It is time. You've nominated 136 candidates for The Truth About Cars' (TTAC) recently rechristened “Ten Worst Automobiles” awards. TTAC’s stable of underpaid and overeducated scribes surveyed the damage and did their duty: they've winnowed the roll call of automotive abominations down to the terrible twenty. Now it's your turn to tell the truth about cars. Go to the bottom of this post and vote for ten vehicles you consider worthy of public recognition as TTAC's Ten Worst for 2007.
Some Ten Worst nominees were as predictable as an episode of Scooby Do– and they would have got away with it too if it weren’t for those meddling pistonheads! A couple of choices seemed designed with TTAC's Ten Worst awards in mind. And here they are: the bad, the ugly, the worst of the worst.
Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X (2006 Winner – 9-7X)
Chevy Aveo (2006 Winner)
Chevrolet Cobalt (2006 Nominee)
Chevrolet Monte Carlo (2006 Winner)
Chevrolet Uplander (2006 Winner)
Chrysler Aspen (2006 Winner)
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Nitro
Ford Focus
Hummer H2 (2006 Nominee)
Hummer H3
Jaguar X-type (2006 Nominee)
Jeep Commander (2006 Nominee)
Jeep Compass (2006 Winner)
Lincoln Mark LT (2006 Winner)
Nissan Armada
Pontiac Grand Prix
Saturn ION
Subaru Tribeca (2006 Winner)
To assist you in your sacred duty, lend the Ten Worst selection process an air of legitimacy, amuse you and take us to the requisite 800 words, here are guidelines for assessing each finalist.
Value (price, content, depreciation) - Does it scream "RENTAL UNIT?" Would you be better off in the long run if you just tossed your money down a sewer grate rather than buying this vehicle?
Market segment suitability - How well does the Ten Worst finalist stack up against other vehicles in its class or price range? Is there any real justification for its existence– other than placating dealers or keeping a factory running to satisfy the terms of a UAW contract?
Reliability – When you hear someone talking about "Total Recall," do you think about Arnie's magnum opus or this car? Would you buy one only if you could unload it before the 50K mile mark? Would you let your teen-aged daughter drive one across town at 1 AM?
Build quality – Does the wiring look like a public service announcement for The Duct Tape Council? Can you see the panel gaps from low-Earth orbit? Was the trim applied by Salvador Dali after a three-day bender?
Quality of materials – Are the materials better suited for a city bus than a private vehicle? Would you rather touch a leper than a latch? Is the faux wood/aluminum/carbon fiber as convincing as Britney Spears speaking at a Mothers Against Drunk Driving convention?
Styling – Does it look like it was designed by three different blind people? In three different countries? Communicating via smoke signals? From a bong?
Performance/handling – Is the vehicle's zero to 60 performance best measured with a calendar? Does the hubbub under the hood have any correlation with forward motion? Does the car's cornering prowess bring to mind a rutting walrus?
Design – Are the ergonomics egregious? Is there less rearwards visibility than a 747? Is it a parts bin special bereft of anything remotely resembling "special?"
Desirability- If your company gave you this vehicle as a company car, would you consider changing jobs? If you had to drive one in public, would you pull a cap down over your face and assume the gansta slouch just to keep anyone from recognizing you?
Je ne sais quoi- That's French for "I know this car sucks, but I can't put my finger on the exact reason it makes me gag every time one passes on the street."
So, armed with these analytic tools, we place TTAC's Ten Worst in your capable hands. When you're ready, click at the bottom of this post and vote for up to 10 selections to be named the crème de la crap of the auto industry. (No repeat voting. Violators will be forced to drive the worst of The Worst for one week.) Please feel free to justify your decision and/or lobby your car-crazed cohorts below. Voting closes at midnight, Saturday 27 October. We'll announce the "winners" on November 1.
As always, RF, the entire TTAC team and I thank you for your participation. Although we use a light-hearted tone here, rest assured we understand the importance of naming and shaming the vehicles that bring dishonor to their manufacturers and disgrace our American roadways. And to those automakers whose products appear here, a message: the truth hurts. If your vehicle is on this list, regardless of short term gain, we urge you to do the right thing. For all of our sakes, it's time for the pain to stop.
