Cars Americans Don't Want to Buy

The Buick LaCrosse, a full-size luxury sedan, appeared on this list last year as well. Though sales have dropped by more than 23% from 2017 to 2018, buyers were far quicker to pull the trigger on their LaCrosse purchase in 2018, cutting the car’s average stay on the dealers’ lots by 32.5 days. The model first appeared in 2004 and is now in the second year of its fourth generation. While the sedan has been well reviewed, it competes with other luxury sedans and with SUVs, which continue to gain popularity.

The third generation of the Audi A7 midsize luxury 4-door hatchback hit the streets in 2017. New features also were added in 2018, including a bigger engine. It doesn’t seem, however, as if these add-ons grabbed consumers’ imaginations, as low sales and an average of close to five months on dealers’ lots don’t add up to high demand. Plus, buyers are simply more interested in SUVs than hatchbacks, no matter how refined.

Fiat keeps getting lots of press, but for all the wrong reasons. For example, Motor1.com notes that the subcompact Fiat 500L model is the fifth worst-selling car of 2018. With fewer than 1,500 units — slowly — sold last year, the Fiat 500L doesn’t have much lower to go. It will be interesting to see what happens with Fiat in the coming months, as Consumer Reports gave the automaker a total score of 44 points, and rated it 33rd—and last—place in its overall ranking of car brands for 2019.

Much has changed in the automotive and tech worlds in the past decade. Yet few of these changes are likely incorporated in the Jaguar XJ luxury sedan, which has been in its fourth generation since 2011. Luxury sedans are a hard sell these days, and the Jag’s handsome profile and legendary handling don’t outweigh its hefty price tag, lagging technology, and reputation for unreliability.

The full-size mass-market sedan category is far from burgeoning; in fact, it’s impossible to think of a model that’s in demand. Too bad for the Chevrolet Impala, which has been in production since 1958. Although it’s still in its 10th generation, which was introduced in 2014, the Impala’s annual tweaks and updates have ensured that the model has kept up with the times. Nevertheless, the well-reviewed car is not attracting a 25% sales drop.