Starting off with Lexus, their worst is the UX. You need to be 411 for this to be considered an SUV. There is virtually no boost space. And even though it’s a 2 L, the powertrain is so delayed. But Lexus’s best is the LFA, a 4.8 L V10 beauty. One of the greatest sounds ever made. We can all agree that this car was their absolute peak.
Now, Lexus’s are a tough act to follow. But Honda is right there with them as one of Japan’s biggest names. Honda’s worst is the Prologue. Not because it is terrible, but because it barely feels like a Honda. It is basically a GM product wearing a Honda badge. But when Honda trusts themselves, the Civic nearly gets 50 mpg on the hybrid. An interior that feels way more expensive than it is. And the Type R for anyone who wants their daily commuter to also be a weapon on the back roads.
Honda also owns Acura, their luxury brand. Their worst is the Acura RLX. Supposed to be a flagship going up against Lexus and BMW. Instead, it was born with front-wheel drive in a world where everyone wants power to the rear wheels. But Acura’s best is the Integra Type S, a 2.0 L turbo four-cylinder making 320 horsepower. 6-speed manual, limited-slip differential. Even the original Integra Type R from the ’90s is still a legend.
Nissan, on the other hand, has just given up on some cars entirely. Their worst is the Nissan Versa, and it exists for exactly one reason, to be the cheapest new car in America. Hard plastic that rattles within 6 months. 122 horsepower, which means merging onto the highway requires prayer. And their CVT transmission is so popular for failing that there are entire law firms built just to sue Nissan over it. But when Nissan actually tries, their best is the GT-R. 565 horsepower, launch control that glues your thoughts into your skull. A supercar killer that was half the price of a European rival until recently, of course.
But while Nissan lost their identity slowly over the years, Ford managed to lose theirs all at once with a single car. Ford’s worst is the EcoSport. Cheap, noisy, forgettable, a car with zero personality. But Ford also built the GT40. After Ferrari insulted Henry Ford II, Ford built a race car just to beat them at Le Mans. A 4.7 L V8 engine producing roughly 380 horsepower. Okay, that’s not insane, but the whole car weighed one ton. That’s basically a go-kart. Damn, what a legend.
Dodge’s worst is the Neon. Cheap, unreliable, and built like recycled Happy Meal toys. But their best is the Demon 170. Makes 1,025 horsepower and hits 0 to 60 in 1.66 seconds. Dodge looked at every other brand at that time and said, “Forget that. We want power.”
BMW. Their worst is the BMW XM. A hybrid SUV with nearly 750 horsepower that costs almost $160,000. Weighs as much as a small house. And the design looks like a regular BMW got stung by a bee and had a bad reaction. Someone approved this, by the way. But their best, I think, is the M3. That is why people love BMW. Inline 6 engine, manual transmission if you want it, rear-wheel drive. It’s fast, fun, and actually speaks back to you.
But BMW is not the only German luxury brand worth talking about. Their biggest rival has been credited with inventing the automobile. Mercedes missed with the EQS. From some angles, it looks like a computer mouse for a car over $100,000. But their best is the 300SL Gullwing, which changed automotive design forever. And we also cannot forget about the C63 AMG. That car probably has the best sounding V8 engine.
Rolls-Royce barely has a bad car, but the Cullinan feels strange. I understand what they tried to do, but the design looks too high. I will give it to them, though. That back end looks nice. But the Phantom, that one is elite. A V12, over 130 pounds of comfort, and a ceiling hand-stitched with stars. Yeah, I want one.
Now, the BMW Group is impressive, but the Volkswagen Group might be the most powerful car empire on Earth. They own Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti. From economy cars to the fastest things ever made.
Let us start with a brand that the whole group is named after. The Volkswagen ID.4 is their worst. Not terrible, just not great. Mediocre range. The interior feels cheaper than the price. And the touch-sensitive controls are a mess. You will hit them by accident every single time you try to turn up the volume. But Volkswagen’s best is the Golf GTI. For 50 years, the GTI has answered one question: What if my practical everyday car was also fun to drive?
Audi. The Audi Q7 is their worst. They have really bad reliability issues that are very expensive to fix, and it’s kind of boring. But Audi’s best is the original Quattro. In the early 1980s, everyone thought all-wheel drive was just for trucks and farm equipment. Then Audi put it in a coupe, entered the World Rally Championship, and dominated. The Quattro proved all-wheel drive was a performance weapon. Every modern Audi owes something to this car.
