{"id":130739,"date":"2026-03-21T15:22:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T18:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotive.einnews.com\/article\/900927850"},"modified":"2026-03-21T15:22:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T18:22:49","slug":"the-underrated-car-everybody-mocks-but-people-keep-buying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/the-underrated-car-everybody-mocks-but-people-keep-buying\/","title":{"rendered":"The Underrated Car Everybody Mocks But People Keep Buying"},"content":{"rendered":"

Does it have wheels? Great, somebody hates it. It doesn\u2019t matter if a car has a seemingly unshakable fan base, like the Porsche 911. Haters are, in fact, going to hate, and that includes every year, make, and model of car, SUV<\/a>, truck, and minivan. But some models are going to soak up more consumer abhorrence than others, try as they might to tick every box and please every would-be buyer.<\/p>\n

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The Chrysler PT Cruiser. The Pontiac Aztek. Hell, even an Aston Martin (looking at you, Cygnet<\/a>) has suffered the slings and arrows of near-endless internet and car show slander. Some perhaps too-mocked cars, however, are sensible, affordable, and utilitarian. Take this family-and-wallet-friendly Japanese sedan<\/a>, for example. Car buyers keep taking one model home, despite an onslaught of silly jokes at its expense.<\/p>\n

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Haters Gonna Hate <\/h2>\n
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Yellow Chrysler PT Cruiser Front Angle<\/figcaption>Chrysler<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

There is no shortage of automotive punchlines from different generations. Most recently, Jaguar<\/a>, as a marque, undertook a risky rebrand. That reimagining, well, didn\u2019t resonate so well with the brand\u2019s fans and critics. Internet-goers skewered the British automaker. Turn back the clock a little further, and you\u2019ll find other oft-reviled cars, trucks, and SUVs.<\/p>\n

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2005 Pontiac Aztec side shot<\/figcaption>Pontiac<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The Pontiac Aztek, for example, reportedly warranted a disgusted gasp from onlookers at its Detroit Auto Show unveiling. Dan Neil of Time Magazine<\/em> went as far as to say, \u201cThis car could not have been more instantly hated if it had a Swastika tattoo on its forehead.\u201d Yikes. Even popular cars divide car fans and invite generalizations. Do you drive a Toyota GR Supra<\/a>? Get ready for the \u201cnice BMW\u201d jokes. Prefer to cruise in a Mustang? Your skin had better be tough enough to survive all the crashing jokes. But all that hate doesn\u2019t mean a car won\u2019t sell.<\/p>\n

People Might Hate On Them, But They Keep Buying Them <\/h3>\n
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3\/4 side view of 1972 Ford Pinto<\/figcaption>Bring a Trailer<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Just because a car, truck, SUV, or van often features in jokes doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t a commercial success. For instance, everybody\u2019s favorite fireball-in-waiting, the Ford Pinto, didn\u2019t exactly flop in the consumer market. During its 10-year production run, the Blue Oval sold 3.1 million of the things. Go ahead, reference Ralph Nader\u2019s criticisms when you joke about the Pinto exploding in a relatively gentle fender bender<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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1972 Ford Pinto rear 3\/4 shot<\/figcaption>Bring a Trailer<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The Pinto was still an affordable, fuel-efficient chapter in the American Malaise era. Fast-forward a few decades, and buyers are still driving off the lot in some of the most often joked-about cars on the market. After all, people are always going to joke about something. And this Nissan<\/a> sedan is a frequent target.<\/p>\n

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The 10 Ugliest Cars In The World <\/a> <\/h5>\n

These cars are so ugly that even the people who built them didn’t like them <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Nissan Altima: A Best-Selling Butt Of Jokes <\/h2>\n
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2025 Nissan Altima SV top down view<\/figcaption>Nissan<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

There\u2019s a chance you\u2019ve already heard some of the jokes. The sort of jests that imply a Nissan Altima<\/a> arrived from the factory with damage. Jokes aside, Nissan has been producing its popular midsize family car since the 1993 model year. Six generations and nearly 35 years of Altima. No easy feat. And with an affordable price tag and space for the whole family, the Nissan Altima has understandably been a mainstay of the American car market. So, where does the Altima\u2019s serving of scorn originate?<\/p>\n

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2025 Nissan Altima rear 3\/4<\/figcaption>Nissan<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s face it: it\u2019s a stereotype, an overgeneralization. Something along the lines of Chevrolet Corvettes, jean shorts, and white New Balance sneakers. Or Ford Mustangs<\/a> and an appetite for crashes following an appearance at Cars & Coffee<\/em>. As with most runaway jokes these days, the Altima\u2019s reputational misfortune is mostly internet-based. Take a look at the Urban Dictionary, and you\u2019ll find an entry under \u201cAltima Energy.\u201d It reads, \u201cYou know when you’re driving down the road and all [of a] sudden a car is swerving in between lanes and speeding and just all around a bad driver. Yeah, it was probably someone in a Nissan Altima.\u201d Still, the knee-slapping jokes at the Altima\u2019s expense don\u2019t translate to poor sales. Far from it, really.<\/p>\n

A Top Seller If There Ever Was One <\/h3>\n
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Front 3\/4 view of 2007 silver Nissan Altima.<\/figcaption>Nissan<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

In both the new and used car markets, the Nissan Altima<\/a> holds its own. From 2007 to 2017, Nissan regularly sold over a quarter of a million Altimas every year. In 2014, car buyers purchased 335,644 Altimas, making it one of the hottest-selling sedans on the market at the time. Last year, however, new Altima sales dipped below 100,000 units for the first time in the model\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

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2019 Nissan Altima interior, closeup of front from side<\/figcaption>Nissan<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Americans took home around 93,268 units in 2025, down from 113,896 in 2024 and 128,030 in 2023. While that\u2019s hardly on pace with its closest competitors, it\u2019s enough to land the Altima the number eight spot on the list of 2025\u2019s best-selling sedans<\/a>. Used car shoppers aren\u2019t too put off by the jokes, either. Last year, the Nissan Altima accounted for 1.3 percent of all used car purchases in the United States. That percentage ties the Altima with the perennial favorite Honda Civic<\/a> among used car purchases. It also establishes the Altima as the fourth-most-purchased used sedan on the market, just behind the Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, and Toyota Corolla.<\/p>\n

Nissan Altima Sales Figures <\/h3>\n
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Year<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Number Sold (Units)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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93,268<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2024<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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113,896<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2023<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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128,030<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2022<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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139,956<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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2021<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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103,776<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

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