February 2013 Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America

U.S. Sales Of The New
MKZ Are On The Upswing

The new Porsche Cayman is on its way. Hold your breath. Wait for it. Be patient. Watch Chris Harris drift a yellow one around a track. Check out Cars.com's inventory, where a California dealer is currently listing six Caymans, curiously sans pictures, ranging in price from $67,470 to $80,885. Consider the fact that Canadians sometimes get things first. Five were sold north of the 49th parallel in February.

And then take note of the fact that only a solitary Cayman found a home in the U.S. in February 2013. This near non-existent sales performance has been common for the Cayman - Porsche didn't exactly nail the timing of one car's departure and another car's arrival.


Regardless, to call it a worst seller is a bit of a stretch. Naturally it won't sell well... if there are none to sell. 

Lincoln apparently wants to get the new MKZ's quality just right, so dealers aren't getting them as quickly as they'd like. Lincoln did, however, sell twice as many MKZs in February as in the month before. In the first worst sellers table below, once you get past Cayman and MKZ, Japanese brands take over. From the disappointing Mazda 2 through to the in-replacement-phase Mazda 6, U.S. volume of these eight cars declined by at least 47% in February.

All 251 Vehicles Ranked By February & 2013 YTD Sales

In the second and third worst sellers tables, vehicles are ranked by February 2013 U.S. volume. First, only cars with base prices under $45,000 are eligible. In the final chart, all (uncancelled) vehicles are eligible. Of course, the second list takes on a higher-end feel. Predictably, even when sales of a $99,950 Nissan are half again as strong as they were a year ago, it's still not rivalling a Toyota Camry for output.

Historical monthly and yearly sales figures for all these vehicles can be accessed at GCBC's Sales Stats page or, by non-mobile users, through the dropdown menu near the top right of this page. GoodCarBadCar ranked America's most popular vehicles in February this past Saturday. 

January 2013's Worst - February 2012's Worst

Rank	Worst-Selling Vehicle  By Percentage Decline	% Change	February 2013	February 2012
#1	Porsche Cayman	- 98.9%	1	88
#2	Lincoln MKZ	- 62.0%	945	2487
#3	Mazda 2	- 61.9%	1028	2701
#4	Scion iQ	- 61.7%	331	864
#5	Acura TSX	- 59.7%	1358	3373
#6	Infiniti M	- 55.3%	514	1150
#7	Lexus GS	- 53.8%	1108	2397
#8	Infiniti EX	- 52.2%	150	314
#9	Honda Insight	- 49.8%	388	773
#10	Mazda 6	- 47.0%	2702	5101

Rank	Worst-Selling Vehicle  By Volume  (Base Prices  Under $45,000)	February 2013	February 2012	% Change
#1	Audi TT	147	144	+ 2.1%
#2	Infiniti EX	150	314	- 52.2%
#3	Volvo S80	151	235	- 35.7%
#4	Subaru Tribeca	194	177	+ 9.6%
#5	Land Rover LR2	273	214	+ 27.6%
#6	Volkswagen Eos	324	419	- 22.7%
#7	Scion iQ	331	864	- 61.7%
#8	Mitsubishi i MiEV	337	44	+ 666%
#9	Mazda MX-5 Miata	347	434	- 20.0%
#10	Mercedes-Benz SLK	356	287	+ 24.5%

Rank	Worst-Selling Vehicle  By Volume (All Vehicles)	February 2013	February 2012	% Change
#1	Dodge SRT Viper	1	-----	-----
#2	Porsche Cayman	1	88	- 98.9%
#3	Acura RL/RLX *	27	28	- 3.6%
#4	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	39	71	- 45.1%
#5	Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	48	79	- 39.2%
#6	Audi R8	50	74	- 32.4%
#7	Nissan GT-R	98	67	+ 46.3%
#8	Audi TT	147	144	+ 2.1%
#9	Infiniti EX	150	314	- 52.2%
#10	Volvo S80	151	235	- 35.7%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Vehicle must have been on sale in 2013, must not have been officially cancelled by its manufacturer, and must have been showcased on manufacturer's website through January 2013. Chevrolet's Caprice PPV, Lexus LFA, Honda FCX. 
* In the near-term, for the purposes of the worst sellers list, GCBC will be viewing the Acura RL and RLX as one car.

RECOMMENDED READING
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - February 2012
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - January 2013
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - February 2013
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - February 2013

January 2013 Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America

Not Ready Yet

In keeping with GoodCarBadCar's changes to the best-selling luxury vehicles list, the second table shown below is a bit different in 2013, as well. Rather than focusing purely on non-premium brand vehicles and vehicles which didn't cost $96,820 (like the Nissan GT-R), we show the worst-selling vehicles with base prices under $45,000. The third table displays the worst-selling vehicles regardless of price.

