additional power of the XT makes for performance that is enjoyable even for the daily commute.
It's not surprising that there are drivers who choose not to upgrade to the latest Forester simply due to the fact that there is no longer an XT available.
Want a powerful SUV? Well, here are all the Forester XTs that are available used.
Here are some other articles that might interest you
Iconic vintage cars available in Singapore that are worth investing in... and keeping
Here are some of the best three-cylinder cars you can buy in Singapore right now!
The five most powerful four-cylinder cars available brand new in Singapore today
Seven hard to find current car models that enthusiasts like
Still prefer to swop gears yourself? Here are some manual cars you can still buy in Singapore today
When a new model is introduced, it often include changes to its design, interior and mechanical components such as the engine. Design is subjective and in some cases, a new design language might not sit well with everyone, which can make the new model less desirable. Meanwhile, emissions regulations and the pursuit for efficiency means large capacity, fire-breathing engines that make all sorts of race car noises are now few and far between.
So, today, we'll look at these five cars where their previous iteration may arguably be more desirable than the current one.
BMW M3 (F80) vs M3 (G80)
The shift from the E90 M3 to the F80 was quite a big one indeed, with the latter being the first-ever turbocharged M3.
While the engine lost two cylinders and shrunk by a litre, the addition of two turbochargers gave the F80 marginally more power along with gobs of twisting force.
Then came the new G80 M3, which definitely is no slouch, packing more power and performance. There was one highly controversial design choice, though - the massive front grille just didn't sit well with most. Long before the official launch of the G80 M3, there were plenty of renders online, trying to fix the front end of the otherwise perfectly good looking car. Hence, to some, the F80 M3, despite being older, is the more desirable one.
Want to hop into an M3 right away? Check out the ones available in the market now!
Honda Jazz (GK) vs Jazz (GR)
Despite being a small hatchback without particularly high power, its pleasant and rather sporty design, along with a fair price point, has won the hearts of many.
With an abundance of aftermarket parts from all sorts of brands, including the famed Honda tuner Spoon Sports, this city runabout quickly became the choice of car enthusiasts. In fact, Spoon Sports even has a couple of Honda Fit race cars in its stable!
When the current GR Jazz was released, Honda basically took all that aggressive good looks and threw them out of the window, opting for a cutesy design that doesn't work for most people, especially fans of the past models. It's no surprise that many will gladly opt for the older GK Jazz over the latest iteration.
Looking for one of those sporty Honda Jazz? Check out the ones currently in the market!
Mercedes-Benz C63 (W204) vs C63 (W205)
But I would argue the W204 C63's case to be an exception - it's a massive, muscular 6.2-litre V8 in a compact executive sedan!
From its design to the raw power that it puts out, the W204 C63 is one impressive performance sedan indeed. In fact, its performance wasn't an accident - the W204 C63 was the first AMG that was designed from the ground up for its purpose.
While the W205 C63 is an equally impressive car with amazing performance (I had so much fun with it), there's just something that you can't replicate with a substantially smaller engine. It might be the raw, responsive power, or it might just be the earth-shattering exhaust note...
Want to get your hands on one of these 6.2-litre monsters? Here are the ones you can buy!
Mitsubishi Evolution IX (CT9A) vs Evolution X (CZ4A)
These hotted-up Mitsubishi Lancers had its roots in rally competition and brought motorsports performance to the streets, and are among the cars that gave Japanese Domestic Market cars such a cult following.
The Evolution IX is known for its performance and prowess in both on and off-road competition, especially after plenty of performance parts have been dumped into one. Many would also agree that it's one of the best-looking Evos among all 10 iterations. With a copious amount of aftermarket support, you will definitely be able to build something that's uniquely yours as well!
Well, just look at the prices of the Evolution IX as opposed to the Evolution X on the used car market here, and you’ll get the definite answer on which is more beloved.
Have a look, see how much these Evolution IX and Evolution X are going for in the used car market now.
Subaru Forester XT (SJ) vs Forester (SK)
All these modern technology are nice and dandy, but with the introduction of the SK Forester, Subaru dropped the most powerful variant, the XT, which had a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
Despite being a crossover, the Forester XT proved to be a popular platform for enthusiasts due to the large amount of parts that could be adapted from the Subaru Impreza WRX and STI.
It's not surprising that there are drivers who choose not to upgrade to the latest Forester simply due to the fact that there is no longer an XT available.
Want a powerful SUV? Well, here are all the Forester XTs that are available used.
Here are some other articles that might interest you
Iconic vintage cars available in Singapore that are worth investing in... and keeping
Here are some of the best three-cylinder cars you can buy in Singapore right now!
The five most powerful four-cylinder cars available brand new in Singapore today
Seven hard to find current car models that enthusiasts like
Still prefer to swop gears yourself? Here are some manual cars you can still buy in Singapore today
