Autoblog’s Least Favorite Cars of 2018

2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive

Have you ever heard someone say that there are no truly bad cars sold in America these days? Well, next time you hear someone incorrectly utter something along those lines, your retort can be simple. I present to you the 2018 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.

Even cars that aren’t very good have some sort of redeeming quality. For the Smart, that’d have to be its general sense of maneuverability and its ability to park just about anywhere. The good vibes end there. See my earlier writeup for the full explanation as to why the electric Smart was the worst car I drove in 2018.

Oh, one more positive: It’s rated to travel just 58 miles on a full charge of its battery. So at least you won’t be driving it all that much. – Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski

• Image Credit: James Riswick

2018 GMC Terrain Diesel

I tested 55 new cars this year, and unlike last year, there weren’t any that left me particularly confused, angry or aggrieved. Disappointed, sure. Not great, but better than expected, definitely. 

But looking back, the one vehicle that defines “least favorite” is the GMC Terrain Diesel. The Terrain itself is, ah, fine. I’m not sure what it does better than a Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester, new RAV4, Ford Escape, etc. At least it looks better than its Chevy Equinox sibling. It could just be sufficient and unmemorable, but two things torpedo it: that stupid shifter and the terrible diesel engine that vibrated and rattled away to a stunning degree by modern standards. Diesel is already going the way of the dodo and GM’s effort in the Terrain (and the Equinox) should definitely give it a helping kick down the stairs. – Contributing Editor James Riswick

2018 Ford EcoSport

The Ford EcoSport exemplifies almost everything that drives me crazy about modern crossovers. Particularly the fact that its worse than the equivalent car in nearly every way, the Ford Fiesta specifically in this case. Let’s start with fuel economy. Every version of the Fiesta, even the 200-horsepower Fiesta ST, manages over 30 mpg on the highway, and the base model actually hits an impressive 37 mpg on the highway with an automatic. Every EcoSport tops out at 29 mpg on the highway. The most potent is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder making just 166 horsepower. And that one only gets 23 mpg in the city.

Then there’s the way it drives. It’s like a Fiesta, but worse. While it has the quick, communicative steering of the hatchback, it’s much taller, and feels tipsy and not confidence inspiring. The engines are buzzy and sound strained. The automatic is sluggish and saps any perkiness the crossover might have had.

Finally, there’s the price. A Fiesta hatchback starts at about $16,000. An EcoSport starts at $20,000. That’s a whopping $4,000 premium for a car that’s much less efficient, drives much worse, and offers little more in the way of interior space. It’s a bad deal all around and it makes me angry just thinking about it. – Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale

2018 Ford EcoSport

I know I’m not the only one to pick this, so dock me points for originality, give me 10 lashes, whatever, so long as I don’t have to drive this thing on the highway again. After a half hour at speed, my ears were ringing and nerves shot. It’s clearly geared for city driving, and buzzes like hell trying to keep pace with 70-mph traffic. The almost charming, spritely steering turns into a twitchy mess on the highway. Trips to the pump are frequent, ironically, but become welcome breaks from driving.

The Ford EcoSport is neither “Eco” nor “Sport.” It’s actually kind of a bummer. – Senior Editor, Autoblog Green, John Snyder