13 Cars That’ll Make You Regret Every Penny You Spent
There is no escaping the fact that the automotive world is full of many duds. For every great car a manufacturer produces, there is always one to make you question why on earth you got behind the wheel.
Many cars — whether sports cars, family sedans, or something else — will make you regret the money you spent. Despite the large number, we have narrowed it down to 13 of the worst with this list.
Here, you will find various terrible cars you should not spend your hard-earned cash on. If you did so, you would regret it. This is based on their looks, performance, cost, and how well the public received them.
Covini C6W
What looks like a quirky supercar with six wheels is one of the worst-selling supercars ever created. Italian manufacturer Covini Engineering decided the world needed a six-wheel supercar with a big V8 under the hood. Inspired by the 1976 Tyrrell P34 F1 car, they developed the C6W with an Audi 4.2-liter V8 under the hood, producing 430-hp.
Unfortunately, while the Tyrrell P34 was a striking-looking car, the C6W was not. The looks put off many buyers, as did the vast $500,000 asking price, and the company could only sell around 6-8 per year. There was no demand for a six-wheel supercar, and Covini produced just a few from 2004 to 2016.
Pontiac Aztek
The Pontiac Aztek’s terrible styling hurt it. After its debut in 1999, Pontiac chose what they called “Xtreme” futuristic styling for its new crossover. It had an aggressive but unusual front end with multiple eyes and bizarre nostrils that the public didn’t take kindly to.
In fairness, the Aztek did become world famous. However, it did so for all the wrong reasons, as the crossover was derided worldwide, and few people took kindly to the design. The strange looks sadly hid what a very competent, reliable, and comfortable crossover was. Had Pontiac gone for a much more conventional design, the Aztek would likely have been a huge seller. Instead, the Aztek was gone by 2005.
Trabant
You have to cut the fabled Trabant a little bit of slack as it was the product of a Cold War East Germany, firmly in the control of the Soviet Union. East Germany badly needed motor vehicles, but it didn’t have the money to throw at them like West Germany did. So it came up with the Trabant, a car sold to the masses in the Eastern Blok.
Sadly, while the intention to produce a great car was there, the Trabant was genuinely awful. It was outdated before its design was even put to paper, and even though it was cheap, it wasn’t cheerful. A two-stroke engine under the hood ensured it was slow, and you are fortunate if you can find a Trabant in good condition. Remarkably, demand for Trabants was so high that the waiting list grew to ten years.
Bricklin SV-1
The Bricklin SV-1 was the brainchild of Malcolm Bricklin, an American businessman with a vision for his own sports car. After some design work, he developed the SV-1, a gullwing sports car with a 5.9-liter AMC V8 under the hood. Bricklin later added a 5.8-liter Ford Windsor V8 to the SV-1 options.
Bricklin wanted to create a small but affordable sports car that would appeal to many people. Despite his experience founding Subaru of America, the SV-1 fell very flat, and some, such as Via Retro, have called it a “heroic failure.” The most power offered by either V8 engine was 220-hp, and quality control was inferior. Plus, the fiberglass body and color-impregnated acrylic resin were not very durable, even if the car weighed 3,520lbs.
Lancia Beta
There was a time when Lancia was a major powerhouse in the automotive world. The Italian manufacturer produced cars such as the Stratos, Fulvia, 037, and Thema 8.32. Yet its most infamous is the Lancia Beta of the 1980s, the car that effectively killed off the company.
From 1974 to 1984, Lancia Betas developed severe rust problems, the most worrying being found on the engine mounts. This significantly affected the U.K. market, and Lancia had to buy back all affected Betas, scrap them, and give their owners new cars at Lancia’s expense. As a result, Lancia sales dropped dramatically. The company would later pull out of the right-hand drive market altogether.
Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Despite the attractive price tag of just over $19,000, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is an affordable sedan with its fair share of problems. That price tag has come with several trade-offs, with the quality of the sedan suffering, making even that $19k price tag look quite expensive.
Power under the hood only comes from a tiny 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, producing just 78-hp. The engine noise reverberates around the car’s cabin due to a lack of soundproofing and quality materials, making it an almost unbearable experience for drivers and passengers. Adding insult to injury is the terrible build quality that affects the Mirage G4 throughout.
