2001 Pontiac Aztek
This 4-door crossover was recently popularized by the meth-dealing Walter White, in AMC’s acclaimed show “Breaking Bad”. That, however, did not stop it from receiving mostly negative reviews all the way since the start of its life. The car officially launched in 2000 with the tagline ‘Quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet’ as the prize for winning the original first season of the reality show “Survivor”. Despite its solid performance, the car was blasted for being quite possibly one of the ugliest cars in existence and was soon canceled and put out of production.
Just like the DMC Delorean, this car is either hated or loved, depending on who you ask. A quick Google search would show you two sides of the spectrum. One stating that ‘you should buy one today,’ and others that put it as one of the worst screw-ups in General Motor’s history. If you’re still wondering how to get your hands on the original Aztek driven by Brian Cranston’s character in Breaking Bad, don’t even try – the Aztek used during the show’s filming was wrecked and deemed ‘undrivable’, and sold at auction for $7,800.
Nissan Armada
It seems that Nissan can't catch a break with its big vehicles this year. Let's get the first thing out of the way - this V8 Armada has one of the worst fuel economies you can find this year and was placed in the “worst fuel-efficient in mid-sized/large SUV” category with 14 MPG for city and 19 for the highway. While it does compete well against other SUVs in its class, the severe fuel consumption and lackluster infotainment systems put it slightly behind the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe and related GMC Yukon. Unless you're a die-hard Nissan fan, it might be a good idea to skip this behemoth of a vehicle.
Car and Driver gave this one a 3.5 out of 5. “It’s still a big-bodied, fuel-thirsty family dreadnought,” writes Car and Driver. “But the three-row Armada has a serene, expensive interior and an upscale exterior that enable it to undermine high-rent rivals when it comes to price.”
Acura ILX
While being a comfortable car to drive and having reliable and easy handling, the Acura ILX is primarily based on a last-generation Honda Civic, which makes it a very underwhelming car. Edmunds was disappointed by the ILX, "Acura has not been able to cover up all the cheap, hollow-feeling plastics or compensate for the worse-than-average cabin noise levels. Acceleration from the ILX's four-cylinder engine is also subpar."
While the idea of a luxury sedan in a small car sounds good on paper, it doesn’t live up in its execution, reminding us of a small and messy apartment that was temporarily tidied by violently stuffing everything into the closets. It may give a good impression at first, but once you spend some time there, the chinks in the armor start to appear. Kelley Blue Book says that “if you want a small luxury sedan that’s big on safety and value, the 2019 ILX fits the bill.”
Buick Enclave
When a car seems to stay the same year after year, some reviewers feel the need to start double-examining things and looking for negative things to point out about it. Of course, technology and expectations also move fast in this modern age, so ingeniously has become expected in an annual car's model. The 2019 Buick Enclave is indeed one of those cars that didn't move up too much with the times. It's basically a copy of the 2018 model with some slight updates.
Consumer Reports decided to name this one as another victim of their “least reliable” category. Luckily for the Enclave, the 2018 model which it's based on did have many benefits, from a quiet and comfortable interior that fits up to seven passengers, up to massive cargo space and some really cool tech features such as "keyless entry and push-button start, a hands-free liftgate, and excellent standard infotainment technology that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability."
Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevrolet Suburban is a 6.2L goliath that can fit up to 9 passengers, hauls some massive cargo capacity, and packs a strong V8 engine to boot. This one costs between $50,000 up to the Premier $68,500 version. Despite its larger-than-life build, the car wasn't favored by Edmunds and Forbes, who wrote about its "overall score of 54 and a reliability rating of -154".
Edmunds gave the big suburban a 7.3 out of 10 and recommended checking out its main rival, the Ford Expedition, which has similar capabilities but favors a much fresher design and more comfortable ride quality. The Chevrolet Suburban was best described by Forbes as “sheer vehicular overkill.”