10 Cars You’d Be Foolish to Buy

When you’re in the market for your next car, there’s a dizzying array of factors to consider. Road-test performance, fuel economy, safety, reliability, and price and owner costs are chief among them. These objective measures can help winnow down a field of prospects rather quickly, identifying a select few standout models. Here, we present the castaways—those models that you should filter out due to their exceptional shortcomings.

Based on our research and test drives, these are the 10 cars that you’d be a fool to buy.

Explore our various best and worst car lists and use our new-car selector interactive tool to see what other low-scoring models you can identify and check out the impressive models that top the lists.

—Jeff Bartlett

Least reliable: Fiat 500L

Base MSRP price range: $19,295 - $24,595

Fiat-Chrysler sits at the bottom of the pack, with four of its brands—Dodge, Ram, Jeep, and Fiat—sweeping our least-reliable rankings. The Fiat 500L is currently the least reliable new car, with a predicted reliability score that is 219 percent worse than average. Looked at another way, the 500L has about 16 times the problem rate of the most reliable car, the long-in-the tooth but ironclad Scion xB. (The smaller Fiat 500 is better, but it still scores poor for reliability.) In case you’re still tempted by this unique Italian hatchback, a 50-point overall road test score should further discourage you from adding this model to your shopping list.

Lowest owner satisfaction: Jeep Compass

Base MSRP price range: $18,995 - $28,495

Despite a recent freshening, the Jeep Compass remains outdated and uncompetitive. But don’t just take our word for it: Owners have given the Compass the lowest satisfaction rating of all current cars, with just 43 percent stating that they would get this same car if they had to do it all over again. The satisfaction details show the areas that disappointed most are comfort and fuel economy, followed by drive experience, features, and cargo space. (Key lesson here: Most of those elements could be readily evaluated on a test drive.) The fuel economy is understandable, as that is likely a key draw for an affordable four-cylinder SUV and the real-world performance is far from stellar. In our tests, the Compass returned 22 mpg overall, putting it at the thirsty end for its class, while also being among the slowest small SUVs with a 0-60 mph crawl at 10.3 seconds. Not a satisfying combination. To top it off, Compass reliability has dropped to well below average.

Lowest-scoring car: Mitsubishi Mirage

29 overall score

Base MSRP price range: $12,995 - $15,395

Lows: Clumsy handling, noise, vibration, acceleration, feels really cheap and insubstantial.

The Mitsubishi Mirage lives up to its name. While its low sticker price and good fuel economy of 37 mpg overall may conjure up an inviting image of an enticing, economical runabout, that illusion quickly dissipates into the haze when you drive this regrettable car. Built in Thailand, this little hatchback is powered by a tiny, vibrating three-cylinder engine. Its handling is so clumsy, it leans in corners like a drunken sailor. To make it saleable, Mitsubishi primed the pump with a rather impressive list of standard features. But the car is way too slow and noisy, even for a cheap subcompact, to effectively compete in this competitive class. Further lowering its standing is its Poor score in the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety small-overlap crash test.

Lowest-scoring SUV: Jeep Compass

52 overall score

Base MSRP price range: $18,995 - $28,495

Lows: Engine noise, acceleration, driving position, front-seat comfort, rear visibility, cornering limits, braking, reliability.

Despite the front face mimicking the look of the impressive Grand Cherokee, the Compass is a mediocre car. The engine is noisy and lacks punch. Handling is unimpressive, the seats are second-rate, and the driving position is flawed. The cabin feels claustrophobic, visibility is problematic, and access is hampered by a tall sill. On the credit side, road noise is low, the ride is absorbent, and controls are simple and straightforward. However, at 52 points out of 100 in our battery of tests, the Compass scores too low to be recommended. (Technically, the lowest SUV score belongs to the Jeep Wrangler at a mere 20 points. But given that most potential buyers would be drawn to the off-road ability or nostalgia factor, we realize it has some redeeming factors. So we awarded the dubious distinction to the lowest-scoring conventional crossover or SUV.)