We’re getting perilously close to the end of the year, which means automakers and dealers are slapping all sorts of offers on their inventory to get it out the door. Still, it’s not always enough to make a car worth it. Some cars are such a horrendous value that no deal in the world makes it worth it. That idea is what led me to today’s question.
I want to know which car on sale today offers the worst value for money. What vehicle is so hideously overpriced for what it gives the driver that every single time you see one, you wonder how on earth a car dealer might have been skilled enough to actually pull off a sale? Honestly, the car doesn’t even have to be abhorrently expensive. There are plenty of “cheap” cars that simply cost too much for the sort of experience and equipment they give you, and those types of cars are totally relevant for this discussion.
My choice
I went back and forth a lot on this question. There are plenty of expensive cars that fit the criteria, like the Nissan GT-R, Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack and, well, Maserati’s entire lineup, but I’m thinking a bit outside the box with my answer and going with a car that fits into the “not terribly expensive, but too much for what you get” segment of cars. It’s the Tesla Model Y Standard.
I first told you about this car about two months ago, and despite the fact that it only costs $5,000 less than a fully spec’d Model Y, Tesla definitely stripped more than five grand out of this car. The LED lightbar is gone, as is the rear projector taillight. You also get 18-inch wheels, a smaller battery (69.5 kWh) and a less powerful motor (300 horsepower). On the inside, things are also terrible. There’s a crappy seven-speaker sound system, no radio, a smaller front screen, no ambient lighting, a manually adjustable steering wheel and cloth seats. Oh, and the glass roof is still there, it’s just covered up by a headliner that can’t be removed. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Tesla enshittening the Model Y to make it cheaper for dummies who love when keys are dangled in front of them.
I’ll stop yapping now, though. Why don’t you drop down below and let your fellow Jalops know what car on sale today represents the worst value for money? As always, I’ll be giving away cash prizes and the home address of Jalopnik staffers to commenters who share why they feel their suggestion is the correct one.
