Better Off Walking: The Most Useless Vehicles Ever Made
Not all cars are created equal. Small city cars are built with efficiency and practicality in mind, while extravagant supercars are all about performance and distinctive styling.
There are cars that don't fit in any categories, though. As a result, they're utterly pointless to buy and drive. Some of these vehicles even became famous for their absolute uselessness!
Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet
The Murano CrossCabriolet is easily one of the weirdest production cars ever developed by Nissan. While the regular Murano is a sensible crossover SUV, this one features a drop-top roof and an all-wheel-drive drivetrain. It's hard to tell why anyone thought this was a good idea.
This is the world's first and only all-wheel-drive convertible crossover. No wonder no other automaker tried to imitate it. This awful automobile is completely useless in the real world!
Chevrolet SSR
It is no secret that Chevrolet has come up with rather odd and useless vehicles throughout the years. When it comes to lack of usefulness though, the Chevy SSR takes the cake.
This weird convertible pickup truck was meant to pay homage to hot rods. If anything, the SSR looked like a cheap knock-off of a hot rod. Unsurprisingly, the vehicle was discontinued just 3 years into production.
Peel P50
Half a century has passed since the original debut of this controversial microcar. On one hand, its tiny size could come in handy when navigating around busy cities. This little car weighs so little that it can easily be picked up and used as a rolling suitcase.
The world's smallest production car is not as genius as you may think. In fact, its miniature dimensions made the P50 virtually useless in the real world, despite the best intentions.
AMC Gremlin
This quirky subcompact has always been overshadowed by the Pacer. Both cars are tiny, poorly designed, and utterly pointless for most people.
The AMC Gremlin may not have been the most useful vehicle in the world. However, it was certainly a hit among buyers. Over 670,000 units were sold in total during the car's 8-year-long production run.
Reliant Robin
This odd vehicle is perhaps one of the most famous British cars of all time. The Reliant Robin, however, rose to fame for all the wrong reasons.
The Reliant Robin quickly became infamous for its unique, dangerous ability. Since the car featured a three-wheel drivetrain and a rather odd design overall, the Robin had a tendency to roll over at higher speeds. That's quite hilarious unless you're behind the wheel of one.
Lincoln Blackwood
At first, the Lincoln Blackwood may have seemed like a good idea. Ford decided to create an upscale pickup truck that would combine both luxury and practicality, aimed at wealthier buyers.
In reality, however, the Lincoln Blackwood wasn't particularly luxurious nor practical. The model was discontinued just a year after its original debut due to awful sales, and the nameplate has not made a return ever since.
Amphicar
Most of us wanted an amphibious vehicle back when we were kids. Back in 1960, a German automaker decided to turn his dream into reality.
The Amphicar Model 770 is a two-door convertible that can be driven just like any other car and used as a boat. At least in theory. In the real world, the Amphicar quickly turned out to be pretty awful both as a car and a boat. The model was discontinued just 5 years after its initial debut and hasn't made a return ever since.
Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 6x6
Buying any kind of six-wheeler automobile is already pretty difficult to logically justify. It's a whole different ball game when it comes to the limited 6x6 G-class pickup truck and its practicality, or lack thereof.
This ridiculous six-wheeler is essentially a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG on steroids. It comes powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 motor rated at 544 horses and a set of six gigantic wheels. As you can probably imagine, this monstrosity is pretty useless in the real world. It is a bold statement, though.
BMW Isetta
Microcars were developed to be the ideal automobile for the daily commute around the city. The Isetta, built by BMW, first hit the market in the mid-1950s. Although the idea behind it may have been decent, this odd microcar quickly proved to be pretty useless in the real world.
Early production BMW Isetta needs an entire minute to reach 50 miles per hour, which is also the car's top speed. Paired with a spartan interior and an awful drivetrain, this odd thing never really took off.
Honda Insight
The modern, third-gen of the Honda Insight is a far cry from the original version of the car. Back at the very beginning of the 21st century, the Japanese automaker unveiled this weird vehicle as a gateway to the future of cars. That was the idea, at least.