Porsche. Porsche’s worst is the base four-cylinder Macan. Still handled well, but sounded like a vacuum cleaner. And the options pricing is basically criminal. But the 911 is the 911 perfected over 60 years. A rear-engine layout that should not work, but absolutely does. The GT3 is a track weapon you can drive to work. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, the options list is still insulting, but the 911 delivers every single time.
Lamborghini’s worst is the Urraco P200. Supposed to be an affordable entry-level supercar. Instead, it had a 2.0 L V8 with 180 horsepower. Dude, that’s less than a modern Toyota Camry. But the modern Aventador carries the torch with a naturally aspirated V12 that screams to 8,500 RPM and makes you feel like you’re committing a crime just by starting it.
Bugatti. Bugatti’s miss was the EB110. Great engineering, wrong timing. It nearly killed the company again. But Bugatti’s best is the Chiron, an 8.0 L quad-turbo W16 engine making 1,500 horsepower. A top speed limited to 261 mph because tires literally cannot handle going that fast. The Chiron is peak.
In the mid-2010s, Hyundai and Kia recalled millions of cars because engines were literally catching fire. The Theta II engine disaster hurt real people and damaged the reputation for years. Over 3 million cars were recalled. So, I guess their worst is almost all of them from that era. Their best car is the Kia Stinger. They built a grand tourer that goes straight at Audi and BMW. The GT version has 368 horsepower, hits 60 in about 4.7 seconds. Rear-wheel drive, by the way.
Subaru. The Subaru Solterra shares a platform with the Toyota BZ4X, and just like that car, it feels unfinished. Just none of the personality that makes Subarus lovable. But the Outback and the BRZ are two completely different kinds of great. The Outback has standard all-wheel drive and will get you through snow, mud, and anything else the world throws at it. The BRZ has 228 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual, and is one of the easiest cars to modify. It weighs almost nothing.
Mazda. The new CX-70 and CX-90 have problems with the plug-in hybrid system, software glitches, and transmission issues. Yeah, they did not cook with this one. But the Miata is always the answer. For over 30 years, it has been the purest driving experience you can buy without selling a kidney. Lightweight, manual, rear-wheel drive. Not fast, does not need to be. It just makes you smile every single time. And the FD RX-7 is the beautiful, unreliable friend you just cannot unfriend. Twin-turbo rotary that sounds like nothing else on Earth. Mazda keeps things simple and focused.
Jaguar Land Rover has had a much harder time figuring out what they actually want to be. Starting with Land Rover. Their worst is the Discovery. It used to look like a rugged go-anywhere icon. The newer models swapped that identity for awkward styling and a reputation for breaking down constantly. But Land Rover’s best is the original Defender. Built from 1983 to 2016. Aluminum body, ladder frame, unstoppable off-road ability. It would take you anywhere and bring you back without any issues.
Now Jaguar. Their worst is the XE, a compact sports sedan that was supposed to take on the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class. Good-looking car, but the interior felt a step behind the Germans. But Jaguar’s best is the F-Type with the supercharged V8. This car sounds like thunder having an argument with itself. 575 horsepower in the R version, rear-wheel drive, one of the best sounding cars in the world at any price.
Jaguar tries to compete with Germany. Aston Martin just wants to be the most British thing on four wheels. Their worst is the Aston Martin Cygnet. It was literally a Toyota iQ with an Aston Martin grille and leather seats. That’s it. That is the whole car. Aston Martin only built it to meet European emission rules. But Aston Martin’s best is the DB5. The car James Bond drove in Goldfinger. One of the most beautiful cars ever made. That shape, those lines, the sound of that straight six. Every Aston Martin built since has been trying to capture what the DB5 had without even trying.
Aston Martin builds gorgeous cars with a rich history. McLaren comes from a completely different place. They came from Formula 1 racing, and that focus on pure performance shows in almost everything they make. Almost. McLaren’s worst is the X1. A one-off built for a very rich customer who wanted something unique. And they got it. It looks like a car designed by someone who had never actually seen a car before. But McLaren’s best is the almighty F1. A 6.1 L BMW V12 making 627 horsepower, a central driving seat with two passenger seats on either side of the driver, and a top speed of 240 mph, a record that stood for over a decade.
Ferrari. Now, picking the worst for Ferrari is genuinely hard. But the Mondial is the one. Ferrari’s 1980s attempt at a practical four-seater. Underpowered, awkward-looking, not very reliable. But Ferrari’s best? Oh my gosh, where do we even start? The 458 Italia, the F40, the Enzo, the LaFerrari, the Testarossa, and the 250 GTO. When Ferrari is fully locked in, nobody builds cars like they do.
If you want me to make a longer full video on every single car brand, let me know.