Good cars should sell well and bad cars poorly, right?
Reality, of course, begs to differ, as there’s a direct correlation between low prices and high sales, because – as with all things in life – money changes everything. That’s why the MG3 sold nearly six times more than the Toyota Yaris in 2024.
But while not actually the very worst sellers in their classes, all of the models below deserve to do better – a lot better.
Let’s check them out.
Hyundai i20 N
Good on you, Hyundai, for persisting with the baby hot-hatch.
With its diminutive dimensions, racy body kit, rorty 1.6-litre four-pot turbo, manual gearbox and track-honed chassis, the Türkiye-sourced i20 N takes over from the late and lamented Ford Fiesta ST as a true old-school pocket-rocket runabout.

However, despite costing about one-third less than a Mini Cooper S with comparable engine outputs, fewer than 450 were sold last year, as opposed to over 1550 of BMW’s British icon. Let’s hope these fabulous subset of affordable performance hatchbacks don’t all disappear for good.
Honda Civic
Now hybrid-only for Australia, Japan’s 11th-gen Civic has garnered widespread acclaim since arriving in 2022, and even made some of our top-five-of-the-year lists here at CarsGuide.
Though hardly cheap at $55,000 drive-away, in our opinion, the fully-equipped and partly-electrified Honda has the outstanding levels of quality, performance, handling, refinement and efficiency for it to shade premium alternatives.
And the Type R flagship is widely regarded as the world’s best hot-hatch.
But just 966 Civics were registered last year, compared to twice as many Mercedes-Benz A-Classes and thrice as many of the VW Golf.
Hopefully, for Honda’s sake, the recently-released and improved Civic Series II will reverse 2024’s 27 per cent decline.
Peugeot 308
Nobody expects a French small car to dominate the sales charts, but the third-gen 308’s striking design, lush interior, athletic dynamics and perky charm makes it a standout amongst European hatches. It really is a sensational, comfortable drive.
But, with a 50 per cent volume decline in 2024, to just 150 units all up, the brilliant Peugeot blipped on few buyers’ radars. Such a pity. Such a terrific little thing.

Nissan Z
With the sports car segment fading fast, the Z from $75,000 is a rousing retro reminder of what speed and style used to be like, capturing the spirit of both Australian and American muscle cars of another era, in a distinctly and endlessly appealing Japanese two-seater personal coupe package. Yes, the RZ34 series is essentially a Z design greatest-hits compilation based on an evolved 350Z platform from the early 2000s, but it’s still such a visceral and satisfying driving experience.
Yet despite costing less than the Ford Mustang V8 and BMW 2 Series Coupe, which are its nearest rivals, the Nissan only managed a fraction of their volume at just 320 units sold last year. We fear this will be the final iteration and then such cars will simply vanish forever. You have been warned.

Renault Megane E-Tech
Around the world, journalists have praised the fantastic engineering and premium packaging of the Megane E-Tech, singing out its sophisticated road manners, useable everyday range and overall comfort and ease. Capable and characterful, it remains one of the best EVs on the market, reflecting Renault’s extensive experience in this field. Another great French car.
But do consumers care? 2024 was the first full year of sales in Australia, but only 266 found buyers, even after a big price cut. Over the same period, Tesla shifted over 12,500 Model Ys.
Why indeed doesn’t the Megane E-Tech reach more Australian homes?

Nissan Pathfinder
Like the Z coupe, the American-made Pathfinder is a modern dish created from a classic recipe.
Handsome, spacious, practical, inviting and extremely comfortable, the chunky monocoque-bodied three-row SUV’s ace is Nissan’s famous VQ35. One of the strongest yet sweetest V6 engines around, it provides an effortlessly smooth and relaxing driving experience. Perfect for a family truckster.

Especially in the upper-spec AWD models, the Nissan feels more like an Infiniti than any of the latter’s underperforming SUVs ever managed to.
But just 523 sales last year (down 63 per cent) is shocking, against nearly 10,000 Toyota Klugers, 18,000 Isuzu MU-Xs and 26,500 Ford Everests. All lack the Pathfinder’s uncomplicated ease.