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After cleaning up the data as much as I could considering this smashing headache I’m managing today, I’ve crunched the numbers and come out with a magic number: 242. That’s the total number of vehicles you nominated that were eligible for this year’s Ten Best and Ten Worst.
Here they are, in order of Best to Worst, for your reading pleasure.
Before we begin, it’s important to understand what the “Net Nomination Score” actually is. We took the number of Best nominations and subtracted the number of Worst nominations. The further down the list a vehicle lives, the worse it is, according to you.
Also, this is how the candidates were presented to writers, more or less. The more extreme the score in nominations, the further up the vehicles were on the Best/Worst voting sheets. That means you have mucha influencia in the final Tens.
So, without further ado …
| Model | Net Nomination Score |
| Mazda MX-5 Miata | 39 |
| Ford Mustang | 33 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 22 |
| Tesla Model S | 21 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 17 |
| Honda Accord | 17 |
| Mazda6 | 16 |
| Ford F-150 | 15 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 13 |
| Mazda3 | 13 |
| Honda Civic | 11 |
| Porsche Boxster/Cayman | 11 |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 10 |
| Dodge Charger | 9 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 9 |
| Porsche 911 | 9 |
| Ford Focus | 8 |
| Acura MDX | 7 |
| Alfa Romeo 4C | 7 |
| Chevrolet SS | 7 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 7 |
| Toyota Camry | 7 |
| Ford Flex | 6 |
| Mazda CX-5 | 6 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 6 |
| Volvo XC90 | 6 |
| BMW 2 Series | 5 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | 5 |
| Subaru WRX | 5 |
| BMW M2 | 4 |
| Chevrolet Volt | 4 |
| Ford Fusion | 4 |
| Honda Fit | 4 |
| Hyundai Genesis | 4 |
| Jaguar F-Type | 4 |
| Kia Soul | 4 |
| Lexus LS | 4 |
| Subaru Outback | 4 |
| Toyota 4Runner | 4 |
| Audi A4 | 3 |
| Audi A8 | 3 |
| BMW i3 | 3 |
| BMW i8 | 3 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 3 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | 3 |
| Chrysler 300 | 3 |
| Kia Sorento | 3 |
| Lexus GS | 3 |
| Mercedes-AMG GT | 3 |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 3 |
| Subaru Forester | 3 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 3 |
| Audi A7 | 2 |
| Cadillac CTS | 2 |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 2 |
| Dodge Challenger | 2 |
| Ferrari 488 | 2 |
| Ferrari F12 berlinetta | 2 |
| Fiat 500 Abarth | 2 |
| Ford Escape | 2 |
| Ford Fiesta | 2 |
| Ford Transit | 2 |
| GMC Yukon | 2 |
| Honda CR-V | 2 |
| Honda Odyssey | 2 |
| Jaguar XE | 2 |
| Kia Optima | 2 |
| Lincoln MKX | 2 |
| Lincoln MKZ | 2 |
| McLaren 570S | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe | 2 |
| Ram 2500 | 2 |
| Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ | 0 |
| Scion tC | 2 |
| Toyota Avalon | 2 |
| Toyota Sienna | 2 |
| Volvo V60 Polestar | 2 |
| Volvo XC60 | 2 |
| Acura RDX | 1 |
| Ariel Atom | 1 |
| Audi A3 | 1 |
| Audi A6 | 1 |
| Audi Q5 | 1 |
| Audi Q7 | 1 |
| BMW 7 Series | 1 |
| BMW M4 | 1 |
| BMW M5 | 1 |
| Buick Cascada | 1 |
| Buick Lacrosse | 1 |
| Dodge Durango | 1 |
| Ford C-Max | 1 |
| Ford Edge | 1 |
| Ford Transit Connect | 1 |
| Honda Ridgeline | 1 |
| Hyundai Genesis Coupe | 1 |
| ICON FJ-44 | 1 |
| Infiniti Q50 | 1 |
| Infiniti QX50 | 1 |
| Jaguar XJ | 1 |
| Lamborghini Aventador | 1 |
| Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 | 1 |
| Land Rover Range Rover | 1 |
| Lexus IS | 1 |
| Lincoln MKC | 1 |
| McLaren 650S | 1 |
| McLaren 675LT | 1 |
