The Lowest-Rated Cars of 2016

Given the high expense of buying a car, consumers expect their vehicles will last and be reliable. Unfortunately, all too often this expectation is not met. Some drivers end up purchasing cars that are very problematic.  If a driver has problems with her new car, it is important the driver understand her rights under California car lemon law.

Consumers should carefully research vehicle problems before making a purchase. Some cars have a reputation for being much more reliable than others, and most consumers feel vehicle reliability is very important.  To find out more about which vehicles tend to be good buys (and which to avoid), you can review vehicle ratings.

Just recently, The Car Connection published a list of some of the lowest-rated cars of 2016. These are vehicles that motorists may wish to avoid if they want to reduce the chances buying an unreliable car.

Who Made the List?

According to the Car Connection, some of the worst rated cars of 2016 include:

• The Toyota Yaris: This sub-compact vehicle was considered inferior because it received poor marks for performance, style, and safety.  It was also one of only a few cars to have just a 4-speed automatic.
• The Volkswagen Tiguan: This car received low rankings in part because of its plain exterior style and the lack of updates and improvements. The Tiguan is being retired in favor of a new model.
• The Mitsubishi Lancer: A noisy interior and poor performance are among the complaints about the Lancer that resulted in the vehicle receiving low rankings.
• The Jeep Compass: A “questionable” exterior style, outdated interior, poor fuel consumption, and underperforming continuous variable automatic were all listed as problems with the Compass, which is being retired in favor of a newer model with the same Compass name.
• The Mitsubishi Mirage:  This car was described as being one of the loudest vehicles, and one of the most difficult cars to get up to highway speeds. Other complaints included poor performances in crash testing and a soft suspension.
• The Ford Fiesta: Average looks and performance don't make up for the lack of comfort on the car's interior, nor the fact that the standard model of the car is missing many convenience features like cruise control and power windows.
• The Nissan Quest: Lower safety and comfort scores compared with other mini vans, along with the lack of updating, earned the Quest a spot on Car Connection's list of low-rated vehicles.

Of course, any car could end up having problems -- even a highly-rated vehicle. If you purchase a car that causes repeated issues for you, talk with an experienced attorney at The Bickel Law Firm, Inc. to find out if California’s car lemon laws apply to protect you.