Every automaker loves to boast about their car as the best or the most durable car available in the market. Of course, we don’t expect them to criticize their creations by saying; “My car is super fast, but it experiences a lot of overheating” or “if you like a car that will break down on the road, buy my car,” no automaker will do that. We aren’t saying these car companies are lying in their ads, but truth be told, many of the cars depicted as super can’t provide half the experience portrayed in their ads. Why is it so?
It’s simple! Every automaker wants to make sales. So, all that praise we see in commercials are most times “sales pitches.” However, it doesn’t mean the car companies can’t build the incredible features they advertise. The automakers do their best to produce cars that stand out and make their users glad, but sometimes it doesn’t always go the way they plan. In such cases, they retire to the marketing and sales department who are responsible for doing everything to boost sales.
The automakers sometimes go as far as releasing car concepts that have the look and feel of what the consumers are yearning to get. But, when these concept cars are released, they fall so short of what consumers expect. In turn, such cars dent the brand image of the car manufacturers – making the general public have less faith in their word. Here, we listed 23 lame cars automakers tried to make cool. Keep reading. You’ll find out.
23 Kia Sedona School of Rock
Most people see minivans as “uncool” because it has no styling aspirations or performance since it’s designed to convey people only. The Kia Sedona fits this description - the only difference; a music band inspired the bespoke design.
The Sedona is the ultimate vehicle for storing band equipment. It also functions as a recording studio, and you can choose to transform it into a mobile stage. Even though this model has great features, it doesn’t change the fact that it is a minivan and that it’s the polar opposite of a rock star ride.
22 2005 Pontiac Aztec
According to Top Gear, the 2005 Pontiac Aztec is ranked as one of the worst looking cars in the US. It does lend a bit of charm to the Aztec considering that the production ended over a decade ago. It’s surprising and hurting at the same time that the character “Walter White” in Breaking Bad drove one.
The Pontiac Aztec was a big disappointment to many when it came out. So, many people loathed it for being a feeble attempt to combine an SUV with a minivan.
21 2016 Ford Flex
In 2009, the Ford Flex was launched by Ford with the purpose of distorting the line between a minivan, an SUV, and a pickup truck in a package that evokes a hoary of surfers. At the time of release, a lot of critics compared the Ford Flex with a boxier and over-sized Mini Cooper.
The only good feature above the Mini Cooper was its large interior which provided a lot of cargo space. That alone fulfilled the multipurpose target of Ford. However, the styling of the Ford Flex was somewhat unfortunate. So, we were not surprised at its disappointing sales as no one was buying it.
20 2002 Lincoln Blackwood
It’s unnecessary to have a luxury pickup because the main idea behind a pickup is to haul heavy-duty loads and not install a nice infotainment screen or beautiful leather seats — all that wouldn’t make the truck more useful.
The 2002 Lincoln Blackwood has the same ladder frame chassis as the Ford F-series. According to Car And Driver, the 2002 Lincoln Blackwood is quite tacky that it wasn’t appealing to the general public. So, we weren’t surprised when the model discontinued after one year of its launching.
19 2007 Cadillac Escalade Ext
The 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT is another luxury pickup on this list. This truck is another over-sized, overpriced, and pompous vanity machine that can’t achieve its main aim. The 2007 Cadillac Escalade has so many similarities to the Hummer H2 SUT.
According to Top Gear, the EXT is one of those trucks that does a great job in transporting people, but a bad one in carrying heavy loads because of its short pickup bed. No doubt, the EXT isn’t called for all that heavy load things! We’re not surprised that the truck did poorly.
18 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet
According to Top Gear, the 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet was produced to equipoise the amount of CO2 released by other models in the Aston Martin lineup. The automaker took the move to conform to the new rules on vehicle emission enacted by the EU.
With the Cygnet, the automaker escaped any fine from the EU. However, they paid less attention to more important things in the car, like the engine. They also chose to steal the steering wheel from the vanquishing Toyota iQ and pasted a corporate grille on the stumpy front end of the Aston Martin.
17 2010 Jeep Compass Rallye
Jeep has been in the business of producing many off-roaders and SUVs that have put a smile on its customer's faces. However, we can’t deny that the company has made some mistakes. A good example of their mistake is the Compass Rallye. The model may just be the worst the production from the automakers within the last decade.
It’s safe to say that this model isn’t “rally-worthy” since it doesn’t live up to expectation. The styling of the Compass is awkward, and it isn’t strong enough for off-roading.
16 2015 Fiat 500L Custom
The Fiat 500L custom was the result of the company’s intent to introduce an affordable and luxury car to the US market. It wasn’t a bad idea because most of its US lineup based their design on the 500. The 500s are not the most reliable cars on the market but, they are excellent cars anyway except the 500L.
The 500L has interesting features like a front splitter, unique wheels, cat-back exhaust, and a two-point job. Despite these modifications, the 500L Custom has an offensive styling and poor reliability.
15 2017 Chevrolet Equinox Redline
When automakers decide to enhance a model, the best way to go about it is to work on the driving features. In other words, enhance the engine components and suspension. The Redline, in this case, has sporty looks but it lacks any additional performance.
It’s obvious that the company paid more attention to the looks of this model as they chose paint jobs that attracted buyers. Even though this car isn’t so bad, the strategy was effective for attracting customers’ that ended up not purchasing the ride.
14 2016 Acura ILX Galpin
According to Top Gear, the Galpin was built on a Honda platform, even though the company claims that they build high-performance crossovers and cars. The company planned to make the model sporty, but it fell short due to its four-cylinder motor that produces a low output. After a while, Galpin Auto Sports modified the car.
