Fisker Ocean is still the 'worst car I've ever reviewed,' YouTuber says — but a software update made 'real improvements'

• YouTuber Marques Brownlee reviewed the Fisker Ocean again after a software update.
• The update improved a few things, but Brownlee still doesn't recommend the car.
• Fisker is making attempts to avoid a looming bankruptcy.

The Fisker Ocean got a second chance with a popular YouTuber who gave it a terrible review last month.

Marques Brownlee, known for his tech-focused videos, said in a video posted Wednesday that Fisker provided him with a new Ocean, equipped with a software update that some argued would have changed his original negative review.

"I've never reviewed a car twice before," Brownlee says at the start of the video, referencing the original, in which he called the Ocean the worst car he'd ever driven.

That first review, which has garnered 5 million views since it was posted a month ago, led to a bit of an uproar on social media.

In the original video, Brownlee borrowed the Fisker he reviewed from a Mitsubishi dealership in New Jersey. That dealership later posted a TikTok in which someone claiming to be a Fisker employee questioned him about the loaner to Brownlee, stating that his negative review had caught the attention of senior management.

Brownlee said he was willing to try out an updated model (provided this time by Fisker) but provided his viewers with a caveat about the company itself, which appears on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Fisker as a company may or may not be around to update existing cars," Brownlee said at the start of his video.

Fisker Ocean improvements

The 2.0 software update did fix several of the original issues in Brownlee's first review, he said.

First, the "California Mode" button on the key fob, which opens all the windows and sunroof, worked this time.

Brownlee was also happy to see more insights provided on the Ocean's solar roof, and how much power was being generated for the vehicle. Though he said, like other solar-roofed EVs, the extra power really isn't much (about six miles of range in the week he had the car).

Hill hold, a largely standard feature that makes it easier to start a stopped car on an uphill grade, was also fixed with the software update, Brownlee said.

Other small things were improved, including a reduction in annoying beeps and alerts while driving, and a fix that allows the car to be plugged in while updating.

Too little, too late

Even with these improvements, Brownlee said the Ocean remains the worst car he's ever reviewed — just by a smaller margin.

And with the improvements came some new issues, like a longer boot-up time for the vehicle's software.

Given the precarious state of Fisker as a company, Brownlee said even with improvements, he can't in good conscience recommend the car to anyone.

"I've been able to experience real change," Brownlee said, "but I still don't feel like I am able to recommend this version of this car given the state of the company and everything happening to it."

Are you a Fisker owner or an employee? Reach out to this reporter from a non-work email device at nnaughton@insider.com