10 Cars, Trucks and SUVs You Should Definitely Avoid Buying in 2023

What is the wrong choice, you ask? Well, it can depend on several factors, but take it from an automotive expert, it often comes down to not doing your “homework”, and instead of making a shortlist of your absolute top options, you end up buying what would be clearly an inferior product.

In case you’re wondering what I mean by ‘inferior’, it ranges from an outdated platform, subpar build quality, outdated tech, poor safety record, and mediocre driving dynamics, to having too little range (in case it’s an EV), uninspired styling and costing too much money for what you end up getting in return.

You’d be surprised how many carmakers are trying to shove all these duds down our throats and what’s equally surprising, though somewhat understandable, is how many car journalists refuse to call things for what they are when it comes to nonsensical deals.

That being said, we’ve put together a Top 10 list of cars, trucks and SUVs you’d be wise to avoid in 2023, not because they might be horrible (although one or two of them are), but rather because there are simply way too many better alternatives out there – and not just a little better, but laughably so.

We’ll do the list as a “countdown”, starting with the least bad and going all the way to the absolute no.1 car you should forget even exists.

10. Nissan Titan ($39,950 MSRP)

Named after the Titans of Greek mythology, Nissan’s full-size pickup truck for the U.S. market is a beast and we certainly don’t mean any disrespect by strapping it to our list. However, let’s consider the alternatives – which is something the American people have already done, and their conclusion feels quite definitive.

The numbers further prove the Nissan Titan’s lack of popularity among buyers, with sales figures going from bad to worse in the past three years. As things stand right now, it’s unlikely that the Japanese truck will even hit the 10,000-unit mark before the end of the year.

Instead of a Nissan Titan, the typical truck customer in the U.S. will first look at the Ford F-Series, before shifting their perspective towards the Chevrolet Silverado or the Ram pickup. That’s the “Holy Trinity” right there, untouchable from all standpoints.

Then there’s the GMC Sierra, a fine choice, and finally the Toyota Tundra – the latter is a bit of a dark horse, but the consensus still has it ranked higher than the Nissan Titan by most metrics.

There’s only one thing left for Nissan to do if they want to boost the appeal of the Titan, and that is to hurry up and build an all-electric variant capable of contending with the likes of the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, Ram 1500 REV and GMC Sierra EV.

If Nissan can get there before Toyota comes up with a battery-electric Tundra, then there’s still hope for the Titan to live up to its moniker and leapfrog its Japanese rival.

9. Volkswagen Taos ($24,155 MSRP)

What’s not to dislike about the VW Taos? I mean, where do we even start. First, it’s just a rebadged version of the Tharu crossover, which was initially aimed at the Chinese market.

Now, while the Taos does make sense in various South American markets, if you live in North America and you want a small or sub-compact crossover, why would you spend upwards of $24,000 on the Taos when the larger, safer and better-built Tiguan only costs an extra $2,000.

Not only that, but the Tiguan is one of the best crossovers in the segment, overall, which makes it even harder for some of us to comprehend why anyone would even consider spending their hard-earned money on the VW Taos. It’s certainly not a “bad car”, but as a purchase, it’s subpar by subtraction – by this I mean that you’re subtracting the Tiguan.

The German carmaker unveiled the Taos for North America nearly three years ago (as a MY2022 car), and their goal was to offer it to people who would otherwise want to purchase a “regular Golf”, which of course you can’t get any more in the U.S. - only the Golf GTI and Golf R are still available.

Overall, not necessarily a terrible choice, hence why it’s only no. 9 on our list, but still difficult to justify objectively speaking.

8. Cadillac XT5 ($45,290 MSRP)

There’s nothing wrong with liking Cadillac’s abundance of SUVs, but if you walk into a dealership right now, there’s bound to be a black sheep among the flock, and it would be the XT5 compact crossover.

Otherwise, from the XT4 to the Escalade, you’re getting a product that is sure to prove competitive in the segment to which it belongs. The previously mentioned Escalade needs no introduction, and the XT4 and XT6 are both very adequate, to say the least. The XT5 on the other hand – not only does it look like a bloated third-generation CTS, but it also simply cannot hope to compete with anything out of Germany, or Japan for that matter.

This is a vehicle that went into production back in 2016 and has yet to undergo any meaningful changes. Sure, there have been several mid-cycle updates throughout the years, but the exterior still features an outdated design language, available on-board tech is lackadaisical at best, and the price tag should be an instant turn-off for anyone who’s even remotely interested in a compact premium SUV.

