The auto industry feels like it’s engaged in a constant competition to offers consumers the latest and greatest vehicles on the market; when innovation strikes, new models are released as quick as possible to draw vehicle buyers into showrooms.
Like any product, the newest variant of a car model is usually the best version, though exceptions can be made for some solidly built platforms with very long lives. Sometimes manufacturers even sell these previous model-years alongside their newer replacements, if there is still a market for them.
Older models are sometimes also sold in countries outside the U.S. and Canada with less-strict safety regulations — that’s why the original ’50s-born Volkswagen Beetle was sold in Mexico long after it disappeared here. The cars can be less expensive because new tooling isn’t needed, and it creates a greater catalogue of parts for…