Right now is not a great time to be buying a car. Inventory is low, prices are high, and the process is exhausting. In fact, some dealerships have been marking up vehicles due to the popularity of the car. Which new cars are overhyped, and why is the Acura TLX Type S at the top of the list?

The Acura TLX Type S is an overhyped new car

Merriam-Webster defines the word “overhype” to hype (something or someone) to an excessive degree. What makes a new car “overhyped”? Automakers like to build up anticipation about cars before a vehicle’s release, which happened with the Acura TLX Type S. The TLX Type S had all of the flashy videos, mysterious specs, and impressive photos. However, it fell short after that. Many drivers felt that it did not live up to the hype after driving the TLX Type S in person. That doesn’t mean it is a bad car, but it didn’t meet many expectations in real life.

In fact, Consumer Reports suggested buying the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta instead of the TLX. The TLX isn’t a bad car, there are just better options out there for the money.

2021 Acura TLX starting MSRP: $37,500

2021 Acura TLX Type S MSRP: $52,300

An overhyped new car, the Kia Telluride

Hear us out! The Kia Telluride is a great SUV. It has all sorts of cool features, a lot of room for passengers, USB ports, but what else? The Telluride is a safe new car and it is reasonably priced, but it’s just a Kia SUV at the end of the day. But the Telluride has one significant benefit over other cars. The warranty. The Telluride is covered by Kia’s 10-year, 100k mile powertrain warranty program. It also offers a five-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty. Overhyped? Maybe. But it isn’t worth paying an extra $25,000 over MSRP no matter what kind of tech it offers.

2021 Kia Telluride starting MSRP: $32,190

Close your eyes, Jeep fans. The Jeep Gladiator made the list

This one might upset the people. Everyone that owns the Jeep Gladiator loves it. Perhaps it is confirmation bias from other Jeep Gladiator lovers. But for the most part, none of the critics like the Jeep truck. It performs OK on the roads, has a solid towing capacity, and is a truck. But the hype of a Jeep truck doesn’t have enough pizzaz for a brand new car. Is it a truck or a Jeep? It doesn’t do either one particularly well. But if you are a Jeep fan that needs a truck, the Jeep Gladiator checks those boxes.

2021 Jeep Gladiator starting MSRP: $34,385

A luxury new car, or not? The Kia Stinger

The Kia Stinger was lumped into the luxury compact new car category. A category it just doesn’t match up to. The Kia Stinger can’t compare to a BMW 3 Series, Mercedez-Benz C-Class, and Tesla Model 3. Kia made an excellent new car with the Stinger, but it still has a long way to go. A few extra bucks will get to the Volvo, Volkswagen, and even Tesla pricepoint if buyers want a luxury car. Much like the Jeep Gladiator, the Kia Stinger name is the only thing keeping buyers loyal.

2021 Kia Stinger starting MSRP: $34,135

Don’t believe the hype!

If you are seriously interested in a new car, try to get out and test drive one before getting your heart set on it. Automakers are making more reliable cars than ever these days, but vehicles still fall short of expectations. If you can safely go out for a test drive before buying a new vehicle, do it. Don’t fall for the flashy videos and cool photos.