What’s the Most Misunderstood Car of All Time?

Photo: Pontiac

Sometimes cars just miss their mark in terms of public perception. An automaker puts out a new vehicle, and no one gets it. Maybe the marketing campaign behind the new car is to blame, or maybe it was ahead of its time. Regardless of the reason, the vehicle ends up being extremely misunderstood. That’s what leads us to today’s question.

We want to know what you think is the most misunderstood vehicle of all time. A prime example of a vehicle being misunderstood is the Pontiac Aztek. When it first came out (and even now, sort of), it was looked at as an ugly joke with a minivan engine.

In actuality, it was pretty much like all of the crossovers that have come into vogue recently, except it was almost a decade too early. That doesn’t excuse the Aztek from being ugly or poorly made, but it does put a lot more context around it. If a vehicle the Aztek came out today, it wouldn’t make any splash whatsoever. It would just be one of 1,000 other high-ish riding CUVs with plastic cladding and questionable styling choices. No one would care. In fact, GM should bring back the Aztek now. I demand it.

So, drop your suggestions for the most misunderstood vehicles ever down below. Oh, and for bonus points (redeemable at the end of [BLANK]) tell us why your chosen vehicle was misunderstood. Give us a reason for it! That makes everything more fun. Who doesn’t love a good story?

Was the marketing campaign behind it poor? Did the automaker that birthed it not give the car enough attention? Or, like the Aztek, was it about 10 years too early to the market? Let us know in the comments, and share in our general love for automotive oddities.