Just like an older aunt who tries to kiss you at family gatherings some cars leave a lasting impression on you. Unfortunately for some vehicles the impression isn’t as easy to erase as your aunt’s lipstick. When it comes to the cars we drive there are many factors we must consider when we want to enjoy a vehicle on the road. These factors are price, performance, reliability, comfort and enjoyment. If you have to take a car in for a plethora of work to be done because of recalls or failures this can add to the negative way you might feel about your vehicle. Here are some of the least satisfying vehicles purchased over the past several years.
Kia Rio – The Kia Rio starts out with issues and gets worse. The backseat and tiny cargo area make for difficulty in transporting more than two people and it comes with very few features. This is how this car was built and the target audience is those looking for their first car on a budget but this one might be too budget oriented with an overall approval rating of only forty percent.
Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot – While the Jeep name is lauded for the off road capability of the Wrangler in many forms, but these two small SUVs only pleased about 46 percent of those who owned them. These two have been cut from the lineup going forward as the brand puts it focus and energy into the Cherokee and Renegade, both of which score much higher in approval ratings.
Hyundai Veloster – It’s not really surprising that this car only receives a fifty percent approval rating, it’s an odd vehicle and one that has many on the fence about what to think of it. The complaints here are a lack of usable space and not enough power to make it a real sports car. I’m still not sure if this is supposed to be a hatchback or a sports car.
Nissan Quest – An approval rating of over half seems like it might be good, but when that means only 54 percent and the segment leader is at 78 there is a considerable gap to close. The Quest has been described as having a cheap interior and stubborn transmission along with a poor score on the small front overlap crash test.
Mercedes-Benz CLA – You might not think a luxury model would make its way to the list but it has. With only a 55 percent approval rating this small sedan is low on the totem pole when it comes to pleasing owners. This is supposed to be a transition vehicle to entice you to buy the next model up, but a stiff and uncomfortable ride will not make you want to buy another Mercedes-Benz product.
Nissan Altima – This is a bit of a surprise because the Altima has style in a class that is normally boring. With an approval rating of only 58 percent the Altima has received complaints about the seats and the automatic transmission as the most consistent complaints for this car.
Nissan Frontier – The Frontier is normally a good pickup for going on some trails but it’s a rough ride on the pavement and only has an approval of sixty percent of the owners. This makes the third Nissan in the list making it a brand that many may turn away from if Nissan doesn’t address some of the issues and complaints about their vehicles.