It's the annual list that makes automakers pump their brakes in trepidation — Consumer Reports' 10 Bottom Picks, naming the lowest-rated vehicles across every category.
The lowest-rated vehicle of them all for 2016? The Fiat 500L. Terrible news, considering the same vehicle was also found to have the worst reliability of any new car in Consumer Reports' survey of more than 740,000 vehicles last October.
"This Italian confection feels undercooked and has several significant flaws," Consumer Reports wrote about the Fiat 500L, naming it the lowest-rated compact vehicle and lowest-rated vehicle overall with an overall score of just 31. "It earned a dismal road test score, thanks in part to a stiff ride, flat seats, and an odd driving position."
Staying within compacts, the lowest-rated subcompact was the Mitsubishi Mirage, which Consumer Reports said its Android Auto and upgraded brakes and handling couldn't mask its "weak, vibrating three-cylinder engine that delivers sluggish acceleration and a raspy chorus of lament," even calling its cabin "cheap and insubstantial." Ouch.
The lowest-rated midsized sedan nod went to the Chrysler 200, with Consumer Reports faulting its "uncooperative transmission" and "clumsy" handling as a couple of the factors why it gave it an overall score of 51 to 53.
Luxury vehicles weren't safe on the annual list, either, with the likes of Mercedes-Benz CLA250 (compact luxury car), Lincoln MKS (midsized luxury sedan), Land Rover Discovery Sport (compact luxury SUV) and Cadillac Escalade (large luxury SUV) all being named as the lowest-rated rides in their respective categories.
Within those groups, Consumer Reports ripped the Discovery Sport, saying "the ride is stiff-legged and handling is far from sporty," while offering "neither isolating enough nor adequately composed" to describe the MKS' ride. Somewhere, Matthew McConaughey is riding in an MKS, contemplating why he's Lincoln's pitchman.
The 2016 Dodge Journey (family SUV) and Chrysler Town & Country (minivan) also won the dubious distinctions in their respective categories, with the publication highlighting the Town & Country's minivan-worst 17 miles-per-gallon fuel economy.
Going green has its concerning areas for Consumer Reports, too, as it named the Mitsubishi i-MiEV as the lowest-rated green car for this year.
As usual, the publication derived its overall scores by combining each model's road test score, owner satisfaction, reliability, safety and government and insurance crash-test results.
