The Car Expert consistently highlights the most impressive, efficient and affordable cars available in the UK, to help readers find the best new cars to meet their needs. But what about the new cars you should avoid?
Using our industry-leading Expert Rating Index, we’ve listed the ten worst new cars on sale in the UK, as judged by the country’s top motoring websites.
By aggregating close to 16,000 new car reviews from 35 different media titles, our award-winning Expert Rating Index now includes nearly 550 different cars from 55 different car brands. While we will be limiting our focus to UK review scores – or Media Rating – in this article, our Expert Rating Index now also includes safety, eco, reliability and running cost ratings, so you can be sure that you are getting the full picture when researching your next car.
It’s inevitable that some new cars will struggle to compete. Often, these are older models that have fallen behind the curve as newer rivals have arrived, while other models have simply been sub-standard from the start.
All of these cars are (or have been) available for sale in 2024, although a few will be withdrawn or replaced before the end of the year. The good news is that you can pick up most of these cars for a relative bargain – either brand-new or second-hand – which makes them a lot more attractive.
With comprehensive review data backing the rankings below, you can be confident that this is the definitive guide to the worst new cars in the UK.
10th place: Subaru Forester
The outgoing Subaru Forester (an all-new one is just being launched now) is a family-sized SUV that’s very capable off-road and has been commended for its safety credentials.
So, what’s the issue? Reviewers conclude that the car’s on-road comfort and performance are poor when compared to other SUV rivals, while some outlets point out that the Forester’s hybrid system does not deliver competitive real-world fuel economy.
As it sails off into the sunset, the Subaru Forester holds a New Car Expert Rating of C with a score of 62% in our Expert Rating Index, which places it at the bottom of the medium SUV class.
9th place: DS 3
Criticised by the British motoring media for prioritising style over substance, the DS 3 is a capable family car that simply isn’t as appealing as its rivals in the small SUV pack.
While the car is well-equipped as standard, its interior fit and finish does not match its price tag, and alternatives are more practical. Reviewers also take issue with the car’s driving dynamics, criticising its ride comfort and handling.
The DS 3 holds a middling New Car Expert Rating of C with a score of 60% in our Expert Rating Index, which puts it towards the bottom of the small car segment.
8th place: Maserati Ghibli
After more than a decade of production, the Maserati Ghibli has finally been retired this year, and it didn’t really end on a high note.
UK reviewers found the car hard to recommend, largely because similarly priced rivals offered a greater breadth of ability. The Maserati couldn’t match the comfort and quality of the likes of the previous BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, let alone the latest models.
The Maserati Ghibli holds a low New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 43%, its poor review scores compounded by low safety and running cost ratings.
7th place: Jeep Renegade
The Jeep Renegade is unique in the small SUV class – it offers off-road solutions that no other car in the sector can quite manage. It should also be quite cheap to run daily, but beyond that, reviewers find little else to praise.
This chunky-looking crossover isn’t fun to drive, and its interior is cheap in places and cramped in the rear. The Renegade’s biggest issue, however, is its pricing. In a highly competitive small SUV sector, there are more comfortable and refined alternatives available for less money.
The Jeep Renegade holds a New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 53% in our Expert Rating Index.
6th place: KGM Rexton
Enormous, plush and robust, the KGM (formerly SsangYong) Rexton is an accomplished off-roader with an upmarket seven-seat interior.
If you’re looking for an SUV for the road, with car-like handling and great efficiency, the Rexton is not for you. Reviewers conclude that its handling is heavy, the diesel engine can be expensive to run and several outlets report that the Rexton is rather uncomfortable on tarmac, which can make long-distance journeys quite taxing.
The KGM Rexton holds a New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 51% in our Expert Rating Index.
5th place: BMW XM
A high-performance BMW model in the bottom five? You’d better believe it. The expensive BMW XM is the most powerful car ever produced by BMW’s famed ‘M’ division, and beyond its divisive exterior design, reviewers agree that BMW’s engineers have missed the mark.
The SUV has been heavily criticised for its punishing ride, hesitant automatic gearbox and very poor fuel economy, which is even more disappointing when you consider its sky-high price tag. And then, of course, there’s the styling…
The BMW XM currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of D with a score of 54% in our Expert Rating Index.
4th place: Fiat Panda
A woeful mainstay of this worst cars list through the years, this is one Panda that should have been left to extinction long ago. It’s one of the oldest models on this list and well off the pace of newer vehicles in its class.
While it’s very reliable, cheap to run and a great fit for tight inner-city streets, Fiat hasn’t given the Panda any updates in years gone by to meet evolving new car standards, and the compact runaround holds an abysmal zero-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
The Fiat Panda holds a poor New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 40% in our Expert Rating Index.
3rd place: Fiat Tipo
Another Fiat that has been widely criticised by the UK motoring media, the Tipo is the company’s competitor in the budget end of the crowded family hatchback class. Unlike the Panda, the Tipo is all but retired, with a limited number of beefier Tipo Cross models still available new.
While it is cheap to buy, this competitive price tag has caused compromises in other areas, namely its dull driving experience, cheap interior fit and finish, weak resale value and its sub-par three-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
The Fiat Tipo holds a low New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 48% in our Expert Rating Index.
2nd place: MG ZS
Another car that has just been replaced by an all-new model, the MG ZS is not one we’ll miss. This is the petrol version, with the electric model scoring somewhat better in media reviews and our Expert Ratings.
While the ZS did offer great value for money, it just wasn’t a great car. Reviewers criticised its cheap build quality, poor safety rating and inferior engine quality – all of which have been considerably improved in the all-new version now launching in the UK.
The MG ZS holds a poor New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 44% in our Expert Rating Index, which puts it rock bottom of the small SUV segment.
1st place: Abarth 695
Dead last in our Expert Rating rankings this year is the quirky Abarth 695 hot hatch. It offers punchy performance, sporty styling and an exciting driving experience that far exceeds its humble Fiat 500 origins.
But an expensive, high-performance version of a long-outdated city car platform inevitably comes with limitations. The car’s practicality and safety credentials are unsurprisingly poor, and reviewers largely agree that you can have just as much fun in its more comfortable compact competitors for thousands of pounds less.
By comparison, the Abarth 500e version of the electric 500 is a brilliant car, winning The Car Expert’s Best Small Car Award for 2024.
The Abarth 695 holds a pretty terrible New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 39% in our Expert Rating Index.
Check out the worst new cars from previous years:
- The worst new cars on sale in 2023
- The worst new cars on sale in 2022
- The worst new cars on sale in 2021
For the definitive rankings of the worst new cars on sale in 2024, we’ve used more than 16,000 new car reviews from The Car Expert‘s award-winning Expert Rating index. The index analyses new car reviews from 35 of the top UK motoring websites, using an advanced algorithm that we have developed specifically to compare review scores. We also factor in safety and eco ratings, plus reliability and running cost data to give you the full picture of any new car on sale.
