Volkswagen Golf
The Golf was always that compact car that felt more superior than it was. And that’s why thousands of people flocked to the Golf brand over the years. But the 2000s were a tumultuous time for Volkswagen, as the company struggled to address concerns about quality. The 2000 Golf was not the most reliable car on the road and it wasn’t uncommon to find one of these in the repair shop (via Hot Cars).

Golf owners were willing to put up with the headaches due to the refinement of the car. But there were so many better options on the market at the time. The Golf was not the only compact car that was fun to drive. Reliability was a major factor in what made a compact car successful, and the Golf just didn’t have that quality.