With all the industry news we’ve been covering, the Ten Worst Vehicles Awards got pushed to the back burner. But now that the meltdown is underway and seems to be running on autopilot, it’s time to take a look at the jaundiced jalopies that contributed to the fiasco formerly known as the auto industry. For those of you who are new to the site, the Ten Worst Vehicles is TTAC’s homage to excessively egregious examples of vehicular vomitus the automakers puked on the car-buying public during the year. TTACs Best and Brightest (that’s you) make the nominations, our crackhead team of writers narrow the field to 20 or so of the crappiest and then you vote on the top (or bottom) ten. Just to refresh your memories, here are the buckets of bolts you selected as the crème de la crap in 2007:
10. Saturn ION – Thankfully they finally rethinked this one right out of existence
9. Chrysler Aspen – A high-tech hybrid powertrain and massive incentives aren’t enough to revive this turkey.
8. Chevrolet TrailBlazer / GMC Envoy / Isuzu Ascender / Saab 9-7X – All but dead. Good riddance.
7. Hummer H2 – Sells so poorly the entire division is on life support.
6. Hummer H3 – That’s not an exhaust note, it’s a death rattle.
5. Chevrolet Uplander – Dead and finally gone. They even closed the plant.
4. Dodge Nitro – Fizzled like wet fireworks.
3. Chevrolet Aveo – The mouth breather grill won’t help this bottom feeder.
2. Chrysler Sebring – So bad even the rental companies aren’t buying it.
1. Jeep Compass – Jeep enthusiasts asked WTF and buyers agreed.
In case you’ve forgotten since last year, or you’re a Ten Worst virgin, here’s are the rules:
1. Any car or light truck offered for sale as a new vehicle in the U.S. between January 1 and today is eligible for nomination. I know those of you in Canada and other countries feel left out, but we have to draw the line somewhere to keep this under control. It doesn’t matter who built it or where, just that it’s sold legally in the States.
2. All nominations have to be justified. That doesn’t mean just saying it’s a POS car. Tell us WHY it’s a POS car. Nominations may be deleted unceremoniously and without warning for any of the following reasons: insufficient justification, excessive verbosity or pontification, foul language or patent absurdity.
3. All nominations must meet TTAC’s house rules on flaming or trolling (i.e., don’t). Offensive comments about other readers will be summarily deleted and the writer could be banned from TTAC. However, offensive observations about the nominees are encouraged.
4. Blatantly badge-engineered siblings can be nominated jointly if they all suck equally (see winner #8 above). Platform mates can be nominated separately, but may be combined at the whim of the editor for the final vote.
5. If we can wake them up long enough, TTAC’s writers will select 20 finalists from the nominees, give or take a few. The number of times a vehicle is nominated is irrelevant so don’t waste the pixels on typing “me too.”
6. Readers will vote via an electronic survey on the 20 or so finalists to determine America’s Ten Worst Vehicles. Multiple voting ain’t kosher so don’t even try.
7. Nominations begin today and will continue until midnight EDT, Sunday December 8, with the 20 finalists presented for voting a few days afterwards. The winners will be announced whenever we get around to it. We have nothing to give the winners but our disdain, so the winning manufacturers will find out about it like everyone else.
How do you decide what crapmoblies are worthy of your attention?
- Styling so bad it could even make Stevie Wonder look the other way.
- A market misfit that makes you wonder what the product planners were smoking, drinking, shooting up or otherwise self-administering.
- Engineering malpractice that makes the vehicle practically undrivable or so bland you wouldn’t want to drive it.
- Something that you can’t quite put your finger on but gives you the urge to regurge anytime you think about it.
So now it’s in your court. Make your nominations below and tell us which ones you think are really deserving of being named one of TTAC’s Ten Worst Vehicles for 2008.
Please note: Nominations will close at midnight EST Sunday, December 8.
257 Comments on “TTAC’s Ten Worst Awards 2008 – Your Nominations Please...”
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Sebring has to be there again this year. My mother for some reason leased one. Difficult(at best)to get into. Horrible, just horrible seats. Awful driving position. Cheap poorly designed dashboard and controls. Terrible stereo. Ugly. Really bad car. The worst on the market.
Let me be the first: Pontiac G3. And for that matter, G5. You can put a
prettybow on a turd, but it’s still a turd.A little import flavor for a change of pace: Honda CR-V. The interior just looked awful, and it is underpowered to the point that merging onto a busy highway would be dangerous.
Frank – last year’s turkeys are all still eligible, right?
NA Ford Focus – Only because MEXICO gets the fantastic Euro Focus ST and we get the crap.
Chrysler anything.
