Car Redesign Failures

In December 2011, Kelley Blue Book ran a feature about the best redesigned cars for 2012. The automobiles varied from Mercedes-Benz convertibles to Honda SUV’s to Volkswagen Beetles, and the descriptions were festooned with words like “bolder” and “sexier” and even “grrrr.”

This kind of language is what car companies hope to hear when an automobile is redesigned. They want to hear that old flaws have been addressed and new elements have been introduced that will make it more desirable to the consumer.

Unfortunately, not all redesigns win accolades. In fact, some garner outright hostility for their “improvements.” What follows is a list of redesigned cars, provided by Karl Brauer, CEO and editor-in-chief of TotalCarScore.com, an online review aggregator and information resource for cars currently on the market.

The redesigns on this list not only didn’t improve on the existing models, but may have made buyers wish they could have the old models back, according to TotalCarScore.com. Far from including words like “bold” or “sexy,” the list was dotted with less desirable terms, such as “uninspired” and “thud.”

Read ahead and see which cars made TotalCarScore.com’s list of car redesign failures.

By Daniel Bukszpan
Posted 10 April 2012

The 2012 Honda Civic was late reaching the marketplace. Its design team had scrapped plans to make it larger midway through production, and went back to the slender design for which it was known.

According to Brauer, the delay wasn’t worth it. The Civic still offers the same comfortable ride and respectable fuel economy but those attributes are offset by what he calls “uninspired styling and dated equipment,” leading to sales he describes as “lackluster.”

(The original version of the story incorrectly stated that the redesign occurred on the 2011 Honda Civic. It has been corrected to include the redesign for the 2012 Honda Civic.)

The Chrysler Sebring changed its name to the 200 in 2011. According to reviews on the TotalCarScore.com site, more than just the name has changed and there have been big improvements in comfort, design and styling.

According to Brauer, the redesign is nothing more than a stopgap measure to keep the Sebring competitive while Chrysler prepares a new sedan for release next year. In the meantime, people looking for a midsized sedan will have to be satisfied with the 200’s “unrefined drivetrain and mediocre interior.”

(The original version of the story incorrectly stated that the redesign occurred on the 2012 Chrysler 200. It has been corrected to include the redesign for the 2011 Chrysler 200.)

The Mazda 2 is a small car. Aside from their modest price tags, people buy small cars for easy handling and greater fuel efficiency. According to TotalCarScore.com, the 2011 Mazda 2 has plenty of the former and little of the latter, which Brauer describes as “lackluster.”

“The engine is underpowered, the cabin is noisy and the list of standard features is short,” according to TotalCarScore.com. However, the site points out the Environmental Protection Agency adjusted the car’s fuel economy rating, giving it one whole mile per gallon extra, both on city streets and the highway.

(The original version of the story incorrectly stated that the redesign occurred on the 2012 Mazda 2. It has been corrected to include the redesign for the 2011 Mazda 2.)

The 2011 Nissan Quest has none of the basic attributes consumers expect from a minivan such as sufficient seating for eight passengers, above-average fuel economy and a third-row seat that can fold down and create extra storage space. The Quest fits no more than seven passengers, and it has a “lower cargo space relative to competitors,” according to TotalCarScore.com.

(The original version of the story incorrectly stated that the redesign occurred on the 2012 Nissan Quest. It has been corrected to include the redesign for the 2011 Nissan Quest.)

Manufacturers of sport utility vehicles would do well to remember the “sport” portion of the product. This is precisely what Mitsubishi failed to do when it designed the 2011 Outlander Sport, according to critics who noted that “the only ‘Sport’ element is in the name.

“Reviewers noted a lack of performance and excessive body roll in corners, as well as substantial wind noise at highway speeds,” according to TotalCarScore.com. Brauer also cites “sloppy handling, limited cargo space and weak engine performance” as factors that earn the car unenthusiastic customer reviews.

(The original version of this story incorrectly referenced the Mitsubishi Outlander. It has been corrected to include the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.)

In 2011, the American people spoke and Jeep listened. Consumers had numerous issues with the Jeep Compass, so it underwent a complete overhaul that included improvements to its interior, its drivetrain and its styling, including a refurbishment of its exterior to make it look more macho.

Unfortunately, the company failed to address other issues with the vehicle, most of which were probably more important than its looks. “Reviewers note less-than-comfortable seats, less-than-ideal visibility and a noisy cabin,” according to TotalCarScore.com. “The continuously variable transmission (CVT) is the sole automatic option and that doesn't find many fans, either.”

Customers looking for an inexpensive and roomy sedan that gets decent fuel economy could do worse than the 2012 Nissan Versa. However, critics on TotalCarScore.com want more than that, and they characterized the current model as a step backwards. They offered a litany of complaints about everything including the noisy cabin, clunky handling and “blatantly cheap” interior.

Brauer was equally unimpressed by the vehicle. In addition to the cabin noise and a “lack of drivetrain refinement,” he also described the handling as “tippy,” an alarming word that is exactly what buyers don’t want to hear when shopping for a new vehicle.