VW Atlas Cross Sport Tops List of 10 Least Satisfying New Cars to Own
There are two VWs, two Nissans, two Kias, and two Mercedes crossovers in Consumer Reports’ roundup.
As the most expensive thing many of us will ever buy in our lives, a new car isn't a purchase anyone is ready to regret. Unfortunately, some people don't get lucky, as a survey from Consumer Reports has found the 10 least satisfying new cars according to their owners—the majority of whom say they wouldn't buy their cars again.
Consumer Reports published the list in the latest update to its reliability and owner satisfaction guide. While it also published its top 10 most satisfying new cars, the bottom 10 are our concern here. They're ranked in descending order by the percentage of owners who say they'd buy their cars again, given the choice:
- 51 percent: Kia Forte
- 51 percent: Nissan Altima
- 49 percent: Nissan Kicks
- 48 percent: VW Taos
- 48 percent: Kia Seltos
- 46 percent: Jeep Compass
- 45 percent: Mercedes-Benz GLA
- 40 percent: Infiniti QX50
- 39 percent: Mercedes-Benz GLB
- 38 percent: VW Atlas Cross Sport
Of the 10, the bottom eight have owners whose majority say they wouldn't buy their cars again. All eight are crossover SUVs—a type of vehicle that poorly compromises between multiple functions—while six are subcompacts, limiting their ostensible utility. The two that aren't subcompacts are both in the bottom three, and by a significant margin at that. (They're split only by Mercedes' second-smallest SUV, while Mercedes' very smallest still comes in fourth.)
Unsurprisingly, the least satisfying new car is a two-row version of a three-row crossover: the VW Atlas Cross Sport. It's a less useful, yet arguably no better-looking version of what amounts to a minivan for people who won't buy one. That might just be the price you pay for getting your pride too involved in buying a crossover.
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