The XT5 kicks off from $45,290 and something like a 2024 Mercedes GLC will set you back around the same, maybe a tiny bit more (an insignificant amount). Same goes for a BMW X3. Both German models will outshine the XT5 at pretty much anything. Also, you can get a Tesla Model Y for around $47,000, if you’d rather go for something fully electric.

The point is, buying an XT5 right now in 2023 makes as much sense as a Fast & Furious reboot. Zero.

7. Jaguar I-Pace ($72,000 MSRP)

I know what you’re thinking – what on Earth is the Jaguar I-Pace doing on this list, right? I mean, you’ve read all the reviews, and the consensus among automotive journalists is that the I-Pace possesses excellent dynamic capabilities, solid tech features, powerful motors and futuristic looks, which go a long way in convincing buyers to open their wallets.

Truthfully, the I-Pace almost didn’t make this list, for those exact reasons. You can easily argue in its favor as the type of interesting purchase some premium SUV buyers generally look for, but therein lies the problem. The I-Pace isn’t all that practical as an SUV, and when you factor in some of the “cons” of owning one, together with its high price tag and better alternatives, well, here we are.

If you’re looking for a fully electric, reasonably sized premium SUV, a few extra grand will land you either the 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron or the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, both of which are more modern than the I-Pace once you break everything down in terms of platform and available on-board technologies.

They also happen to be more practical, which is exactly what you’d want from these types of vehicles in the first place. As for range, you’re much more likely to travel longer distances on a single charge in an I-Pace equivalent than in the actual I-Pace.

6. Mercedes EQB ($52,720 MSRP)

The fully electric Mercedes-Benz EQB is available with three powertrain configurations in the United States, where $52,720 will land you the entry-level 250+ model. The other two variants are the 300 4MATIC and the 350 4MATIC, which cost upwards of $56,900 and $60,550, respectively.

I’m just going to come out and say that despite how practical the EQB may be for its size, there’s no way that an SUV with such an uninspiring design should cost anywhere near that kind of money. This is arguably the most awkward looking Mercedes-Benz model of all time, or at least it’s up there with the likes of the first-generation A-Class. This thing makes the R-Class look like a CLS and... alright, I think you got the picture.

Unlike some alternatives at this price point, the EQB doesn’t drive all that great from an enjoyment standpoint, and the interior quality is a little suspect in certain areas where the plastic bits may feel a bit cheap. So then, instead of an EQB, you could simply look at the cheaper, faster, better looking and thriftier Tesla Model Y.

Other good options include the Audi Q4 e-tron, Cadillac Lyriq and to some extent even the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

5. Mitsubishi Mirage ($16,245 MSRP)

One can’t help but wonder why a car like the Mitsubishi Mirage is still on sale in the United States. If you jump on the carmaker’s website, you’ll read things like “class-leading fuel economy” and “reliable and affordable”, followed by “competitive turning radius” - I mean honestly, competitive turning radius? Is this how low we’ve sunk trying to sell cars?

Anyway, despite several facelifts throughout its life cycle, deep down this is still a 10-year-old car in terms of engineering and build quality. This raises several safety concerns, both active and passive-wise. Yes, you can’t have the latest on-board safety tech in a car that only costs $16k, but given its size, how safe would you even feel taking this thing on a long-distance cruise? Indeed, this may be true for all if not most sub-compact vehicles, but then again most sub-compact vehicles on sale today weren’t designed over a decade ago with emerging markets in mind.

So then, what other choices do you have at this price range? Well, not that many, but just like you wouldn’t buy the absolute cheapest smartphone or TV, why would you buy the absolute cheapest car? The most sensible thing to do would be to ignore the likes of the Mitsubishi Mirage or the Nissan Versa and try to at least hover around the $20k mark budget-wise, so you can look at larger, safer and considerably more modern alternatives.

4. Lexus RZ 450e ($59,650 MSRP)

Just why would anyone spend 60 grand on a rebadged Toyota bZ4X, when the latter can be yours for roughly $20,000 less? Is it because of the RZ’s yoke? Granted, it is cool, but I’m afraid there’s not much else to like about this slightly awkward-looking crossover.