| Mercedes Sprinter | 1 |
| Morgan 3-Wheeler | 1 |
| Nissan Versa Note | 1 |
| Porsche Macan | 1 |
| Scion iA | 1 |
| Toyota Corolla | 1 |
| Volvo S60 | 1 |
| Volvo XC70 | 1 |
| Acura TLX | 0 |
| Audi TT | 0 |
| BMW 3 Series | 0 |
| Cadillac SRX | 0 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 0 |
| Chevrolet Malibu | 0 |
| Chevrolet Sonic | 0 |
| Dodge Viper | 0 |
| Honda Pilot | 0 |
| Kia K900 | 0 |
| Lexus GX | 0 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class | 0 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class | 0 |
| Mini Clubman | 0 |
| Nissan Juke | 0 |
| Nissan Leaf | 0 |
| Ram ProMaster City | 0 |
| Subaru Impreza | 0 |
| Toyota Highlander | 0 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 0 |
| Audi Q3 | -1 |
| BMW 4 Series | -1 |
| Buick Enclave | -1 |
| Buick Envision | -1 |
| Buick Regal | -1 |
| Ford Expedition | -1 |
| Hyundai Elantra | -1 |
| Infiniti QX60 | -1 |
| Infiniti QX80 | -1 |
| Land Rover Discovery Sport | -1 |
| Lexus NX | -1 |
| Lexus RX | -1 |
| Lincoln MKS | -1 |
| Lincoln Navigator | -1 |
| Mitsubishi RVR | -1 |
| Nissan Armada | -1 |
| Nissan Cube | -1 |
| Nissan GT-R | -1 |
| Nissan NV Full-size | -1 |
| Nissan Quest | -1 |
| Porsche Panamera | -1 |
| Ram 1500 | -1 |
| Ram ProMaster | -1 |
| Rolls Royce Grand Shadow Gazoonie | -1 |
| Toyota Prius | -1 |
| Toyota RAV4 | -1 |
| Toyota Sequoia | -1 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | -1 |
| Acura RLX | -2 |
| BMW 5 Series | -2 |
| Cadillac ATS | -2 |
| Cadillac ELR | -2 |
| Chevrolet City Express | -2 |
| Chevrolet Cruze | -2 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | -2 |
| Chevrolet Express | -2 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | -2 |
| Fiat 500X | -2 |
| Ford Explorer | -2 |
| Ford Taurus | -2 |
| GMC Terrain | -2 |
| Kia Rio | -2 |
| Lexus CT | -2 |
| Lexus ES | -2 |
| Lexus RC | -2 |
| Maserati Ghibli | -2 |
| Mercedes-Benz G-Class | -2 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class | -2 |
| Mini Paceman | -2 |
| Nissan Rogue Select | -2 |
| Nissan Sentra | -2 |
| Porsche Cayenne | -2 |
| Scion iM | -2 |
| Subaru Legacy | -2 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | -2 |
| Acura ILX | -3 |
| BMW X4 | -3 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan | -3 |
| Hyundai Sonata | -3 |
| Jeep Cherokee | -3 |
| Mazda CX-3 | -3 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe | -3 |
| Nissan 370Z | -3 |
| Nissan Frontier | -3 |
| Nissan Murano | -3 |
| Nissan Pathfinder | -3 |
| Nissan Rogue | -3 |
| Toyota Mirai | -3 |
| Toyota Prius c | -3 |
| Volkswagen Touareg | -3 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | -4 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | -4 |
| Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | -4 |
| Mini Cooper | -4 |
| Nissan Maxima | -4 |
| Nissan Titan XD | -4 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | -4 |
| Volkswagen Eos | -4 |
| BMW X1 | -5 |
| Chevrolet Spark | -5 |
| Chevrolet Trax | -5 |
| Lincoln MKT | -5 |
| Cadillac Escalade | -6 |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | -6 |
| Tesla Model X | -6 |
| Dodge Dart | -7 |
| Chrysler 200 | -8 |
| Fiat 500 | -8 |
| Jeep Renegade | -8 |
| BMW X6 | -9 |
| Buick Encore | -9 |
| Mitsubishi Lancer | -9 |
| Honda CR-Z | -10 |
| Hyundai Veloster | -10 |
| Mitsubishi Mirage | -11 |
| Nissan Versa | -11 |
| Toyota Yaris | -11 |
| Mitsubishi i-MiEV | -12 |
| Honda HR-V | -13 |
| Nissan Altima | -13 |
| Jeep Patriot | -14 |
| Dodge Journey | -19 |
| Smart ForTwo | -19 |
| Fiat 500L | -26 |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class | -26 |
Feel free to let us know what you nominated in the comments.
