16. Kia Forte
In general, Kia vehicles have earned great marks in recent years despite being offered at very low price points but the Forte is an exception. While the grades for it aren’t as dismal as some others we’ve featured on this list, the 2021 model got a score of 43/100 from Consumer Reports. That was one of the worst scores the publication gave in the small car class for this model year, ranking far below similar rides like the Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla. It was described as uncomfortable, noisy and unreliable, which sounds disappointing even at its starting price of $17,890.
15. Maserati Ghibli
When you’re spending around six figures for a vehicle, you should expect perfection but the Maserati Ghibli apparently doesn’t deliver. Ranging from $72,190 to $109,890 for its suggested retail price, this is the most expensive car featured on our list. Consumer Reports gave it a 42/100, which was easily the lowest score of the 11 it has reviewed in the luxury midsize sedan class for 2021 so far. For comparison’s sake, it was one of only three in the class to score less than 74/100, with the best marks going to the Lexus GS and Lincoln MKZ, both of which are far cheaper.
14. Jeep Compass
In its own roundup of used cars to avoid, the Jeep Compass has been singled out by U.S. News and World Report. But if you’re thinking of trying a new one, plenty of other outlets will steer you clear of this compact SUV. Consumer Reports ranked it among the 10 least reliable cars for 2021 and gave that model year an overall grade of 39/100. The researchers at J.D. Power also ranked it as the least dependable in its class in a 2020 study of vehicles from the 2017 model year.
13. Tesla Model X
Especially amongst other Tesla models, this one sticks out like a sore thumb. No one likes this car. It’s an SUV that lacks utility. Out of all electric and hybrid cars, the CR review scored this one the lowest at 57. That isn’t exactly a terrible score, but given its price tag, it certainly isn’t worth it.
12. Jeep Wrangler
While the Compass and Renegade got bad scores from Consumer Reports, the publication saved its lowest marks in the Jeep family for the 2021 Wrangler. This model got a brutal score of 29/100 from the publication, which ranked at the very bottom of the midsize SUV class. Its road performance was apparently a gas-guzzling mess and the site even placed it on its list of the 10 least reliable vehicles for 2021. In addition, J.D. Power gave it the worst dependability score of the compact SUV class in the group’s 2020 test.
11. Land Rover Discovery Sport
The Land Rover brand brings luxury to mind but the automaker has a couple lemons in its lineup, according to reviews from top publications. The 2021 Discovery Sport, which starts at $41,900, was given a grade of 41/100 from Consumer Reports, which equates to roughly a point for every $1,000 you’re forking over. It was named the worst compact premium SUV of the year by that publication, who loathed its “stiff” ride and poor predicted reliability.
10. Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
The Range Rover Evoque is even pricier than the Land Rover Discovery Sport — ranging up to $53,400 off the lot — and its marks were about the same. The researchers at J.D. Power had it tied as the worst small premium SUV in overall quality for 2020, far preferring the Jaguar E-Pace across the board. Consumer Reports gave the 2021 Evoque a score of 41/100, slamming its acceleration, visibility and predicted reliability.
9. Nissan Frontier
If you’re looking for a pickup truck that won’t let you down, the Nissan Frontier is apparently not the one to buy. The expert reviewer at Kelley Blue Book gave the 2020 edition a score of 3.7/10, which was even worse than the 3.8/10 it had given the 2019 Frontier. The Car Connection gave it a 3.8/10 for 2021 and rated it as the worst pickup truck for the model year of 12 that it had tested.
8. Dodge Grand Caravan
Dodge discontinued its long-running Grand Caravan model in May 2020 and that’s likely a good thing, if you read its reviews over the past few years. The most recent model was dubbed the worst minivan or van of its model year by The Car Connection, earning a remarkably low score of 3.7/10. Perhaps the most incredible thing about the publication’s grade is that it gave the Grand Caravan a 2/10 for safety, which is typically the most important factor of a minivan, which is designed as a family hauler.
In 2019, research firm J.D. Power rated the Grand Caravan as the clear loser in its rankings for dependability in the minivan class, giving it below-average marks across the board.
About The Delite
Somtimes it can feel like the world is full of negative news. Luckily, there is still a lot of good in the world. There are amazing people doing incredible things. Our goal is to help showcase some of these positive, inspiring stories in order to bring a smile to your face.