Let’s face it: cars are like clothes and other accessories. They’re our most visible tip off to the world about how we see ourselves. And since modern cars pretty much all function reasonably well enough, the image factor is of course more important than ever. So which car from the modern era would be most painful for you to be forced into driving for a year?
For me, it’s the Wuling Great Wall Buick Rendezvous; or at least for the moment. It just screams cheap pretentiousness; a pathetic WalMart Lexus RX300 knock off with horrible proportions. The Aztek doesn’t even come close; at least it was original. Every detail on the Rendezvous is painful: from the ridiculous attempt to create an oval grille on the blunt front end, the desperate rear hip character line and the indentations on the bottoms of the doors to disguise its bread-box mini-van roots. The way its whole rear suspension (on AWD versions) hangs out low in full visibility from the rear. Every time I’m forced to be behind one in traffic, I cringe. Really; has a car ever looked more like a bad Chinese knock-off? Strictly speaking, if it had been a genuine knock-off of another CUV, it would have looked much better. And no one in China ever tried to imitate the Rendezvous. OK; ’nuff said. Your turn.
Unless painted black, the rear of the Rendezvous looks like a dog trying to rub it’s ass along the floor.
ROFL! That’s what a friend of mine used to say about a 1983 Cadillac Seville my dad once owned.
1) 3/4 or 1 ton diesel truck.
2) Chevy Trailblazer.
3) Smart For Two.
Agreed on the big diesel trucks: of all the vehicles I drive from time to time, the early 90s f-250 diesel 4×4 extended cab is the one I like the least.
I am going to blame it on the fact that it’s a Ford diesel. 🙂
Have you driven a smart? They’re even worse than you think they are to drive. It’s the only vehicle I’ve ever driven that failed to meet my minimum definition of “car.”
A Nissan Versa is five times the car a smart is.
Yes, I have. My father in law had a Smart For Two- briefly. Now he drives a Scion iQ which is a much better car.
What is it like when a BIG TRUCK Comes up behind you close in traffic, noisy brakes… alot of things could be frightening from that seat i imagine.
What? I can’t say “any Brougham, I think I’d suffocate from all the loose fabric eating me alive like the blob?”
1) 1997-2005 Chevy Malibu/Classic. It was competitive. With the 1986 Taurus.
2) 2002-Current Camry. Self explanatory
3) Any Prius (Again, self explanatory)
4) Any “Kompressor” Mercedes Benz. All the premium price. All the refinement of a Hamilton Beach Blender
5) Any Midsize Chrysler since the original Cloud Cars (2001-Present).
You can, and you did:)
Maybe we should do one of these for each decade!
The poor 1970s. Makes me thankful I was born in 1982. In California. Surrounded with enough imports to establish my sophisticated automotive tastes.
“The poor 1970s. Makes me thankful I was born in 1982. In California. Surrounded with enough imports to establish my sophisticated automotive tastes.”
Please tell me you’re kidding? No offense, but that is about the most narcissistic thing I’ve heard all day.
Gave me a good chuckle at least…thanks for that.
Smart car.
2012 Mazda 3 with that stupid looking smile for a grill. (apologies to those owners)
Prius..I’d rather walk
Follow that with most any Subaru
I need to throw any Scion (expect FRS) and Camry Corolla in there too.
Can’t count the Smart car, is it even really a car?
Prius!
SSANGYONG RODIUS
Seeing as how I’m on highways 90% of the time…Subaru 360, Fiat 500, Mini (not MINI), or some other European car that struggles to make it to 70.
If I never had to get on the highway, those cars would go down to the bottom of the ranking.
1) Prius – if there was ever a car that is a complete antithesis for me that would be it. I am not an earth-is-still-flat person by any means but would be like the last 57 years was a lie.
2) Subaru WRX STi – #1 son says that is a ‘mad whip’ what ever that is but ultra tight spaces, tight manual transmission, high revving turbo motor, and styling that reminds me of insects that I do not like would be hard.
3) The new Mini with the ‘hat’ style roof – rumors would probably spread that I was cheating with a college co-ed.
I selected vehicles in current production simply because there are too many old cars for me to decide on short notice. Plus, while I consider the AMC Pacer to be an ugly vehicle, it is 35 years old and seeing as I am in the car business driving one now would be less suspect to others.
Base model no options economy cars made by ANYONE.
Full size sedan with the smallest available engine (if multiple engines were offered) I’m looking at you 4cyl Honda Accord, V6 B-body… et all.
The 4 cylinder 2013 Accord Sport did 0-60 in 6.6 seconds and returned 29 mpg over 3,457 miles in Car and Driver’s hands. It also went from 0-100 in 17.7 seconds, which is exactly my yardstick for being a reasonably quick car, based on the claimed performance of the 320 hp supercharged Duesenberg Model SJ. It also measures up pretty well against most muscle cars of the ’60s and Corvettes as recently as the mid ’80s.
There’s a pretty big difference between the auto and the manual times then.
I think the CVT one does like 7.8 and 19.9. Which still isn’t exactly slow.
CJinSD, its the principle of the thing. Why buy a big car if you’re going to handicap it by chickening out on choosing fuel economy over smiling when you push the gas pedal? I could not drive a 4cyl family sedan if there was a 6cyl option, I’d be constantly driving around thinking… wonder what the V6 is like. Even in a case like the current Hyundai Sonata which is 4cyl only I’d be driving around thinking… wonder what the turbo feels like?
Jacked up to the sky full-size pickup. Bonus demerits if it’s a diesel. Even more demerits if there’s a Confederate flag in the rear window.
Mercedes G-wagen (can you spell “poseur?”)
Hummer H2 (ditto)
Infiniti QX-56
Smart
Anything with a fart can. Having grown up in the era of throbbing V8s, how anyone can think the sound from the former is cool is completely beyond me.
If we limit it to cars from the past decade or so, a shorter list would be “Cars I wouldn’t hate being forced to drive.” So I’ll do that. From 2000-2013, here’s the list:
Panther Cars (the only “modern” cars I really like)
Dodge Challenger (the V6 automatic model without all the ugly “sports” add-ons)
GM bench seat “fleet queens” (Park Avenue/Lucerne/LeSabre, DeVille/DTS, maybe Impala)
Any mid-size with a bench seat (older Taurus, Avalon, Continental, Century)
Fiat 500 Cabrio Pop (I love me some full-size V8 luxury, but the Fiat is so much fun)
Oldsmobiles (I’m an Oldsmobile guy, so I’d gladly drive an Intrigue or even an Alero if only for the name)
There are a few more that I wouldn’t be excited about but could probably live with, like the Sebring or Mustang, but I hate most modern cars and wouldn’t wish them on my worst enemy. I know my list makes me sound like I’m in my 80s, but I’m only 23…
I’m only 30, but me and my ’98 Olds 88 (with bench seat) applaud your good taste.