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Ahh, that Edsel photo — this may seem a bit anthropomorphic (sp?), but I can see the pain on the car’s face, and I feel sorry for it.
But no such sympathy for the present list… HAVE AT IT!
But…But…They’re all so horrible. Can’t we just say they’re all the worst? How am I supposed to pick only ten?
Wow, I never realized the Tribeca took it’s inspiration from the Edsel. I mean, the central flying you-know-what at the front of the edsel is more pinched, a bit like an Old British aristocrat lady, but the overall effect really is the same.
Ditto for the vote screen.
Sorry about that folks. I had turned it off to make a few corrections and forgot to turn it back on. Try it now.
AKM:
You just made me spit up the breakfast I was trying to eat. I was thinking "wow, the Tribeca did have a direct predecessor after all" when I saw that pic.
I'm going to have trouble with this survey because I agree with every single nomination being one of the worst cars on the market today.
I still think there should be special 'runner up' awards.. like the Aztec for a complete design blunder, the Edsel or Tribeca for well.. looking like genitalia, the _insert car name here_ for the car so unreliable you wouldn't want to take it across town at 1AM, and something to honor a car that was SIGNIFICANTLY more appealing in it's previous generation (xB, 08 Accord all come to mind)
I still say Corolla belongs on this list.
No, the corolla does not belong on the list. It is not a horrible product. It may be boring for you to drive and to look at, but it’s a proven solid investment for non-car enthusiasts.
AKM:
Yes, I hear that’s what they called the Edsel back then, too.
Talk about a race to the bottom, it’s going to be hard to choose just 10. So few votes, so much crap.
Please tell me the Sebring and Avenger are lumped together.
Picking the ten worst out of this list was a challenge, I tell you.
What exactly is TTAC’s electronic method to keep people from voting more than once? Is it by IP? Because I think someone behind our firewall already voted. If not, could be because my domain resolves as something like http://www.RandomAutoMakerWithATWATNomination.com ?
1. Saab 9-7X (2006 Winner – 9-7X) – This truck was never born by Jets. It was born by Accountants and raised by Boob Lutz.
2. Chevy Aveo (2006 Winner) – Chevy can rebadge and pass on it’s own several different Korean cars. It choose the cheapest of the cheap and it was as reliable as their own. Not a good move.
3. Chevrolet Monte Carlo (2006 Winner) – Nascar fans unite as their faux stock car racer can’t do anything well at all. Being 4000lbs fwd and with a Capitan Kangaroo inspired suspension and brakes. It’s only claim to fame is 400lb people can drive it to their local fast food place.
4. Chevrolet Uplander (2006 Winner) – They are still selling these?
5. Chrysler Aspen (2006 Winner) – Chrysler cars are not thought of as luxurious and this is their attempt to do so?
6. Chrysler Sebring / Avenger – Designed by accountants, and morticians (the skinny windows) – destined for rental car fleets.
7. Ford Focus – It was a decent car 10 years ago (sans the record # of recalls) and a decent platform. Move 10 years later and the full model change (already overdue) is only skin deep. This is the stupidity that Ford did with the Taurus to ruin the name and cheapen a cheap car already.
8. Jaguar X-type (2006 Nominee) – This would be a fine car if it was a Ford…wait it is. However it is poorly built (even compared to some of the worst Jags) and sports nothing in performance. This fat tabby cat is declawed and it’s sales have shown. What suckers bought the bargain basement Jag (note the $3k in rebates to get these off the lot) may never go back.
9. Jeep Compass (2006 Winner) – An affront to a storied brand yet it is what Chrysler does best – ruining a brands image with half hearted attempts. If Chrysler keeps on poisoning Jeep with watered down products – Jeep will lose in the long run.