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is available in Premium and Luxury specifications, the latter costing upwards of $65,150, which is a heck of a lot of money for a barely compact-sized crossover. It’s cheaper to just get a Cadillac Lyriq, which is considerably larger and will cover a lot more ground on a single charge.

Don’t even start to bring the Tesla Model Y into this discussion, because frankly, it will just blow this Lexus out of the water – it's not even fair to compare them, and yet look at the price point of this thing! I, for one, would have an incredibly difficult time justifying such a purchase. In fact, this would be an easy way for you to tell that I’ve been kidnapped and forced to buy a car under duress.

It’s not all bad though, because that yoke is still surprisingly practical (by yoke standards), and you still get a total of 308 horsepower at your disposal, thanks to a dual-motor setup. You could easily enjoy driving the RZ 450e if, say, your employer made one available to you as a company car. But if it’s your own money, just go for a Tesla, Caddy, or anything with a German badge on it that’s not a Mercedes EQB.

3. Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ($22,995 MSRP)

We could write (and we just might) an entire cover story about all the other crossovers you should buy with $23,000 of your hard-earned money, that aren’t a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. This thing has really outstayed its welcome, if you know what I mean.

Alright, let me break it down for you. By giving Mitsubishi upwards of $22,995 today for a 2023 Outlander Sport, in return you’ll be getting a car that was engineered back when Barack Obama was first elected as President. An assortment of facelifts followed throughout the years, but deep down, you still end up with a car that has no business wearing the moniker MY2023.

I mean, look up the word ‘outdated’ in the dictionary and an image of the Outlander Sport pops up. OK, that last part isn’t true, but you get the picture.

There’s really no way to sugarcoat this – buying this vehicle is nothing short of a bad choice and you’d be very wise to spend your $22,995 (or anything else in that vicinity) on crossovers such as the Chevrolet Trax, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Toyota Corolla Cross, Nissan Rogue Sport, Honda HR-V, Kia Seltos, Subaru Crosstrek or the Hyundai Kona.

If you absolutely must have a Mitsubishi of any type, just go for a 2023 Outlander PHEV, because there’s really nothing else worth considering from their 2023 U.S. lineup.

2. Mazda MX-30 ($34,110 MSRP)

If you’re any type of EV enthusiast, then you should really take issue with the 2023 Mazda MX-30. Not only can’t you get it in any state other than California, but its 35.5 kWh battery only allows for a range of roughly 100 miles on a full charge. That’s right, 100 miles, and this thing has the audacity to call itself an EV in the year 2023. Pretty soon we’ll have plug-in hybrids able to top that number easily in all-electric mode.

Objectively speaking, one would struggle to even understand the point of the MX-30 to begin with. Sure, maybe it’s not as bad if you opt for the plug-in hybrid or even the mild-hybrid variant, but the battery-electric one with its 141 hp is, for lack of a better term, kind of a joke. Or at least it feels rushed – in the sense that Mazda seemingly wanted to dip their feet in the EV pool ever-so-slightly instead of just cannonballing their way into the deep end.

Then there’s the price. You’ll be paying upwards of $34,110 so that Tesla Model 3 drivers can laugh at you. I can think of several better options in that price range, from the Hyundai Kona Electric to the Volkswagen ID.4 or the previously mentioned Tesla.

1. 2022 Buick Encore ($26,100 MSRP)

Yes, you read that correctly. We’re talking about a Buick Encore here from the MY2022 motor pool. The fact that Buick is still selling this car is beyond baffling, especially since the second-gen 2023 variant (dubbed Encore GX) is also for sale at the same time (and with a smaller MSRP too).

So then, what’s wrong with the first-generation Buick Encore, you ask? Well, it’s a 10-year-old car for starters, and despite production for it being discontinued a while back, it seems as though Buick are trying desperately to move whatever units are left – I mean, alright, but they could at least do so tactfully, as opposed to still promoting this car on their website and renaming the newer-generation model the “GX” as if it was just a cleverer specification.

Sometimes the car industry really doesn’t disappoint from a comedy standpoint, am I right? But anyway, back to what’s wrong with the Encore: size (it doesn’t have any), build quality (poor), driving dynamics (none), looks (that only a mother would love).

The 2022 Buick Encore reminds me of that Seinfeld episode when Carol and Michael invite Jerry, Elaine and Kramer to the Hamptons to “see the baby”, which turns out to be “objectionable”, as Jerry puts it. Sorry, Buick.