1. 2005-8(?) Buick Lacrosse. Tried one for 6 weeks, came to despise it.
2. Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura, Chev Malibu – If I hated the Buick that much, can the others be any better?
3. Dodge Caliber
4. Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Avenger, at least before they got the 3.6 and Sergio’s new interiors.
5. I am sure there’s another, I will think of it soon.
Actually the G6, Aura and Malibu are not related to the 2005-2008 LaCrosse, that LaCrosse is still a W-body.
How disheartening. I figured that I might like a W body. Perhaps they will wind up in my line no. 5. I am not taking the Aura et al off of my list either – rented one once. That’s no way to live.
What didn’t you like about LaCrosse? I rented one in Texas a while back, I’d have bought it just for AC seats for San Antonio in July. Otherwise, it just seemed comfortable and quiet, inoffensive. This was a V8 one, so it had some go too, albeit torque steer. Only negative I recall was large A pillar, but thats a de facto feature on cars nowadays.
I drove my mother’s 2006 version for about 6 weeks while she recovered from a knee replacement. Even though the car had about 14K on it (in 5 years) she was concerned about it sitting too much. 🙂 Anyhow, every time I got in or out, my left side rubbed the B pillar, which was way forward of the seat. I am a little overweight, but not that much. The steering wheel was HUGE. Then there was what felt like about 10 inches of travel in the gas pedal. I understand why old folks go so slow in these – every time I looked at the speedo, I was 5 mph under where I wanted to be, so push the pedal down another 3 inches (do this about once ever 3 minutes). The seat was low, the dash high, and the driving position just did not fit me. Maybe I am spoiled by being of pretty average build, but most cars fit me pretty well. I simply could not wait to get back into my 99 Town & Country that was more pleasant to drive in almost every way. So, it wasn’t any one big thing, but lots and lots of little things that grew more and more irritating over time.
I will say that the build quality was pretty good (though the drivers door allows some rain water to drip inside) and the interior materials were of much better quality than prior GM efforts. All in all, though, I have no interest in that car. This from a guy who has spent most of his life driving low mileage, nicely kept cars bought from elderly owners. Even now, the car only has only 20K on it. Maybe when Mom is done with it one of the kids will need a car. As for me, life is too short.
That’d do it, if you can’t get a comfortable driving position all else is for nothing…
Like me with second gen DSM cars. I could fit in first generation just fine, but second generation was a joke. When I lived in dorms in college, I did without a car for a couple of semesters, just borrowed a female friends Eclipse for going off campus. I had to open sunroof and tilt my head to side so it’d go through sunroof just to fit in, and I’m only 6’0″. My feet didn’t fit in floorwell, and I could barely fit my knees under the wheel. VW bug (classic), Fiat 500 (new), Miata, Mazda2 etc, I can fit in all these just fine, but that Eclipse….Never again
Our runner-up car to the 2008 CTS we bought was a Buick Lucerne. It was built off the H car platform so it was larger than the Lacrosse. It was a honey of a car the one we looked at had real wood interior oatmeal leather and had the Northstar V8.
My wife has an Aura–it’s actually a pretty nice car to drive. It feels like my old Volvo 850 GLT, which is a good thing.
Daewoo anything, they are still around. Fewer and fewer as the days go by thankfully. I used to work for Budget Rent A Car where they were sold new. And 6 years later perfectly maintained ones were coming back for seemingly “minor” repairs that turned quickly expensive. Head gaskets, electrical, everything.
Put same-era Kias in that category too, just junk. A few years ago I had a Kia Rio for a hire car, they looked reasonable from a styling point of view but it was very unrefined.
A Hyundai Getz on the other hand was a lot better, very solid feeling and good build quality. Perfect for inner suburban driving, cheap, economical and easy to park, but I had one for a 6hr round trip on the highway once though and the return leg was torture chamber material by the end.
Why so much Smart hate? I’ve never driven one and I don’t particularly like it, but why out of all the cars everyone could choose do they pick that one specifically? Why not the Scion iQ, which is just as small but boasts about the fact that it has a back seat?
The Smart looks sillier, requires premium gas, and doesn’t get particularly great gas mileage. Then there’s its worst feature: that automated manual transmission that shifts in a herky-jerky fashion, with no manual or true automatic available.
Dumb!
Because, in the Scion, if you remove the front seats, you have a nice, roomy, 2-seat car. That’s why they tout the back seat!
Because it’s some kind of an overpriced shopping cart… Without any space to carry your groceries back home.
Drive one once and you won’t wonder why anymore. I’ve driven some pretty bad cars at the ends of their useful lives. A clapped-out Pinto, a Type 1 Beetle running on three cylinders, a 30-year-old F-100 backfiring through the carburetor all felt much safer and more enjoyable to drive than a brand new smart.
The Scion iQ actually feels substantial from behind the wheel- like something twice its size. It’s quiet and solid. The Smart requires premium fuel, burns out headlight bulbs monthly along with other crazy electric gremlins. It’s center of gravity is horribly high, actual mpg not very impressive and on and on.
Steven, just test drive one and you will know. It handles like a truck, does not accelerate even if you’re begging for it and the transmission is the worst. Truly horrid. That actually makes you forget the appaling built quality and super-cheapo plastics inside.
I use Car2Go every now and then and while it’s such a clever concept, I hate them for making me drive this pile of cr*p.
95-06 Honda CRV
Dodge Caliber
Smart
Scion IQ
Chrysler 200/Dodge Avenger 4cyl
early Nissan Sentras
Daihatsu Charade
Geo/Chevy Metro 3cyl
Chevy Sprint 3cyl
Toyota Echo
Ford Fiesta [new]
Ford Aspire
Ford Festiva
could go on and on
There are plenty of ugly or “girly” cars out there (Mini coupe, Fiat 500, Honda Crosstour), but all of those at least have some kind of redeeming quality–sporty, fun to drive, utility, etc. I was issued a Corolla with an automatic transmission for my job once and it was by far the most sleep-inducing vehicle I ever had the displeasure of driving. It’s reliable and that’s it. The rest is small, cramped, generic-looking, uncomfortable, and slow. It’s the perfect car for driving house to house and checking water meters in.
I’m going to second current Corolla. I think it is the worst, least redeemable car made today. Seat are uncomfortable as they come, cheapest dashboard I’ve ever seen this side of a Chinese EV, buzzy engine, terrible steering, brakes. No redeeming qualities.
When my folks visit from out of state, they rent a car and we typically use it for all errands during visit, you know, put the wear and tear on rental why not. We’ve done this with Rabbits, Focuses, Kia’s, Hyundai’s, Rav4s, Explorers, etc, all the typical rentals. They got a Corolla last time, and it stayed parked in my driveway until they went back to airport. Undriveable garbage. When I can say with no remorse that my 1994 Chevrolet Beretta with 180k miles that is kept solely as a 3rd backup car, never driven more than 3 times a year, is more comfortable than a new car, any new car, there’s problems.
