A high price tag on a new car doesn't always guarantee quality, performance, or value. Many models hit the market with impressive looks and promising features, only to fall short of expectations. This guide highlights 30 new vehicles that, for various reasons, may not justify their cost. From underwhelming performance to outdated interiors, here are the cars that might not be worth your hard-earned money.
2024 Honda Ridgeline
With a starting price of nearly $40,000, the Honda Ridgeline feels significantly overvalued. Its towing capacity is about half that of competitors like the Ford F-150 or Toyota Tundra, yet it costs just as much. For the same price, you could purchase two Ford Mavericks or save around $10,000 by choosing a Toyota Tacoma. The Ridgeline also falls short on quality, with lackluster performance, poor off-road capabilities, and a dated interior, especially its infotainment system.
2024 Audi Q7
The 2024 Audi Q7 is a luxury midsize SUV that boasts a sophisticated interior, advanced technology, and standard all-wheel drive. However, its high starting price is a major drawback. While its performance is solid, with engine options from a turbo four-cylinder to a V6, competitors deliver similar capabilities for less money. Optional features quickly drive up the cost, and its cramped third-row seating and limited cargo space are disappointing for this vehicle class. Better value can be found in other luxury SUVs that offer more space and features without the premium price.
2024 Chevrolet Colorado
The Chevrolet Colorado was once a top contender in the pickup truck market, but its reputation has slipped. While it offers good fuel efficiency, that's about the only positive aspect. The Colorado's reliability scores and owner satisfaction have been declining for the past five years. Consumer Reports gave it low marks, citing a noisy and rough ride, uncomfortable seats, and awkward steering wheel placement. These collective issues make the Chevy Colorado a poor choice for new truck buyers.
2024 Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is one of the most recognizable SUVs on the road, but its iconic status comes with an inflated price. A top-tier Wrangler can cost nearly $90,000, placing it in luxury vehicle territory without offering luxury features. Its performance in city and highway driving is lacking, with poor fuel economy, a loud cabin, and subpar handling. Unless you spend most of your time driving on unpaved trails, the Wrangler experience offers little of note for its high cost.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class
The Mercedes-Benz GLB is essentially a Toyota RAV4 with a luxury badge and a higher price. It offers a cramped interior, a clunky infotainment system, and slightly worse gas mileage than the RAV4, all for about $10,000 more. The standard features are also underwhelming for a luxury vehicle, including a basic 7-inch touchscreen, HD radio, and synthetic leather seats. These are the bare minimum offerings in the SUV market today, making the GLB a questionable value.
2024 Toyota Supra
The 2024 Toyota Supra is a sports car with sleek styling and impressive handling, but its performance and luxury feel don't quite match its price. While it’s a quick and fun car to drive, its high cost doesn't align with what competitors offer. Practicality is another issue, with minimal cargo capacity and a tight interior. For those seeking thrilling performance, more affordable alternatives like the Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang provide a similar experience for less money.
2024 Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade was once a premier symbol of wealth, but its star has faded. The Escalade now receives lower ratings from critics and is no longer considered a top-tier luxury vehicle by many experts. Consumer Reports noted that the "Escalade simply floundered in our tests." Despite its massive exterior, the interior feels cramped, with uncomfortable seats and limited legroom in the third row. The infotainment system has also been widely criticized as one of the worst in the industry.
2024 Mini Cooper
The Mini Cooper is a classic case of style over substance. Its sporty, compact look is undeniably iconic, but that's where the practicality ends. U.S. News and World Report consistently includes the Mini Cooper on its list of worst cars to buy. The IIHS gave it poor ratings for headlight visibility, making nighttime driving a challenge. Furthermore, major complaints about engine failure and other maintenance issues can make this car much more expensive to own than its initial price suggests.
2024 Toyota Crown
The 2024 Toyota Crown is a hybrid sedan that attempts to blend luxury with eco-friendly performance. While it provides good fuel economy and a smooth ride, its high starting price makes it a less attractive option compared to other well-equipped sedans or small luxury cars. The Crown doesn't live up to the premium expectations set by its price, especially when Toyota’s own Camry or Avalon offer many of the same features for less. Buyers interested in hybrid sedans will find better value in the Honda Accord Hybrid or Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
2024 Dodge Durango
The 2024 Dodge Durango is a mid-size SUV featuring powerful engine choices, including a 710-horsepower V8 in the SRT Hellcat trim. While the performance is impressive, the price for higher trims is difficult to justify. The Durango's interior feels dated, and its fuel economy is poor, especially with the larger engines. Even with strong towing capacity and available third-row seating, more refined competitors like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade offer similar space and features at a more reasonable price.
