A free car is something that can be pretty hard to say no to, especially if the offering is anything near half decent. These are the ten cars that leave Jalopnik readers saying, “well, you tried. I guess.”
10.) Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
If I was gifted a Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, I would undoubtedly be seriously bothered throughout the whole (hopefully short) period of ownership with thoughts like “why in the world would someone drop $42,000 (or more) on this? Why, why, why, why, why? Why couldn’t they’ve thought of all the other used car alternatives for the same price?” It’d be a stressful time.
Even if it didn’t look hideous and the price wasn’t completely over the moon, the CrossCab’s inefficient and relatively comparatively low-output V6 is really nothing special. Nor is the below-average interior, or anything else that this car might try and boast about.
Suggested By: Vlan1, Photo Credit: Nissan
9.) Youabian Puma
Being gifted a Youabian Puma must be the equivalent of being gifted an extremely ugly sweater from a grandparent and being forced to wear it in public to display your love and appreciation. At least, as a Puma driver, you’d definitely stand out and be unique.
Suggested By: Tom McParland, Photo Credit: Jalopnik
8.) Mazda Miata
The Mazda Miata is a great car, but is it too great to be gifted? Maybe. Reader As Du Volant can explain:
A Miata. I’d spend all day every day out driving it. My girlfriend would leave me because I’d never spend any time with her. I’d lose my job. My house would be foreclosed on. My dogs would be out on the street.
Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Mazda
7.) Chevrolet Malibu
Sometimes I try and think back to when exactly GM decided that they wanted as many of their cars as possible to be perfectly boring, physically unattractive, nondescript people-movers. I usually find it to be unclear, but what I have found is that the fifth-generation Malibu is pretty much at the top of all of it. Cars like this are a big part of why many car buyers still try and stay as far away as possible from American cars.
Unreliable, ugly, boring, lifeless, these are all factors that came together to make the fifth-generation Chevrolet Malibu.
Suggested By: As Du Volant, Photo Credit: Chevrolet
6.) Reliant Robin
The Reliant Robin has potential to be a great gift car, if the person giving the gift is either trying to play an unfunny prank or is straight up trying to kill you. For anything other than those two things, this three-wheeled demon is just about useless.
Suggested By: yonse, Photo Credit: Graham Robertson via Flickr
5.) Toyota Prius
Daily driving a Toyota Prius is a rolling statement that reads “I care about fuel economy and will sacrifice everything else for it.” That’s great for the people that choose that, but please do not throw that message on unwilling gift-receivers. Getting one as a gift is like, you can’t sell it or get rid of it, because that looks shitty, so you just have to deal with it.
And it’s a Prius. Like, come on.
Suggested By: KentB27, Photo Credit: Toyota
4.) Chevrolet Cobalt
On the heels of the Chevy Malibu was the Cobalt. Aside from the slightly more invigorating supercharged and then turbocharged SS trim level options, the Cobalt had almost nothing going for it. Except for how the ignition was prone to shutting off while driving and was shown to have assisted in the deaths of at least 13 people. And maybe those circular rear tail lights too. Those are kind of sporty and neat, right?
Suggested By: JQJ213, Photo Credit: Chevrolet
3.) Any Otherwise Great Car In Automatic
I could just imagine some unknowing relative trying to be kind, gifting someone an automatic Subaru BRZ or Miata, and then the recipient just being unhappy forever. If you’re going to give someone an enthusiast car, please make sure the “manual transmission” option box is checked.
Suggested By: AZRCD, Photo Credit: Subaru
2.) Bugatti Veyron
Owning a Bugatti Veyron might sound like a somewhat enjoyable feat, until you take a step back and think about the ownership costs that go along with it. Those Michelins that cost $42,000 a set and are mounted on wheels that cost $69,000 a set will not be paying for themselves after your handful of high-speed runs. Well, unless you pull a Deadmau5 and Uber it out or something. Maybe then you could make some of the cash back.
Suggested By: Jcarr, Photo Credit: Bugatti
1.) Someone Else’s Project Car
Being gifted someone else’s project car can be like having tons of rusted old metals and unanswered questions dropped on you from the sky. You’d want to at least try to put it all back together, but chances are if you’re being gifted an unfinished project car, your new heap is already much beyond that stage. It’ll be an unreasonably messy, long, and enduring road of sadness. No one needs that.
Suggested By: Chuck, Photo Credit: Andrew P. Collins via Truck Yeah!
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day’s Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It’s by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Nissan/Aaron Brown