BTW we sold Rendezvous, used, at Budget. They didn’t seem that bad. Buick was just doing a less ugly Aztek, doing the best with what they had.
Just like now, With The Buick Encore, based on the korean built Chevy Sonic. is about What $7000 difference in msrp
ANYTHING with US or JDM suspension I like cars that steer and stop and at 30mph in 3rd I can throw a U turn in my Xsara and it just does it no fuss at all I can also lug it down to 750 rpm in any gear rolling around town yep 1250rpm is the 50kmh speed limit in town in 5th gear, you people with your automatic transmissions why? get a diesel by the people who know how to make one and a manual box. My little car is quite fast if you upshift at the redline you licence is automatically cancelled if caught doing that in 4th @ 150kmh very few cars can follow it thru corners. So anything with unresponsive steering Id hate it.
Pretty much anything you can rent at the airport.
A while back I bought an 80s Toyota Corolla for a cheap point A to B car. I got it from almost nothing, fixed it up and had it all ready to go but couldn’t bear to drive it. Sold I sold it and kept riding my bicycle to work. Automatic Corolla = worse than bicycle!
Sticking to new cars, most (but not all) subcompacts*, but especially the Smart4two and Chevrolet Spark. The smiley face Mazda 3, talk about ruining a good car. Maybe one of those ridiculous pickups made from medium trucks. I think I could swallow my pride for just about anything else.
* I drove a early Nissan Versa as a rental once and found it perfectly competent for what it was. Let the flaming begin.
A very long time ago I owned a Porshe (when you could pick up a used one in mint condition for $2000!). This was a very practical and satisfying vehicle on many counts, yet it created many awkward encounters. My real persona and the persona the Porshe created in other people’s minds were wildly divergent. Out of embarrassment I sold it.
Sooo. . . .
Any vehicle that causes schizo responses among strangers.
Any muscle car lusted after by “youth”
Humungus pickups and SUVs, especially the chromed and leathered ones with western model names.
Old beater pickups with huge V-8s linked to straight pipes.
Any immaculate and showy car that, if dinged, would drive you nuts.
Later model Camaros and Firebirds.
Please list the cars described in the phrase “Any Muscle Car lusted after by ‘youth’.”
Toyota Corolla is the first car that comes to mind, had one for a week, hated every second, could never find a driving position that I could ever stand, 0 performance, bland as room temperature oatmeal. You couldn’t even beat on the car, it was no fun, it was like beating up someone in a coma.
Agreed. The Corolla is the car for people who don’t drive. I was given one and even romping on the gas pedal and “shifting” through the automatic was no fun. Worst driving position of any car I ever had–including our old ’91 Tempo which felt like I was sitting on a stack of books as I drove.
Good summary of the Corolla; in 2004, I test-drove one alongside the 1st-gen Scion xB. Hard to believe the same company made both cars; the Corolla was as described above, perhaps worse than the one I rented in ’83, whereas the xB was chuckable & enthusiastic, besides having incredible passenger room in back.
Perhaps Toyota thought they could afford to foist mediocre cars on undemanding Corolla acolytes, whereas the Scion had to be scrappy for its (presumably) younger target demographic.
Hindustan Ambassador.
My first thought was Lada Riva, but then I reconsidered and decided that would actually be tolerable in a terrible yet unconventional sort of way.
So I’ve settled on the Cadillac Escalade pickup. I would hang my head in shame to be seen in one.
Also, yes I’ve driven a Smart car and the transmission is maddening. I’d still take one over the Escalade..
I’ve always wondered why they didn’t call it the Cadillac Ranch
Because both the King Ranch and the Cadillac Ranch are actual places in Texas.
> Every detail on the Rendezvous is painful: from the ridiculous attempt to create an oval grille on the blunt front end….
They tried to do that oval thing at the back too, and it comes-off even worse IMO.
I think I could get over the looks of a car as a commuter vehicle if it met my other needs and wants. However I dislike most “modern” autos, so I’ll generalize or it would be a pretty long list:
– anything from Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Daewoo, Smart, Scion, Mini or Hummer (I am disappointed to put Mazda on the list, but all Mazdas I’ve been in are too small inside.)
– small cars that have automatics (By my rules, most cars today are small cars.)
– Anything shorter than a 1st gen VW Rabbit (12 feet).
– any hybrid (diesel good, hybrid bad)
I get a Saturn Ion as a rental and it was awful, so I’ll add that to the list too.
Chevy Astro/ Gmc Safari: they aren’t the worst vehicles ever but the foot-room for the two front seats is just terrible: on long drives you will get pains shooting up your legs from they way you have to position them.
They do have an awfully small footwell. I drove my company’s Astro/Safari once, and it also listed rather badly whenever I took a turn. I don’t know if something in the suspension was worn-out or broken, but it made the handling of my fullsize GMC van seem good by comparison.
On that note, I don’t know how anyone can drive a Pontiac Solstice with a stick. I sat in one once. The pedals take up the entire footwell, and I couldn’t put either foot down without hitting two pedals at once.
Ah, the Astro. My mother had one from about 1994-2000 and another from 2004-now. The first one wasn’t so bad, since I was about five when we got it, but after the wonderful Econoline we had from 2000-2004 (a mild custom with a color TV and the most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in apart from my 1984 Oldsmobile) I’ve grown to hate the Astro more than any car ever built. Horribly uncomfortable leather seats, AWD that does nothing but ruin gas mileage, the interior space of a minivan with the drivability of a full-size van, a floor that is always either hot enough to melt plastic or leaking water from the AC system, power locks that only last a couple years, too much noise, horrible crash ratings, way-too-fragile radio knobs and speakers, and an incredibly weak air conditioner, just to list the first few things you notice.
Unfortunately, it is also the most rugged and reliable car ever built. We’ve treated it far worse than the Silverados and F-350s in those annoying SuperBowl commercials, yet it simply refuses to die. Don’t get me wrong, it tries to die all the time (the AWD light has been off and on for five years now, and when it seemed to have finally given up recently it just needed a new alternator), but despite the complete lack of oil changes and tune-ups, even a twice yearly 2500+ mile drive from Houston to Chicago and back (the most recent while pulling a trailer that must have been at least 15,000lbs), it just can’t be killed. When my mother finally does get a new car, I plan to buy this one from her and take it to a vacant lot with my sister and a couple of sledgehammers so we can take revenge on what we agree is the worst best car in history. I begrudgingly respect it but I will never like it.
Yes they do live forever. My dad put over 200K on his Safari and we hauled a lot of stuff in it, so you have to give them credit for that.
Anything too big to fit in my modest garage, or most parking spaces, or needs a step ladder in the tailgate. Anything blingy. Even a ’72 Vega or a Smart would be prefferable to these for me.