129 Comments on “All the Cars You Nominated for Ten Best and Worst of 2016...”
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Wow. Nissan got slammed hard.
Reaction to getting an Altima at the rental counter: Looks like another Altima. Reaction to getting a Ford Focus at the rental counter: Nooooo!!! The Fusion isn’t much worse as a rental than an Altima, but in terms of absolute weakness as automobiles, the cheaper Fords are the most miserable ones be sentenced to spend time in.
Focus > Sentra
My dad is leasing a 2015 Sentra. It is decidedly worse than the 2012 Focus I used to own. It helps that his lease on the Sentra is less than $120 a month.
I compared a 2015 Fiesta hatch to a 2015 Versa sedan this week. The Fiesta had 10K more miles, for a total of 29K. It was a miserable little crate of a tired car with a driver’s door pull that had gone missing and no visible interior lock switches. The Versa seemed like it should cost at least half again as much, even if it is a decidedly austere car. I haven’t been a fan of Nissan since well before they dropped the Datsun badges, but today’s low end Fords are egregiously, needlessly miserable conveyances in my opinion. Focus front seats are even worse than Fiesta seats. I haven’t so much as looked in the direction of a new Sentra, so I can’t challenge your assertion, but I would be shocked if it is really worse than a new Focus.
TTAC staff & writers LOVE THEM SOME FORD!!!!
You sure that was a Ford Fiesta! ?
Bark M. says FiST is best vehicle since AC Shelby Cobra!!!!
-4 for my truck eh?
Bastards!
Titan XD? Very interested to see how those perform using a clean sheet engine design.
16′ silverado ltz 5.3 8 speed.
I love it way more than my 13′ f150 eco. Fuel mileage is leaps better. Best lie o meter avg 26.
I tow a 16 ft landscape trailer. 5000lbs loaded It tows excellent. I feel like it’s a great truck so far. I never felt like that with the f150.
I really like the look of the titan’$! I think the gem will be the xd with 7 speed v8 gas.
Oh come on, I expected gems from the comments lines of our forms to appear here. Plain list is plain!
They’ll come. I meant to post some last week and then Volkswagen went all Volkswagen-y again.
Alrighty, I shall be waitin.
Maybe just a little surprised that the HR-V wound up that far down the list. And the Altima is far from a favorite of mine, but not sure I’d lump it in with the likes of the 500L and such (although the last time I rented one, I got so fed up with the CVT that I turned around and gave it back). Fairly solid Top 10 and Bottom 10 though, all in all.
Altima is ugly. But its reliable, roomy, comfy has a big trunk and they sell them by the boatload.
Also. Altima has excellent mpg and a little road noise. Overall its not a bad car. It should be closer to “0”.
Agreed, I don’t get the Altima being up there. Or the Versa for that matter. It is the cheapest and most practical bottom feeder entrant (compared to the likes of the Mirage and Spark). For a real world out the door price of $11k, you get a NEW car that will fit four adults (or two adults and two kids in car seats), with air conditioning and automatic transmission. It has many airbags, and will get 40+ mpg. it might drive like crap (on a relative scale) but I think it is the king of cheap subcompacts.
I have had versa and versa note rentals all year while I am on travel. The versa note is absolutely an ok car. Base versa seems to lack BT phone pairing for music playback. I would say that is the biggest drawback. Considering price and target market, they are just fine for what they are.
The problem with the Versa is that it looks as cheap as it costs.
Bluetooth?! You aristocrat. I had a rental Versa last year that didn’t have a USB hookup!
Fully agree as I own a ’13 Altima. It’s not without quirks and annoyances but still very comfortable, reliable and ridiculous mileage for a fairly large car. I can only assume that the criteria for this list is what cars are lusted over!
I recently rented an Altima. I understand the rating. Not because it’s that bad, it has many redeeming features. It’s because it’s not *better*. I found the CVT annoying, the steering vague, the seating position just off enough to remind you that it’s not right. I wanted to like it, but it just wouldn’t let me.