10. Lincoln Mark LT (2006 Winner) – Ford brought out version 2.0 of an answer to a question nobody asked for. A $50k gussied up pickup truck. Who couldn’t predict this failure again.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo (2006 Winner)
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Nitro
Ford Focus
Hummer H2 (2006 Nominee)
Jeep Compass (2006 Winner)
Pontiac Grand Prix
Saturn ION
Is the Avenger still on the list? If not it should be.
BlueBrat – Okay so the Corolla is reliable and maintains its value. But so do a lot of other compacts. The Civic is reliable and maintains its value. It also has a lot of standard features, handles well, and performs well. The Elantra/Spectra are also fairly reliable and have far more features than the Corolla. The Mazda 3 maintains it’s value well, but it’s a lot more fun to drive. To me it’s the weakest vehicle in its segment.
My point is if all you’re going to talk about is how bad a car is in absolute terms, I don’t think there are that many bad cars out there. Most of the cars on that list are just not that good. Take a look at the Lincoln Mark LT. It’s not a bad vehicle, it just doesn’t really fit well with its segment (luxury pickup that’s not really any more luxurious than an F-150). If you get one used that’s taken the depreciation hit, I think it would be a pretty nice vehicle.
I’m really disappointed the PT Crusier did not make the list since it is hideous and has worse driving dynamics than even the lowly Aveo
This list is boring. Seriously, every car on this list is terrible, but most are also from terrible brands. Brands most pistonheads have given up on long ago. Why kick an already dead horse?
We need an award for cars that are brand betrayals. Somewhere to put the Mazda Tribute’s and CX-9’s of the world.
FINALLY!!! A list where GM, Ford and Chrysler run the table. Well done fellas. Now I know why your top level management is making so much money. Clearly, it’s the quality and tremendous respect your product has in the marketplace.
BMW, Toyota, Honda, Audi, etc. – tisk, tisk.
Why use an Edsel as the illustrating photograph? From what I understand, it was not a bad car…it was a commercial failure. Different things, no?
Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X (2006 Winner – 9-7X)
Chrysler Aspen (2006 Winner)
Chrysler Sebring
Chevy Aveo (2006 Winner)
Dodge Caliber
Jaguar X-type (2006 Nominee)
Jeep Commander (2006 Nominee)
Jeep Compass (2006 Winner)
Saturn ION
Pontiac Grand Prix
I used to think the Neon was a dorky looking car. But since they replaced it with the Caliber, it almost looks good to me. Kind of like what GWB did to Richard Nixon. The Caliber is definitely the ugliest on the list. Nor is there anything cute about its ugliness. It’s just ugly. I haven’t driven the thing, but from reviews I’ve seen, it’s appearance is undoubtedly complmented by its driveability.
The Ion is not as ugly, but it is equally a POS.
What criteria were used for winnowing down the list? I got to believe the Scion xB had the second most nominations behind the Sebring/Avenger, yet it’s not on the list. What gives?
I was also surprised that the xB didn’t make the cut.
However, we nominate and the TTAC staff gets to pick the list.
Nobody said it was a democracy…
The Scion XB isn’t a GM,Ford, or Chrysler product
I’ve only driven 3 of the cars on the list – the Aveo multiple times — and it gets my vote.
A procedural note — from a market researcher, if you present the list alphabetically, there will be a list order bias. Best option — rotate randomly…
thx /p
I still have that mental image of the brand new Army green Pontiac Aztek with the khaki colored interior the local Pontiac dealer could not give away. How did that get past Pontiac excutives? I’m too shook up to even consider the 2007 candidates.
Is it okay that I voted for a car (Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X) not so much because I thought it deserved it (don’t get me wrong – it’s a bad SUV, particularly in certain versions) but because I own one and like the idea of getting into a TWAT every day?
No Subaru Impreza/WRX? Surely you must be joking?
I didn’t for it, but I would if I could change my mind and vote for the Monte Carlo.
I checked out one near here at lunch. A 1970 454 SS. Still not a bad looking car, and in a straight line it rocks the ****in’ house. And how we have this….this?