1) Smart car -wind up toy
2) Prius
3) Camry-Corolla ZZZZZZZZ
4) Juke
5) Cube
-Any “Ricer”
-Any “Donk”
-Any “Monster” truck
-Toyota Prius
-Toyota Corolla
-Aston Martin Cygnet
-Chevrolet Uplander & corporate cousins made from 2005-10
Prius
Leaf
Volt
Smart
IQ
Corolla/Camry
Any CUV (or SUV or Minivan for that matter)
This is not the place to come for car buying advice. With the exception of the Smart, the most frequently listed cars here seem to be the most dependable, best engineered, and most efficient on the market. Embarrassing. 🙂
I’ve had cars from all over the spectrum. Since the market freed me from the worst cars through their failure as importers, and would have freed me from the next-worst, had the government not stepped in, there isn’t too much point saying I’d least want a Saab or Peugeot. I have had another type of unpleasant experience, which is driving a car that attracts unwanted attention from people I’d rather not talk to. It was in Florida in the mid ’90s, so the chance that it was also an invitation for said people to shoot me and take the car seemed like a real possibility. Today the car I least want to be seen in is either a BMW with a matte finish paint job or a Range Rover Evoque. I might feel silly pulling up in an iQ, but I won’t have to hear stories about tattoo shops and I won’t look like I’m dumb enough to buy a vehicle without considering that the extreme sloping roofline is unique because people have heads.
There are some fans of dependable, well-engineered, and efficient cars at CC. For example, I would gladly drive a 1st-gen Honda Insight 5-speed (efficient, dependable, & well-engineered) but would rather not own a car than to own a Toyota Prius (also dependable, efficient, & well-engineered). CJinSD, everything decision is based on the matter of personal preference, which everyone will show to some extent.
I care more about volumetric efficiency than fuel efficiency. I care more about the engineering that goes into making a competent chassis than the engineering to squeeze out .00x of aerodynamic drag, sync gas and electric motors and to integrate my stupid iDevice thingy. Dependability? if it lasts 20+ years without rotting to the ground I’m happy!
That’s where my priorities are and it differs for many. I find it more embarrassing for someone who would lay down monthly payments on a $40,000 car to save money on gas.
XR7Matt, I was just giving an example of why personal preference is choosing the dependable, efficient, & well-engineered as cars fitting of hate to CJinSD.
I would respect the personal preference thing if it were mildly unique here. Instead, a large plurality of people are listing the same Toyotas that are exceptionally reliable and efficient vehicles. There is some Mr. Pine’s Purple House quality faux individuality on display here. At the point where three people regurgitated the same conditioned demonstration of uniqueness, why not consider what would really be an unpleasant car to own before planting an identical pine tree and shrub in your yard to show your personal preferences?
Alfasaab99; just curious: what do you base your strong anti-Prius feelings on? Technically? Image? Looks? Driving dynamics?
Association with a family member who owns one and is kind of an @$$ to me, my siblings, & my parents, primarily. I hate the lifeless driving dynamics (less than the noted association above). The interior felt somewhat cheap. On the technological frontI have very strong feelings of praise for the engineering miracle that the Prius is.
CJinSD, please, my personal preferences have nothing to do with anti-Toyota. I simply don’t like Hybrids, I don’t like FWD, I don’t like/need 4 doors, I don’t like overt aerodynamic styling and a Scion FR-S would be in the top 3 new cars I’d actually buy. I want a car that puts a smile on my face weather I’m banging through the gears or looking at it in my parking space. Barring some bout of environmental self righteousness, a Prius won’t do that for me.
It’s an intrinsically anti-car car. It caters directly to the kind of buyer who loathes automobile induced sprawl, yet is “forced” to live within it because GM destroyed their trollies. I don’t want a car that makes a statement, I want a car that I like because I like cars.
Somebody buy this son a beer.
Tell him to go to The Jalopnik Online Tavern for a free beer.
Good friend of mine has a Prius as a daily driver. His “other” car is a twin-supercharged Pantera. Be careful about the generalizations you assume.
XR7M: Well said.
Exactly my feelings on hybrids. As technological exercises, they’re beyond belief. As a car for a person who likes cars…not so much.
As noted, they’re fashion statements; and for people who can afford a 25-plus-grand fashion statement. I cannot; and I have no desire to show affinity with that bunch.
I would respect the personal preference thing if it were mildly unique here. Instead, a large plurality of people are listing the same Toyotas that are exceptionally reliable and efficient vehicles. There is some Mr. Pine’s Purple House quality faux individuality on display here. At the point where three people regurgitated the same conditioned demonstration of uniqueness, why not consider what would really be an unpleasant car to own before planting an identical pine tree and shrub in your yard to show your personal preferences?
* more recent posts only served to make this comment more omniscient.
@JustPassinThru, you took the exact words out of my mouth. I hate bland & boring hybrids, but love fun-to-drive ones & ones with stick shifts. On the other hand, I respect all hybrids due to the fact that they are technological marvels.
We don’t pretend to be Consumer’s Report. And I did make it pretty clear that this was mostly about very subjective qualities.
But I tend to agree; lots of hating on some pretty innocuous cars.
Dodge Avenger is the worst-styled car I can think of that you can still buy. Instead of trying to buid a 4/5ths-scale Charger, they should have picked a design that actually worked with the wheelbase and proportions of that car. It looks like it was designed by Fisher Price.
Very hard to pin down the exact model but I’d sooner drive a bright pink moped with tassels and pinwheels than drive anything with super thick A and C pillars.
I drove a HHR and could not believe how huge the A pillars were.
What an odd proportioned styling mess that Buick was. Strange that these actually were not sold in China, because the styling seem rather… Chinese to me.
Ironically the Chinese LOVE Buicks, it is the #1 American brand.
The benefit of having had a huge head start in China. Its market share has been drooping in more recent years, though, IIRC.
Lots of people saying the Corolla, but even worse than the Corolla is the Echo. I would hate to have to drive that around all the time.
Escalade.
I assume those infesting the thing are class enemies of me and my brethren at the dregs level of society.
Geez, what’s with all of the Prius negativity? I thought hybrids were goofy until I was issued a Ford Escape Hybrid by my employer and became appreciative of hybrid technology after driving one for a while. I never really respected Toyota(or Ford post WWII) until I realized what they have done with the Prius and Escape Hybrid. Yes, it’s ruthlessly an engineer’s car focused on practicality and efficiency at a price you can afford and reliability you can count on. What was the last true engineer’s car? The W123 Mercedes Benz?
This engineer will be trading his Maxima in on a Prius or C-max.
The car I would hate most to drive would be the Chevy Chevette my boss tried to sell me 20 years ago.
I’m shocked with all the Prius and any/all hybrid hate. Certainly the Prius is not fun to drive but I wouldn’t consider driving one to be torture like any true mini truck.
The gen3 Prius’ driving dynamics are considerably improved over its predecessor. It’s comparable to many typical cars. But anti-Prius fever has been raging for a decade; who knows when it will die out?
My question is whether all those that listed it have ever driven one?
