Worst Car Flops of 2011
Forbes - John McElroy, the loquacious host of the Autoline Detroit TV and radio shows, is optimistic about the auto industry.More than one million new cars sell each month in the United States, he points out. Ford and GM have become more profitable than many analysts had expected; record sales numbers at luxury brands like Audi and BMW don’t hurt, either. And there are some exciting new models in the pipeline for 2012 and beyond.
Just don’t ask McElroy about some of the cars on the market this year. You’re likely to get a different story.
“The Lincoln MKT is an unmitigated disaster,” McElroy says. “It’s actually a vehicle I like, but nobody agrees with me. No matter how you slice it, the MKT is just a dud.”
Lincoln’s $44,000 crossover suffers from stiff handling and cumbersome cornering ability, with compromised visibility for the driver and passengers . Its reliability is well below average, and costs over five years of ownership are projected to be considerably higher than average, according to Consumer Reports data.
The MKT joins eight other vehicles that have performed significantly less than expected this year in the United States. Along with the Acura ZDX, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and Chevrolet Aveo, these are the worst automotive flops of 2011.
Behind The Story
To develop this list of cars, we consulted three expert analysts: Jake Fisher, senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports; Tim Healey, the senior writer at Web2Carz, an automotive website; and McElroy. Each discussed what they think are the worst vehicles on the market, all things considered. Nominations were allowed for any 2011 model-year vehicles and any 2012 model-year vehicles available for sale this year. More
November 9, 2011