The Altima is uncomfortable, vague, and more boring then any camcord ever. I also think it’s NVH is average. But in many other respects it’s a pretty good car. I personally down voted it because it’s one of the few cars I would walk back to the counter to be rid of as a rental but it’s ok basic transportation. As Jack said about the Yaris “it’s a car”
And the V6 is very fast
Altima is a snoozefest of a car but is saved by stellar highway mileage and a quiet cabin.
On the Versa Note, the drivers seat was the most painful car seat I have ever sat in, my knee kept hitting the big bump at the bottom of the steering column every time I got in and out and it accelerated like a slug. I had to floor it to merge and pass on Florida highways. My 99 Civic was a far superior car.
Oh that reminds me. A telescoping steering wheel would go a long ways in the note. I sit with arms fully extended forward and seat all the way back. At 6 feet tall, thr seat needs another inch or two of travel.
Yes I floor them everywhere I go. They are gutless. But I am realistic. It is a very cheap car. Heck, the chevette was in sale through 87…the dodge omni too.
Altima did badly because there are several much better mid-size sedans that are better designed, more fun, safer, at least as fuel efficient.
I agree with this, but I also suspect that I may not the only one who has seen people in Altimas do stupid/annoying/clueless things enough that my defense driver alert goes up a little whenever I spot one. That hasn’t helped my perception of the car. About 15 years ago I had that reaction to Mitsubishis.
HR-V has a real NVH problem. Like, much worse than most vehicles where we complain about NVH. I’m wondering if it’s the worst vehicle now on the market from a NVH perspective, or second to something like the Mirage.
I like the Altima, personally. It’s cheap and unrefined, but at the real-world price that’s probably OK. It gets fabulous fuel economy, best non-hybrid in the midsize class under my right foot.
Ha, the Regal. I forgot that one, or I’d have put it on my worst list.
And I must have been one of the few to put the XC70 on my best list.
Regal – winner of biggest buyers remorse.
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/05/buick-regal-tops-among-traded-one-year-ownership/
Maybe that should be a criteria for a TWAT award? How repulsed are the actual buyers after their initial purchase?
They should quit trying to foist old Opel crap here. The costs of production are too high, and they’re always trumping themselves with a similar American design. Didn’t work on the Catera, didn’t work with the Regal. Isn’t gonna work with the Cascada.
I was very intrigued by the new Regal when it came out, less so after seeing it in person. Never managed to find a MT on dealer lot to drive, so it was passed by. Now I see them depreciating at a terrific rate, can I ask why? Reliability that awful? Do they run over dogs and flirt with daughters? Are they voting for Trump?
Just curious, I am forever looking for a neat car for a used beater but don’t want a pile of garbage.
I’ll just write you a little list of reasons for Regal depreciation.
-Too expensive to start off.
-Too small for price.
-Too similar in size to Verano, but more expensive.
-Options very expensive.
-#1 car in the US which gets traded for something else (within a year IIRC).
-No V6.
-Very small interior.
+
– bought by old people who buy new, absolutely no secondary market.
Only people buying Buicks are new vehicle purchasers and end of life beater buy-here pay-here lot buyers.
If I wasn’t afraid of it’s reliability I might of gotten it.
“minused”
I like that! Ima say that when I lose more weight.
“Walp, minused another 8 pounds!”
Or do I need to use kilos with that. And shouldn’t it be “minussed” for pronunciation’s sake? Like “nonplussed”?
Smells like bacon here.
Ugh. I’m really not having a good day.
No…really… I thought it was just a localism wherever you are.
We sure got ’em here!
Too often, I’m a grammar/spelling hound. But “minused” is one of those improper words which perfectly conveys its meaning.
Cheer up mate!
Funny how we REALLY like the MDX, but the Pilot elicits a “meh.”
Conversely, somebody really likes the Charger (not me), but the 300 barely registers.
But I bet if you turn that Mustang into a Lincoln Mark, it then becomes the #2 loved item under the MX-5.
I’m surprised by the Charger numbers. Obviously BigTruck is much more influential than I am.
If anyone wants a ’14 R/T, I got one ready to go.
Did you forget to type in all caps?
I feel like people haven’t internalized the new Pilot yet. It’s really, really good (although I was still a MDX voter because I think SH-AWD makes the MDX that much better).
I was looking at used chargers and 300’s last weekend (under 20k v6 2011 and newer) The charger seems to have much better resale then the 300. los of 300’s to look at in the price range not so many chargers.
