Ask Bark: Bad Cars That Are Actually Good

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
by Mark "Bark M." Baruth

Thom writes:

Hi Bark,

Your RC F article got me wondering: what are some of the cars out there you think are actually good, enjoyable cars that get crapped on for no good reason other than inherent bias and/or groupthink in the automotive world?

I always wonder what’s out there that’s actually decent, if not outright good, that everyone seems to think is garbage. (Notwithstanding that sometimes everyone thinks a car is garbage because it actually is.)

This is gonna be fun.

My criteria for what makes a car “good” is likely going to be considerably different from yours, Thom, but I’ll take a crack at it anyway (and do my best to not make a listicle while I’m at it).

  • Cadillac XTS: I like this car quite a bit. Yes, it’s undoubtedly too expensive in its higher trims, but the entry-level can be had at just over $45,000 (and there’s no shortage of discounting and dealing to be done on this end-of-life model). The motor is more powerful than any floaty land barge deserves to have and Apple CarPlay is a welcome feature. The V-Sport model is the ultimate stoplight drag racing sleeper, too. Depreciation on these is massive, so don’t be surprised if you find one for Impala money only a year or two after the original selling date, and you can be assured that whoever bought it off the lot would’ve probably been a bluehair who treated it kindly.
  • Kia Soul: I took some heat for calling this a fun option for rental row shoppers a year or so ago, but I love the Soul. If you are looking for a modern-day wagon on a budget, then the Soul is for you. It’s not particularly fast, but they’re a hoot to drive regardless. Fuel economy is good and the interior is quite nice for the price. I only ask that if you do decide to get one, don’t buy it from Orlando Kia West.
  • Lexus IS: I think the IS is the best option of the entry-level sport sedans, but it never seems to get the same love as its counterparts from BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. The IS 350 F-Sport is a particularly good value and it’s faster than anybody thinks it is. Good luck trying to keep up with me in the canyons or the foothills when I’m behind the wheel of one, regardless of what you’re driving.
  • Chevrolet Sonic: Back when our dear friend Caroline Ellis was car shopping, I suggested that she check out the Sonic (notice my cameo in the hero photo?) due to the fact that she wanted a hatchback with a lot of features at an affordable price. The Sonic never gets the love it deserves, especially in LTZ or RS trims. It’s every bit as good as the Fiesta and it doesn’t command the same premium on the used market. I’m not a huge fan of the way it looks in sedan form, but as a hatch, it’s fun to drive and attractive. Caroline liked hers so much that when it was lost in a flood, she bought another one. That’s a strong endorsement.
  • Chrysler 300: Get over yourselves, guys. Forget the stigma attached to it. The 300 is a great car. The Pentastar motor is strong enough for 95 percent of drivers and the interior feels considerably nicer than it has a right to at its price. Considering I wanted a car with sporting intent and a modern feel, the 300S made it further into my recent purchase consideration set than it should have.
  • Ford Fusion: For some reason, the Fusion is a forgotten car in the land of mid-sizers, a constant fourth-place finisher in sales results behind the CamCordIma triplets despite the massive Ford dealer network. But is it really the fourth spot in class? I don’t think so. The Accord is the only one I’d definitely prefer to the Fusion, but the Fusion Sport introduces an element that nobody in the class can match. I don’t know if people say the Fusion is a bad car, per se, but nobody thinks that it’s a good one, either. They’re wrong.
  • Infiniti Q50: Okay, I wouldn’t buy one, but it’s not a bad car. I think it gets a bad rap because of its sub-600 beacon score, Jersey Shore-ish clientele. Of all the luxury sport sedans, Infinitis seem the most likely to be slammed and tinted. It’s not as fast as you’d like it to be in 2.0t trim, either. But is it bad? No.
  • Acura NSX: I know I mentioned this car in the post you referenced, but I had to bring it back here. Reading the responses to big brother’s Road & Track Performance Car of the Year article this week have been downright hilarious. “BUT MOTOR TREND SAYS IT SUCKS!” That the purveyors of the fake Apple Car told you the NSX is a bad car should be all the proof you need that it’s amazing. But the real issue with the NSX is that reviewers have tried to drive it like a Corvette and you can’t do that. You have to get on the gas early everywhere and trail brake it into corners. You know, like a mid-engined hybrid. Crazy, right? Give me the NSX versus any other car out there, and I’ll show you its taillights in a hurry.

There’s one car that I really wanted to put on this list, but I just can’t, and that’s the Chrysler 200. No, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be, but it’s not good, either. Does it deserve the hate it gets? No, especially not with the Pentastar. That said, I’d take it over the same-sized offerings from Hyundai or Kia but behind everything else. A deep discount might be the only reason to consider it.

Still, there are still some quite bad cars out there (Hi, Dodge Journey!) so don’t take my words as an excuse to discount all commonly held opinions. But ultimately, the best judge of what’s a good car for you will be you. So when you’re putting together your consideration set, take reviews with a grain of salt — the good and the bad. Unless I wrote them, of course.

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
Mark "Bark M." Baruth

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  • Matt3319 Matt3319 on Nov 03, 2016

    I was a 15 month owner of a '15 200S V6 AWD. Put nearly 30 K miles on it with really no issue but a flat tire. The 19" tire was $220. Oh, I did have the computer re flashed early on due to a clunky 9 speed. I dumped it right after Marchionne(?) talked bad about the 200. I got decent resale ($22K) when I bought a new Cherokee Trailhawk. I gotta say that 200S was really fast and the AWD helped a few times in the snow. For some reason I still get monthly Diagnosis updates via email. Cars running fine at 32K miles for who ever owns it.

  • Tonycd Tonycd on Nov 08, 2017

    Mark, just one question. At the end, you tossed off a comment that seemed to diss the Optima as one of the worst sedans in the midsize class. I was surprised to see that, given that C/D gushed all over it. What do you dislike about it?

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
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