These used cars are not the finest of their brand's lineup. From the same brands that bought instant classics like the Maserati Ghibli and the Lotus Esprit, there are some cars offered by these prestigious marques that are a stain on their otherwise stellar reputations.
Sometimes, these brands didn't get it quite right and the cars that they produced simply didn't live up to their reputation—problems that later reflected in extremely low sales.
The cars in this list go to show that, sometimes, even the most reputable and expensive brands can produce a beater.
10 Maserati Biturbo
The Maserati Biturbo, launched from 1981 to 1994, was not exactly brilliant. The Biturbo was available as a a coupé, a saloon, and a Spyder. All cars had revolutionary twin-turbochargers and a very luxurious interior. Many came with a compact to 2.0-liter V6 engine. Sadly, the Biturbo was a complete let-down for the Maserati company thanks to awful build-quality.
Definitely a beater, the Biturbo saloons were no better than the coupes either along with the 228 coupe GT being a performance car let down. The later Ghibli (which was based on the Biturbo chassis) was improved by Maserati but sadly the Biturbo will forever be remembered as the worst Maserati.
9 Porsche 924
The Porsche 924 was produced from 1976 until the late 1980s and was designed to replace the 914. Enjoyed by enthusiasts at the time, sales were good for the 924. The car offered great fuel economy and the handling of the vehicle was reasonably good too, which boosted the car's appeal alongside its appearance.
However, despite some of its successes, the car does not feel as good as it should. To be blunt, the 924 was unexciting and didn't exactly capture the usual feel of a porsche. Many derided the 'van' derived engine and VW-connection (it was originally going to be a VW) and for years was snubbed by Porsche fans.
8 Jaguar XJ40
The Jaguar XJ40 was launched in 1986 and at one point had been deemed the "Safest Car in Britain". Common models were the XJ6 and the XJ12. These were the hallmarks of the Jaguar brand when launched. However, the cars are filled with plenty of problems that make it a suitable vehicle to be on this list.
There are massive problems of rust and the electrics aren't great on the early versions of the vehicle, especially in the XJ6. Combining this with the damage-prone suspension lowers the spectacle of the XJ40. The car was generally just a bit weak, a disappointment really.
7 BMW 316ti
The BMW 3 Series was introduced in 1993, with the 316i standing for the 1.6-liter engine equipped in the vehicle. Featuring commendable handling, with the car driving well during long journeys. The build quality wasn't too bad either, however the vehicle was let down by some cost-scrimping measures.
The 316i has fairly low engine capabilities, and this hinders the chassis when driving. Despite looking the part, the vehicle does not live up to BMW's usual standards. With the 3 Series being replaced with the 1 Series 11 years after release.
6 Aston Martin Cygnet
The Aston Martin Cygnet was a rebadged version of the Toyota/Scion iQ and was launched in 2011. The vehicle was basically the Toyota iQ with some changes to the interior and exterior designs. The car was hugely environmental and helped Aston Martin in reducing emissions in-line with European Union regulations.
The car sales for the Cygnet were disastrous, with the brand shifting around 300 in the UK instead of the predicted thousands that were projected to be sold. Attempting to sell this off as a luxury car did not work with consumers, and plenty of people were not enamored by the Cygnet. A special one-off was made in 2018, but the vehicle is long remembered as being a beater.
5 Alfa Romeo Arna
The Alfa Romeo Arna, produced in 1983, was produced by Alfa Romeo and Nissan. The engines were great and were commended, whilst at the same time the vehicle was a decent drive despite plenty saying otherwise. However, the suspension on the vehicle was especially bad and the handling was no better either.
The car didn't look good either, and shows how two brands working together can go really wrong. Making use of the Alfasud engine, the vehicle was not updated to expected levels. Alfa Romeo's electronics didn't exactly sell the car either, which is a disappointment considering that the car could have been quite the hit had things been done correctly.
4 Ferrari Mondial
The Ferrari Moindal was styled by Pininifarina when launched in 1980. The vehicle was equipped with a V8 engine that was also boosted in 1982 to increase bhp. However, consumer opinions have long been divided on these vehicles and despite how affordable it is, for some it simply just doesn't have enough character.
Despite coming out of the Ferrari brand, the car wasn't luxurious, it was considered far too practical for a Ferrari and consumers do not find the car to be as highly regarded as other Ferrari's are. Values are increasing though, with plenty of people buying it and people are repairing the vehicle or improving it to their own standards.
3 Lotus Elact
The Lotus Elact was built from 1975 and was based on the Elite. The Elact was overall a more practical vehicle, with more room being offered inside. The car was fairly powerful too, with a valve engine. Plenty of enthusiasts really enjoyed the steering on the car too.
Even so, the Elact was heavily unreliable and the car was not easy to repair when required. Due to this, the car isn't a popular buy today as enthusiasts can be forking out a lot of money on repairs and updates to the '70s vehicle. The car might be cheap to buy nowadays, but there is a reason for this.
2 Audi A2
The Audi A2, hailed for its environmental successes and fuel economy, was produced from 1999. The car was constructed from aluminum and was designed fairly well, with the engine being extremely efficient. And despite being ugly, the car was great on the road and was a considerably safe vehicle, but sadly this didn't quite cut it.
Sadly, when bodywork required repair this ramped up the costs of the vehicle. Making issues even bolder is the fact that the 1.4-liter IL engine took some doing to get working. At the same time, if the car had been developed recently, it may have had more success with its highly environmental associations.
1 BMW Z3
The BMW Z3 was introduced in 1995 as both a roadster and a coupe. The suspension of the car had long been deemed as being undeniably bad, but some hail the BMW Z3 as a competent vehicle that has good stability. There are issues of corrosion and the engines need proper maintenance otherwise power problems can occur resulting in high costs.
The earlier vehicles of the Z3 weren't as good as the ones which arrived in 1998, with the coupe being fairly good at this point and is a compelling drive. Sadly, definitely the earlier vehicles are not as impressive as they could have been and the six-pot engines are heavily unreliable. And the hardtop is hard to find nowadays, with owners desperately needing one in the colder months.