Learning Car Buying the Hard Way

It’s always a good idea to take buying a car seriously and understand it’s a large investment in your life.  More than likely the car you buy today you will drive for the next three years at a minimum.  When you purchase a car you want to make sure it’s the right one for you and fits your needs exactly.  One way to do that is to read reviews of buyers who had a similar purpose to your and see what their experience with the car was.  Knowing some cars don’t stand up to the test of time here are seven cars more owners said they regretted buying than any others.

Jeep Patriot and Compass – These two SUVs from Jeep have recently been discontinued by Jeep because of poor reviews and sales.  Although this pair of smaller SUVs are fine for many shoppers to carry their families around town the expectation when you buy a Jeep model is to be able to head off road or with a smaller SUV to have good fuel mileage which these two do not have.

Hyundai Veloster – As a car that is supposed to be a sports car this one pales in comparison to the likes of the Mustang, Camaro, or just about any other actual sports car.  Even the Miata feels much better than the Veloster, and the lack of power under the hood makes this a car that is hard to enjoy as a sports car.  If you lower your expectations, and don’t think of this as a sports car but instead as a hatchback this is a car you can easily enjoy, but the marketing by Hyundai had us believe this would the a great little sports car, which it is not.

Nissan Quest – While the Mazda5 was a more regrettable minivan purchase it’s no longer on the market, but the Quest remains.  The response given is this minivan has poor visibility, cheap materials and even a poor score on the small- overlap crash test by the IIHS.  This is a van that has unfortunately come in last on a regular basis to the other minivans on the market.  It appears Nissan needs to do some upgrading or begin to end the production of the Quest which would delete yet another minivan from the market.

Mercedes- Benz CLA – If you are on a tight budget but want to drive a car with a luxury badge on it, the CLA is the right choice, but there are some warnings you must understand first.  The saying “you get what you pay for” is evident here with  a car that made several compromises to be affordable.  The reports are the suspension is too stiff, the size is too small and the ride is too noisy.  Not only that, for some reason the CLA runs through tires much faster than other models, which renders it a car you might want to avoid.

Nissan Altima – Ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but the Altima issues depend upon your use of the car.  If this is your choice as a commuter vehicle it’s a great option as an affordable car that can get you to and from work with no problem.  The issues arise when you take the family for a ride.  As a car that just received an upgrade for the2016 model year, some of the issues which includes the seats, handling and noise level have been addressed to give you a car that is easier to enjoy for the family and still gives you great fuel mileage to enjoy.

Nissan Frontier – This is a truck that is up for redesign and has been on the market in basically that same form for longer than any other truck.  This makes it an older model that is barely hanging on and should be a great vehicle to drive with the new model.  As for the current version this is a truck that is hard on the fuel, turning radius and for daily driving.  One attribute many owners do like about the Frontier is the comfort and the off road capabilities, but it’s time for this truck to be upgraded to the expectation of today’s customer.

Kia Rio – The rear seat is small, there is hardly any cargo space and the mileage is not what you would expect from such a small car.  This is a car made for commuting, and not on the carpool lane.  As a first car and one for a student the Rio is actually a good choice, but for older professionals who want a comfortable ride home after work this car lacks what they look for.  This is not a car you choose to carry the whole family around in and certainly too small for any comfort. 

All seven of these vehicles may have poor overall reviews from those who purchased them, but some expectations, and the advertising may have done the cars little justice.  Some cars are made to be nothing more than transportation from one place to another while other cars are made to be great for driving and enjoyment.  Should you avoid buying any of these vehicles?  Not at all, just understand what you are buying before you commit so you know the vehicle will fit with your lifestyle.