The 10 Worst Luxury SUVs And The Reasons Why You Should Avoid Them

Luxury SUVs promise comfort and prestige, but not every model delivers on that reputation. The video below breaks down ten of the worst luxury SUVs for 2026—the ones shoppers may want to think twice about before signing on the dotted line.

From models with shaky reliability records to those burdened with steep repair bills, weak resale value, or simply poor overall value, the list highlights where the segment falls short. For buyers trying to avoid the most troublesome or overpriced options in the luxury SUV market, this breakdown offers a clear look at which models miss the mark.

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Transcript:

What are the worst luxury SUVs that you can buy? That’s what we’re going to find out.

Welcome to Car Help Corner, where we help you, the consumer, master the process of car buying and ownership. I’m going to share the 10 worst luxury SUVs for 2026 that are poorly designed, have terrible reliability, and are just a complete waste of money that will absolutely drain your bank account. So if you want to avoid buyer’s remorse, let’s get started with the first luxury SUV in the number 10 spot.

Worst Luxury SUV 1: Volvo EX90

The Volvo EX90 is Volvo’s new all-electric three-row SUV. And while it has a nice design and an impressive interior, make no mistake: this is one of the buggiest, most problematic, most half-baked products on sale today.

The launch of this eagerly anticipated model was a complete disaster and severely delayed, largely due to design and engineering challenges. Now early buyers seem to be paying the price. The electronics and displays are incredibly clunky, buggy, and even completely failure-prone. Owners are experiencing charging problems, underwhelming driving range, and never-ending software bugs.

Even when the vehicle is working “properly,” many of the electronic features are a frustrating nightmare to use or are not functional at all, because the EX90 is still a work in progress. Many owners are already furious with all the problems—and I’d be too if I spent over $100,000 on one of these.

Basically, the EX90 is the epitome of selling consumers an unfinished product and letting them be the guinea pigs to do the final R&D through warranty claims and massive headaches. It’s totally ridiculous and unacceptable. If you want to avoid major headaches, stay far away from this one, at least for now.

Worst Luxury SUV 2: Jeep Wagoneer

Next up, in the number 9 spot, we have the Jeep Wagoneer. Although Jeep is not typically seen as a luxury brand, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer certainly qualify thanks to their six-figure pricing.

And if spending over $100,000 on a Jeep isn’t crazy enough, like the EX90 these vehicles are riddled with reliability issues and examples of poor build quality that make them a total waste of money. Drivetrain problems and electronic problems are very common.

Because these are overpriced, slow sellers, resale value is absolutely abysmal. Needless to say, buying a Wagoneer is the perfect way to pour all your money down the drain. Don’t do it.

Worst Luxury SUV 3: Cadillac Escalade

The Wagoneer is not the only full-sized SUV on this list, because in the number 8 spot we have the Cadillac Escalade.

The Escalade is an attractive, nicely designed large SUV, but it has a serious flaw: its drivetrain. The 6.2-liter V8 engine has a long history of severe problems, including lifter, cam, and bearing failure, which can cause the engine to fail prematurely. This is a very well-documented problem on many GM vehicles with these V8s that stretches back well over a decade, and GM has still not done anything to address the design defects.

The 10-speed automatic transmissions are also known for failing. All in all, it’s a pretty poorly designed drivetrain. Until GM permanently and definitively addresses these problems, blowing over $100,000 on one of these is a major mistake and just asking for trouble.

Worst Luxury SUV 4: Infiniti QX60

Next up in the number 7 spot is a luxury SUV I’ve criticized a few times already on this channel: the Infiniti QX60.

The biggest problem here is that Infiniti dropped its perfectly fine and very reliable V6 engine for a very problematic 2.0-liter VC-Turbo four-cylinder, which has serious documented reliability issues. Nissan and Infiniti recalled nearly half a million of these engines for bearing failure just this year, which to me is really the final nail in the coffin for this vehicle and this brand.

Infiniti is a dying brand on the verge of total collapse with absolutely dismal sales. They only have two models left for 2026, the QX60 and the QX80. When Nissan pulls the plug, that will be the end of what little resale value is left. I would just stay away.

Worst Luxury SUV 5: BMW X2

Moving on to the number 6 spot, we have our first small SUV on the list: the BMW X2.