The highest one I’ve owned scores a 2, and I’ve had some “zeroes” and some “minuses”.
I didn’t vote here, but I’m sure most votes were not based upon personal experience. Mine wouldn’t have been, either.
Think of this more as The TTAC Image Awards, then it makes more sense.
Oh, I can play along. Miata, FTW. I can’t even fit in a Miata….
Is that a length or width issue, or both!
For me it’s length. And but plus, I got up close to a Honda Beat on Sunday and knew not to even try to get in it. Also realized I’m half a foot too tall for a Sera.
You can drive the Sera with the doors open and look super cool.
“Look, my Toyota has awnings!”
Ha, I was fine sitting in the car (except for the stereotypical Toyota steering wheel offset). Getting in and out required me to do a funky half-limbo to avoid cracking my head on the door.
Length – 6’6″ tall. Most cars aren’t made for me, especially the Miata.
You probably can’t ride some roller coasters either.
Yeah I can barley fit in a miata at 6’4″. I can drive it but it’s very painful.
Yup. Flip the list upside down and you have the approximate order of the sales of these vehicles.
It would be impossible for most of us to vote for these based on personal experience. I can say that I have at least sat in or observed up close (both inside and out) most of the vehicles that I voted for.
The remainder have been on the road long enough that I love or hate their styling/design or the manner in which they are accessorized (bling or lack thereof) or driven.
This. I limited my votes to vehicles I’ve either owned or driven for at least a couple of days. it didn’t seem fair to opine on vehicles with which I have no personal experience.
Fascinating, no bad cars, huh?
We proved them wrong — some real stinkers at the bottom of the list.
Seven of the top 10 I picked ended up with a score of +9 or more.
And 7 of my bottom 10 ended up with -8 or worse.
Can’t win ’em all though — I had the Explorer in my top ten.
I’ll agree with most of these. Some of the worst rated cars I had completely forgotten about. Most I’d only seen at auto shows or dealerships, and I wasn’t impressed with them then
I’m surprised that the Honda Fit ended up doing as well as it did and on the positive side with a score of 4. It is just a miserable little vehicle.
Aside from the amazingly creative magic back seat and good fuel economy, there’s little to recommend it.
It’s a slow, noisy, crude little appliance and that clever back seat packaging compromises front seat leg room. The drop in quality ratings with the newest generation doesn’t help it. How it scored higher than the Sonic, Fiesta, and Versa is beyond me.
Ironically, the HR-V, based on the Fit, did terribly. How’d that happen?
The HR-V is a CUV marketing exercise along the lines of the Encore, except even -more- ugly and cheaper. That’s why.
“Chevrolet Cruze”
I thought people spoke so highly of the car!
Yeah I wouldn’t turn down a 2LT, manual transmission, 1.4 lt turbo model down.
The Cruze is a good car, and has no business on the minus side of things. Perhaps it’s a Ford bias thing, and people put the Focus up and the Cruze down.
The outgoing Chevrolet Snuze was slow and fuel-thirsty – but it was roomy. Then new model is less roomy, has added dents and dimples, and still has a cheap interior with shiny black stuff and fake metal that is silver plastic everywhere. And then you get dog leather accents on the dashboard.
I am frightened Sir that you know what “dog leather” looks like.
The new Cruze is much roomier feeling than the outgoing model, especially in the back seat. The outgoing Cruze with the base engine was a little less efficient but that was why the turbo was offered in all the other models. What the hell is dog leather accents?
The new Cruze is larger inside than the outgoing model. I agree with your summary about the styling rehash.
Never understood the Focus love (unless it’s an ST). Not very much room inside and the ride was on the harsh side and noisy.
The focus got such a high score entirely based on ST and RS votes I feel like. I put the RS on my list solely because of its AWD system, the regular Focus is more deserving of a 0 than any car I can think of. The Cruze is definitely a better car, haven’t driven a new one yet though.
You’ve both forgotten the miserable PowerShift automated manual transmission.
Yeah seems to be some ford Bias here. The focus is a little closer to a drivers car then a cruze but in every other way the cruze is better.
After having spent some time in a rental 2016 Focus SE and test driving a new 2016 Cruze LT I would say the Chevy is light years better in most every way starting with interior room/comfort and back seat space followed by refinement, ride and engine quietness. The Focus was a tad sharper in its moves but the Cruze is so much better as an all around car.
