These Are The Cars You're Always Surprised To See People Actually Bought

Earlier this week we asked you which cars you're always surprised to see someone actually bought, and y'all really had a lot to say, which we love to see. I took the easiest answer to are question, making you all dig a bit deeper, and it worked out well. 

I said I'm always surprised to see someone actually bought a Tesla Cybertruck, for very obvious reasons. Lots of people agreed with that answer, but we love some healthy discourse here, and some folks thought I was too hard on the poor innocent Cybertruck. To that I say, "to each their own, Charlize Theron." 

In all seriousness, there were literally oodles of great answers, so feel free to go back and read through the other comments that didn't make this roundup. These are a few of my favorite answers, but if yours didn't make the cut, or maybe you missed the chance to leave an answer, go ahead and leave yours in the comments below, after you read all of my thoughtful commentary, of course. These are the cars you're always surprised to see people actually bought. 

My vote is the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. If you are not familiar, it is essentially a convertible version of the Nissan Murano. Any criticism you may have for that make or Murano base model aside, the concept of a crossover with a convertible roof baffles me. A convertible top can enhance the look of a sporty car...this does not. Since it is a crossover with higher ground clearance than a sedan, it is unlikely to benefit from the improved visibility of having the top down. I assume it provides a noisy highway ride, and in many regions in the US, winter weather likely makes it a less practical daily driver (and 19 mpg ?!). The one time I remember seeing one, the driver had the top down (of course), was wearing a button down shirt with a sweater tied around his neck (why not I guess), and was probably heading to/from the municipal golf course acting like he belonged to a country club. It's like he had less money than sense to buy this vehicle. Ultimately it feels like this weird combo of crossover and convertible, excellently captured by the name "CrossCabriolet," is a Jack of some trades, master of none.

Submitted by: The Jasonator83

Listen here, Jasonator, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is a saint. It's one of those cars that should have never made it to production, and yet the universe was generous enough to enjoy its wackiness for four years. I say the same about the Buick Cascada later on in this blog, but I love a big four-seat convertible that stays in its lane rather than trying to be a sports car. 

It's not like the Murano was ever truly marketed as an off-roader, so the CrossCabriolet didn't really have any off-road pretensions. It just lived its life as a big, squishy, top-down cruiser, and I, for one, am immensely grateful to exist in a reality where, despite being utterly silly and underbaked, Nissan sent the Murano CrossCabriolet to market. "'Tis better to have Murano CrossCabrioleted and lost than to have never Murano CrossCabrioleted at all," or whatever Socrates said. 

The three-wheeled cars like the Polaris Slingshot. Give me something with none of the maneuvering benefits of a motorcycle, and like half of the comfort of a four-wheel car. No top to it so worse than a conventional convertible. I can't imagine they drive better, even as well as a conventional supercar.

Submitted by: Brent Garripee

Brent, I couldn't agree more. I lived with one for a week and found the experience to be so miserable that my fitness tracker kept recognizing my time behind the wheel as periods of elevated stress. And it wasn't from excitement.

Dodge Journey, back when it was still sold. Why?? There were so many equivalents from other automakers that were better in every imaginable way.

I understand buying a vehicle if it looks good and is powerful in spite of being unreliable, having poor build quality, etc. But the Journey was bland looking at best – and there was no hi-po R/T or Hemi package.

Submitted by: GR M

In the extremely vocal-fried words of the venerable Miley Cyrus, "the journey is usually the part you remember anyways." I had a Dodge Journey rental car once, and the Pentastar V6 under the hood had a hard time sending power to the front wheels without spinning them up, which was hilarious. But again, not something I'd ever choose to buy new or recommend that someone should buy new. 

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. I can't remember the last time I saw a Mitsubishi dealership. Do they sell any other models? How are they still In the US market?

Submitted by: Sandeep Motwani

Mitsubishi's current lineup isn't especially exciting, but whenever I see an Eclipse Cross I always think to myself, "I hope they got a good deal on that." It doesn't seem like a bad car, it's just not a standout in a crowded market segment. 

High end Brodozers.

First, no kink shaming about them. I don't understand them, but I can't throw stones, I've owned a Corvair and two Fieros (you would think one halfass GM product with the engine in the wrong place would be enough, but NO, I had to have three).

My big question is cost. I spent a weekend around Paduca, KY. I saw several brand new looking Brodozers based on top of the line HD dualies. These trucks are over $100k from the factory. Add a high end lift kit that puts the bumper at eye level, an engine setup that uses an exhaust pipe large enough to chuck pumpkins and 6 giant tires with chromed out wheels and the price has got to be north of $200k to buy and build a truck like that.

$200k vehicles is what I think a C-suite exec or a surgeon is driving. A Cayenne, a E-class, a G-wagon, etc.

Whenever I see a high end Brodozer, I can't believe a person exists that makes the money it takes to afford one, but has the working class taste to get one. It just doesn't compute. Yet, I see High end brodozers more than any other $150k+ vehicle out there and it just isn't even close.

Submitted by: hoser68

I love that you said, "no kink shaming, BUT...." And ya there's nothing anyone can say to me that'll make me understand why on Earth people choose to spend their money on brodozers. The craftsmanship on the skyscraper trucks you see at the SEMA Show is notable, but beyond that and the commitment to inconvenience, I'm not much of a brodozer fan. 