Nissan Versa
The Nissan Versa is one of just a handful of U.S. cars you can buy for less than $20,000. With a starting price of just $16,880, it’s no wonder Americans love the little sedan so much. It is perfect for those on a budget.
However, it is not without its flaws. The small 122-hp and 114 lb-ft of torque engine means the Versa is underpowered. The interior quality is good, but compared to some of its rivals at this price point, it lacks a little bit of space. Most notably, compared to cars that are just a bit more expensive, the Versa feels a bit “bare-bones” if you will. But the Versa is still a solid option if you are on a budget.
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto will go down in history as one of the worst cars ever made, all thanks to a fatal flaw with its fuel tank that Ford knew about. The stylish Pinto was well received when it launched, and initial sales proved vital for the new model; however, buyers would soon begin to regret their decision.
The Pinto’s safety was quickly questioned, and the Pinto became a controversial car. Several rear-end collisions saw the fuel tank explode, causing fires with the Pinto and several deaths. It turned out there was a severe flaw in its design, and Ford knew about it but decided not to do anything to fix it.
DeLorean DMC-12
On the surface, the DeLorean DMC-12 is one of the most excellent cars on the planet. It played a starring role in the cult trilogy “Back to the Future” and even today, ensuring the DMC-12 remains one of the most famous cars ever produced. Yet the DMC-12 was among the worst sports cars to grace our roads.
Under the hood was a 2.85-liter V6 developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo. However, the engine produced 130-hp and 153 lb-ft of torque. The DMC-12’s build quality was questioned multiple times, and the saga surrounding company founder John DeLorean forever overshadowed the sports car. It might have its own legion of fans, but as a sports car, the DMC-12 was a real dud.
Chrysler PT Cruiser
When Chrysler developed the PT Cruiser, they hoped its retro design would ensure it became a best seller. It was a family car designed to mimic 1930s saloons and hot rods, and there was demand for the PT Cruiser as sales at launch were very strong. Sadly, the problems facing the retro saloon became all too apparent.
The PT Cruiser would create a horrible safety reputation over the years, with the IIHS website revealing that the car scores “poor” in nearly every safety segment. The PT Cruiser was never an exciting car to drive, and the novelty of its retro styling wore off pretty quickly.
Aston Martin Cygnet
As the 2000s became the 2010s, British manufacturer Aston Martin needed to comply with new 2012 European Union fleet average emissions regulations. In short, Aston Martin needed a more efficient and eco-friendly car in its lineup. However, the British company rebranded an existing vehicle rather than creating its own and probably regrets doing so.
Enter the genuinely terrible Aston Martin Cygnet. It was a rebranded and slightly revised version of the Toyota iQ; however, those revisions turned the Cygnet into a disaster. The Cygnet was an awful car to look at, yet as Top Gear stated, Aston Martin slapped a massive $30,000 price tag on the vehicle — three times as much as the Toyota cost. The Cygnet was a colossal market failure, with Aston Martin selling just 150 units in the U.K.
Maserati Biturbo
Maserati hoped to produce a car combining sports and GT cars, with plenty of performance and a comfortable interior. So it came up with the Biturbo, a vehicle for a family of three, including a luxury sports coupe, a sporty sedan, and a grand tourer. Under the hood were three V6 biturbo engines, from the 2.0-liter unit to the 285-hp 2.8-liter version.
Sadly, the Biturbo was a disaster. Quality and construction compromises were made to make the Biturbo more affordable. The engines weren’t as powerful as buyers had hoped, and after a couple of years of ownership, owners would find leaks everywhere, snaps, ruptures, and excessive oil burning. The Biturbi was a hopeless failure, effectively ending Maserati’s involvement with the American market.
Alfa Romeo Arna
The Alfa Romeo Arna was an unusual mixture of Japan and Italy after the Italian manufacturer partnered with Nissan to create the small hatchback. However, Alfa Romeo handled the mechanical side of things, which didn’t end well for the Arna.
The Alfasud Boxer engines under the hood were unreliable, while the build quality of the Nissan body was questionable, complete with its awkward and “frumpy” styling. The handling of the Arna didn’t improve things, so after just four years in production, Alfa Romeo and Nissan curtailed the partnership and ceased Arna production. In total, the two produced just 53,047 Arnas.