The original Honda Insight was filled with issues of all kinds. Most of them were a lot more serious than the car's awful exterior design. The first-gen Insight was notorious for transmission failures, for example.
Range Rover Evoque Convertible
Drop-top SUVs never really seem to work, and the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is no exception. One could argue that installing a retractable roof has ruined what was otherwise a very cool, relatively affordable vehicle offered by Range Rover.
The drop-top version of the Evoque is, naturally, more expensive than the base model. However, the convertible roof adds weight which takes a toll on the car's performance. The drop-top Evoque also features less cargo space, making it useless alongside the fixed-roof variant.
Ferrari FXX K
Believe it or not, one of Ferrari's most hardcore race cars doubles as the automaker's most pointless vehicle to own. The asking price for this exclusive beauty was a whopping $2.6 million!
Naturally, this V12-powered beast isn't street legal. In fact, it's actually kept by Ferrari themselves. The automaker delivers the vehicle to any race track as requested by the owner, complete with a team of engineers and technicians and any required equipment. After they're done driving around the track, the FXX K is taken back to Ferrari.
Hummer H1
The original Hummer is easily one of the world's most polarizing automobiles of all time. You either love it or hate it. There is no in-between.
The Hummer is as iconic as it is useless. Its spartan nature and fuel-hungry drivetrain make the H1 awful to drive, with the exception of off-roading. If you plan to stick to paved roads, you're way better off going with a different vehicle.
Lamborghini Veneno
This may be a bit of a controversial opinion. Sure, the Veneno is, like most Lamborghinis, an absolutely gorgeous supercar. It's not exactly the most useful one, though.
In reality, the Veneno isn't much more than a dressed-up Aventador. It's very difficult to justify the ridiculous $4.5 million price tag, or the production run limited to just 9 units in total. Just get a regular Aventador instead. The performance, underpinnings, and the interior are all pretty much the same at a fraction of the cost.
Velorex Oskar
There's a pretty good chance that you have never even heard of this odd microcar. This quirky three-wheeler was built by a Czechoslovakian automaker between the 1950s and the 70s, right when similar-sized vehicles started popping up in other European countries.
The Oskar turned out to be a lot less practical than it was initially believed. In fact, it was virtually impossible to use it for anything else than the city commute. And even then, a Velorex Oskar wasn't exactly enjoyable to drive.
Chrysler Prowler
This quirky sports car hit the market in the late 1990s. The automotive press, as well as potential buyers, were drawn in by the car's weird appearance.
The car's controversial, yet unique exterior design, is probably its only upside. The Prowler is notorious for reliability issues, as well as extremely underwhelming performance. After all, you would expect a sports car that looks as exotic as the Plymouth Prowler to have more than 214 horsepower.
Ford Pinto
Safety is a crucial aspect of any vehicle. While some cars are safer than others, all of them follow the same practices and principles to ensure maximum safety for all occupants. The Ford Pinto is an exception, though.
Due to the car's poor design, the Pinto has the tendency to explode after being rear-ended. This serious safety hazard has quickly made the Ford Pinto one of the deadliest automobiles of all time.
BMW X6M
It's hard to understand what the thought process behind the development of the X6 was. This SUV somehow manages to combine all the worst features of a tight coupe along with all the problems of a bulky SUV. It's pretty much the worst of both worlds.
Throw in a powerful 617-horsepower motor beneath the hood, and you end up with one of the most useless SUVs money can buy. The X5M is objectively better in virtually every way. Even the X4 makes more sense!
BAC Mono
It's pretty safe to say that extreme track toys aren't exactly the most useful automobiles, no matter the make and model. When it comes to a lack of practicality, the BAC Mono may just take the cake.
Remember that, much like the previously mentioned Morgan Three Wheeler, practicality was the last thing BAC had in mind when developing the Mono. A 0-60 sprint in under 3 seconds is extremely impressive. However, these monsters are pointless anywhere off the race track.
AMC Pacer
This infamous American subcompact needs no introduction. It was developed to be fuel-efficient and practical. In reality, the AMC Pacer was the polar opposite.