2024 Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover is a well-regarded brand, but the Discovery Sport is a notable exception. Some analysts believe the brand's quality is declining, and this vehicle is a prime example. It struggles to compete with others in its class due to an underpowered and uneven four-cylinder engine paired with an unresponsive transmission. The Discovery Sport feels sluggish rather than sporty. To top it off, it suffers from poor reliability scores and low resale value.
2024 Toyota Mirai
At first glance, the Toyota Mirai is an attractive vehicle with its sleek, sporty design. It drives well and offers one of the longest ranges among eco-friendly cars. However, there's a major catch: it runs on hydrogen, and fueling stations are almost exclusively located in California. Its performance is also underwhelming, taking over nine seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Paying $50,000 for a car you can only drive in one state is a significant drawback.
2024 BMW XM
The 2024 BMW XM is a high-performance plug-in hybrid SUV with a twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 644 horsepower. While it delivers impressive power and luxury, its staggering price tag puts it in competition with more established high-performance SUVs. The XM's unconventional design and hefty cost don't make much sense when compared to more traditional vehicles that offer better value. Rivals like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo or Lamborghini Urus provide similar or superior performance with more prestige in the ultra-luxury SUV market.
2024 Audi Q5
The Audi Q5 commands a premium price of around $45,000, promising a premium experience that it fails to deliver. Much like the Mercedes-Benz GLB, this compact SUV disappoints on several fronts. It features a small, cramped interior with limited cargo space, and the overall design is rather bland. Despite a price increase of nearly a thousand dollars from the previous model year, the only new standard feature is a heated steering wheel.
2024 Ford Bronco Raptor
The 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor is a true off-road machine, equipped with a 418-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine designed for serious adventurers. However, its high price pushes it into luxury territory. While it offers incredible off-road capability, most drivers will never fully use its rugged features. The Bronco Raptor also compromises on-road comfort, making it less practical for daily driving. For those who don't need extreme off-road performance, the standard Bronco offers similar thrills at a much lower cost.
2024 Lexus NX
The Lexus NX, like other Lexus models, is essentially a more expensive, glorified Toyota. Its closest counterpart is the RAV4, but the NX has 20 cubic feet less cargo space. Both vehicles share the same horsepower output unless you pay extra for the NX's optional turbocharged engine. For the premium price, you are getting less utility and similar performance to its more affordable Toyota sibling.
2024 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a large, expensive, and impractical SUV, even for big families. It costs over $90,000, and while you get leather seats and many features, the materials don't feel top-quality for a luxury price point. The biggest issue is its fuel consumption. The Grand Wagoneer, with its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, achieves just 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway, making it a very costly vehicle to operate.
2024 Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S has one of the most minimalist interiors you'll find in a sports car, stripped down to a giant, distracting touchscreen. Its design feels outdated, the seating is cramped, and the interior quality is low, making the driving experience less than joyful. While its acceleration is impressive, the $65,000 price tag is hard to justify. To make matters worse, its fully-charged range estimate of 359 miles is lower than it was in 2022.
2024 Dodge Hornet
The 2024 Dodge Hornet is a compact SUV marketed as a performance-focused option with aggressive styling and a turbocharged engine. While it offers decent power, its price puts it at a disadvantage against more refined competitors. The interior quality and overall refinement lag behind rivals like the Mazda CX-5 or Honda CR-V, which offer better comfort, technology, and build quality for less money. The Hornet's performance doesn't justify its premium price in a crowded small SUV market.
2024 Porsche Taycan
The Porsche Taycan costs about the same as a Tesla Model S but offers even less in some areas. The base model with the standard battery has a range of just 208 miles, making it impractical for many commuters. This range will only decrease as the battery degrades over time. Like the Tesla, the Taycan relies heavily on touchscreen controls, which can be a significant distraction for drivers who should be keeping their eyes on the road.