Mine too.
Paul,
It would be easy to ask the same question of you when you write of dislikes and opinions that sometimes seem, dare I say, biased…
I understand you may like the Prius…have you ever driven a Rendezvous?
See what I’m getting at?
The anti-Prius fervor is a reaction to the use of the Prius as a fashion and political statement. However it happened, the Prius has become a badge – a badge for some forceful people waving intrusive concepts and proposals. So the Prius has become a symbol representing those people; and brings visceral reactions from those who oppose them.
Fairly or unfairly, a lot of the Prius-hatred has nothing to do with the car on its merits. But then, neither does SUV hatred have anything to do with the worth of THOSE vehicles.
+1. Most of the hate on the Prius is based not on the car, but the company–or perceived company–it keeps.
JustPassinThru:
Very well said, 100% agree.
The only thing I would add is that this anti-(insert car name here) is very much often throw at other models and manufacturers (Anything say Chrysler or GM) based on the same factors. Heck, sometimes its even “cool” to hate on certain makes and models because that is the going trend in publications…
My Prius-hate evaporated when a coworker took some of us out to lunch in his. His commute is 2.5 hours one way and he only purchased it for appliance purposes. I’ll never be fan anything built after ’95 or so but admit his little car surprised me in a very good way.
Historically, the Chevy Citation. Ugh.
2013 Model – the Smart car
I may be in the minority here, I would HATE to have to drive a 1995-2003 or is it 2004 chevy s-10 blazer. Where do I start, well first they handle like they are wallowing on marsh mellow tires, second I find them cramped and there something about the seating position that always made me uncomfortable. Last but not least the transmission tunnel cuts into the foot well and the accelerator pedal is on a angle and you have to angle your foot funny to drive, which causes my knee to hurt.
I have always found them very uncomfortable, plain and simple and I never understood the appeal of these blazers. I found my Jeep tj wrangler to have much more comfortable seating position, although it had a cramped footwell as well.
The Scion XB is another car Im not sure I could live with, the seating position, while comfortable is odd, as well as the dashboard and the high beltline for the windows. I might get used to one, but they make me angry riding in one.
IMO the only saving grace with those trucks is that the 4.3l V6 will take a licking and keep on ticking. Other than that, they’ve always been especially unappealing to me. The regular S-10 Blazer or pickup still wouldn’t make my long list of “Most Hated”, but the disgustingly hideous S-10 XTREME pickup would. This is one of the biggest automotive advertisements for bad taste that an American manufacturer has ever produced…
All show and no go cars and trucks yes. The early 90s Typhoon/Syclone is another story.
I’m not crazy about the looks of the Syclone/Typhoon either, but I’d still say they’re pretty cool despite looking ridiculous.
Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator! They are the most ridiculous vehicles on the planet. Even something as ugly as the Aztek would be preferable.
Wow. I think the hate for the Rendezvous is a little unwarranted. Have you ever driven one? Smooth. Personally, I think they’re beautiful. It’s a Buick, not a Lamborghini. Dependable? Not too much. Bang for your buck? Sure.
Some might say the same about the Prius, which is getting plenty of hate here too.
As I made very clear in the opening paragraph, this is a very subjective post on purpose, not about the car’s objective qualities. And the comments certainly reflect that.
GM didn’t even have the decency to give it a Buick engine. Even the Regal got that.
Today Chevy gets a Cadillac engine. An even bigger disgrace. (However, I do not like that engine). I don’t think a Buick engine would have fit under the hood of the Rendezvous? Very small area.
They did put the same 3.6 DOHC V6 in the later Rendezvous, also this whole Buick engine, Cadillac engine thing is really outdated, and it only seems to matter to certain GM people for some odd reason, does a 300 have a Dodge engine?
They are GM cars with GM engines, get over it. The 3.6 wasn’t designed by Cadillac or made in Cadillac plant, its made in a GMPowertrain plant like every other GM engine made today.
“…and it only seems to matter to certain GM people for some odd reason… “
It’s GM’s own fault. They spent years brainwashing us into becoming fans of a certain brand. The divisional engines were a major part of that fandom. It got to be where the engine maker was as important as the badge on the grille.
They can’t just do a corporate hand-wave and suddenly make us all forget our biases.
“They are GM cars with GM engines, get over it.”
Not gonna happen personally. However, if Paul ever asks me to stop bringing it up on the site I will.
Haha, I was just responding to ajla’s response to me (Cadillac engine in a Chevy seems to be a more serious offense). I love the Buick 3800 no matter what car it’s in. Pontiac preferably :D. I agree with most all of your sentiments on this site actually, Carmine!
Did you have a long week? 🙂
“They are GM cars with GM engines, get over it. The 3.6 wasn’t designed by Cadillac or made in Cadillac plant, its made in a GMPowertrain plant like every other GM engine made today.”
So a Chevrolet is just a less overpriced GM car and a Cadillac is a more overpriced GM car then? While it is true that GM has been putting engines from different divisions under the hoods of their cars since the ’70s, it is also true that GM’s divisions have been struggling to distinguish themselves from one another since about the same time. Were Oldsmobile powered Cadillacs and Pontiac Trans Ams really such a good idea? How did that work out for Oldsmobile? Why was the last unqualified success at engine design from Cadillac introduced in 1968? The 3.6 is a “GM” engine. Why is it the top of the line Cadillac ATS engine and the standard engine in the fleet-special Chevrolet Impala? I’m glad I’m not certain GM people who care about their products for some odd reason.
Excellent point, CJ. Very interesting rationale from GM, to say the least. (FYI, I believe the CTS was the first vehicle to get the 3.6, so wouldn’t it be considered a Cadillac engine like I said earlier? I dislike it either way–I started up an Impala the other day and it revved all over the place–started my 3800 and it was smooth as butter–no thank you!).
CJ, no different than there are Toyota engines in Toyota (Lexus, Scion) cars… The Lexus LS had the V8, then they stuffed it in the Tundra… The hybrid Camry now shares its engine/motor with the hybrid Lexus ES…So they are probably both made by “Toyota Powertrain”…much like the GM engines are made by “GM Powertrain”…
To take the argument in the direction you are heading is just doing that…a road to no where. Pot calling the kettle black much?
Toyota doesn’t have the baggage of decades of marketing the same cars through different divisions based on distinct engines. Toyota also doesn’t have the baggage of launching engines that weren’t ready like the 2,300, V8-6-4, HT-4100, Northstar, or Quad4, They also didn’t keep engines in production for decades after they were perceived as obsolete, often because of their seeming inability to launch successful replacements. Iron Duke? 3800? The 3800 is interesting, because it was eventually developed to be a bright spot in GM’s lineup, one that some would say they’ve yet to satisfactorily replace. Mind you it was around in pretty unpleasant form for more than two decades before reaching that state of development, and Toyota doesn’t have people complaining that their new engines are more powerful at high RPM but lack the smoothness and efficiency of their 50 year old engines…
Compare the Camry/ES350’s 0-60 in 7.2 second, 35 real world mpg hybrid powertrain to the one in a Buick or Malibu and maybe you’ll see why Toyota doesn’t get criticized for their shared powertrains.