My friend has a 2012 Focus SE and it has the least comfortable seats I have ever encountered in a modern automobile.
Its the camaro of its class!
Next week on motortrend:
DID THE CAMARO OF ITS CLASS TELL THE CIVIC OF ITS CLASS TO STEP OUTSIDE?!
So the CLA is a horrible -26 but the GLA is simply a 0. Isn’t the GLA just a CLA with a few inches and a hatch? Someone explain how it is 26 points better.
We expect more dignity from cars than CUVs.
Amen.
I feel like I’m a minority but I love the way the GLA looks. And I’ve driven one and it felt good. Good enough for its price and badge no, but good enough that I’d buy one used. The CLA is the ugliest car of the past few decades by far so that instantly put it on the top of my worst list, plus its owners are always 1000x more douchey than GLA owners
“Good enough for its price and badge no, but good enough that I’d buy one used. ”
Brave, brave man to buy the throwaway Mercedes product used. I wish you luck.
That means at least one person voted FOR the GLA. I had the CLA and GLA as a single entry on my worst list; I think they’re equally bad and for the same reasons.
Seriously CLA as the last one, is crazy. Miata is on top, one of my friends was considering both these cars at extremes and was inclined towards CLA. He and I both are extremely interested in knowing justification for negative votes for CLA.
This was my quick and dirty list, there are many more opinions here:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/04/2016-ten-bestworst-automobiles-today-nominations-open-vote-now/
I’ll do it for real: “Mercedes” CLA
-Not a Mercedes
-Explicitly ugly in a world of already poor styling
-$28 tablet glued to dash
-Not a Mercedes
-Wrong wheel drive
-A $4 light up grille emblem for $400
-Little to zero outward visibility
-Cheap looking paint
-Not a Mercedes
-Turbo failz
-Assembled in Hungary
-Giant headlights which make it look like a poverty spec model (see Chevy Spark)
-Consumer Reports: This Mercedes Is ‘140% Worse Than The Average Car’
-CR reports “body integrity” issues
-Did I mention its not a real Mercedes?
http://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-reports-mercedes-benz-cla-worst-car-in-lineup-2014-10
The CLA250 is worse than mediocre not considering its price and not considering relativity to the competition. The CLA250 is HORRID considering its price and relative to its competition.
The Accord, Camry (especially SE), Fusion, and even the Sonata and Optima (and I’m not an Optima fan) are all better vehicles than the CLA250.
The CLA250 is a cynical, cheaply made, unrefined, poorly designed vehicle that damages the Mercedes brand as it is marketed & priced in North America.
I may even go so far as to state that the Nissan Altima is only slightly worse than the CLA250, which is a huge insult.
The MX-5 is a brilliant vehicle by any measure, and especially given its core purpose and price.
It is also absolutely, stunningly beautiful, has a great powertrain, has an amazing manual transmission, exquisite interior (fit/finish and gauges and switchgear shame some vehicles costing 2x as much), will prove to be super reliable, and is an instant classic.
Those are the facts (objective).
Your analysis is inverted.
The Miata is ugly and its power train is an embarrassment in 2016.
If you compare it to the previous C class you can appreciate how poor the CLA is. At the time the C was only a couple thousand more, which is not much when talking about MB.
I work with spreadsheets TOO much. But today it were fun! I looked across major mfr lineups (all GM vs ALL Toyota, PAG, etc.; delete one-model and exotic) and came up with averages.
Mazda 14.20
FordLinc 3.40
Volvo 2.40
Subaroo 2.17
PAG 1.76
Honda 1.21
Yoda 0.22
GM 0.09
BMW -0.15
Korea -0.20
MBUSA -0.83
NissanInf -2.39
FCA -2.95
Mitsu -7.80
Not a clue what the above means, but I hope that any group with an average of less than zero is profitable, as there doesn’t appear to be a great margin of error…and it’s nice to see Mazda and Ford at the top.
Mazda has a tiny lineup of good cars, and Mitsubishi has a tiny lineup of terrible cars. That explains the extremes, anyway.
And i guess FiatChryslerJeepDodge makes a big pile of smelly stuff that nobody wants or likes.
Measures of central tendency (average) are relatively meaningless without corresponding measures of dispersion (standard deviation).
Give us the standard deviations along with the averages and then we’ll know which brands are consistent, which have outliers increasing/decreasing their overall position, and which brands truly deserve the adjective, “extreme”.
