20 Best Deals On The Biggest New-Car Losers For 2015

Blame falling gas prices for the dismal fortunes of the Toyota Prius Plug-In hybrid hatchback. Sales dipped 66.8% this year, from 11,489 during the same period in 2014 to just 3,818 through the first eight months of 2015. That it’s the costliest model in the Prius lineup, starting at around $30,000 (subject to a federal tax credit of $2,500), doesn’t help much, either.

The car-buying public has largely forgotten about the midsize CC “four-door coupe” after languishing for too long without a major redesign. Sales have fallen by 45.5% so far this year. Smart shoppers are likely choosing an Audi A4 instead for only a few bucks more. The 2015 CC is being offered with 0.9% financing to 72 months.

The original minivan (Volkswagen’s Microbus notwithstanding) is in the autumn of its years and now stands, with its near-twin the Chrysler Town & Country, as the model in its segment that’s gone the longest without a full redesign. Sales have slid by 42.2 percent so far this year, though it’s still found 53,651 buyers. The Grand Caravan will reportedly be discontinued next year and replaced by a new seven-passenger crossover. In the meantime, buyers can avail themselves of up to $2,000 cash back on the 2015 models.

Like the Grand Caravan the Chrysler Town & Countryminivan is showing its age in a shrinking minivan market and subsequently suffered a 44.6% drop in sales over the first eight months of the year. Sales remain on a par with its Dodge equivalent at 52,807. It’s expected to be redesigned for the 2017 model year as the last FCA minivan standing. Chrysler is offering up to $2,500 cash back on a 2015 T&C.

U.S. car buyers have long eschewed station wagons in favor of minivans, then SUVs and now crossovers. A few family-sized versions remain, but like the Subaru Forester and Volvo XC60, they’re gussied up to look like SUVs and have seemed to fooled an otherwise wagon-averse public. Audi’s effort, based on the A4 sedan, however, is largely ignored, with its puny 1,742 sales thus far in 2015 representing a 41.2% sales plunge. Current Audi owners will receive a $1,500 cash rebate on a 2015 Allroad.

Kia’s second largest model has yet to make a sufficient showing. Kia dealers delivered just 4,201 units to customers so far during 2015, which represents a 38.4% drop. There’s a $2,500 cash rebate on the 2015 model.

Arguably the best domestic-brand sedan on the market, the posh and nimble CTS is going nowhere fast, with just 12,934 registered so far this year, which represents a 37.3% sales dip. The latest version is terrific, but perhaps buyers are put off by a stiff sticker price than can crack the $70,000 mark for the top twin-turbo V6 version. Caddy is giving buyers $4,000 to help clear 2015 inventories.

A redesigned version of Chevrolet’s “extended range electric car” is coming for 2016 with sleeker styling and a longer range on battery power, but the new model’s advance publicity probably had an adverse effect on sales that were already suffering because of low fuel costs. Volt sales have diminished by 36.7% this year and are down to 8,315 units through the end of August. There’s a $1,000 cash rebate on 2015 Volts.

There was a time when the oddly styled Juke owned the subcompact crossover market; the niche has since swelled with contenders, some of which are nearly as sporty and come wrapped in less curious-looking packages. As such, Juke sales have slipped by 36.4% through the first eight months of the year to 19,354 units. Buyers can get as much as $750 cash back on a 2015 Juke.

We almost feel sorry for the sad sack RLX luxury sedan, which is down to just 1,600 units delivered so far this year, which represents a 36.2% dive over last year’s already sorry sales figures. It’s a nice enough ride, with lots of technology offered, but it can’t seem to crash the clique of comparable European four-doors.

Tell the truth we’re a bit surprised the tiny Smart Fortwo found as many buyers as it has during the first eight months of 2015, at a stalwart 4,682 takers. Still, that’s a 36.1 percent drop over the same period a year ago; perhaps a redesigned model coming for 2016 will help spark sales.

In its home country of South Korea, the Equus is used as a limousine for executives; here it’s just a big and well-equipped Hyundai priced in the $60,000 range (roughly the cost of four Hyundai Accent subcompacts). Sales have dipped by 35 percent so far this year and are down to a mere 1,518 units.

Up to $4,500 cash back is at stake for 2015 Equus buyers.

This is a head-scratcher. Stunningly redesigned a year ago as a smaller version of the automaker’s flagship S-Class sedan, the E-Class is truly top-shelf transportation, and at a competitive price. We suspect the smaller C-Class, which was recast for 2015 and is enjoying a 29.6 percent sales boost, may be wooing price sensitive buyers.

Another casualty of cheap gas prices, a 34.6 percent sales plunge so far this year dropped the Leaf to second place among electric cars inthe U.S. (next to the Tesla Model S), with just 12,383 models delivered to customers. Still, Nissan has high hopes for a new-and-improved model headed to dealerships. Nissan is giving buyers who finance though the company a $5,000 rebate (and that’s on top of the federal $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers).

We’ve long loved Subaru’s low-slung and affordable sports coupe (and it’s near-twin, the Scion FR-S), but apparently a majority of everyone who wanted a BRZ already bought one, and at that it seems out of placesitting next to Outbacks and Foresters on a showroom floor. Adding a convertible top and around 50 horsepower might spark sales – which slid by 33.2% so far during 2015 to a mere 3,832 units – but that’s not likely to happen. Subaru is offering 0.9% financing to 48 months or 1.9% to 72 months on the 2015 BRZ.

In need of a major revision, this nonetheless amenable subcompact sedan/hatchback is free falling with a 32.8% drop in sales during the first eight months of the year, though it still found 46,755 takers. It doesn’t help Sonic sales that Chevy also offers the nominally smaller and cheaper Spark. The 2015 version is being offered with up to $1,000 cash back.

The X1 was once unique as the sole subcompact crossover SUV on the market, but its getting roughed up by a slew of newcomers. Sales are down by 32.2% on the year so far, at 9,41 units. There’s a $1,000 cash rebate on the 2015 X1.

The subcompact segment is another new-car genre that’s adversely affected by low gas prices, with the otherwise admirable Kia Rio leading the downward spiral with a 30.8% sales dip this year to 18.796 units. A $500 cash rebate might help spur 2015 model sales.

Convertible sales barely register as a blip on the chartsthese days, with most of them likely sold to rental fleets. The Eos features aretractable hardtop for four-season fun, but only 1,800 units shipped duringthe first eight months of the year, representing a 30.8% dip. VW is offering 0.0% financing to 60 months and 0.9% to 72 months on the Eos.

The full-size Taurus sedan was once the King of Detroit iron, but its glory days are but a distant memory; with just 27,485 units sold so far this year (not counting sales as police cars), it’s suffered a 30.7% dive. Buyers get $3,000 cash back on a 2015 Taurus.