Just as in everything in life, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The same is very true of the automotive industry — companies will have spent millions doing market research, designing, and testing their cars to fit a gap in the market only for a group of keyboard warriors to come along and express their opinion. We’re looking at you, Ferrari Luce.
With the echo chamber that is social media, these voices grow louder even if the car goes on to be a success and is enjoyed throughout its life cycle. We’ve asked CarBuzz writers to pick a car they find undeserving of the hate and provide their reasoning as to why it shouldn’t be pushed out of the conversation. Strap in, folks, we’re about to get controversial.
This piece is purely subjective, and we have reached out to the wider CarBuzz team for their choices.
Infiniti G37
Great Car, Not-So-Great Reputation
“The G37 Coupe looks great, and it’s quick enough for daily driving with some canyon roads or track days sprinkled in. The aftermarket scene is strong in all the right ways, but it’s easy to overdo it.”
– Sean McManus, Writer, CarBuzz
Objectively, there’s nothing wrong with the Infiniti G37. It’s reliable, good-looking, and comfortable enough to become a stylish daily driving coupe. The problem is usually the aftermarket scene, in which people will take this relatively simple premium coupe and tune the 3.7-liter V6 engine to no end, causing an absolute racket with exhaust mods as they do. With prices dropping thanks to badly modified examples, it’s hard to find a clean one, but if you do, hold onto it.
Lamborghini Urus
The Money Printing Machine
“It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but then again, neither is every other Lamborghini. The profit margins it gets from basically a more angular RSQ8 helps it fund other mad machines, and I am here for it!”
– Siddharth Limaye, Writer, CarBuzz
Do you like those V12 flagships and few-off crazy concepts Lamborghini builds? Well, you have to thank the Urus for that. It’s said to provide every bit of drama you get from a two-door Lamborghini but in a more practical shape, this hybrid twin-turbo V8 monster makes 800 horsepower and can sprint to 60 miles per hour in three seconds.
Sure, it might be a rebadged Audi RS Q8 with a few more trim bits stuck on, but Lamborghini can’t hear you over all the money they’re raking in.
Toyota Prius
Efficiency Is Cool, Honestly
“The Toyota Prius has never been cool, but it has always gone against the grain of automotive popularism. And it was right all along. In pop culture terms, the Toyota Prius is your favorite band’s favorite band.”
– Ian Wright, Senior Road Tester, CarBuzz
While we car enthusiasts go on about driving dynamics and performance, we occupy a very small sliver of the motoring landscape. Most people will take a few more miles per gallon over shaving seconds off at the Nürburgring. The Toyota Prius showed that hybrids were the answer to a lot of people’s complaints, and in the latest generation, we’re less ashamed of our love for this humble fastback. We wouldn’t mind having it in our driveway, given just how good it looks.
Nissan Juke Nismo RS
A Crossover GTR?
“Turbocharged four-pot, all-wheel drive: do those sound familiar? I’m looking at you, homologation rally specials.”
– Adrian Ma, Writer, CarBuzz
The Nissan Juke might not grace US roads anymore, but in Europe, it’s still kicking with its unconventional styling. As one of the first cars to profit from the ‘crossover’ segment, Nissan made a Nismo RS model to see how far it could push a customer-ready SUV. In front-wheel-drive form, it made 215 horsepower paired with a six-speed manual and a limited-slip differential. You could even upgrade to all-wheel drive, which costs you the manual but increases the coolness factor for this compact crossover.
Saturn SC2
It’s What’s Inside That Counts
“124 buzzy horsepower pushed through an optional 5-speed manual makes the SC2 a fun car for those with an extremely tight budget, you just have to ignore basically everything about how it looks.”
– Matt Nelson, Writer, CarBuzz
If we told you there’s a car with a 1.9-liter dual-overhead camshaft engine, fully-independent suspension, and a five-speed manual, but it looked like a car equivalent to the runt of the litter, would you take it? If so, say hello to the Saturn SC2. The body is made from polymer, meaning it’s light, and its shape makes it pretty fuel efficient even with a 1.9-liter four-pot engine. The looks aren’t to everyone’s taste, but you can’t argue with how fun it sounds.
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Why Be The Same As Everything Else?
“In a world where beige and silver crossovers dominate the road, I don’t even care that the PT Cruiser is ugly. Why be boring?”
– Brett Evans, Senior Road Tester, CarBuzz
True, it might have a polarizing design that quickly aged, but the Chrysler PT Cruiser’s drawback is also its main advantage. The boxy shape means it has 63 cubic feet of space when you fold the rear seats down, and thanks to a foldable front passenger seat, it shames modern crossovers when it comes to van-like hauling capability. Reliability and quality issues aside, we’re glad this car exists as it shows that fun car design can still be practical.
Ford Mustang II
Loved At The Time
“You cannot blame a car company for building a car that people want. It didn’t have to be a fast muscle car to still be fun. And its success helped ensure the Mustang’s survival for decades to come.”
– Christopher Smith, News Lead, CarBuzz
One of the most notoriously hated cars on our list is the second-generation Ford Mustang, which struggles to be viewed in context. Yes, now we have seven generations to look back on with the Mustang, but at the time this came out in 1974, the six-cylinder engine and styling were popular enough to help it sell over one million in only a four-year production run. Without this car’s success, we might have seen the Mustang nameplate die — and who would want that?
Honda Ridgeline
Enough Truck For Most People
The unibody construction earns it a lot of razzing from some, though the comfortable ride, easy-access cabin and cargo plus more car-like drive are on the money for how most pickup drivers drive their pickups.”
– Justin Pritchard, Writer, CarBuzz
How often do you use the entire capability of your truck? You’re probably not hauling a boat every day, which is why the Honda Ridgeline is great for most people who just want some extra flexibility and space in their lives.
The unibody construction means it’ll drive better than 99% of body-on-frame vehicles, and the affordable price point means more people can enjoy the off-roading chops that come with this car.
Plymouth Prowler
It’s Not All About The Engine
“Could you imagine any mainstream automaker today building a car like the Prowler, with effectively open wheels at the front? This was a literal concept car that hit the streets.”
– Joel Stocksdale, Senior Road Tester, CarBuzz
The Plymouth Prowler is not to everyone’s tastes, but the looks are what make it a real occasion when you see one. That’s what this car is all about, and even if people rue the lack of a manual transmission or V8 engine, they should know that the V6 made more power than the Porsche Boxster at the time. While driving purists will think the lack of a manual disqualifies it, hot rodders have always preferred automatic transmissions, so who’s really right here?
Dodge Charger Daytona EV
Experience Vs. Speed
“Maybe people will come to appreciate the Daytona someday, or maybe it’ll be hated forever, but I’ll always think that Dodge had the right idea. Their only mistake was underestimating how much some fans hate change.”
– Matt Maranowski, Writer, CarBuzz
You probably knew that this car would end up on a list like this. When the thundering V8 was taken out of the Charger, people were up in arms, as expected. When we zoom out a little, though, this is a seriously impressive car whose design blends retro styling and modern touches extremely well. While the experience of turning the key to a rumbling V8 is gone (maybe for now?), the EV is a much easier car to live with and backs up Dodge’s performance claims with ease.
Sources: Dodge, Honda, Lamborghini, Stellantis, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Infiniti.
