With 2015 behind us and a quarter of 2016 gone we now get a chance to look back at the sales that were 2015. This past year was the strongest year ever in the automotive industry. More cars were sold than in any one year previously and you might think that every car had a banner year, but you would be wrong. For an unfortunate few models sales did not reach anywhere near the goals set by the manufacturer, even though these models were good cars and offered features that should have attracted more customers.
Nissan Juke – The sales for the Juke in 2015 came in at 27,121 vehicles. This tiny crossover has been a model many have enjoyed in the past even though it’s a bit of a goofy look and shape. The drive of the Juke is excellent with very little body roll and plenty of grip on the road. While this was meant to be a better seller than some of the models from Mini, almost everything Mini sold out performed the Juke.
Ford Flex – The Flex fills a gap that more people should realize they fit into, but unfortunately only 19,570 were sold in 2015. This SUV that is comfortable in an urban setting has a cool box shape that fits three rows comfortable and enjoys the power from either a 3.5-liter V6 with 287 horsepower or the EcoBoost variant that brings in 365 horsepower, making it a powerful and enjoyable drive.
Buick Regal – The question here might lead us to wonder if shoppers thought of older Buick Regal models that were part of the land yachts of old. No matter the thought process this car only sold 19,504 models even though it offers a sleek design that can be had with AWD or a manual transmission. The design should have been well-received but somehow this car has putrid sales numbers.
BMW 2-Series – With only 13,020 sold in the US last year this car really begs the question; why? This is the replacement for the 1-Series and it fits in the right place to be a sporty car that you can truly enjoy on any road. Even though the 2-Series offered the M235i as a sporty variation of the car the 4-Series outsold this car be quite a bit, making this an almost rare car on our roads.
Scion FR-S – This little sports car is a lot of fun to drive and makes you really question why only 10,507 were sold in 2015. The paltry sales numbers certainly have to do with the fact Toyota is dissolving the Scion brand as a whole. Thankfully this sports car will carry on under the Toyota badge and get to be one of our favorites for many years to come.
Volkswagen CC – Most of us don’t even know the CC exists. This could be the result of poor marketing on the part of VW which led to only 6,276 of these cars being sold last year. This car is a sleeker version of the Passat that offers an excellent powertrain choice and more features to make this a nearly luxury model, but compared to the 78,207 Passat models that were sold this car failed miserably.
Subaru BR-Z – As the performance twin to the Scion FR-S the BR-Z only sold 5,296 models last year which makes you wonder what’s wrong with this car. The only thing the BR-Z lacks in the Subaru lineup is the same off road capability and practicality most customers are looking for from Subaru. Maybe this car just doesn’t fit with what the Subaru brand is about.
Jaguar F-Type – The low sales number of the F-Type make more sense than most of the other cars on this list. This car is an exclusive name and has only one real purpose; to be a great sports car. At a starting price over $60,000 its possible Jaguar was a little aggressive with their sales projections and they should only expect this car to sell in the 4,629 range it sold at last year.
Porsche Cayman – When it comes to high priced sports cars, low sales figures aren’t a real surprise. Even though the 911 is the staple of Porsche the Cayman GT4 should have been a better seller than at 3,561 for the entire Cayman name last year. This mid-engine coupe has a lot to offer and just needs to be better understood to grow the sales needed.
Porsche Boxster – Sales last year for this car were at a measly 3,102 units. This may grow with the new 718 Boxster that will arrive soon, but the Boxster truly lived in the shadow of the 911 in 2015 as the two looked similar but the 911 offered more power and better performance. Of course if you are someone who bought a Boxster last year you could have a car that will become a classic.
Chevrolet SS – This one is painful to even think about. Chevrolet seems unwilling to give the SS a fitting sendoff. This car has the 415 horsepower and a great build of a car that everyone should want to drive but with no support from Chevrolet for marketing and advertising this car will end up with low sales for 2016 as much as the awful 2,895 units that were sold in 2015.
Nissan GT-R – The 1,105 versions of the GT-R that were sold last year probably should have been expected. When you have a car that asks for a six figure price tag it’s not going to be a volume seller, but the twin turbocharged V6 of this car can make for a flock of interested people. Expect this car to gain more traction and sell at higher numbers in the future, but probably not ever over 10,000 in a year.
Dodge Viper – While the Viper is an admirable car the sales of only 676 versions make this a failure. This car set record lap times at thirteen different tracks but it still was outsold by the Mercedes- AMG GT. This is certainly due to the fact this car is really only meant for the track and isn’t great on the regular streets, which contributed to the low sales numbers.
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