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Consumer Reports Rates 10 Worst New Cars for 2016

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According to a story published in the USA Today, Consumer Reports has published its list of the 10 worst new cars, broken down by category.  Here are the losers, according to their rankings, which are based on safety, projected reliability, and owner satisfaction, as well as road-test scores:

• Lowest-rated subcompact: Mitsubishi Mirage. Cheap to buy and good gas mileage, but it’s “tiny, tinny” and the three-cylinder engine vibrates.

• Lowest-rated compact: Fiat 500L. Worst reliability of any new car and a “dismal” road-test score.

• Lowest-rated midsize sedan: Chrysler 200. “Mediocre,” with clumsy handling and poor on the road.

• Lowest-rated compact luxury car: Mercedes-Benz CLA250. Stiff ride, noisy, cramped.

• Lowest-rated midsize luxury car: Lincoln MKS. — Outdated and outclassed.

• Lowest-rated family SUV: Dodge Journey. V-6 engine had poor gas mileage.

• Lowest-rated luxury compact SUV: Land Rover Discovery Sport. Too little or too much acceleration, and a balky transmission.

• Lowest-rated large luxury SUV: Cadillac Escalade. Stiff ride, not that roomy and the Cue infotainment system is “confounding.”

• Lowest-rated minivan: Chrysler Town & Country. Poor gas mileage and didn’t fare well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s small overlap crash tests.

• Lowest-rated green car: Mitsubishi i-MiEV. A “half-step up from a golf cart,” slow and clumsy.

Although other organizations also develop ratings for a variety of cars, Consumer Reports is generally recognized as being more independent because they buy the cars directly from dealerships in the same way a consumer buys them.  In contrast, some other organizations borrow the cars from the car companies, which means the cars they test can be refined and adjusted in ways that an ordinary consumer would never see.  In addition, some organizations may be reluctant to criticize a car company when they often get free use of that company’s latest vehicles.

If you have a problem with any new or used cars, or the dealership that sold you your car, you are entitled to certain rights under both Florida laws and U.S. laws.  As an experienced consumer protection attorney and former automotive engineer, Taras Rudnitsky can help you enforce your rights.  We offer free consultations for victims of defective vehicles and victims of auto fraud by dealers and repair shops.  Call us today at 386-444-3032 or click here to contact us by email to find out more about your legal rights as a consumer.