Saturday, December 2, 2023
HomeDebt Free15 Cars People Wish They Had Never Bought

15 Cars People Wish They Had Never Bought


Driving an old car is a coming-of-age moment in one’s life. For many, it comes as their first vehicle in high school; however, it is still possible to buy a new car that is just as bad. A recent online discussion shares motorists’ choices for their worst-ever car — here is what made the list.

1. 2008 Chevrolet Uplander

2008 Chevrolet Uplander
Image Credit: Bull-Doser – Own work, Public Domain/Wiki Commons.

This car sounds like an oil tanker, so the driving was poor. “Hit a pothole and it felt like you were in a whirly pop,” jokes a previous owner. “Coming to a complete stop before turning was required. Worse, the seat configuration needed a family of six working in unison to re-arrange the seats.”

2. 2010 Ford Focus SE

2010 Ford Focus SE
Image Credit: Ford Motor Company.

“The dual-clutch gearbox in the 2012 Focus was so, so, so bad,” says a regretful one-time owner. “It even had a complete transmission failure in the middle of an intersection.” The driver claims this was the worst car they have ever driven. Moreover, at 10,000 miles, he had to buy a new transition.

3. 2017 Chevrolet Trax 4WD

2017 Chevrolet Trax 4WD
Image Credit: Michael Rivera – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wiki Commons.

One commenter reveals how borrowing one of these cars from a friend once prompted him never to buy one himself. “A rattly engine, cheap interior, and the ‘feels-like-you’re-gonna-tip-over’ handling led to a less enjoyable driving experience,” the one-time Chevy Trax driver claims.

4. Any Smart Car

Smart Car
Image Credit: Frettie – Own work, CC BY 3.0/Wiki Commons.

While environmentalists may decry such an inclusion, this list concerns low-performance cars. Nothing says low performance more than a Smart Car — or, as a commenter puts it, “Ah, the Smart Car; AKA the go-kart with an airbag.”

5. 2000 Dodge Dakota 2WD

2000 Dodge Dakota 2WD
Image Credit: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA – CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons.

“I couldn’t believe how gutless it was and how awful it drove,” laments a former owner. “It was brand new, and at 2,500 feet elevation, it couldn’t break a tire loose on gravel.” With allegedly wooden steering and weak brakes, the driver felt the brand-new vehicle “had already done 200,000 miles.”

6. 2013 Nissan Sentra

2013 Nissan Sentra
Image Credit: Elise240SX – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.

With the central variable transition (CVT) a problem for many owners (and an almost $4,000 fee for replacing it), the Nissan Sentra makes the cut. My buddy still has one, and I had to suffer through a rental,” claims a contributor. “The suspension and interior are so bad, it feels like tumbling down a gravel road in a pine coffin.”

7. 1986 Chevrolet Chevette

1986 Chevrolet Chevette
Image Credit: dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada – CC BY 2.0/ Wiki Commons.

Cars are similar to fashion; sometimes, you look back at old photos, wondering what you saw in that horrid design. The 1986 Chevy Chevette sits in this time warp category. “What a miserable piece that was,” recalls the commenter. “The driving position was horrid, with the steering wheel seeming to be three inches right of center of the seat.”

8. 2004 Ford Escape Hybrid

2004 Ford Escape Hybrid
Image Credit: IFCAR – Own work, Public Domain/Wiki Commons.

“This is one of the taxis I hated to get in New York,” explains someone who has been getting cabs for twenty years. “Even with lots of practice, cabbies couldn’t keep the thing from lurching around crazily — and the ride was awful.” They do look rather cool, though.

9. 2021 Chevrolet Cavalier

2021 Chevrolet Cavalier
Image Credit: Chevrolet México, CC BY 3.0/Wiki Commons.

“As a brand new car, the last generation Cavalier,” starts the next thread. “It drove like a car with 100k miles on it, the materials were so cheap and flimsy — even amongst its entry level peers at the time.” Chevrolet, we need to talk.

10. 1986 Hyundai Pony

1986 Hyundai Pony
Image Credit: Charles01 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons.

The next contributor recalls buying a Hyundai Pony “back when Hyundai did not have the reputation it has now.” His description sounds like something from the Wacky Racers. “Rusted almost immediately, had a manual choke (joke?), and with 68 horsepower, barely enough power to get out of its own way.” Scathing.

11. 2006 Chevrolet HHR

2006 Chevrolet HHR
Image Credit: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Public Domain/Wiki Commons.

Although it looked like something out of 1920s Chicago, with its rather oversized front grill giving it a vintage look, the Chevy HHR has a bad reputation. “I didn’t feel safe driving it,” complains a former owner. “Everything about the way it drove and the way it worked flat out sucked.”

12. 1985 Renault Alliance 

1985 Renault Alliance
Image Credit: Mr.choppers – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons.

The 1980s was not a great time for low-budget motorists, especially in America. Some motorists think the US Government didn’t want “good versions” of foreign cars in the market — hence the Renault Alliance . “I’ve never driven a car that gave me such a feeling that I could rip it apart with my bare hands, and probably should, if only as a favor to others,” someone jokes.

13. 1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso

1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso
Image Credit: Hill Valley Garage.

With such a flowery name, car buyers might have expected the worst with the Plymouth Neon Expresso. “It made it to about 125K before we finally gave up on it,” says an observer. “The transmission (which had been repaired many times) was going again. It was leaking oil all over the place.” Expresso sounds like the most ironic car name ever after this description.

14. 2009 Vauxhall Agila

2009 Vauxhall Agila
Image Credit: Vauxhall Motors.

Someone who once visited the United Kingdom warns of one car still circulating — the Vauxhall Agila. “I’ve driven cars that felt unstable cornering before, but that was the first time I ever drove a car that felt unstable sitting still on level ground,” writes the observer. “It was the dumbest car I ever drove.” This car has another ironic title: ‘agila’ means ‘agile’ in Spanish.

15. 2012 Mitsubishi Galant

2012 Mitsubishi Galant
Image Credit: Hearst Autos, Inc.

“You could idle, or you could run the A/C, but not both,” recalls a contributor with bad memories of the Japanese model. “The engine would die if you tried to idle and the A/C kicked on.” Furthermore, with an interior looking like it was “made out of plastic,” and an engine with “no power at all,” we can safely tuck the Galant into the past.

Source: Jaloponik.

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments