There are so many times in life where we find ourselves disappointed in something. The things we buy, the places we go, and the heroes we meet often provide different experiences based on preconceived notions. We expect a lot of things to be better than they actually are.
This is certainly the case within the car industry too.
There are so many options that consumers have when it comes to buying a new car or truck today. That being the case, there is bound to be some vehicles out there that have fallen into a holding pattern, that have stopped trying, or that are “good enough”, according to their manufacturer.
When one of those things happen, vehicles lose things that once made them good or never get what could make them as good as they could be.
Here are ten cars that should be better than they actually are and why:
Volkswagen New Beetle:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
The original Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic car. The new Beetle, which first came out in 1997, isn’t. It’s cute. There are a lot people who like them. The new Beetle just can’t stack up to the original.
It was cool when it first came out in 1997, but it definitely isn’t the “people’s car” that the original was. Each year, Volkswagen has used the New Beetle’s eccentric branding to create various versions of the car, but this tactic has worn out.
Volkswagen is going to be dropping the New Beetle from its lineup in the next year. It has to. Its name and legacy are just too great to continue supporting it in the modern era of cars. Even if the Beetle were better than it is now, it would still be almost impossible to reach the summit of the original car’s legendary greatness.
Fiat 500:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
Similar to the Beetle, the modern Fiat 500 is an homage to the historical 500 that was so ubiquitous in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s over in Italy. While the looks provide a stable bridge into today’s landscape, the rest of the car just doesn’t really fit that well.
People love its “cute” status, but the 500 is plagued with reliability issues and consequently, terrible resale values. It doesn’t have a cult following like the old one, though that could change when Fiat finally pulls the plug on the car and there aren’t any more to be had.
Again, it has its own name with which to compete, and again, it just can’t be done in its entirety in today’s automotive market. And, Fiat has gone one step further than that. They have expanded the lineup of the 500 to include several different variants of the car.
While the concept of trying to expand the market makes sense, it just doesn’t work with the 500 and they just can’t get a good word out of anybody who reviews or owns them.
In summary, the car is trying to fit in where it doesn’t belong, and it’s not even doing a very good job of actually trying. The quality, or lack thereof, speaks for itself, and people have stopped buying the 500 as a result.
Acura NSX:
Photo: Courtesy of Automotive News
The Acura NSX should be a better car for one simple reason: Expectation. Again, and again… and again… there are so many cars that try to live up to the expectations set by the past. The original NSX is one of the best cars ever made. Therefore, the new NSX hardly has a chance to also be one of the best cars ever made.
So far this has been true.
The hype surrounding the new model just boiled over. Everyone was disappointed by something that should have been greater than it actually is. In all fairness, the new NSX is quite a car. It’s just that nobody can stop comparing the new with the old. The bubble of expectation had burst.
Still, the NSX should be better, even if “better” means adding some of the intangibles we know that Honda can provide. No engineer can actually place passion and joy into any car, but they can engineer all of that into a car’s very being as long as they feel it themselves.
Mercedes Benz Metris Passenger Van:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The Mercedes Benz Metris isn’t a very well-known minivan because its primary use is as a work van or panel van. Much like the Ford Transit it’s actually pretty tough, durable, and spacious. The problem with that is the transition to a passenger van.
For the price, you don’t get much more than space. Another advantage of the Metris passenger van is that it’s not quite classified as a large van, but it’s also larger than a regular midsize van. If that’s all you need, you’ve got it made.
For everything else, there’s the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica, and a few others that just offer so much more at its price point. Mercedes could make the Metris so much better for the price point and much more competitive, but I suppose they are just banking on the fact that they are Mercedes and nobody else is.
Subaru Impreza WRX STi:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
If there is a legitimate debate as to whether or not the step-down WRX is just as good of a deal, being a few thousand dollars less than the STi, you know there’s room for more.
This used to be different. The Subaru Impreza has historically been better – in my opinion – than the versions we have today, but the WRX and STi have been creeping closer and closer to each other in terms of car-for-the-money and performance.
It’s not even that the STi isn’t a good car… it’s a fantastic car. STi buyers simply have to be able to justify paying more than they should to get just a little more car. Because of that, the STi should be made to be worth the extra cash it demands.
Mitsubishi Mirage:
Photo: Courtesy of Motor Trend
One car always has to hold the distinction of being the cheapest, or the worst, or the most undesirable car somewhere. The Mirage may hold the last two distinctions, but it actually isn’t the cheapest you can buy. That honor goes to the Nissan Versa, and as cheap as that car is, it’s better than the Mirage.
The Versa has more horsepower and loads of room for its class. The Chevy Spark, which is neck-and-neck with the Mirage in terms of price, offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard and offers almost 20 more horsepower.
For a few hundred dollars more, you could even get the newly redesigned Kia Rio. It looks good, has more standard features, and offers 50 more horsepower than the Mirage, which is almost an entire extra Mirage more worth of engine!
Lexus F-Sport models:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Lexus stunned the world with their LFA supercar in 2010. It showed what the otherwise bland automaker was capable of, and the only real problem with it, besides its cost, was that it was too good. Lexus set a mark for themselves that has been largely un-achievable.
No other Lexus model does or should cost $400,000 like the LFA, but we also know that the DNA for a truly great vehicle does exist, and it doesn’t have to cost anything to use elsewhere.
We wish that more of Lexus’ “F” models used it. No other Lexus in history may come close to the greatness of the LFA, but that doesn’t mean that their future vehicles can’t feel nimble, inspire confidence, and just have that special something that nobody can ever fully explain.
Ford Taurus:
The Ford Taurus is kind of like that old friend that is always there but who you also wish would just give you a little space sometimes. That being said, Ford hasn’t done much with it to prevent the aging car from wearing out its welcome.
It will be disappearing from showrooms along with the other cars in their lineup in the next few years.
The Taurus has been a staple of the Ford lineup for a while, even with a brief discontinuation of the car from 2006 to 2008. A 2010 redesign ushered it into a new era, but Ford just hasn’t done anything with it since then.
It hasn’t always been the best car, but it has always been there whenever people have needed it. The SHO version is even one of the most underrated cars one can buy. The Taurus, however, remains just a solid choice and nothing more. It’s not the consumer’s fault that sales have been on the decline, and history has shown us that Ford just hasn’t done enough to keep it relevant.
Smart ForTwo:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The sole reason this car is on this list is because it’s been around for a while.
You’d think time would make it better, at least it should. According to some, perhaps it has. But if you step back and take a snapshot of what it is, the vehicle just doesn’t stack up.
It’s always been relatively inexpensive, but its capabilities are limited because of its size, one might think it would be cheaper than it is because of that, and its fuel economy, another thing you might think should be stellar, isn’t as good as other small cars. Even some midsize cars get better mileage.
All in all, the ForTwo isn’t on too many people’s radar, and that might be a good thing. Numerous cars outclass it in numerous areas. Its longevity isn’t an excuse to not be better than it is. It just seems that they’ve made it an excuse, and not many people have bought into it.
Nissan Leaf:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
I do like to pick on electric vehicles – probably a little more than I should. The fact is, that they’ve gotten better, but they also aren’t to the point of being able to do everything a regular gasoline car can do. I think one of the biggest offenders is the Nissan Leaf.
I’m singling out the Leaf for a couple reasons. First, its range is improved, but still not top notch. And, second, I think most Nissans could and should be better than they are.
The Leaf is relatively inexpensive, it looks a lot better than it used to, and they’ve increased the range to 151 miles. Why is that bad? Well, it isn’t until you look at the competition… namely, the Chevy Bolt.
The Bolt is much more handsome, has a range of 238 miles, and isn’t that much more expensive. On top of that, it’s only been around for a year. The Leaf has been around since 2010.
Electric cars don’t really hold a soft spot in my heart. They have gotten better over the past few years, but with the Bolt, all that Tesla is doing, and everything that everyone else is doing, the Leaf is starting to fall behind. If the Leaf continues being just another electric vehicle, Nissan will soon be in trouble.
Time can be anybody’s best friend or worst enemy. In most cases, time is on the side of the automotive industry. It allows manufacturers to improve things as issues arise. It gives manufacturers the ability to work out kinks to make a car better. Even with time, some don’t improve as they should.
In some cases a vehicle’s legacy is just too great a hurdle for a remake to succeed.
Whatever the case may be, an automaker has a responsibility to support its products and provide a quality experience for the consumer. It’s the consumer’s responsibility to respond to that. When the consumer sees something they don’t like, they won’t respond in a positive way.
These cars are just some example of what that looks like.
