Is "Model Year" a dead concept?

Back in the day, all the new models would come out in the Fall, bearing the "model year" of the coming calendar year.

The biggest exception was the Mustang, where the 1965 model was introduced in April, 1965. (Yes, people call them 1964.5 cars, but the model year was 1965.)

Nowadays, introductions are all over the map:

The 2015 Mazda CX-5 came out in March, 2014

The 2015 Jeep Renegade still hasn't been released.

I could cite dozens of other examples.

Is "model year" a dead concept? Should it be replaced with version numbers or something?

Discuss.

Most people don't care about cars.

Woody wrote: Most people don't care about cars.

Once the New Oldsmobiles came in early the idea of model years started to decline.

The new Oldsmobiles are in early this year.

I'm in the middle of this right now, and so far it appears to be working to my advantage.

We're shopping for a new TDI Sportwagen, '14 is the only model available new, '15 hasn't been released yet, will be "new" and either called a Golf Sportwagen, or just Sportwagen when the next one is released. Most estimates say it won't be available until June/July of '15, if it's available, some are speculating it'll be released late '15 early '16 as a '16 model and their won't actually be a '15 model Sportwagen.

Regardless of the potential lack of inventory the supply vs. demand concept doesn't seem to have "clicked" with dealers and the '14 model Sportwagen is getting end of year discounts/incentives even though there is no new '15 model to take its place.

It seems as though it just doesn't matter. At least not in any way that makes sense to me.

The biggest PITA is when they make major component changes in the middle of a model year... and do that for a few consecutive years for some sub-modules so that going to the parts section at the dealer they need your VIN b/c MY isn't enough info to get the right part (I'm looking at YOU, Subaru!)

The 1998 Mazda Miata or the 2011 Mazda5 are the hard years to find!

bigdaddylee82 wrote: It seems as though it just doesn't matter. At least not in any way that makes sense to me.

Dealer does not want to pay lot interest or has incentives to move them from corp. Nothing sinister or crazy.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: I'm in the middle of this right now, and so far it appears to be working to my advantage. We're shopping for a new TDI Sportwagen, '14 is the only model available new, '15 hasn't been released yet, will be "new" and either called a Golf Sportwagen, or just Sportwagen when the next one is released. Most estimates say it won't be available until June/July of '15, if it's available, some are speculating it'll be released late '15 early '16 as a '16 model and their won't actually be a '15 model Sportwagen. Regardless of the potential lack of inventory the supply vs. demand concept doesn't seem to have "clicked" with dealers and the '14 model Sportwagen is getting end of year discounts/incentives even though there is no new '15 model to take it's place. It seems as though it just doesn't matter. At least not in any way that makes sense to me.

I'd rather have the tail end of the model run than the beginning of the new for reliability's sake (especially with das germans).

wearymicrobe wrote:

bigdaddylee82 wrote: It seems as though it just doesn't matter. At least not in any way that makes sense to me.

Dealer does not want to pay lot interest or has incentives to move them from corp. Nothing sinister or crazy.

That and if you are in a property tax state and it's sitting on the lot, they pay taxes on it.

JohnRW1621 wrote: The 1998 Mazda Miata or the 2011 Mazda5 are the hard years to find!

I have a buddy that has a 1999 Mazda Miata...

... built in 1997.

You know you could buy a 97 F150 built in 1995...

I remember when everyone would be stoked about the new model year, but now it does feel like it is only to help with parts and service, and even that is slowly going away.

Flight Service wrote: I remember when everyone would be stoked about the new model year, but now it does feel like it is only to help with parts and service, and even that is slowly going away.

People only get stoked about new phones these days.

jsquared wrote: The biggest PITA is when they make major component changes in the middle of a model year... and do that for a few consecutive years for some sub-modules so that going to the parts section at the dealer they need your VIN b/c MY isn't enough info to get the right part (I'm looking at *YOU*, Subaru!)

when my grandmother gave me her 2006 Mailbu, I had to get a front license plate holder for it as the car came from Florida. I had to give the dealer the vin number so they could order the right piece of plastic

mad_machine wrote:

jsquared wrote: The biggest PITA is when they make major component changes in the middle of a model year... and do that for a few consecutive years for some sub-modules so that going to the parts section at the dealer they need your VIN b/c MY isn't enough info to get the right part (I'm looking at *YOU*, Subaru!)

when my grandmother gave me her 2006 Mailbu, I had to get a front license plate holder for it as the car came from Florida. I had to give the dealer the vin number so they could order the right piece of plastic

That's an ugly one. My GF used to have an '06 Malibu, which was a new model for that year. But Chevy kept making the OLD body, and dubbed it the "Malibu Classic". It may have been fleet-only, not sure. That car was a huge PITA to get parts for. I bought 3 different rear rotors before I got the right version.

Bmw used to go off the build date, 12/96 for example would still be a 96MY. LoL

I have a 1987 Toyota 4Runner. It was built June,6 1986. Huh?

mad_machine wrote:

jsquared wrote: The biggest PITA is when they make major component changes in the middle of a model year... and do that for a few consecutive years for some sub-modules so that going to the parts section at the dealer they need your VIN b/c MY isn't enough info to get the right part (I'm looking at *YOU*, Subaru!)

when my grandmother gave me her 2006 Mailbu, I had to get a front license plate holder for it as the car came from Florida. I had to give the dealer the vin number so they could order the right piece of plastic

you don't own self tapping screws? they fit every model year..

Most MY cars come out in Aug-Sept, but there's always one or two that come out really early. IIRC, the '84 C4 'Vette debuted in January 1983? I remember my father having an '87 Chevy Celebrity sometime in the summer of '86...everyone thought it was cool because it had the euro style headlights.

mad_machine wrote:

jsquared wrote: The biggest PITA is when they make major component changes in the middle of a model year... and do that for a few consecutive years for some sub-modules so that going to the parts section at the dealer they need your VIN b/c MY isn't enough info to get the right part (I'm looking at *YOU*, Subaru!)

when my grandmother gave me her 2006 Mailbu, I had to get a front license plate holder for it as the car came from Florida. I had to give the dealer the vin number so they could order the right piece of plastic

I think dealers/parts house ask for the VIN number since so many people have no idea what they are actually driving.

Think V6 BMWs, etc.

yamaha wrote: Bmw used to go off the build date, 12/96 for example would still be a 96MY. LoL

My BMW was built in 7/85 but it's registered as a 1986. That was typical, it took a while for the cars to get here on the boat from Europe.

Car manufacturers have made them largely irrelevant. A car is introduced to the public in 2010 as a 2012 model but manufactured and sold in 2011. They are stretching more and more every year too. I can get a 2016 model in 2014, wow! I am buying the future! It's all just marketing.

My dads Austin Healey was built in 1957, but titled as a 1959. But I think that back then the "year" was simply the year it was titled in.

Youstabee the model year on your title was when the car was registered. I've got a '61 Jaguar (built in September) that didn't get registered until '62. Officially it is a '62, but the Jaguar world considers it a '61. There are also some cars that sat on lots for a year or more that are titled later than the production run ended.

Nowadays, the manufacturers tend to run in 4 or 5 year cycles, so there isn't much difference between MY's until the cycle ends-- like the new F150 and Mustang, for example. Hard to hype up a "new" model when all that has changed is some lighting and plastic trim. So, no, it really doesn't matter a whole lot.