For example, we're no longer going to treat the $27,270 Audi A3 as a luxury vehicle - it's now lumped in with (arguably more "luxurious") cars like the $30,990 Toyota Avalon and $44,655 GMC Yukon XL.

Before you get to the ultra-low-volume vehicles, the first table ranks the vehicles with the worst year-over-year declines in January 2013. Until Porsche begins shipping Caymans to North American dealers, the Cayman is going to record huge year-over-year decreases. The Lincoln MKZ? TTAC's Jack Baruth explained that car's drop. Supercars like the SLS AMG are bound to post fluctuating figures. Sales were skyrocketing in the first third of 2012.

All 247 Vehicles Ranked By January 2013 Sales

Almost Ready

The Acura RL doesn't sell as "well" as it used to, and its slightly renamed replacement, the RLX, probably won't do a whole lot better in the long-term. Audi A3 sales haven't been this low in years, but 2012 was its second-best year on record. The Mazda 6 is about to take off, relatively speaking. The Mazda 2 isn't. Americans have been rejecting the Infiniti EX for a long time. The Verano has crushed the Buick Regal. And the ILX is doing a better job than the TSX at attracting big-spending Honda customers.

GCBC has already posted lists of America's 20 best-selling passenger cars, America's 20 best-selling SUVs and crossovers, and figures for every truck, best sellers and poor sellers alike. You can find historic monthly and yearly sales figures for the 10 worst-selling vehicles from the tables below and for every other vehicle on sale in America by accessing the dropdown menu at GCBC's Sales Stats home.

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Percentage Decline	% Change	January 2013	January 2012
#1	Porsche Cayman	- 99.2%	1	125
#2	Lincoln MKZ	- 72.7%	453	1662
#3	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	- 60.9%	36	92
#4	Acura RL	- 60.6%	13	33
#5	Audi A3	- 60.5%	231	585
#6	Mazda 6	- 56.4%	2147	4929
#7	Mazda 2	- 49.1%	1543	3030
#8	Infiniti EX	- 47.2%	168	318
#9	Buick Regal	- 45.8%	1005	1855
#10	Acura TSX	- 41.5%	1326	2266

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Volume  (Base Prices Under $45,000)	January 2013	January 2012	% Change
#1	Subaru Tribeca	159	228	- 30.3%
#2	Infiniti EX	168	318	- 47.2%
#3	Audi A3	231	585	- 60.5%
#4	Volkswagen Eos	250	365	- 31.5%
#5	Mitsubishi i MiEV	257	36	+ 614%
#6	Scion iQ	295	374	- 21.1%
#7	Land Rover LR2	300	289	+ 3.8%
#8	BMW 1-Series	304	422	- 28.0%
#9	Mazda MX-5 Miata	315	306	+ 2.9%
#10	Honda Insight	319	492	- 35.2%

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Volume (All Vehicles)	January 2013	January 2012	% Change
#1	Porsche Cayman	1	125	- 99.2%
#2	Acura RL	13	33	- 60.6%
#3	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	36	92	- 60.9%
#4	Nissan GT-R	48	20	+ 140%
#5	Audi R8	49	79	- 38.0%
#6	Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	54	67	- 19.4%
#7	Jaguar XK	117	153	- 23.5%
#8	Audi TT	127	182	- 30.2%
#9	BMW Z4	152	104	+ 46.2%
#10	Subaru Tribeca	159	228	- 30.3%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Vehicle must have been on sale in 2013, must not have been officially cancelled by its manufacturer, and must have been showcased on manufacturer's website through January 2013. Chevrolet's Caprice PPV, Lexus LFA, Honda FCX. The Acura RL is, however, on the basis that the RLX will be a name-changed predecessor.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - February 2013
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2012 Year End
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - December 2012
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - January 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - January 2013

2012 Year End Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America

The New Verano Made Too Many American Car
Buyers Forget About The Handsome Regal In 2012

The worst-selling cars in America in 2012 were an eclectic bunch. We're not talking about cancelled vehicles which still managed to find some buyers in the last twelve months, cars like the Mazda RX-8 and Dodge Nitro and Mercedes-Benz CLK. Many different types of vehicles which are still actively marketed by their makers sell rarely. 