Excellent work!
“Lexus RC -2”
?
I just took that one as “Less than two people have actually seen one in real life.”
Oh and outside of an auto show.
I was about to say, “I saw one today on the way to work!” But then I remembered it was an Acura ZDX–not nearly as exotic, but still quite rare.
It’s heavier than a GS for no benefit other than AutoBot-meets-IS styling. The car’s Frankenchassis (GS + IS + last-gen IS-C) really hurts it.
Yup, I have no interest in a heavier, uglier IS that’s missing two doors. It made my worst list.
I parked next to one on Sunday. I actually thought it looked pretty good in person (in white)
You might be nursing an aneurysm. I am cultivating one of those myself at my day job.
You have to water and talk to an aneurysm to help it grow.
It does resemble a berry hanging on a stem, so there’s that.
I rented a 500L on Thursday in Rome. Diesel, 6 speed manual.
Nice car overall. A little big for the city, and on the highway, the ride was flinty. But it was good sized for a family of 5, and I enjoyed the stick. Diesel had good power down low. Double A-column was weird.
But it’s oddly styled, and ill-suited to the US market.
Golly – and I was all ready to plunk down my hard-earned cash on a Rolls Grand Shadow Gazoonie TOMORROW! Have to rethink that now – thanks B&B!!!
Can I assume that the high Golf rating is mostly because of the GTI? If so, well deserved. It’s a great little car.
I thought Mazda made that…
GTI and Sportwagen lifted the Golf in a big way/
The two CLA owners I know would be pissed, if their egos would allow the blow to register. That car seems to attract douchebaggery.
Entry level model to a brand that sells luxury, what else did you expect?
See: BMW 3 series owners
Sweet, the two cars I own are in the top 16! Mustang and Wrangler.
Granted, mine are MY 2012 and 1994, respectively. The Mustang has improved a lot since ’12, but then again in 2012 the new V6 was a vast improvement over the Cologne V6. The Wrangler has gotten bigger, more comfortable, gained two doors in Unlimited trim, and become a relatively civilized vehicle since 1994. It now has high tech things like “airbags” and “ABS brakes” and “cruise” “control,” yet at heart it’s very similar to the YJ. In what other vehicle can you drive around without doors, windows or top and go pretty much anywhere?
One of the B&B a few days ago said, with regard to Consumer Reports, that they score the Wrangler and other vehicles low for not being very good at being an Accord. I think the Wrangler is a great vehicle because no other vehicle is nearly as good as being a Wrangler. I’m looking forward to seeing what Ford comes up with for the Bronco, but the pessimist in me expect an FJ type bloated plastic thing.
All great points. It is very true that Consumer Reports seems to rank every car on the same basis, and they don’t take a step back to truly look at that car’s purpose in the world. The Wrangler is not meant to be an Accord, and it never will be. That’s a good thing. The world would be awfully dull if every car was a Camry or Accord.
Instead, we have cars like the Wrangler. Cars that aren’t intended to pamper you, or wow you with the latest technology. Their cars that are a niche, and have a more loyal following than any midsize sedan. The Wrangler does its purpose well; a go-anywhere, rugged vehicle that will safely get you over the roughest terrain, and can be loads of fun.
I have rented a few Wranglers over the years and offroaded in them. Sure, they’re loud, unrefined, guzzle gas, and are basic (by today’s lofty standards), but I love them. The capabilities of them are amazing, and it’s the one vehicle you DON’T want to wash. The mud is a badge of honor.
I kinda feel the same way as you with my first gen Explorer. It’s not modern by any standards, but it can go anywhere and do anything with some character. If I want a little sophistication, I drive my Sonic :)
Consumer Reports does give the Wrangler credit for the offroad ability and the top off fun. Watch the video review. They even have an offroad course for the SUVs.
Unfortunately for the Wrangler (and my 4Runner), those attributes hurt in a scoring system that values on-the-road ride, efficiency, acceleration, etc. For an apples to apples road test score, they don’t have much choice but judge every car by the on road ability because that is where every car is primarily used. It wouldn’t make sense for Consumer Reports to cater to the lifestyle crowd when those lifestyle buyers are a much smaller portion of the buying public and are going to buy a Wrangler anyway. 150k people buy Wranglers every year even with the legitimate negatives that come along with owning a solid F&R axle, BOF, convertible SUV. It isn’t like a bad consumer reports road test score is killing sales. It might save someone that wants the image of a Wrangler from the miserable on road experience from buying one, though.