Truth be told, the AMC Pacer wasn't designed very well. In fact, it is considered to be one of the worst automobiles in history. Competitors quickly blew it out of the water, and the model was eventually dropped from the lineup just 5 years after its debut.
Covini C6W
Supercars were always all about innovation. Back in the 1980s, Ferruccio Covini showed his unique vision of a high-performance supercar. Its most distinctive feature has got to be a six-wheel drivetrain.
At first, it may seem surprising that anyone would even consider equipping a supercar with twin front axles. This unique drivetrain did prove to be relatively successful at the racetrack. On public roads, however, the C6W is extremely useless.
Cadillac ELR
The ELR is an innovative luxury vehicle that was developed to revolutionize the car market. Although this two-door land yacht did look solid on paper, the production version wasn't exactly as good.
The Cadillac ELR quickly proved to be incredibly useless for potential buyers. The car was criminally overpriced back when it was new. Lots of reliability-related issues make the ELR an awful pick on the used car market, too. It would have been better off as a concept vehicle.
Renault Avantime
French automobiles can be pretty quirky, and the Avantime is a prime example. It was developed to be an MPV with a sporty touch, made to stand out against its rather bland competitors. It did indeed stand out, but not in a good way.
The questionable exterior design is far from the worst feature of the Renault Avantime. In fact, its countless mechanical and electrical issues make this vehicle completely unreliable. As a result, this MPV is completely useless.
Morgan Three Wheeler
The Morgan Three Wheeler is a British icon. Nonetheless, it is also easily one of the most impractical vehicles money can buy. It certainly wasn't built with comfort or versatility in mind.
Sure, the Three Wheeler would make for a fun toy to take out on a sunny Sunday morning drive. However, that's pretty much the only scenario when owning one would be at least somewhat useful.
Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG
This is the high-performance Mercedes-Benz you have never heard of. The German automaker only built around 200 units of this monster before shutting down the production line.
Let's be honest for a minute, though. As cool as a 500-horsepower minivan may sound, nobody really needs one in the real world. The sales figures were awful, and the car's awful handling certainly didn't help to attract potential buyers. Who would have thought?
1975 Dodge Charger
Movie remakes are hardly better than the original. The same can be said about automobiles, and the Dodge Charger is no exception.
Following the '73 oil crisis, Dodge should have discontinued the legendary Charger nameplate. Instead, the automaker developed an all-new fourth generation of the car. The new Charger lost all of its cool features, from a powerful V8 under the hood to a muscular design.
Lexus CT 200h
This is perhaps the best-selling automobile on this entire list. In fact, Lexus has sold nearly 400,000 units of the CT 200h since its original debut.
Though the CT200h may seem like a rather sensible pick for a daily driver, its underwhelming performance and a hard ride are both awful. That makes it completely useless when compared with pretty much all of its direct competitors. The Lexus CT200h is a hard pass.
Mercedes-Benz X-Class
Not everyone seems to have learned from the failure of the previously mentioned Lincoln Blackwood. In fact, Mercedes Benz decided to have a go at developing a luxury pickup truck too.
Unlike the ridiculous G63 AMG 6x6, this one was supposed to be a regular production car that was meant to join the automaker's lineup. The X-Class pickup truck, which really isn't much more than a redesigned Nissan Navara, was an absolute failure. Unsurprisingly, most buyers didn't want to spend as much as $90,000 on a rebadged Nissan truck.
Chrysler PT Cruiser GT
The base Chrysler PT Cruiser is, despite its controversial design, a sensible pick in its price range. It's cheap to maintain and relatively fuel-efficient. Solid pick, as long as you can get past the awful styling.
The high-performance GT version of the PT Cruiser is proof that not all cars deserve to have a souped-up variant. While it did perform better than the base model, a performance-oriented PT Cruiser was an awful idea to even begin with. There really isn't a reason anyone should ever own one of those eyesores.
Ford Mustang II
The first generation of America's favorite pony car remains one of the most legendary cars to date. However, the '73 debut of the second-gen is infamous as a truly awful downgrade.