This is easily the worst vehicle BMW currently makes—a true abomination that fails at absolutely everything. It’s terrible to drive, with a stiff ride and an incredibly jerky dual-clutch transmission that fumbles constantly, making you think you bought a broken vehicle.

The odd design creates a small cargo area and a tight interior that doesn’t have any meaningful luxury—just a small touchscreen that’s annoying to use and not much else. I don’t understand who this vehicle is designed for, who approved it thinking this is what consumers actually want, or who in their right mind would consider buying one for such a ridiculous price. Enough said.

Worst Luxury SUV 6: Audi Q4 e-tron

Next, in the number 5 spot, we have the Audi Q4 e-tron.

Let’s be clear: Audi does not do a great job of making electric vehicles. Most of them are trouble-prone, have poorly designed and outdated tech, and underperform for their high pricing. The Q4 e-tron is the absolute peak of that.

Since its launch, it’s been riddled with various bugs and reliability issues. The driving range and charging performance are very poor. It’s not especially well designed, and it’s incredibly overpriced, which means it’s destined to plummet into a worthless money pit in no time. It really embodies everything wrong with early first-generation EVs. It’s time for Audi to cut their losses and move on.

Worst Luxury SUV 7: Mercedes EQ Models

The same could definitely be said of the next group of SUVs in the number 4 spot: any of the Mercedes EQ models.

The EQ models are the EVs of the Mercedes lineup, and all of them have been a complete disaster. Poor build quality, underwhelming designs, mediocre performance, and hideously overpriced for what you get.

It’s no wonder they suffer from severe depreciation and why Mercedes is already preparing to dump the entire EQ lineup. The next generation of Mercedes EVs will have new technology and will just be offered as optional drivetrains alongside their regular gas models.

Good riddance to the EQ models. Safe to say, you won’t be missed.

Worst Luxury SUV 8: Maserati Grecale

Now getting into the top three worst luxury SUVs: in the number 3 spot, we have the Maserati Grecale.

The desire to buy a Maserati usually comes from wanting a prestigious luxury vehicle that’s a bit more unique than the typical Mercedes or BMW. But in this case, the desire to be different often goes horribly wrong.

Like other Maserati models, the Grecale is a bit of a parts-bin special made from various Stellantis components, and it shows. It is an incredibly unimpressive SUV in almost every way, with no real sense of luxury, predictably poor build quality, and, because it’s a Maserati, almost everything costs a small fortune to fix or replace.

Maserati has been surviving off its brand name for ages, but from an objective standpoint their vehicles are some of the worst on the road: poorly made and among the fastest depreciating. They make zero sense to consider.

Worst Luxury SUV 9: Land Rover Range Rover

The next luxury SUV that fits the same description very well is our number 2 SUV, the Land Rover Range Rover.

Land Rover’s history of building low-quality vehicles that are a nightmare to repair is well documented. They have ongoing problems that never seem to end—everything from the electronics to the air suspension systems to the drivetrains. Just about everything is failure-prone on these vehicles.

The cost of repair is so outrageously high that it quickly makes little sense to keep one past the warranty period. They are incredibly poorly made vehicles, which also explains the rapid depreciation.

So although they have nice designs and very luxurious cabins, buying one of these is just asking for trouble and is a perfect way to burn your money.

Worst Luxury SUV 10: Jaguar F-Pace

Unfortunately, Land Rover has a sister brand that is arguably even worse at this point, and that’s our number 1 worst luxury SUV of 2026: the Jaguar F-Pace.

This is the last vehicle left in Jaguar showrooms, and its days are numbered. Jaguar has already ended production of its entire lineup. The 2026 models are just leftovers from the end of the production run that the company is desperately trying to unload.

Supposedly, the plan is to re-enter the market at some point with a new EV lineup, but their ICE days are finished. It would be crazy to buy one at this point.

The F-Pace has the same Land Rover-style problems with poor reliability and high repair costs, plus the risks that come with owning a vehicle that’s no longer being made, with a parts supply that will likely end sooner rather than later.

I really can’t think of another luxury SUV that’s a higher risk to own than this in every possible way.

So there you have it: the worst luxury SUVs you can buy for 2026.

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Thanks so much for watching, and see you next time.

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