2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI
The Volkswagen Golf GTI suffers from a convoluted infotainment system, but that’s just one of its problems. It also features a cheap-feeling interior and limited features for its price. A fully loaded Golf GTI can cost well over $40,000. The base model starts around $33,000, but without paying for upgrades, you'll miss out on features like a proximity key, a premium audio system, and a sunroof. Regardless of the trim, you'd be overpaying.
2024 Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 is an electric vehicle with a starting price of $50,000 that offers a range of up to 276 miles, with only about 40 extra miles available for a top-dollar upgrade. Its performance is lacking, delivering a firm ride, and there are few trim options, forcing buyers to pay for most extras. For a company that is struggling financially, charging so much for a bland hatchback that offers little unique appeal to eco-conscious consumers seems audacious.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Charging a premium for electric vehicles with the promise of saving on gas money is ironic when the initial cost negates those savings. The Chevrolet Blazer EV's $56,000 price tag seems driven more by corporate greed than value. It doesn't offer exceptional performance, and its features are lacking. A buggy infotainment system, a cheap interior, and a lack of luxury touches can't justify the cost. In a strange move, Chevy has also decided to omit Apple CarPlay, alienating many iPhone users.
2024 Toyota RAV4
While mentioned as a more affordable alternative to some luxury models, the Toyota RAV4 is itself overpriced. The vehicle has remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade, so there's little reason not to buy a well-maintained used model. At around $30,000, you are paying for dated features and an old design. Toyota continues to sell this model in high volumes, but it’s time for a significant redesign to justify the new-car price.
2024 Jaguar F-Type
The Jaguar F-Type is visually stunning, but the praise stops there. It offers powerful supercharged V8 engine options, but with over 500 horsepower, it's excessive for public roads and has poor fuel economy. The interior is a major disappointment, with a dated design and an ancient infotainment system. Its small trunk makes it impractical for daily tasks like hauling groceries. With a starting price between $80,000 and $90,000, it's a very expensive and impractical choice.
2024 Genesis G90
Genesis originated as Hyundai's luxury line, and at its core, the G90 is still a Hyundai, which makes its $90,000 price tag difficult to swallow. The G90 bundles most features into its base trim, with the only other trim level offering a supercharged engine upgrade. While the interior is nice, the G90 has one of the worst fuel economy ratings in its class, even worse than some mid-size SUVs. The powerful acceleration from its turbocharged V6 comes at the cost of all practicality.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Although the Jeep Grand Cherokee offers a reasonably upscale cabin, its starting price of around $40,000 is nearly the same as some luxury brands. The highest trim level can cost about $70,000. The Grand Cherokee provides adequate power, but the ride is firm, and its fuel economy is subpar for its class. Despite being one of the best-selling SUVs, its overall value is questionable, and in our opinion, it's overrated.
2024 Infiniti QX80
The 2024 Infiniti QX80 is a full-size luxury SUV with a powerful V8 engine, a comfortable ride, and good towing capabilities. However, its outdated interior design, lackluster technology, and high price make it a hard sell. With a starting price similar to rivals like the Cadillac Escalade, the QX80 lacks the modern innovation of its competitors. Its poor fuel efficiency further reduces its value. Buyers seeking luxury and performance will find better options with more advanced features.
2024 Lucid Air Sapphire
The 2024 Lucid Air Sapphire is an all-electric luxury sedan with astonishing performance, boasting over 1,200 horsepower and a price tag that matches. While it offers incredible acceleration and long-range capabilities, its six-figure price makes it inaccessible to most buyers. Lucid’s technology and luxury features are top-notch, but the Sapphire trim competes in a market where established brands like Tesla, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz offer strong alternatives. The extravagant cost isn't justified when comparable EVs are available for a more reasonable price.
2024 GMC Yukon Denali
The 2024 GMC Yukon Denali is a full-size luxury SUV known for its spacious interior and powerful engines. While it offers upscale features, its high price is difficult to justify when compared to luxury rivals that provide a more refined experience. Competitors like the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade offer more advanced tech and higher-end materials for similar money. The Denali's subpar fuel economy and cumbersome size for daily driving also detract from its value.