As the second generation of the Ford Mustang shared the same underpinnings as the Pinto, the two cars also shared the same issues. That includes the high odds to explode during a rear-end collision, all due to poor placement of the fuel tank.
Suzuki X-90
The X90 is easily one of the weirdest Suzuki products to date. This small vehicle is so quirky that it's difficult to even classify which segment it falls into.
A two-door, sporty compact SUV with a t-top targa roof is about as useless as you would expect. It's not fast by any means, nor does it perform well off the beaten paths. The T-top roof only makes this Suzuki even weirder.
Fiat 500L
This is essentially a larger alternative to the cute Fiat 500. In theory, the 500L should be more practical and therefore more popular among buyers than its smaller cousin. It does, after all, offer more space for passengers and cargo.
That said, the Fiat 500L does have one major issue that makes it pointless to drive. The car suffers from awful turbo lag. As a result, it feels tremendously underpowered and seems to always
Pontiac Aztek
The Aztek is easily the world's most infamous crossover SUV. Its rather questionable design was its distinctive feature, though not in a good way. In fact, the Pontiac Aztek has gone down in history as one of the ugliest cars of all time.
The awful exterior design is far from the car's only downside. Azteks suffer from loads of reliability issues, as well as poor handling. It really is a useless vehicle to own.
Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4
The Mercedes Benz G-Class has transformed from a spartan utility vehicle into a status symbol. Today, you're way more likely to come across a G-Class in front of a luxury boutique, rather than off-roading somewhere.
Forget the silly lift kit, the locking differentials, or the enormous tires. It's not like anyone will ever take their luxury G-class off-roading, anyway. As a result, the G500 4x4 is ridiculously useless.
Volkswagen Phaeton
For some odd reason, Volkswagen decided to take on the luxury saloon market roughly 20 years ago. The Phaeton was developed to compete with the likes of the BMW 7 Series or even the Mercedes Benz S Class.
Volkswagen's luxury vehicle was an epic failure, and plummeting sales figures confirmed that the vehicle was extremely pointless. In fact, the German automaker lost over $30 000 on every Phaeton sold between 2002 and 2012.
Hummer H2
While the previously mentioned Hummer H1 may be useless due to its awful lack of practicality, the H2 is arguably even worse. Hummer developed the H2 to be a more upscale and toned-down alternative to the spartan H1.
Unfortunately, the H2 lost most of the ridiculous features that made the original Hummer stand out from the crowd. With the exception of awful fuel economy and gigantic proportions, that is. The final product is essentially a luxury-wannabe H1 stripped of all its cool features.
Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk
A high-performance SUV is pretty much an oxymoron. Developing a bulky SUV to perform as well as a small sports car is a tough task, to say the least. The final product isn't particularly useful in the real world. It is, however, immensely cool.
The uselessness is unarguably a part of this car's appeal. After all, this vehicle is ridiculous in every way imaginable, and that's exactly what makes it legendary.
Mercedes Benz S63 AMG Convertible
The S-Class has always been the pinnacle of luxury. The flagship luxury sedan set the standards for lavish vehicles for decades.
Introducing a drop-top variant, paired with the high-performance twin-turbocharged V8 motor under the hood, wasn't the most sensible decision. Poor sales quickly reflected how pointless this variant of the S-Class truly was.
Hummer H3
The H3 was the last model released by Hummer before the automaker went bust. Truth be told, this awful model was the nail in the coffin that sent Hummer to file for bankruptcy in 2010.
The Hummer H3 was perhaps even worse than the H2. It was more compact in size than the other two and was meant to be even less spartan. The H3 was filled with issues, ranging from a motor prone to failures to electrical problems. It's most definitely a hard pass.
Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
City cars are, for the most cars, both practical and sensible. Adding an electric drivetrain was supposed to make the Fortwo even more practical. At least in theory.
In reality, however, the limited range of the electric Fortwo made it pretty useless to own. Buyers had the option to choose between a coupe and a drop-top. Just in case the fixed-roof Fortwo Electric Drive wasn't pointless enough already.