Ford Flex – Because Ford already had a seven seat station wagon on the market and didn’t need to WASTE the billions developing the Flex…which is a flop
Lincoln MKS – A tarted up Taurus as a flagship? And it does not even have a V8 or proper RWD.
Pontiac G3 – Why GM…why?
The Chevy HHR – I hate to kick them when they’re down but what was GM thinking? It is an underpowered and unattractive attempt to come at the PT Cruiser. If it hadn’t been for the Pontiac Aztec (which by comparison makes this thing look almost nice) it may be GM’s weakest attempt at a small CUV. Compare this to the Pontiac Vibe – about the same size and economy but both a better built and better designed machine (no small part due to Toyota I am sure)
Richard Chen:
Frank – last year’s turkeys are all still eligible, right?
Yes, as long as they were offered for retail sale in the U.S. at any time after January 1 this year.
OK, this year, last year’s and possibly the year-before-that’s worst car is hands down the Dodge Caliber. From the moment I first laid eyes on this vehicle in its rental car version in my parent’s driveway I knew that Chrysler was done as a car company.
It’s just a mod Omni/Horizon with the nerdiest front end and pigeon-toed stance I’ve seen on a model in years.
Toyota Corolla:
Horribly bland styling inside and out.
4-spd auto on the 1.8 liter engine (hello, smaller engines require more gears, and you know how to do eight).
The economy is in the tank, but gas is cheap. People are going to want cheap reliable cars, but not hybrids. You’ve just ceded this market to Honda.
It does not matter how nice your Lexus is, if a poor student has a bad experience with a Corolla you’ve lost them.
Do not start the deathwatch until Toyota has 8 brands, 7500 dealers and oppressive UAW contracts, but this is a very “GM” small car.
The Jeep Compass is good for another go around. Its a so-so small CUV that has NO place in a Jeep showroom. Jeep needs to go back to its hard core off road niche roots with 2-3 models: Wrangler and some slightly larger 4 door SUV about the size of the Cherokee or current Liberty.
The new KK Liberty gets an honorable mention with the leak prone “sky-slider” roof. The slider top will just get worse with age. Just because it was cool at SEMA does not make it ready for prime time.
The Tesla Roadster can also get a mention here now that they have actually delivered a handful (sans working transmission) to paying customers.
BMW X3
Terrible looking, high priced, poor sales.
Every time I see one of these I flinch.
– The Dodge Caliber: Bland, weak-kneed and ugly as well. The living definition of “cheap”, it does nothing well, and makes the driver glad to park it. “Rental car hell” in the flesh.
– Lincoln “Mark LT”: is there anything sillier than the concept of a Lincoln pick-up truck? Truly, lipstick on a pig. Uglier than a bag of rocks, and so wrong for the market.
First of all the Toyota Prius, for being overweight, ugly, boring and incompetent around corners…sure it’s good at heavy traffic fuel economy, but that dosen’t make it a good car, it makes it a decent appliance. Plus Toyota makes it, and since they refuse to make a sports car at all then they deserve all the scorn it is possible to give. Also, as an aside, Prius drivers should be forcibly neutered.
Second, I feel obliged to mention the Mitsubishi Galant, if you think the Sebring is bad check one of these out the next time your drooling over an evo at the dealership. Worst interior ever, no other redeeming qualities.
Third, Toyota Corrola. Yes Toyota makes it, which helps along any nomination in my book, but most importantly it is the single most boring car I have ever driven. I’ve had way more fun in rental hyundais and the odd focus, and really…what does it do well again? Not break? Lots of cars don’t break, you no longer get a cookie for that.
Fourth, I would mention the cobalt, but from what I’ve read the SS redeems the breed, so I’ll have to nominate the Maxima. I really really don’t want to hate this car…but I do. How could Nissan bill anything with a CVT and no manual stick option as a sports sedan? Come to think of it, how can you sell anything costing over 30k with a CVT? I hope that this transmission breaks on an epic scale, costing the company millions in warranty claims and lawsuits, then I hope that Carlos Ghosn tracks down the suit who pushed the CVT decision and neuters him. That is all.
Chevy Impala!
My current vehicle (Toyota RAV4) got laid up after an accident with a deer. The rental company stuck me with this P.o.S. after they couldn’t get me a Mazda 3.
This vehicle is just plain god awful.
With just 16,000km on the dial it has:
1) squeaks, rattles and groans (even when not moving)
2) a ride of the worst type of floaty mobile from the 1960’s (you know old style Buicks etc)
3) I’m scared taking this puppy into any kind of snow – less than an inch will turn it into a handling pig
4) materials are plastic craptastic
5) fit and finish are from the 1990’s
6) gas mileage sucks
7) The steering is disconnected from the front wheels (it feels that way anyhow)
All in all a vehicle guaranteed to set a senior citizens (greycap) blood on fire.
