5 Awesome Vehicles That Flopped Hard

5 Awesome Vehicles That Flopped Hard

Not every car that’s sold is going to be a winner. Car makers do their best to ensure that the cars they put out on the road have the features, performance, and appearance that buyers want. Even when they get the combination right, an anomaly can cause the perfect car to sit on the lot instead of getting snapped up.

Ford Flex

​If you’ve had the opportunity to get inside the Flex, you’re well aware that it isn’t like anything else on the market. It has oodles of cargo space, comfortable seating with room for seven, and all the space-age technological features that should appeal to the younger crowd. The classy, well-designed instruments and refined ride should appeal to the older generations.

​So why didn’t the Ford Flex jump to the top of the list for sales leaders? Is the appearance a little too sharp? Are the features a little unfocussed? It’s hard to pinpoint where the designers at ford went wrong. The Flex is a nimble, powerful wagon with attractive looks. It still struggles to achieve respectable sales numbers since its introduction in 2009.

Suzuki Kizashi

​The Kizashi was doomed as soon as it hit the sales lot. Anyone who was attracted to the car lost interest when they tried to pronounce its name. A chorus of ‘Bless you’ and ‘Gesundheit’ accompany its spoken name. Its other issue is its automaker. The Kizashi was lost in the sea of car ads as Suzuki couldn’t put together as comprehensive a sales drive as Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Chevrolet, and the like.

​The Kizashi boasted a peppy 180-hp 2.4-liter with amazing options like navigation, rear view camera, leather seats, and power everything for a price well below its competitors. While their product was excellent, it just couldn’t break into the market in any real numbers. It died a quick death after only four years on the scene.

Chevrolet SS

​Think Pontiac GTO or G8 in an Impala or Malibu. Tack on an extra $10,000 and pit it against some of the beastliest cars ever made like the Charger SRT8 and the Hellcat series. The Chevrolet SS had visions – or delusions — of grandeur that couldn’t be sustained.

​The 415-horsepower V8 drank fuel faster than the pump could dispense it. Though its performance was thrilling and its interior was comfortable and well-structured, this monster should have been scrapped at the design stage.

Acura TL

Acura was on the brink of greatness with the TL. Pushing up to 305-hp in a V6 engine, the TL had the power to prove itself as a big dog in the luxury sedan market but fell just short in nearly every other category. The instrumentation was a little basic and not well-planned, the looks were sharp but not overly attractive, and the transmission was a mere 5-speed automatic that wasn’t nearly as refined as its German competition.

​If Acura had cleaned up one or two of its shortcomings earlier on than the 2012 facelift that mellowed the sharp beak-like front, the TL could have been much more. Instead, they kicked it to the curb and replaced it with a similarly named, refreshingly new TLX.

Infiniti QX50

​Sales have increased 34 percent for the QX50 since its renaming in 2013 from EX. QX50 is in a tough SUV market that is currently flooded with outstanding vehicles like Audi Q5 and Lexus RX, and minor inconveniences are sending potential buyers to the competition. A luxury SUV shouldn’t be snug inside and should have ample cargo space, and the QX50 falls short.

​Its thrilling 325-horsepower engine and plethora of options haven’t been able to convince buyers to shell out their money for the compact luxury SUV though it’s not nearly as bad as the sales numbers indicate. Though the sales increased 34 percent, the actual number of units isn’t impressive in the least.