This is terribly exciting!
i too voted for the “Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X”. when you only have 10 votes it pays to consolidate.
the only car on this list i’ve driven (thank God) is the Caliber. the belt line is too high, the roof too low, the seating position too high, the windshield too slanted. there’s a distinct 1.77 second delay between depression of the right foot and decrepid meandering of the vehicle. and what the hell is going on inside?!?! that interior belongs on a playskool set. needless to say, i gave it a nod in the voting.
Maybe you guts should add a lifetime achievement, or hall of shame class for multiple winners, or out of production mega losers. The Aztek would be a shoo-in plus classics like the Lincoln Blackwood, the GM “Dustbuster” vans, the Yugo, the ML55 AMG and other memorable automotive blunders.
Side note: when Road and Track drove a home market Yugo, the road tester described it as “a dour little device best used as a car bomb”.
I actually did a double take when I saw the names of the Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo…
I thought they stopped making both years ago, but a quick drive past the rental car place proves the Grand Prix still blights the world with its very existance.
Chevy Uplander… I am currently driving a rental Pontiac Montana SV6. I had no choice in the matter, my Miata is waiting for a part and Mazda is showing me the love by renting me this awful piece of junk. My wife’s old ‘93 Mercury Villager was a better vehicle.
Jeep Compass… Why? The(surprisingly much better) Patriot makes it redundant.
Ford Focus… Rolling proof that, despite its bluster and recent press releases, Ford is still absolutely clueless. The ‘08 Focus will be Ford’s “death cough”.
Trailblazer/9-7x… The saddest part about these lousy SUVs is the inline-6 that is wasted in the Trailblazer’s engine bay. That engine begs to be placed in a RWD sports car, not a body-on-frame SUV. One could only hope this engine will find its way into the Camaro and G8 as the base engine, but I’m not optimistic.
In the interest of the “Truth” I would be interested to see the actual tally for each of the 136 nominees. RF can you make this happen ?
We said before nominations we would not be keeping a tally of nominations for any given model. That’s not the way this works.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make …..YOU HAVE ALL LOST YOUR FLIPPING MINDS!!!!!
I just registered my votes for the TWAT awards and what did I find on the list of nominees? The Jaguar X-Type! That car is a sensation!!!! I own one and it is one of the best cars I have ever driven. It is solid, reliable, the handling is beautiful, the ride is exquisite and the interior is just a pleasure to be in!
What do you lot have against the X-Type?! It is a brilliant car and I hope Jaguar make a million more!
Now I know how domestic fanboys feel like!
Long live the X-Type!
umterp85 :
In the interest of the “Truth” I would be interested to see the actual tally for each of the 136 nominees. RF can you make this happen ?
Anyone who wishes to wade back through the 322 comments on the two posts soliciting nominations to track how many times each vehicle was mentioned is welcome to do so. I tracked the number of nominations for each last year and it was the headache from hell. I had neither the time nor inclination to attempt it again this year.
Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X (2006 Winner – 9-7X)
Chrysler Aspen
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Caliber
Dodge Nitro
Ford Focus
Jeep Commander
Jeep Compass
Saturn ION
Subaru Tribeca
Chrysler Sebring
Dodge Caliber
Ford Focus
Jeep Compass
Saturn ION
Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X
Hummer H3
Hummer H2
Pontiac Grand Prix
Chrysler Aspen
RF / Frank: Got it. Just wondering (given the sheer amount of votes) how/why the Scion xB did not make the list ? Your loyal commentators cannot be all that wrong….can we ????
umterp85:
Well, I voted for it.
Hello All,
Have been reading for 2 years now and never posted. But this time, I cannot let another TTAC’s Ten worst without contributing…
Saab 9-7x
What the hell was GM thinking ? Everytime I see this vehicle, I cannot help but wonder how someone can drive one and pretend to be in a Saab….
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Ugly Ugly Ugly…. even worst than the Focus !
Chrysler Sebring
Had one as a rental a few months back. Bland, very bland. absolutely not competitive in its segment. Why buy this car ???