We have base model Hyundai Accents as our fleet at work. I loathe them with every ounce of my being. The roll-up windows and manual locks don’t bother me. I just feel terribly unsafe in them. Same goes for the Aveo I rented once. Misery.
I would also rather not drive a Dodge Neon. When I was starting in the news business I covered a lot of car accidents. The Neons never held up very well.
C63 AMG.
Because I’d have to give it up after one year.
2011 Chevy Malibu. I bought it willingly, lured by crazy incentives and $3,500 in GM Credit card points. I owned it for almost 7 months and am very happy to be rid of it. I had no problem with the way it drove, or looked – in fact I liked it a lot…when it was working. I just had problems with bringing it back to the Chevy dealer twice monthly to have it fixed. We replaced various sensors, seats, intermediate steering shaft, and the PCM in the first 6 months. When the god-awful 6 speed started slipping and shuddering in the 7th month and I was told “it’s normal” every time I brought it back, my patience was at an end. It was traded in at a Nissan dealer ready to ensnare it’s next unsuspecting victim. If I had to keep it 10 years, I’d imagine I’d have gone crazy and driven it into a bridge abutment. Would have probably made for some entertaining dialogue with the Onstar operator though…
Jeez…I thought those days were over. And all of us notorious “GM skeptics” keep our mouths shut about their recent/current cars, for fear of being called “GM haters”.
Are you going to do a COAL post? You really should document this.
Everyone can build a bad one, I have a 2005 G6 GT with almost 100K owned since new that has been very trouble free except for a couple of things that come over time.
So, are we saying that the 1970s-style Mopar lottery lives on at GM? 🙂 This is not a good thing.
I’ve had like 5 late model GM cars in the last 10 years, 2 late model used, 3 new and run almost all but one well over 100K or close to, with reasonably little trouble, a thing here and thing there, and all within the over 80K mark, an a/c comp here, an alternator there, power window motor, etc, so I would say its more hit than miss, and I’ve noticed they have improved the materials a good amount since the 90’s, especially in the heat resistance of the interiors.
The family and I have owned about 6 GMs in the last 20 years. We’re going about 50% good / 50% bad. Same 50/50 experience with the Fords that I have owned also. Nissan I’d say is about 75% good in my experience, and I have never had a bad experience with Honda.
My wife and I personally had 3 newer GMs, including a 2008 Saturn Outlook, a 2007 Saturn Aura (both with the 3.6) and the 2011 Malibu (4 cyl). I liked the Outlook, and put 50k on it, but it got horrendous gas mileage and I started driving more, so it had to go. The outlook needed a steering rack, steering pump, two new struts, and a few recalls done on it in that time. The one that really killed me was the heated washer fluid recall which the Chevy dealer removed without my consent because they say it could catch fire and the sub that made them for GM went bankrupt. Still it was a cool feature, and it sucked to have it gone. With all of that, the Outlook was a cool vehicle, and I wish I still had it. Hopefully the bugs are worked out, cause I would consider an Acadia one day.
The Aura is still going at 70k miles, we sold it to my brother in law a couple of years ago. Only issue with this car was that one of the heads on the 3.6 cracked and had to be replaced (fortunately under warranty). The Aura was the loaded up XR model with all possible options. Very quick, but bad gas mileage compared to it’s competition.
Other down side of all of the GMs above was that none of them came close to the EPA gas mileage numbers, even the 4 cyl Malibu was lucky to see 22 MPG. Also, the ownership experience for both of the Saturns went into the toilet when we were forced to go to other GM dealers. The Saturn dealers were not selling perfect cars, but at least the dealerships were friendly places that always fixed the car no questions asked. The Chevy dealer was like pulling teeth to get them to look at anything.
So all in all the GM cars from my personal experience had lots of neat features, good driving dynamics, and fit and finish of the bodies has improved a lot. Also they have good warranties and they are cheaper than the competition. They also all had nicer interiors then say my 2012 Altima, but so far the Altima has already surpassed all of the above GM cars in that it hasn’t been back to the dealer for anything other than routine maintenance in the first 30k miles, and it actually achieves the EPA numbers for city and highway.
I am one of the people that really wants to see GM make it. I still have my GM card and am still accumulating points for my next car, but I just had too many bad times at the Chevy dealer to trust them again for a while. The current plan is to maybe get a full size truck, or another Lambda platform crossover from them at some point, but I won’t be buying another daily driver from them.
I wasn’t going to, because it wasn’t much of a “classic”, but I can…:)
I had a case going with GM customer service about this car. But nothing ever got resolved. They would say that they want you to be satisfied, but they wouldn’t actually do anything about it.
Hummer 3 with the I5 engine. Heavy, thirsty, grievously underpowered, huge blind spots and it carries the hole poser-mobile stigma.
N Body Skylark Coupe with the 4cyl and 3speed auto. My grandmother had one, it still stands out in my mind as the worst car I’ve ever driven.
The Hummer H3T was the only H2/H3 I didn’t passionately hate. I was/am very into the GM Atlas engines and I could rationalize an I5/manual transmission H3T being cool, even though it really isn’t.
New: Practically any CUV, particularly a Lexus RX. Girly Cars all of them. Would be happier in a Minivan. Beyond that a Corolla, Cube, Soul, or Smart.
Despite my love for all things Brougham, and my flirtations with Euro-style driver’s cars (Contour/Mystique), I would not have a problem driving home a new Corolla. Why? Simple, they are reliable and efficient. Plus, I drove Corollas during my college years, so I have good memories to associate with them.
Now, as for cars that would drive me crazy???
Ford Aspire. Just dreadful all around.
1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu. I liked what I saw when they came out. They were roomy and had some nice features, but they just drove terribly. There was no weight in the rear of the car and I almost wiped out in a 1998 Olds Cutlass version while taking a curve at a slow speed during winter. Plus, with the exception of the leather clad versions, I could never find a comfortable position in the front seats.
2000-2005 Impala base model. My company has a 2004 base model that resides at our office. While I can get reasonably comfortable behind the wheel, and the economy is very impressive (never dips below 32 mpg), the car is just mind-numblingly dull! Perhaps if it was a 3.8 liter equipped LS model I would feel different. All the other versions of the W body I have driven gave me better feelings, but this one would bring me to tears.
Maybe the older Corollas had a lower driving postion, but the one I drove had mini-vanish feel that I could not get rid off not matter how I adjusted the seat.
A friend of mine had one of those vintage Malibus with like 197K on it, the 2004 and up version is no treat either, rented one once, a real cheapo one too, striper grey fleet colored LS with the 4 banger, dulllllllll.
