They say there are no terrible cars on the market anymore, but some cars are just so clearly uncompetitive within their segments that you should really get something else. The fine folks at Consumer Reports have listed the 2017 cars you should avoid.
You can look at their site for a detailed list and get their reasons on why they ranked these cars the way they did, but for now, here’s a few of them with my thoughts and commentary based on our drives.
Lowest-Rated Subcompact Car: Mitsubishi Mirage
Even though our weirdo- car expert Jason Torchinsky seems to like this thing, for most buyers it is the epitome of a penalty box. It’s slow, it feels cheap, and despite the size, the gas mileage isn’t even that great.
Lowest-Rated Compact Car: Fiat 500L
In Fiat terminology, the “L” is supposed to be a larger version of the cute and spunky 500 hatchback. It seems that in this case, “L” stands for “lousy” due to the fact that this Fiat has below average reliability, scored poorly on crash tests and a very high percentage of CR readers regretted buying one.
Lowest-Rated Midsized Sedan: Chrysler 200
The fact that the Chrysler 200 is on this list probably comes to a surprise to no one. When I wrote about the insanely steep discounts on 200s, most you said that even with $10,000 off the sticker price it still wasn’t worth buying.
Lowest-Rated Entry-Level Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz CLA
The CLA looks like a Mercedes, but compared to the rest of the German automaker’s lineup, the entry-level compact does not feel or drive like a Mercedes. CR says the CLA has a harsh ride with a cramped interior and even though the base price seems affordable, the car gets pricey with popular options.
Lowest-Rated Luxury Midsized Sedan: Maserati Ghibli
It’s pretty sad when the best part of a Maserati is the infotainment unit from a Dodge. While the Ghibli looks sharp and sounds good with its Ferrari-derived turbocharged V6, the appeal ends there due to an uncomfortable cabin and an apparent lack of build quality for a luxury car that costs over $70,000.
Read more over at at Consumer Reports.