Dodge Caliber
small car that slept with a truck. Weird design. Uncompetitive. A guy has a white one on my street and everyday I see it parked to his A4 and wonder what happened …
Dodge Nitro
Bad looking. Dont like it. Much better alternatives out there.
Ford Focus
Nail in the coffin for Ford. Ugggly. Just below the Monte Carlo…. How can you inspire yourself from the Sebring ?????????????
Jeep Commander
10 years to late. Would have been a popular vehicle during the SUV glory days but this is a case of missing the market cycle just a tiny bit….
Jeep Compass
My #1 nominee !!!!!! A Jeep ??? Come on !! Chrysler is diluting the Jeep brand faster that the ice is melting off the north pole ! What a truly massive error and bad looking vehicle. Wow. Trying to do worst on purpose would be difficult….
Lincoln Mark LT
Hello ? What is this vehicle supposed to be ? Want a truck ? Buy a truck. Want a luxury sedan, buy one. I have only seen 2 around here (Montreal, Qc) and I must admit that Im very proud of it…
Pontiac Grand Prix
I used to like the Pontiac 6000 in the late 80s…
This car is so “1990s” … Old technology, old plateform… Why would someone buy this car ? Abort. Abort !
There. Contributed !
May the worst win !
Are they still selling the Lincoln Mark LT? Seriously — it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one on the road.
@ mpls244: Were they ever selling the Mark LT?
I know they produced them and delivered them to dealer lots…
Dodge Caliber –
It’s what happens when you tell the car designer he can’t design a car and put him with a truck designer who is told he can’t design a truck!
The lack of xB, Corolla, Accord, Civic, and some of the other completely retarded suggestions from previous threads on the list completely restored my faith in this site
mpls244 :
October 24th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Are they still selling the Lincoln Mark LT? Seriously — it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one on the road.
I Don’t know if they are still selling it, but I did see one a couple of months ago parked in a neighbor’s driveway while I was out walking the dog. I just started laughing. I haven’t seen it since, so I like to think that it wasn’t the neighbor’s, just some visitor who hasn’t been allowed to return. That would make one Lincoln Mark LT spotted in a city of 90,000+ inhabitants. No, I don’t think they suckered many people into buying that one.
mpls244 – I used to live in the ghetto (we’ll, at least the bad side of town), and I know of at least 3 Lincoln Mark LTs in a 5 mile radius. One even has a fake vinyl roof an dubs.
I don’t think that I can vote on the 20 cars that made the final cut, as I haven’t driven any of them. The closest I came was sitting in a Chevy Cobalt and a Saturn Ion a few years ago. That was all that I needed to know I wouldn’t be buying either one. And, none of the cars on the list offends my senses as much as the Aztec or the first generation Element (Buttuglium). So, I’ll side wiht the poster who asked us if we had actually driven any of the cars we were nominating. I can’t give a car a “TWAT” if I don’t even know how all around bad it might be.
No I will not subject myself to a weekend of test driving each of the TWAT nominees. I enjoy test driving vehicles, but those are vehicles that I could potentially see myself buying or at least wish that I could buy. If TTAC decides to do a “Best Car” contest (nudge, nudge), I could see myself volunteering to drive each of those cars or at least as many as the dealers will allow me to. ;-)
RF / Frank: Got it. Just wondering (given the sheer amount of votes) how/why the Scion xB did not make the list ? Your loyal commentators cannot be all that wrong….can we ????
Our commentators also voted multiple times for the Camry, Mustang, WRX, etc…I didn’t vote for it because it isn’t nearly as lousy as those that made the list.
The Dodge Dakota/Mitsu Raider took the xB’s place in my voting, but it still lost out. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.
mpls244 :
Are they still selling the Lincoln Mark LT? Seriously — it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one on the road.
They’ve sold 6,653 so far this year. That’s compared to 9,722 sold during the same time last year.
Hey, we sold 3 more of those Focus “death coughs” this week, 2 ’08s and the last ‘07. The guy that bought the ‘07 drove in in a new Z06. go figure.