You know though, I’m kinda finding those 2000 Impalas kinda interesting, I imagine that car probably looked alot better in drawings and something was lost in translation.
I don’t think the finished product looked that bad on those Impalas either… the worst thing I could probably say about them is that you could still see a little bit of Lumina in them from certain angles. I know a lot of people weren’t into the huge/weird tail lamps, but I thought it looked kinda cool.
+1 on that Malibu/Cutlass. One of the most uninteresting, uninspired cars to debut in my lifetime.
Pretty well any Toyota. Not because I particularly dislike Toyotas, but because I dislike the people who drive them and wouldn’t ever want to be associated with them. They are people who hate cars, hate driving, can’t drive, are completely risk averse, have the same relationship with their car as they do with their refrigerator and are basically anti-car. Oh and I also hate people who make generalized statements. Haha.
But I’m not kidding, I would never own any Toyota for that reason.
And yet every one of them knows enough about cars to buy one that works…
Don’t need to know anything about products to follow Consumer Reports recommendations, which I’m sure a lot of people do. Yup, Toyotas work and they’re reliable. And I’d recommend them to a friend looking for an appliance. But I have such a bias against that appliance mentality that I’d never own one myself.
Like with most things, it is all about priorities. I suspect that most Toyota owners (at least Camry/Corolla specifically) have little or no interest in car ownership other than as a necessary evil in their lives. That is why those cars are very basic yet sell well because there is a market for that. Honda buyers are slightly more sophisticated in their needs since most Hondas are more sophisticated than Toyotas, and even the Accord is beginning to creep into the premium category. The Accord is now classified as a midsize and the V6 models are often well equipped and quite pricey. A lot of buyers will accept or overlook deficiencies in their choice of cars if their priorities are met. I suspect again that a lot of Corolla buyers if polled probably would not consider the comfort level of the car particularly appealing but would stress the economy and efficiency factor of utmost importance. Cars like that are uninspiring for people who don’t want to be inspired by a car.
With that said, there are others who have additional priorities and different wants and needs out of cars that are fulfilled by other makes. The cars that I listed for my choices were not done so because I consider them “bad” cars per se, but more so cars that simply do not fit the lifestyle in which I live. I do not need a cheap efficient economical car in my life. Not because I can afford it, but because as an automotive professional and a car buff, the experience of car driving is an intangible benefit that is not easily quantified by Consumer Reports or other empirical analysts.
My 2010 V6 Camaro is a rather basic model Camaro (MSRP $27,xxx) yellow with black stripes and basic 18″ wheels. It represents an almost incredibly cheap way to have a good time in a car on the weekends. Aside from the low entry past, it gets reasonably good mileage (17 city and 27 highway) and in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned I have done nothing to it beyond some oil changes and periodic cleanings. Its plenty fast for an old bull, does not drink gas like a 69 Camaro, covered under warranty, and always gets looks in traffic and on the surface lots. I would say the same for many similar cars like the Mustang, Chally, and maybe even some of the imports. There is a huge value there in fun vs cost factor.
For daily drivers, I tend to drive older established models like my 93 Century wagon with well over 200K on the clock because has been an absolutely incredibly cheap vehicle to drive to the shop daily. In the 15 years of ownership, I have spent $2,400 in maintenance + gas + insurance. Parts are practically given away and even monkey mechanics can figure out how to replace most items. I will drive it until I can no longer fix it. The money I have saved by driving that car daily amounts to completely paying for the cost of the Camaro. So in effect, I am getting two cars for the price of one. If I were to sell that car and go out an buy a brand new car, even something as bare as a basic Corolla, my yearly car expenses would rise with no appreciable benefit to the driving experience.
An argument that I made for aiding GM and Chrysler in 2009 was the preservation of choice in the marketplace. Any market, for cars, toys, TVs, whatever ALWAYS benefits by a healthy selection of goods that satisfy most tastes and interests. American cars have always, historically, been geared to a slightly different set of priorities than the other makes. Japanese cars are typically very efficient reliable but also rather Spartan and uninspiring. Fine, there is going to be a segment of the population that wants and needs that. Many European cars (and even most) do not come with the same reliability and efficiency that the Japanese cars do but tend to offer a road car type of experience that they have excelled in providing.
As far as I am concerned, if a person can make a competent rational argument for driving what they are driving, then more power to them. Cars should represent who they are and what they want and need out of life. Just like our homes and most everything else we buy and use. I have many friends in the car business, fans of many makes from just about every major car make on the road. A good quality car person is going to appreciate the values that each holds for their machines. The problem I see is when people begin to mouth off about things and people usually in a derogatory or negative way that goes beyond their personal preferences. “Those people are stupid, f-the unions, that is a communist loving car, f-all the cars because I disliked something that happened 35 years ago, all my favorite makes cars are totally awesome always, etc.” Yea right ok whatever. Toyota makes good cars that taste like aspirin going down without water, GM makes cars that are wonderful parked, and Germany makes cars that bring new meaning to austerity in interiors. It said it, so lets get back to good chat.
Well said, Craig. As a Toyota owner…I recognize that there’s something lacking in the driving dynamic. But value for price, the Toyota delivers. I can enjoy a nimble, high-powered driving machine…but it will cost more, require more maintenance, lose value quicker and not last as long. And meantime, the roads are crumbling and the cops write more tickets than ever. With laser speed detection, with speed measurement a vital revenue enhancement for municipalities…who needs a fast car?
There are luxuries I can afford; and some I choose not to afford – in favor of other things. A Toyota saves me money; and right now that’s good enough for me.
How much time do you spend poking along in the left lane while talking on your cell phone in your not Toyota?
As I eek through life, I have noticed that the people I:
1. can open up to & share intelligent conversation with
2. listen to
3. trust
4. like to spend the most time with
5. want to be like
all drive used boring Japanese vehicles.
None of them are really into cars that much. Sometimes it makes me wonder where my priorities are and where they should be focused on.
Given that we can actually buy Great Walls here, I’d have to put them first on the list, together with Cherys. Partly for concerns over build quality and engineering standards, but more to the point of this post because it shouts to everybody else “I know nothing about cars and have no interest and therefore likely no competence in driving, or I’m just really cheap”. Same people that drove Kias, Daewoos and Protons 10 years ago.
I’d also avoid the small & midsize Chrysler products sold here in recent years plus junk like the Nitro. As mentioned earlier the Hummer H3 (H2’s and proper Hummers are $$$ private imports), with the exception of an Adventure spec one if I was going to purely use it offroad, which still wouldn’t make it a good idea given the likely non-existent parts supply.
Anything from China. Even the names of the cars that they build freaks me out. How would you like to be seen in a car called Smiley?
A Smart or the Fiat equivalent. I saw one the other day, don’t know which, though. It looked like it was going to fall over on its side.
A windowless Dodge Tradesman.
Is that a car you would hate to drive drive or get kidnapped by?
