John Huh
Regardless of whether or not you are in the market for a new or used car, there's always a few cars to know which cars to avoid. Whether it's from lack of quality or known recalls and issues, there are many cars to avoid for the upcoming model year. Using a combination of ratings from Consumer Reports and Kelley Blue Book, our countdown of 2016 Cars to avoid is geared towards helping you make the right purchase. This list of cars is meant to help you avoid buying the wrong model or make. There's no set determining factor to ranking the cars on this list, but each 2016 model to avoid has a big reason to stay far away from it.
The all new 2016 Jeep Compass kicks off our list of new vehicles to avoid. Although the low sticker price can definitely attract buyers, the SUV has scored seriously low marks across the board from most experts. The 2016 Jeep Compass is one of lowest rated cars to avoid, coming in as the 18th compact SUV out of 19.
Many of the common reasons that experts label this Jeep a car to avoid in 2016, is the poor ride quality and the minimal interior construction. As if this wasn't enough motivation to label the Compass as a car to avoid, the Jeep is also only projected to retain about 26% of its original value after the first five years.
Yikes.
One of the nicest looking 2016 cars to avoid, the Nissan Altima has been called "2016’s Worst Value Midsized Sedan" according to Consumer Reports. This designation as a 2016 car to avoid is caused by it's low reliability scores.
With a price tag that starts at 23,000 dollars for the base model, there are many better options for a midsized sedan. Avoid the 2016 Nissan Altima V6 and look elsewhere.
Everyone knows about the problems that Mitsubishi dealers in the US have been struggling through, and now they've recently been purchased by Nissan. If anyone wonders what happened to Mitsubishi and the demise of the Evolution, it's cars like the 2016 Mitsubishi Mirage that are the reason.
The new 2016 Mitsubishi Mirage gets excellent gas mileage at 37 combined MPG, but it's depressingly bad in almost every other rating. It scores poorly in most of the subcompact ratings from quality, performance and build. The Institute of Highway Safety has the Mirage as one of the worst rated in it's small-overlap crash tests, and many automotive outlets have ripped the build quality in the Mirage.
The new 2016 Chrysler 200 has been a well featured midsize sedan that's scored relatively well in major tests. Some professional opinions range more than others, and according to Car & Driver, the 200 is “mediocre at best. The sluggish sales numbers are also a poor sign of performance and public reception, and priced higher than Hyundai or Kia models the cost of initial ownership over 5 years puts the 200 at the very top of expensive to own cars to avoid.
At a starting price of $40,000 the 2016 Lincoln MK5 is an expensive experiment that didn't quite work. The combination of design, price and features should have opened a new class of buyers to the Lincoln. Instead the 2016 Lincoln MK5 is an outdated and outclassed vehicle from the moment you drive off the dealer lot. Consumer Reports lists the sedan as "plodding' and unreliable.
There's a good reason why the 2016 Dodge Journey is the last of the current generation. The 2016 Dodge Journey is a low ranked car to avoid, and it's ranked as the 37th best crossover SUV. Consumer Reports also has this SUV as the 20th best for those with a third row seat. The low engine output and poor gas mileage are other constraints that should have the Dodge Journey at the head of the cars to avoid countdown. The Journey's 17 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway gas mileage is incredibly mediocre for this class of vehicle.
The new Discovery Sport is expensive and highly overrated according to the experts at Consumer Reports. Their analysis of the Discovery states that the SUV struggles even against mass market smaller SUV's. The engine and driveability rates low, and the transmission shifts at inopportune and uneven regularity. With an MSRP of $37,455,the Discovery Sport is one of the biggest cars to avoid.
Although we've featured this vehicle in other Top Ten lists, such as our electric vehicle countdown but it also makes this list as one of the cars to avoid. It's a small electric vehicle that barely holds 4 adults and has a limited range of 61 miles per charge. This is a poor performing electric vehicle that's got lots of low quality build components and an interior that's been called "tinny" by some automotive experts.
The RLX has become a forgotten entry in Acura's stable, and it's waning popularity isn't doing the luxury sedan any favors behind Acura's corporate doors. JD Power recently held a quality study in which the 2016 Acura RLX forecasted to retain just 46% of the initial value over just three years, and 30% over five years. Can you say ouch? The new i-VTEC engine does a silky smooth job with decent gas mileage, but the RLX struggles in many other areas.
At the top of the list of 2016 Cars to Avoid is the ATS, which scores poorly in reliability and performance tests. In fact the 2016 Cadillac ATS scores a negative 120 in Consumer Reports recent study. The cabin is also cramped and according to most value studies, the Cadillac ATS will retain just 40% of the initial value after just three years. On top of that the value is expected to fall well under 30% over five years, making the ATS one of the biggest cars to avoid on our list.
John is a freelance writer, mechanic, and engine tuner. He provides content to several websites for SEO optimized websites of all manner.
