2016 has brought us some truly great cars. We’ve had Bugatti’s long-awaited follow-up to the Veyron, Jaguar’s first ever SUV (which was every bit as capable as we’d hoped), and the undiluted brilliance of BMW’s M2.
Our favourites were all laid out in our best of 2016 feature from last week, but looking at the other end of the scale, which cars haven’t been so great in 2016?
Which cars promised so much and delivered so little? Or promised so little and delivered even less?
Here’s our rundown of the most disappointing cars you could drive in 2016:
Maserati Ghibli
It takes more than striking looks and a swanky badge to compete in the executive saloon market and the Ghibli is living proof of that.
It may look the part and have plenty of room up-front, as well as a slick infotainment system, but it can’t match the handling of esteemed rivals such as BMW 5 Series and Merc’s E-Class.
Its raucously loud diesel engine and unsettled ride don’t help matters either.
Vauxhall Mokka X
The original Mokka occupied an awkward middle ground between Nissan’s Juke and Qashqai, but it sold well enough to pop into the UK’s monthly top-ten best sellers list every so often.
Sticking an X at the end of its name will only benefit its appeal too, because people simply can’t resist things with X in their name: Xbox, The X Factor, X-Men, err…X-rays?
Vauxhall’s facelifted softroader remains affordable, well-equipped and sticks with the same chunky styling that resonated with buyers first time round, but its rivals offer a lot more comfort and it is well behind the competition when it comes to ride and refinement.
DS5
“What I really want to drive is a posh Citroen,” said no-one, ever.
The quirky DS3 supermini may be keeping Citroen’s upmarket spin-off brand afloat, but the rest of its current range – the awkward DS4 and this dorky compact executive car – is little more than ill-advised deadwood.
To some, it’s well-styled and eye-catching, but with the range starting from just under £27,000, it’s also overpriced.
Add into that an unmemorable drive and cramped rear seats, and you’ve got yet another dud from DS.
SsangYong Tivoli XLV
This South Korean carmaker enjoyed a huge sales boost with the Juke-rivalling Tivoli, so they figured they could wrangle more success by stretching the compact SUV by 24cm and slapping XLV (extra long vehicle? I don’t know, I’m guessing) in the name.
The result made for a spacious and practical Qashqai rival, but its noisy engine, crashy ride and stodgy handling meant that it wouldn’t be giving the mega-selling Nissan any sleepless nights.
SsangYong Rexton
Another sloppy Ssangyong here and this Santa Fe-sized SUV suffers from the same flaws as the Tivoli XLV.
The Rexton may be attractively priced, but again, it handles like a robot trying to do an Irish jig, while the ride and interior quality are nothing short of horrid.
MG GS
2016 will be remembered as the year that MG called it quits on the UK, at least in terms of making its cars here.
You’ll still be able to buy an MG though, no problem, which in the case of this budget compact SUV isn’t a silver lining.
The Chinese-owned brand’s first SUV was positioned to pinch sales from the Dacia Duster and SsangYong Tivoli, but with a starting price of £14,995, it is 50 per cent more expensive than the entry-level Duster (£9,495).
No-one in their right mind would want to pay that for something with a ride as shoddy and an interior as icky as this.
Isuzu D-Max
Pick-up trucks have enjoyed a real popularity resurgence in recent years, with the highly capable and well-refined Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi L200 setting new standards for the segment.
Things would be very different if they were all as bobbins as the D-Max though.
The interior is dated and the ride is rough, but it has excellent load capacity and good solid engine under the bonnet, which is all that matters when you break it down.
Which dreadful cars left you appalled and disturbed in 2016? Let us know in the comments below.
Image Source- Carwow
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Wow! You drive a CORSA? And that gives you the right to be judgemental… how?
You drive a Corsa?! Should you really be writing ‘worst car’ lists?!
Pa hahaha, and she driver firebox Corsa?