There's the all-electric Mitsubishi i MiEV, the fleet-friendly Hyundai Azera, the pricey Mazda MX-5-rivalling Volkswagen Eos, the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class jumbo coupe, and the boxy Nissan Cube. Come one, come all: you needn't be a supercar to sell infrequently.

U.S. Sales Of The Honda
CR-Z Fell 63% In 2012

Compiling a worst-selling vehicles list requires some discernment. Cars that are no longer in production are bound to sell rarely, so we exclude them, along with cars that manufacturers have already given up on. Even then, numbers can be skewed depending on the message the statistic compiler wants to send out. In order to cover all the bases, GoodCarBadCar ranks the worst-selling vehicles in America three different ways.

First, you'll see the depth of the decline. How have the mighty fallen. Remember the days when it wasn't so bad. Yesterday, all our troubles seemed so far away. In other words, 2012 volume is contrasted with 2011 volume. The volume achieved by one car is relative to the volume that car achieved last year. The ten worst declines are posted in the table below.

All 266 Vehicles Ranked By 2012 Year End U.S. Sales

But you can be a fairly successful car before suffering a significant decline. This results in fairly decent volume even after that decline. The Buick Regal and Mazda CX-9, for example, still sell with a measure of frequency. And to some observers, it will seem unfair to call them worst sellers.

The Mitsubishi I Was Wisely Rejected
By 99.996% Of The Car-Buying Public

So we also rank cars by total 2012 volume. (The Subaru BRZ and Subaru XV Crosstrek would be on this list, too, but weren't on sale for the full year. It would be unfair to include them.) Of course, high-end premium machines are bound to sell rarely. Therefore, we create a list that takes all vehicles into account and another list that excludes premium brand vehicles and cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Nissan GT-R.

The results are below. These were America's ten worst-selling vehicles in the year 2012. Any vehicle you expected to see here but don't? Find its historical monthly and yearly sales figures by selecting a make and model at GCBC's Sales Stats home.

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Percentage Decline	% Change	2012 Year End	2011 Year End
#1	Porsche Cayman	- 66.0%	462	1377
#2	Acura RL	- 65.4%	379	1096
#3	Honda CR-Z	- 63.0%	4192	11,330
#4	Honda Insight	- 62.4%	5846	15,549
#5	Nissan Cube	- 47.0%	7667	14,459
#6	Infiniti EX	- 42.0%	3495	6030
#7	Buick Regal	- 38.7%	24,616	40,144
#8	Volvo S80	- 30.8%	3277	4735
#9	Audi R8	- 30.0%	802	1145
#10	Mazda CX-9	- 29.0%	24,442	34,421

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Volume	2012 Year End	2011 Year End	% Change
#1	Mitsubishi i MiEV	588	80	+ 635%
#2	Subaru Tribeca	2075	2791	- 25.7%
#3	Honda CR-Z	4192	11,330	- 63.0%
#4	Honda Insight	5846	15,549	- 62.4%
#5	Volkswagen Eos	6214	7533	- 17.5%
#6	Mazda MX-5 Miata	6305	5674	+ 11.1%
#7	Nissan 370Z	7338	7328	+ 0.1%
#8	Nissan Cube	7667	14,459	- 47.0%
#9	Mitsubishi Outlander	7750	9788	- 20.8%
#10	Hyundai Azera	8431	1524	+ 453%

Rank	Worst-Selling Car  By Volume (All Vehicles)	2012 Year End	2011  Year End	% Change
#1	Acura RL	379	1096	- 65.4%
#2	Porsche Cayman	462	1377	- 66.0%
#3	Mitsubishi i MiEV	588	80	+ 635%
#4	Mercedes-Benz CL-Class	723	943	- 23.3%
#5	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG	800	722	+ 10.8%
#6	Audi R8	802	1145	- 30.0%
#7	Nissan GT-R	1188	1294	- 8.2%
#8	Jaguar XK	1633	1738	- 6.0%
#9	Subaru Tribeca	2075	2791	- 25.7%
#10	Audi TT	2226	2236	- 0.4%

Source: Manufacturers & ANDC 
Vehicle must have been on sale throughout 2012, must not have been officially cancelled by its manufacturer, and must have been showcased on manufacturer's website through 2012. Chevrolet's Caprice PPV, Lexus LFA, Honda FCX are no longer considered eligible. The Acura RL is, however, on the basis that the RLX will be a name-changed predecessor.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2011 Year End
Top 15 Worst-Selling Cars In America - 2010 Year End
Top 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In America - January 2013
Top 10 Worst-Selling Cars In America - December 2012
Top 30 Best-Selling Vehicles In America - 2012 Year End
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - 2012 Year End