When people ask me if they should buy a 4Runner, I’m pretty up front about the compromises that I make by getting a 4Runner over a Highlander. It is more expensive, worse equipped, has less room inside, is less efficient, and rides worse. If they still want one knowing all of that, I have nothing but good things to say about it.
CR’s evaluations must as always be taken with a grain of salt. They don’t seem to get certain vehicles and there intended purpose and think everyone should be driving around in a Prius or Camry hybrid. Think what a dull world that would be.
I have a +22 and a +2. Not too shabby. Of course no mention of the Alfa Giulia or the Bugatti Chiron.
I hope that last line was supposed to be funny, because neither are on sale right now.
That was the joke.
I didn’t put the Miata on my best list because I don’t ever see a situation where I would own one and don’t like convertibles. And I feel like I wasn’t the only one who put the Wrangler on my worst list since its number is lower than I thought it would be.
Also, the Ariel Atom and Icon FJ got votes but no votes for the Micra?
Also I’m fairly certain I’m the only person who had the Lexus CT on my best list, solely based on styling (it’s my favourite car looks-wise currently on sale), same reason I put the Malibu on my worst list.
Out of curiosity, why do you think the Wrangler is one of the worst ten vehicles on sale for MY2016?
On an interesting but unrelated note, today I pulled a stuck Charger (tied with the Wrangler at +9) out of a ditch.
Good to see the Accord ranked well. I really like my manual Sport. Butter smooth shifter, great performance for a 4 cylinder, and good handling and braking. Body integrity feels more like a BMW 5 series than a sub $20,000 family sedan. And made in the USA, unlike an increasing number of American branded products.
I’d really like to see the number of plus/minus of each model rather than just the aggregate.
I strongly doubt there’s 19 voters who’ve driven a ’16 smart, and spend a lot of time parking in big cities.
I would entirely believe that there are 19 voters who think a CPO Camry is a better choice (obviously! How could you even question such a thing?).
I spent last week in Rome, where the Smart car is easily the best choice for commuting, for those who can’t do public transport or a scooter.
Why am i not surprised that the miata is #1 on the list lol
Would be interesting to take the top ten and bottom ten, eliminating all others and see how the votes would be cast then if they were ranked. Really, top winners and losers have a relatively small percentage of votes compared to the totals.
I Don’t think you can pick a top honor with less than 10% of votes being cast for the winner/loser.
I did happen to vote for both the best and worst early on so feel vindicated either way :)
I would have expected the Camry and Taco to finish a bit lower and the Silverado and Cruze a bit higher than they did. We hear nothing but praise from owners with there Cruzes and the new one is getting very good reviews and seems to be even more liked. It’s also interesting to note that the Colorado beats out the Taco in just about every comparison yet on this one site its the reverse.
There should really be two categories for pickups, one for “actual pickup purposes” and another for “driving it instead of a traditional passenger vehicle because I need the room in this never-used open bed for my gonads.”
I like GM trucks very much for the former, and find the Brazilmobiles intriguing. I dislike them for the latter. As this is TTA Cars and not TTA Work and Tow vehicles, I voted accordingly.
Taco is a long time fan favorite for car guys. Doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m sure a lot of readers have yet to mess with a Colorado yet. So some of this is just bias on what they know. For midsize trucks I prefer offroad cred so I would lean Taco as well but I wouldn’t knock the Colorado. The Cruze and Silverado being so low is a little surprising. I’ve driven a new Silverado and while I think they didn’t take the restyle far enough the 1/2 ton Silverado represents everything a halfton should be for work buyers and tradtional pickup buyers. I liked it, If I were buying a fullsize I would likely go to a ram 2500 but in the 1/2 ton it would be hard choice between Ram Tundra and Silverado.
So … Lot of Csaba faves in the top ten.
Interesting list, of which I didn’t participate. I’d bet if TTAC tried this again many commenters, myself included, would happily participate. What stopped me originally is there wasn’t 10 vehicles best &/or worst that I’ve driven or ridden in to comment about, and if I commented now I’d only have 5 vehicles to rate.
Why did the Volkswagen Golf score so well?
I assume the Golf is almost purely due to GTI and R votes. I’m a former VW fan turned to a hater and even I put the GTI up for a nomination.