Give me my Toyota back! Pleeeze!
Mini Clubman.
A) Defeats the entire purpose of owning a Mini.
b) Ugly rear doors
C) Only one access door for rear seats?
D) Puts a wet blanket on the whole “fun” thing.
Acura TSX: It’s not that it’s bad, per se–it would make a pretty decent Acura TL–it’s that is just so disappointing. If you spent any time with the old car, the new one should make you weep for it’s loss. With any luck, Honda will learn from the debacle that was the 2008 WRX.
Chrysler Sebring: Proof-positive that whomever was in control of Chrysler at the time had zero interest in what Chrysler was actually making. I have serious doubts that neither Dieter Zetsche nor Tom La Sorda nor Bob Nardelli have actually sat in this car.
Saab 9-5: Another car that isn’t bad in and of itself, but bad for what it represents. It was a bad thing when GM left the Cavalier to rot on the vine for twelve-plus years, but you could at least expect it of an economy car. That they let the flagship of a luxury brand do the same is absolutely shameful. It’s also proof-in-the-metal of why GM is where they are today.
Dodge Caliber/Jeep Compass/Patriot: When you can see the little spiral of plastic shavings from where they drilled the hole for the door-lock post in the showroom, you can tell that no one cares anymore. Not management, not lineworkers, not dealers. Unfortunately for Chrysler, customers still do.
BMW X6: This years entry into the “German Auto Execs Know Better Than Their Own Customers” contest. Past entries? R-Class, Phaeton, C230K, 318ti. The hubris never stops coming.
GMT900 Hybrids: A Venn diagram with environmentalists in one circle and full-size BOF truck buyers in another wouldn’t be a Venn diagram. It’d be two separate circles. On two different pages. Probably in two different books. Possibly not even in the same building.
I’d like to amend my TSX comment, but I’m not being allowed to. To whit:
Acura TSX: It’s not that it’s bad, per se–it would make a pretty decent Acura TL–it’s that is just so disappointing. If you spent any time with the old car, the new one should make you weep for it’s loss. Someone at Honda must have read the glowing reviews of the old TSX, split out the criticisms, written them down as bullet points on two lists, and then handed them to engineers. Who mixed up the headings.
With any luck, Honda will learn from the debacle that was the 2008 WRX, which did exactly the same thing.
Start by re-nominating the top 4. All are still in production, and all still suck, the Compass’s new interior sucking slightly less than last year not withstanding.
New nominations:
The Scion xB. Bigger, uglier, worse mileage. Toyota working the great GM tradition of making the new model worse than the old.
Mitusbishi Galant. Ugly on the outside, cheap on the inside. Serves as a reminder that aside from the Evo, there is no point for Mitsu to be selling vehicles in the US.
Chevy Traverse. The 4th!! Lambda, yet the cheapest looking and feeling interior, terrible commercials (it’s raining shoes!), and a sky high price. Shouldn’t the Chevy version be less expensive than the Buick version? Oh, wait. This is GM…
VW Routan. VW buys minivans wholesale from Chrysler and slaps a VW badge on the hood?! The worst kind of badge engineering we used to only see from the Big 3. Then they have the nerve to advertise “German engineering.” Are they serious???
Chrysler Aspen / Dodge Durango.
Dinosaurs, both. May they hasten towards extinction with all possible dispatch.
From the wretched fit & finish to the pathetic excuse for a hybrid version, I can think of no reason why anyone would consider buying one of these ogres over the competition. They’re ugly, inefficient, poorly built with crap materials, and handle clumsily even for a full size SUV. They are an offense to the motoring public, and for that reason deserve to be recognized with a TTACTWA of 2008.
I think the mini clubman… I know its a tough sell, It even seemed like a good idea, until I saw one in person…
It just isn’t what a mini should be, its too long too weird and just not there… Is it Sebring bad… probably not but its a slippery slope
I must nominate the Smart ForTwo. For around $16,000 (Passion coupe with decent options) you get something more expensive than a decent compact (Corolla, Rio, Elantra, Fit) with less room, less power, unknown reliability, and nearly identical fuel millage. Mate that to a whiplash-inducing 3-speed auto and the ride will leave you crying for anything else, even a 2008 Focus coupe.
I wanted to like this car. It is decent looking, (in a Euro-centric, hipster-wannabe sort of way) and it had the potential to be a decent 2nd car for people in more dense urban areas. If the SMART EV ever arrives, and doesn’t cost any more, it may be worth a look, but for now the smart is TWAT (I still like the old name better) material.
BMW 1 series, 90% of the weight, 85% of the price, and half the room of the already small 3 series.
Point of Order: Do cars that you can pay for, but not actually own (Camaro) qualify for a nomination?