The modification included a new exhaust, a lowered suspension, and custom bodywork. All the modifications contributed to making this model look great, but it didn’t change the opinions of the model’s standard because it doesn’t make much sense as a dedicated performance car.
13 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
If you’re looking for an unattractive car, the Chrysler Cruiser is a good fit. It’s funny how this hero from the past has become a zero these days, thanks to its unique styling that grew tired over time. It also comes with a five-door hatchback body that is awkwardly proportioned.
Due to how unpopular the Cruiser turned out, the company came up with other models like the turbocharged GT model. According to Car And Driver, the turbocharged model uses a detuned Neo SRT-4 motor. The company also produced the convertible version of the GT model alongside.
12 2017 BMW X1 M Sport
BMW is a reputable company that’s known for producing performance cars. When you take a good look at the X1, you’d observe that the X1 follows up to the X5. As a result of a steady increase in popularity of compact crossovers, the company produced the X1 to cash in on the segment.
The X1 comes with a six-cylinder engine option while the second generation comes with four-cylinders only. A lot of customers had their hopes dashed when the X1 had low proportions that looked out of place for a crossover. Even with an M Sports package produced, there wasn’t any difference other than a unique appearance, and some M badges.
11 2017 Chevrolet Sonic RS
It’s obvious that Chevrolet had their customers in mind as they produced three different small cars that were affordable. The first model was the Spark. It had a hatchback that balanced awkwardly, and according to Top Gear, it produces less than 100 HP. The Cruze is the second model that’s fuel-efficient, and then we have the Sonic. The Sonic passes for a budget hot hatch, but when it comes to performance, it doesn’t offer much.
You can choose to configure the Sonic with a turbocharged or naturally aspirated motor, but it would produce the same amount of power. The RS concept resulted because the company wanted the Sonic to have an appealing look, but the power wasn’t impressive.
10 2017 Toyota CH-R
Recently, Toyota took to producing six different crossovers and SUVs. Each of the crossovers and SUVs was for a particular customer base. A lot of people became aware of the CH-R because the automaker advertised it as a performance vehicle, but its specifications didn’t match the claims.
According to Car And Driver, the CH-R uses a 2.0 L engine that produces about 144 HP- which can't set any speed records, but the R-Tuned concept uses a huge turbo. The huge turbo combines with a 2.0 L motor that boosts the power output. Regardless of this feature, the model doesn’t cut it for the performance of the production model.
9 2016 Hyundai Tucson Sport
Normal daily drivers are quite familiar with Hyundai because the company produces cars for them. The automakers decided to step out of their comfort to produce intriguing performance cars like the Genesis Coupe and Tiburon. With sedans and hatchbacks leaving the limelight these days, much of the company’s lineup consists of crossovers.
One of the better selling models from Hyundai is the Tucson. As a result, Hyundai displayed the Tucson Sports concept. The model features a custom paint job, improved suspension, and a turbocharged motor. Nonetheless, the Tucson isn’t a performance model.
8 2008 Dodge Avenger StormTrooper
In the late 2000s, the Dodge Avenger exposed how much the Chrysler was struggling. Because of the Chrysler Sebring, the Avenger managed to offer little over its competition. The Avenger has aggressive styling, but it lacks satisfying performance.
On the verge to produce a somewhat exciting car, Dodge produced the Avenger Storm Trooper. According to Auto Blog, the StormTrooper uses a 4.0 L V6 engine under the hood. It also has a white interior with SRT seats, a unique body kit, and larger wheels but it isn’t an attractive car.
7 2008 Dodge Nitro Hemi
The Nitro is a mid-size SUV based on the second-generation Jeep Liberty. The mid-size SUV was a project that Dodge planned to give an aggressive look, but the mission wasn’t successful. The Nitro features a squared-off face and large wheel arches. It also uses an inefficient V6 engine to make matters worse.
At some point, the company had to give the Nitro performance that matched its appearance - which is how the Nitro Hemi concept came into play. According to Edmunds, the Hemi uses a 5.7-Hemi V8 engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Despite the engine under its hood, it’s still a Nitro.
6 2006 Hummer H2 SUT
The H2 Sports Utility Truck is a rolling symbol of early 2000s US excess. In other words, the H2 has features of a pickup truck like reduced seating capacity, and a rough ride. It also combines the impracticalities of an SUV like poor fuel economy, and unwieldy size.
With all these features, it’s obvious that the Hummer H2 lacks any upsides of both a pickup truck and an SUV. According to Car And Driver, the Hummer H2 SUT is best described as a pickup for individuals that have nothing to pick up.
5 1999 Vector M12
The car was first released in 1971 by Gerald Wiegert who was a recent college graduate back then. He collaborated with Lee Brown, who was a professional bodywork technician.
Together they released the 1978 W2, which they claimed had a maximum speed of 230 mph. However, no one took them seriously.
Fast forward to 1993, the company the duo build went to the hands of an overseas conglomerate, which expelled Gerald and Lee. According to Top Gear, the new owners ended up producing the M12, which was a waste with its fussy 5.7 liter Lamborghini V12 engine.
4 1980 Cadillac Seville
The 1980 Cadillac Seville is one car that comes to mind when we think of lame cars. The car is one of the most cynical attempts of General Motors that harkened back to the good days of Cadillac when the tailfins of the car were high, the paint job vibrantly pastel and body length long.
According to Car And Driver, the 1980 Cadillac Seville was a different ball game as it comes in a smaller size with no tailfin found. The rear end of the car was the biggest challenger. The aesthetics of the car was a complete no, which was a common thing with cars of that era.