Consumer Reports 10 Worst New Cars

[Bulldog 1]

I personally give no credibility to Consumer Reports, but the list does include some surprises not the least of which are Lincoln MKC and Mercedes Benz CLA.

From USA Today

'Consumer Reports' picks 10 worst new cars

There's no shortage of worthy new cars for buyers' consideration, but figuring out the worst of the lot is another matter.Consumer Reports tackled the challenge, looking for the lowest-rated car in 10 vehicle categories. In this case, the low score wasn't just about the car's projected propensity to break down. Rather, the magazine says it chose its losers based on a variety of factors — road-test score, projected reliability, owner satisfaction and safety. While there is no shortage of publications rating cars, Consumer Reports commands special attention in the auto industry because it buys all the cars it tests from dealerships just like a typical customer, rather than borrowing them from automakers, as a way of preserving its independence.

http://usat.ly/1Mzd9eI

 

[IS-SV]

No Lexus models on this of limited usefulness, probably sb moved to The Garage.

 

[Bulldog 1]

of limited usefulness

Yeah, I'll just leave this alone and move on.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

• Lowest-rated subcompact: Mitsubishi Mirage. Cheap to buy and good gas mileage, but it's "tiny, tinny" and the three-cylinder engine vibrates.

• Lowest-rated compact: Fiat 500L. Worst reliability of any new car and a "dismal" road-test score.

• Lowest-rated midsize sedan: Chrysler 200. "Mediocre," with clumsy handling and poor on the road.

• Lowest-rated compact luxury car: Mercedes-Benz CLA250. Stiff ride, noisy, cramped.

• Lowest-rated midsize luxury car: Lincoln MKS. -- Outdated and outclassed.

• Lowest-rated family SUV: Dodge Journey. V-6 engine had poor gas mileage.

• Lowest-rated luxury compact SUV: Land Rover Discovery Sport. Too little or too much acceleration, and a balky transmission.

• Lowest-rated large luxury SUV: Cadillac Escalade. Stiff ride, not that roomy and the Cue infotainment system is "confounding."

• Lowest-rated minivan: Chrysler Town & Country. Poor gas mileage and didn't fare well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's small overlap crash tests.

• Lowest-rated green car: Mitsubishi i-MiEV. A "half-step up from a golf cart," slow and clumsy.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

CR ratings had no effect on Escalade sales or popularity obviously.

 

[mmcartalk]

I agree with most of this list, though I thought they were a little too hard on the Chrysler 200. I did a review on the (admittedly) more expensive V6 version of it, and was fairly impressed with it. CR, though, tested the four-cylinder. I would, for several reasons, also rate the Smart-for-Two even lower than the unimpressive Mitsubishi Mirage.

 

[Gecko]

@Tragic Bronson, thanks for posting the content of the article. Always helps.

 

[mmcartalk]

CR ratings had no effect on Escalade sales or popularity obviously.

Bling will sometimes sell simply on is image. What kind of vehicle is actually underneath the bling (or how reliable it is), in the mind of some buyers, is of secondary importance.

BTW, police Bait-Car teams sometimes use specially-equipped Escalades in their work, simply because of the irresistable effect that vehicle has on a number of joy-riders and potential car-thieves.