TIME - 50 worst cars

[TerryH]

Time magazines worst lists. The car descriptions are humorous. I've owned a few of the lemons and rode in more than 10.

The first detroit powered v8.



about the Yugo...
Built in Soviet-bloc Yugoslavia, the Yugo had the distinct feeling of something assembled at gunpoint. Interestingly, in a car where "carpet" was listed as a standard feature, the Yugo had a rear-window defroster — reportedly to keep your hands warm while you pushed it.

about the Pontiac Aztek...
I was in the audience at the Detroit auto show the day GM unveiled the Pontiac Aztek and I will never forget the gasp that audience made. Holy hell! This car could not have been more instantly hated if it had a Swastika tattoo on its forehead.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657686,00.html

[pwd72s]

HOOT! Caller on Rush today, talking about Government running GM & Ford...said the previous top dog of GM had come from an optics company, so "Pontiac Aztec"...given as an example of what happens when "outsiders" get placed in charge.

[masraum]

My mother had one of these when I was 16. I spent the first 8 or 9 months that I had a driver's license driving this 1.4L 52hp monster. At least it was RWD, i guess.

[gtc]

If you ever see it in a bookstore, this is a good read;
http://www.amazon.com/Crap-Cars-Richard-Porter/dp/1582346380/ref=pd_sim_b_4

[Z-man]

Fun read. I would add the following to that list:

- Toyota Camry - the most unenthusiastic car around. Yes, you can drive it to 450,000 miles without even a minor problem, but why? The suspension is sloppy, the styling bland, and it has the personality of an over-rip watermelon rotting in a field. It does have a benefit - if you want to blend in, this is the car to get, given the 1,000,000,000,000,000 copies out there.

- BMW Z4 - it has more creases than an orgami project gone wrong. A bigger nose than W.C. Fields. So-so performance. No wonder the Porsche Boxster romps this car in every aspect!

- Scion Xb - it's only purpose is to make the Honda Element look aerodynamic. Yeah, JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) is big amongst kids these days - but there is a reason Japanese fashion is limited to one small island on the globe...

- Hyundai Excel - almost makes a Yugo feel reliable...

- Volvo - (any model) - it's not really the car's fault, but it seems that everyone driving a Volvo is ignorant about every single motor-vehicle related rule and regulation. Given the fact that this car is considered to be a 'near luxury' vehicle, you'd think they'd make the turn signals standard equipement... (Note: they can't be standard equipment, given the number of times I've seen a Volvo make a lane change sans a blinking red light going on!)

- Honda Civic - again, it's not the car, but the folks who drive them. In this case, it's the street-racer boyz. Adding a wing (to a FWD car), a fart-can muffler, and a head stolen off a VTEC Integra motor does NOT make your car a racecar. And pull up your pants boy - your underwear is showing!

- Lotus Elcat - almost makes the Pontiac Aztek look, um, okay...

There are more cars on my list, I'm sure, but I gotta get back to work...
-Z-man.

-

[URY914]

At least the 924 or 914 wasn't on the list....

[porsche4life]

Hey my corolla is dang fine econobox. It wasnt bought to be a sportscar. it was bought to have the wheels driven off it. Rides nice and will do 40mpg on the highway.

[sammyg2]

How in the world could they leave the Vega off that list?
Over-heating, leaking, oil burning POS if there ever was one.

BTW, if you had one and it ran forever without any problems, please let me know. I always wondered who got "the good one".

[URY914]

No Ferraris?

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Hey my corolla is dang fine econobox. It wasnt bought to be a sportscar. it was bought to have the wheels driven off it. Rides nice and will do 40mpg on the highway.

Good point. One should always factor in how well a car performs in the manner it was designed to perform in. Therefore, even though they are as exciting as a kitchen fridge, I would NEVER call a Camry or a Corolla a "bad car".

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by URY914

No Ferraris?

Yes, there is one on that list.

[Laneco]

We bought a Toyota Camry for our daughter's first car. Purchased it deliberately, under the theory that even Shelby would be hard pressed to kill a Camry.... 260,000 on the clock, every knick knack and doo-dad works perfectly on this loaded V-6 LE car. It is a stunningly reliable appliance.

(yes, her name is Shelby, name after you know who).

angela

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Time magazines worst lists. .

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1657686,00.html

Cool, I'll have to get back to it when I have more time.

[afterburn 549]

Hope the Pinto was on there,Granada, Monark, Gremlin, Citation !! WoW there was a piece of crap,
Probe, Escort, Starbird ( I think)
I used to own a shop.....these were always there.....LOL

[Clay Perrine]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

How in the world could they leave the Vega off that list?
Over-heating, leaking, oil burning POS if there ever was one.

BTW, if you had one and it ran forever without any problems, please let me know. I always wondered who got "the good one".

Agreed.. but that was only in the southern states. Up north, the Vega motor would run forever, but the body was rusting before it left the factory. I remember living in Ohio and seeing 2 year old Vegas with rust holes in them. (And my father worked that the GM plant where they were built)

There was a rather ingenious gypsy trucker who lived near me. He would go buy all the Vega engines in the junkyard and haul them to a southern state and sell them to another junkyard there. That junkyard would put them in the good Vega chassis that they had with blown motors, and resell the cars.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Good stuff. Very Clarkson-esqe commentary.

[tchanson]

The Lotus Elite and MGA Twin Cam?

Please.


Each had issues, but among the 50 worst of all time?


Not even close.










Tim

[Jim Richards]

I would add the 1974 Triumph Spitfire to the list. I've never had a new car fall apart so quickly and so continuously. I laughed my ass off the day I traded it at the dealership for a 280Z. Muhahahahahaha!!!

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Hope the Pinto was on there,Granada, Monark, Gremlin, Citation !! WoW there was a piece of crap,
Probe, Escort, Starbird ( I think)
I used to own a shop.....these were always there.....LOL

Mercury Capri and Merkur, Chry K cars, etc. The list could have easily been 500 worst. lol

Sammy, A co-worker had a Vega 25 years ago. We reshaped the warped head with epoxy and a mill at the shop. It was better than new and lasted 5 years. It was still a pile of crap even when it ran well.

[afterburn 549]

OHhh OHhh not to forget the X19 (Fiat ) I owned one, fun to drive, bit talk about fix !! Every time I took it out something broke !