The Worst Car Decisions of the Last 30 Years

TL;DR

Doug DeMuro identifies five catastrophic automaker business decisions — from Nissan killing the Xterra to Ferrari refusing to offer manual transmissions — that cost companies billions.

Key Points

• 1.- Nissan cancelling the Xterra around 2012-2015 was DeMuro's #1 worst decision, as Toyota sold ~1 million 4Runners in the same period while the off-road SUV segment exploded
• 2.- Chevy's failure to produce a true Ford Raptor competitor for 15+ years cost them market share; rivals Ram (TRX/RHO), Toyota (TRD Pro), and even Ford's own Raptor Ranger filled the gap
• 3.- Volkswagen's late-90s/early-2000s push to be a luxury brand — launching the $80K+ Phaeton and Touareg instead of mainstream SUVs — was a strategic disaster that helped Hyundai/Kia gain US market share
• 4.- Stellantis replacing the Dodge Charger and Challenger with an electric-only redesign was poorly timed; the EV market stalled and they destroyed a cash cow that sold massive numbers without major updates
• 5.- Honda's Acura declined from ~210,000 annual US sales to ~135,000 (a 40% drop) and Infiniti faces existential questions, while Lexus thrived by launching SUV variants across every segment and receiving full Toyota investment
• 6.- Lexus succeeded by creating near-Lexus versions of nearly every Toyota model (UX, NX, RX, GX, TX, etc.), whereas Honda and Nissan underfunded Acura and Infiniti, leaving them as mere 'value' luxury alternatives
• 7.- Ferrari refusing to revive manual transmissions is a financial mistake: F40s sell for $5M+, F50s for $8-10M, and Porsche prints money on limited manual 911 variants like the 911 ST at ~$700K with only 2,000 units