The "San Diegans" go all the way up to Santa Barbara, so the name was changed to better reflect the actual route. I like the new name better. :-)

The California Cars were a disaster. Late in the design game, the dual doors were widened to follow ADA guidelines. The car maker objected, but the doors were widened anyway. Shortly after the cars entered service, the doors started to stick open because the cars were bending. Since they knew what was coming, the car manufacturer promptly went out of business, and Caltrans was stuck with the repair bill.

This is the second major design flaw for Amtrak. The first was the 2" too wide, and hence non-tilting, Acela cars that keep the pride of the fleet nearly down to 1950s era "Clockers" schedule (except for one short straight run that shaves the total running time difference).