I am always surprised that people will pay the cost of entry to own a Cadillac Escalade. When you set that side-by-side with a loaded Chevy Suburban/Tahoe, they are exactly the same under the hood. They are exactly the same inside except the Caddy has fake wood accents. Essentially the same vehicle except the grills differ and the Escalade costs twice as much. Waste of $100K for the privilege of a Cadillac logo and badge...

Submitted by: Old_SLAAB_Guy

Same, but living in a town like LA where it's all about clout, Escalades are a dime-a-dozen, but it always throws me for a loop when I remember that the cheapest 2027 Cadillac Escalade you can buy costs over $105,000. No thanks!

Ford Escosport. Was it a spacious, powerful vehicle? No. But at least it was economical and fun to drive? Also no.

They didn't even move the rear-hinged door so it opened on the correct side for the United States. At least Nissan was smart enough to do that with the Cube.

I have, ironically, seen a couple the last few days. Could have been the same one, I don't know.

For not much more, buyers could easily move into a Ford Escape.

Submitted by: DynamicPresence

The poor, misunderstood Ford EcoSport. Its name is often spoken when conversation gets to the "worst modern cars," and yeah, it's kind of a turd, isn't it? I like how ridiculously compact it is, though, and it looks so Euro to my eyes. 

Those tiny Smart cars. No bigger than a golf cart. Actually a golf cart might be bigger. I don't know how those drivers feel safe in those especially with all the other behemoths on the road.

Submitted by: PLAN-B 77

I love Smarts, and I secretly want a late-model ForTwo Cabriolet, but again, I cannot imagine buying one new since they were never especially affordable. As a used bargain oddity, though, sign me up. 

Rolls Royce Cullinan. It's a really big SUV. Yeah, it's a really nice SUV, but it's basically just a really big SUV. For the same money, you could get a fully-loaded Ghost, or for a bit more, you can get a Phantom, and those are REAL Rolls Royces.

Submitted by: JustSomeGuyYouKnow

I understand why people buy Cullinans, but I cannot commiserate with them. I'd definitely spring for a Phantom first, but I know a lot of people really like sitting up high. 

A Hummer H2 back in the day.

I feel like that same owner group has aged and transitioned into Cybertrucks.

Submitted by: CarEsq

Several people nominated the Hummer H2 here, and I didn't really agree until I saw this answer. I do fear that the people who bought Hummer H2s new are the same type of people who would buy a Cybertruck today. I secretly covet Hummer H2 SUTs, though, I love how silly they are with their teeny-weeny "truck" beds. 

Definitely the Buick Cascada. Does anyone remember that? The FWD convertible based on the Opel Astra? I think it was about $35k when it was new. You could've had a Mustang, Camaro, or ND Miata for that price. Hell, even a convertible Mini would've been a great alternative. I think I've seen a Cascada on the road a total of 3 times, and I'm pretty sure 2 of those times it was the same one.

Submitted by: MrMcGeeIn3D

I will not accept any Buick Cascada slander here. I have never driven one, but I love the idea of a big four-seat convertible that stays in its lane and doesn't pretend to compete with sporty convertibles like muscle cars or Minis. I don't think I would've purchased one new, though, since it was expensive and already somewhat outdated by the time it made its way to the U.S.

ID Buzz ... I've seen maybe 3 or 4 on the road since its release and wonder why someone would fork over so much $$$ for a vehicle that does so little.

Submitted by: IB007

As someone who lives in Los Angeles, I'm always surprised I don't see more ID Buzzes. I feel like this is the target market: rich people who might potentially surf and who desperately want to look cool. But even I, a certified ID Buzz lover, can scarcely justify buying one over something like a Kia EV9 or Hyundai Ioniq 9. 

Uplander. like a van and a suburban had a bad soiree. so many regrets... i assume.

Submitted by: MTmanual

I remember reading reviews of the Uplander in real-life magazines when I was growing up. Yes, I'm dating myself, but it blew my mind to see how a company as big as GM could fumble such a significant market (at the time). If I see an Uplander or any of its corporate twins on the road nowadays, I get excited because you just don't see them much anymore. Saturn Relays and Pontiac Montana SV6s seem especially rare, and there's a Buick Terraza owner that lives near my gym, so I regularly see one of those.

A Chevy Malibu. Like...why would you buy that car.

With all the other sedans available you go for the single most bland beige characterless one available, so weird.

Submitted by: Bones

I lament the death of the American sedan, but I also 10000% agree with you here. Modern Malibus will forever be synonymous with rental cars in my eyes, unless Chevy pulls off something really remarkable. It's not like Chevy didn't try to make the Malibu look interesting, though. In fact, when the final few designs first debuted, I thought they were each rather bold designs, but for some reason they rapidly became utterly anonymous.

Buick. Almost any Buick. Ick is in the name. Unless it's a '65 or later Buick Skylark GS. The "ick" becomes "sick" – like in the good "sick!"

Submitted by: Joseph

Buick got several mentions in the comments, but I don't think Buicks are bad at all. I think it's something about the name that turns modern car buyers off because it just sounds like an old person's car. Modern Buicks aren't the most exciting cars, but they are slick, feature-rich, reliable, and affordable!