6 Underrated Cars That Deserve a Better Reputation

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Several specific cars have earned poor reputations over the years. These appear either through initial release oversights, poor designs, bad reviews from respected motor journalists in magazines and on websites, or combinations of all these factors. Ultimately, poor sales and even production cancellations occur, sometimes due to other brands releasing more popular models simultaneously. In hindsight, many of these unpopular cars have stood the test of time better than these contemporary releases. The list of the most underrated cars follows.

6. Cadillac XLR

In 2004, Cadillac attempted to model its new XLR on the successful Corvette style, even assembling the cars using the same Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant used by Chevrolet since 1981. The result was a hard-top convertible based on the Corvette’s Y-body chassis, designed as a luxury touring vehicle. The XLR’s initial shortfalls were its 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine and a 5-speed purely automatic transmission, which fell short of consumer expectations.

After the ambitious Cadillac project’s production ceased five years later, sports car enthusiasts almost entirely forgot about the XLR, which is sad. The vehicle is attractive on the eye, with the Northstar engine capable of respectable power, especially coupled with the 6-speed automatic transmission of the XLR-V high-performance model. The Cadillac XLR is an underrated car nowadays, and you’ll find well-kept used options of this unique vehicle available at decent prices if you search. 

5. Kia Stinger

Kia remains an underrated car brand for sports sedan consumers. It is more synonymous with reliable, budget-friendly entry-level vehicles, which is likely why the Kia Stinger’s 2018 release met with limited fanfare. Its 8-speed automatic transmission combines well with the 2-liter inline-four engine with 255 horsepower, providing an impressive 130 mph top speed. But it’s a Kia, not a BMW, Audi or one of the established American sports car brands.

Step up from the entry-level model, and you’ll find Stinger vehicles with a choice of turbocharged engines — for example, the V-6 with 365 horsepower provides notable straight-line speeds and impressive handling capabilities. Despite the Stinger’s seven years in production, the car will likely remain underrated as consumers don’t view Kia as highly as traditional luxury brands — unfair, but realistic.

4. Buick Regal GS (Fifth Edition)

Produced between 2012 and 2017, the fifth generation of the Buick Regal GS never received the acclaim it deserved. The car is decently priced and offers reliable performance levels, eclipsing its direct competition — the Honda Civic SI and Ford Focus ST — regarding the vastly superior interior quality of the car. Speed-wise, this penultimate GS edition was competent, with a top speed of 167 mph, with the ability to reach 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds.

The Regal GS’s 2-liter turbocharged inline-four engine produces 310 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque, combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox, performance driving modes and Brembo brakes. While the Buick Regal GS sixth edition fetched slightly better press from the critics, declining sales were enough for General Motors to discontinue the model after 2020, choosing to shift Buick’s focus back to an all-SUV vehicle lineup in North America. The Buick Regal GS, especially its fifth generation, will likely remain eternally underrated considering its specifications and performance.

3. Lexus LC500

Lexus’s manufacturing history includes some impressive F models — the RC F coupe, the V8 IS Falcon and the incredibly scarce front-mounted V10 LFA supercar. Despite this, Lexus remains vastly underrated. Take the 2018 release of the LC500 — a gorgeous 5-liter V8 producing 471 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque — that many reviews claim focuses too heavily on the touring aspect in favor of its sportiness compared with other luxury car brands globally. 

Many consumers regard Lexus as an SUV brand and shy away from its LC models in favor of other elite sports brands. As a result, you seldom see LC500s on the road. Now available with hybrid 3.5-liter V6 engines, the model focuses on driver comfort and cruising, although it is sufficiently sporty. According to Japanese reports, Lexus will cease LC500 production soon. If it weren’t for the car’s high retail price due to continually escalating prices and overall weight, the Lexus LC500 might not be as underrated.

2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X

By ceasing the production of the Evo X in 2016, Mitsubishi brought the curtain down on 10 mini generations of  Evos over 15 years. Its ultimate model didn’t enjoy the same pedigree attributed to its predecessors due to their World Rally connections. Regardless, the Evo X remains the most well-rounded model of the entire production period. You would hardly recognize it as an Evo, with its completely redesigned exterior and interior. 

The Evo X stood out from the others, and Mitsubishi added a 4B11T turbocharged MIVEC 2-liter engine to replace the well-tried open-deck 4G63 and further encourage change. Perhaps the changes were too much, too soon for consumers, but that detracts from their fear of change more than the quality of the car. With its 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the last Mitsubishi Evolution model should have claimed more plaudits than it did.

1. Audi TT RS

As a stand-alone model compared to its TT predecessors, the TT RS is the most underrated car on this list. When the TT production model saw release in 1998, many consumers fell in love with its looks alone. It followed the successful 1995 concept adopted by the company for its sports car stable. The idea worked for the TT, as it received much critical acclaim. The Audi TT RS, released in 2012, appeared with much of the TT’s global acclaim already waning.

Consumers and journalists knew how other interchangeable Volkswagen Group engine parts, most notably from the VW Golf, went into TT production, dampening the vehicle’s allure. However, this practice changed with the TT RS, as Audi equipped its latest model with a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5-cylinder engine delivering 395 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Sadly, much of the market saw the Audi TT RS as just another TT, and sales began dwindling. Finally, after a decade-long run, Audi ended RS production after the 2022 model.

Why Some Cars Continue Being Underrated

Despite obvious qualities and benefits, specific cars are underrated throughout their years in production. Competitors might release better vehicles simultaneously, or brand marketing teams’ promotional efforts could fall short. Press reviews can influence consumer perspectives, and brand histories can misalign with manufacturers’ new releases, hampering sales. Whatever the case, you might unfairly forget some cars or only recognize their true quality years after initial release.