All-wheel drive is a fantastic system. It allows us to explore off-road, rally, or be more comfortable driving on uneven surfaces.
Cars such as the Range Rover and Audi Quattro are the best for using the system. Yet, not every four-wheel drive car is a winner.
This list contains some of the worst all-wheel drive vehicles ever produced. Either the car’s AWD system is poor, or the car itself is just a dud.
Early Porsche Cayenne Turbo
The first car on this list falls into the dud category. The Cayenne is Porsche’s flagship SUV, and 20 years after its first introduction, it is still going strong and is a competent off-roader.
Yet it could have been very different, thanks to the issues early versions of the Cayenne suffered from. The turbocharged Cayenne attracted problems due to the turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 under the hood. How We Drive lists some model years to avoid, with the 2004 Cayenne in particular a problematic model year. Cooling systems and water pump failures are common, as are problems with the thermostat, causing the engine to overheat.
1980s Jeep Cherokee
In modern times, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has become one of the most capable off-roaders on the market. But even the best have their bad days, and the 1980s were particularly tricky for Jeep off-roaders.
The steering was prone to feeling overly light, meaning even the slightest input could see the SUV launch one way or another. Blown fuses were also common, and the all-wheel drive system wasn’t as refined off-road as it was in 2024. Thankfully, things are very different today, and the Cherokee remains an integral part of the Jeep lineup.
Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato
This is bound to cause a bit of controversy. There is no denying that the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is a remarkable piece of engineering. Top Gear called it a “jacked-up, armored, off-road psychopath,” which suits the car’s characteristics well. An off-road supercar with a V10 under the hood is something special.
But Lamborghini has only produced 1,499 examples of the Huracan Sterrato. Each one costs $284,000 at their MSRP, and while it can handle off-road terrain, there are limits to where you can and will want to take a nearly $300k supercar off-road. It’s an engineering masterpiece, but it feels like there is no point in its existence.
Hummer H2
It’s not easy to see why the Hummer H2 has made it onto this list. AM General and General Motors had some success with the Hummer H1, so naturally, they wanted to build on that with the new Hummer H2. Yet this 6,600 lbs monster badly missed the mark.
While it could handle some off-road running, anything too hardcore would cause the H2 to become bogged down. Its nearly 7,000-lb weight was too much, and it’s typical for the H2 to average just 9 MPG combined. Sales would also fall yearly, with 34,529 sold in 2003 falling to just 1,513 sold in 2009.
Lamborghini Cheetah
The forerunner to the successful LM002, the Lamborghini Cheetah had one of the most troubled upbringings of any SUV. Initially, the design of the Cheetah was in response to a US military requirement to design and build a new all-terrain vehicle. Naturally, Lamborghini, who had never produced an off-road vehicle before, stepped up to the challenge.
Pretty quickly, there were problems. The first was that having effectively copied the FMC XR311, FMC took legal action against Lamborghini and MTI, who designed the Cheetah. The rear mounting of the V8 engine gave the Cheetah poor handling characteristics, and the US military would order the AM General Humvee before they even tested the single Cheetah prototype. The knock-on effect was that Lamborghini, facing financial issues, canceled its contract with BMW to develop the M1 supercar.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
From 1989 to 2011, Mitsubishi produced the Eclipse. This was a sleek, compact sports car with a striking design and powerful inline-fours and V6s under the hood. Fast forward to 2017, and the Eclipse name returned, except this time on a compact SUV.
Naturally, diehard JDM fans were unhappy that the Eclipse name had returned on an SUV. Yet, while the Eclipse Cross is good-looking, what is under the hood lets it down. The base Eclipse has just 148 hp, and even the highest-power Eclipse Cross produces only 175 hp. That is not a lot of power for a car that weighs up to 4,239 lbs in PHEV form.
Lada Niva
It feels unfair to include the Lada Niva on this list. It is a basic, simple, robust off-roader with roots in the communist Soviet Union. Yet, if we were to compare it to modern SUVs, we would see it as underpowered, too basic, uncomfortable, and aging.
While that is all true, if we put those to one side, the Niva has one or two positives. Its basic structure and simple design make it easy to maintain. It’s very rugged, and as we can see in videos online, it’s much more capable off-road than you might think. As it has been in production since 1977, it is currently the longest-production-run off-road light vehicle still manufactured in its original form. Estimates say that over Lada had sold over 650,000 Nivas by 2020.
Mercedes-Maybach GLS
Yes, the Mercedes-Maybach indeed has an all-wheel drive system. But the Mercedes-Maybach GLS costs over $160,000 and is a big, bold, and frankly ugly luxury SUV. It may have all-wheel drive, but this differs from an SUV you want to take on muddy adventures.
Any scratch you get on the paint will likely cost a small fortune to repair. The all-wheel-drive system is nothing more than a gimmick for Mercedes and Maybach to say, “Look, this SUV can go off-roading.” If you have the money to own this 4.0-liter powered 550 hp monster, it is doubtful you will take this anywhere near gravel, mud, dirt, or mountainous terrain. It might always stay in your garage.
2001 Jaguar X-Type
What might look like a neat performance sedan was one of the worst cars British manufacturer Jaguar ever produced. The idea behind the X-Type was to create a luxury rival to the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
At the time, Jaguar was under Ford ownership, so it had access to Ford’s platforms, including the Mondeo. Jaguar initially offered the X-Type as an all-wheel-drive-only sedan, but it quickly encountered problems. Utilizing the Mondeo meant they promptly ran into the limits of platform engineering. The all-wheel-drive system was poor, and it resulted in poor fuel economy. By 2003, Jaguar had seen the light and offered the X-Type with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
Jaguar XJ220
The only reason the Jaguar XJ220 makes this list is because what was initially promised did not happen. When Jaguar launched their supercar as a concept in 1998, it was initially to have a 6.2-liter Jaguar V12 engine, producing 500 hp and with all-wheel drive.
Yet when the production version appeared, the all-wheel drive system and the V12 were gone. Instead, the XJ220 was a rear-wheel drive-only supercar with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter Jaguar JRV-6 V6 under the hood. While it had more power at 542 hp and was still exceptional, the lack of the V12 and all-wheel drive was enough to turn many customers away.
Vauxhall/Opel Mokka & Mokka X
The Mokka and Mokka X have to be two of the most tedious and disappointing SUVs currently on the market. For several reasons, British publication Honest John rated the Mokka X as one of the worst cars you could buy in 2022.
The Mokka X does have four-wheel drive. However, that is instantly forgotten, thanks to the underwhelming driving characteristics. Honest John says the Mokka X is “underwhelming from behind the wheel” and “misses the polish of its key rivals.” The loud wind noise as the speed reaches 70 mph on highways isn’t what you would want to experience on any long-distance drive.
Cadillac Escalade V AWD
The Escalade V AWD is like the Mercedes-Maybach GLS in that it is a big vehicle with all-wheel drive but too luxurious to take off-road comfortably. Yet according to Environment CO, the Escalade V AWD is also one of the worst cars on the planet.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, using its environmental damage index (EDX), ranked the Escalade V AWD third on Environment CO’s list of the worst cars for the environment. It had an EDX score of just 2.57, scoring 24 in a system that scores from 0 to 100, with the higher number meaning the car is more economical. The Escalade V AWD will set you back at least $150,000, and it has a terrible fuel economy of just 11 MPG in the city and 16 MPG on the highway.