Good question…either! 🙂
Maybe a 1970s version where every surface of the interior (sides and ceiling included) is covered in vinyl or carpeting of a loud shade of brown or orange.
It rubs the lotion on its skin!!!!
It will point out that the Dodge Tradesman was the serial killer van of choice in Manhunter, Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon.
I can’t report on newer cars as I don’t travel for business as much as I did at one time.
I’ve already had the displeasure of driving tons of older (early 90’s) Corollas when I was selling them, none of which had any rewarding driving qualities for me. Additionally, I did 6 years with a Mercury Topaz which was its own form of torture.
There are some rental spec GM compacts from the mid 90’s I never want to spend time in again, mostly due to the crap seats they used to install in them. Not having owned them, I don’t know what the rest of the ownership life was like, I just couldn’t stand sitting in the cars for a long time.
For all of the love piled on Honda Civics, my mother’s 2004 was a pile of blah. A competent car, but nothing I could see driving every day.
Maybe I’m too grateful to be able to drive ANYTHING rather than walking or taking the bus. But I’m really hard pressed to come up with anything that I would truly HATE to drive for a year…
Dull as it may be, I’d still rather drive a Corolla than a Smart or Scion iQ. The latter two just force you to make too many sacrifices. The Corolla would at least be comfortable enough to drive on a daily basis.
I’m slightly surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but the Saturn Ion would probably be what I’d least want to be forced to drive for a year. Cheap materials in the interior and the ridiculous speedometer in the center of the dash…no thank you.
Ooooo, good one, especially the early ones with the chicken pot pie sized steering wheel.
LOL: Great description.
The Saturn Ion was so bad that I actually feel sorry for it…
There has to be a Deadly Sin article on these eventually.
The car that replaced it, the Astra, might be the only car that was ever a Curbside Classic in its own time. I don’t know about other parts of the country, but here in the Northeast, they are an incredibly rare sight. I easily see more late ’80s Camrys and Accords on the road and even their Saturn SL predecessors are more common by far.
I’m in the Northeast too and it took me until after the Saturn brand folded to see my first Astra – which was, to this day, the only one I’ve ever seen. Wikipedia says only 18,266 were sold in the US, but that still seems like too high a number to me…
Strange times for GM during their “bankruptcy years”… they only ever sold 457 copies of the Saab 9-4X before that marquee bit the dust! Has anyone ever seen one? I haven’t…
I did name the Saturn Ion. In fact it was the only car model that I mentioned specifically in my post. I had one as a rental. I thought it was pathetic.
My bad. I missed that.
Fortunately, I thought of another car I might despise just as much, if not more: the Suzuki X-90.
Anything that’s Panther based.
GM “Dustbuster” minivan
Pontiac Aztek
Subaru Justy
Chevette Scooter
Yugo
Trabant
Any BMW newer than an e30. The styling has gotten progressively uglier, the development has gone ever more toward useless gadgets over durability and reliability, and the image projected by driving one isn’t who I want to be seen as. The fact the the X3 profoundly outsold the concurrent 3-series wagon despite being inferior in every measurable way says it all.
I’m sure it wouldn’t be all that horrible from behind the steering wheel, but I would be embarrassed to be seen in one of the Pontiac Grand Ams with the Ram Air snout in a color like this…
@ Stephen: The Toyota Echo does not get the amount of sheer visceral hatred it deserves. That is my first pick for car of the last 15 years I would rather walk than drive. It’s far, far uglier than the unfairly maligned Aztek, which at least A) had a Judge Dredd kind of look about it and B) has been copied, to some extent, in the Honda Crosstour and BMW X ugliness. The Echo is mind bendingly ugly inside and out. It, unlike the Corolla, offers no redeeming values, and before you say reliability, where did they all go? There was NO reason to choose one over one of its competitors. When I see one, I think, no one, anywhere, at any time, ever had fun in this car.
I don’t disagree with your take on the Echo. However, I can report at least one positive – several years ago, I met an older guy at a Toyota dealer lot. The place was closed and we were walking around. He wanted to replace his Echo, which he liked because it sat a little taller than average, and he had bad knees. The Yaris (and everything else in that class) sat lower, and was harder to get in and out of. So, there it is – the only reason I have ever heard to buy an Echo.
I owned an Echo and a well-worn Geo Metro side-by-side for some years.
The Echo was obviously the more reliable. Guess which one I preferred?
Yup, the Geo. The Echo (like many modern Toyota products) had all the driving fun removed – as if with a cutting torch.
I currently own a Yaris – for my economic straits. But I can compare the two; they’re basically the same car, the Yaris being an evolution and a hatchback.
The Echo sat higher. But the driving position was less comfortable. And the chassis was more twitchy; although both have poor directional stability.
That’s about a sum of the differences. Both have unremarkable fuel economy; both are bulletproof – and both use the same drivetrain, the same 1.5 liter four.
Neon. The company I work for has four of them that are long paid for. We use them as last resort vehicles or for our “cash rental” customers. As a manager who gets a company car, I get the pleasure of driving one when all the other rentals are out. What a miserable piece of crap they are. They all smell like melting crayons on the inside.
When I get stuck with one I park it two doors down from my house in the driveway of a foreclosed home. I’ve tried to kill them all with abuse, but I give them credit, 9 years of unloved rental car abuse and they run great.
I tried to be a cash customer one time to see what it would be like and eventually pulled out my platinum Visa after the experience degraded to the point I was about to walk out.
If you’d kept it up, they’d have forced you into a Neon! THAT would have taught you…
Fiat Multipla. Next to it, even the Aztek starts to make more sense.
Just when I thought nothing could top the ugliness of the nissan murano, they build the juke… but this thing?
I’d have to have a six-pack of barf bags handy before getting behind the wheel of one of these Clown Cars…. “QX-56” fits this POSer appropriately…. It makes even the Hummer look grown-up….for just under $60K!
Prius, Corolla, Aztek, Rendevous
Late to the party, but a Mitsubishi i-Car. And before you ask, yes I have driven one for a couple hundred kilometres (courtesy car from the Mitsi dealer while the boss’s Outlander was being serviced). It was the most emasculating thing ever. But at least it was slow so that people could get a good look at me…
The rendezvous is a awesome. People give me thumbs up every were I go in mine. Mine is black with grey lather and I put on some nice 24″ rims and a badass pioneer 20000wat sound system. I commind attention anywere I drive. Buicks is nice from 1980s to todays. My dad got a 86 Regal thats not running I gonna restore someday hopefully get a nice vette motor or grandational gn 3.8 and get the old regal back on the road with some serieous horsepower.
I drove a Gremlin for a weekend. It felt like months. Hard seats, noisy AF on the highway. Could not hear the radio. Opening the window was like opening the gates of hell for the noise and the wind buffeting. Felt like a 5000 pound car. The speedo bounced from 20-80 MPH at random. After turning it in at the rental place I swore never to set foot in one again, on pain of death.