Not that there is any indication that Camaro would qualify on the merits, just wanting clarification.
How about some special achievement award for Honda/Acura? The new TL and TSX are ugly, bloated, and worse then their predecessors in most ways. Sure, they’re not as bad as the others on the list, and Motortrend still loves them to death (evidence enough for me right there) but Acura just hamstrung it’s two bread-and-butter vehicles.
And I really want to nominate the 2009 Accord for it’s hideousness. A car that’s supposed to be an inoffensive appliance shouldn’t look like a Bangle design. After he was hit on the head.
But there’s so much worse out there.
Chevy HHR – Terrible plastics inside with shaved mouse fur for carpet. A poor imitator of the PT Cruiser.
Pontiac G3 – An uglier version of the Aveo that puts to rest any doubt that GM managers are beyond stupid, they are Terri Schiavo vegetables.
Honda CR-V – A heavy vehicle powered by an undersized four cylinder with a hard plastic interior unbefitting of the price. But Honda was so determined to save weight they used thinner glass and less sound insulation, so you need to crank the stereo up to not hear traffic. Honestly, it isn’t even as quiet or as solid as an eight-year-old Impala.
Acura TSX – What was once conservatively stylish is now ugly enough to be badged as a Pontiac.
Acura TL – Will be joining its smaller stablemate at Pontiac, and helping to put a fork in the Acura brand. The F1 pre-race show will lose its biggest sponsor.
Toyota Corolla – Pinching pennies on the interior is a great way to alienate customers. Now they’ll think Ford is a luxury brand!
VW Routan must be on the list, just from a marketing perspective. With minivan sales at the bottom of the toilet, why the heck did they feel they needed one? And then to advertise it as German engineering?
I’d like to nominate the G5 GT. Borrowed one for a bit. Not a terrible car, but the sticker on it was 21! Twenty-one large can buy you some very nice stuff. The G5 GT is not it. The engine (especially with an auto) is by no means deserving of the GT title. It did not feel sporty or fun in any sense. About as much fun as the Corolla everyone hates. The Civic Si is a much better car at that price.
I second any nomination for the G3/Aveo5. The Cobalt/G5 XFE gets better fuel economy, no? And the front end of the Aveo5 looks like it was designed by someone who, to quote the great philosopher Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, is pants-on-head retarded.
Pontiac Solstice. Does a more useless vehicle even exist? It has less cargo room then a 12-speed bicycle.
Kia Amanti. This is still for sale? It would have been a decent vehicle in 1998. What’s the depreciation on this if you buy one today? You’d have a chart with a vertical red line going down.
Chrysler Sebring: If you add together the factors of ugly+horrible+depreciation (again) is there a worse choice a buyer could possibly make?
The Chevrolet Malibu/Saturn Aura/Pontiac G6,
and the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia/Buick Enclave/Chevrolet Traverse
These are not bad cars on their own. In fact they are pretty good. They are bad vehicles for what they represent.
Even if GM makes good cars it cannot succeed because of the costly, overlapping marketing, consumer confusion and cut throat between-brand price competition that come with having eight brands and 7500 dealerships.
I really can’t argue against the Clubman’s inclusion on the list, other then saying in the right color and trim options, I think it looks natty.
It’s can also break $35K withoutdipping into the JCW parts. That’s an awful price.
Although on the overpriced-small-hipster-car front, I’d second the Smart nomination. It’s like a fun vampire, and the quality is terrible as well.
BMW X6: An answer to a question that no one asked. A truly horrifying extreme of the current BMW styling (or lack thereof). And then they wondered why it didn’t sell very well…
@SpeedJebus: +1 to the MINI Clubman. A MINI should be cute, fun, and nimble. The Clubman satisfies none of these.
Scion xB- It’s ugly and you can’t see out of it.
Ford Flex- same reason as P71- Ford had a perfectly good crossover already
Honda Accord- cause it’s ginormous
Saturn Astra- It’s a great car but nobody wants it, it replaced a worst award winner that sold 10x what it does.
Lincoln MKS- Ford doesn’t seem to want to try with this.
Toyota Tundra- cause the interior is whacked with the crazy long reach to the climate controls and the horrible color schemes
I like the Caliber, Aveo, Patriot, Compass, X3, HHR.
Love the Durango/Aspen, one of my favorites
I need to disagree with nominating the Solstice. It’s purpose is to look good, have fun RWD handling and get you laid. Mission accomplished. Besides, I would feel dirty trashing a manual transmission rear driver as any sort of worst car, the auto execs are finally moving back in this direction and we should reward their efforts.
Ford Flex (Chrysler Pacifica 2.0)
- huge foot print plus less room than minivans
- swing doors for a family hauler
- competes with at least 6 other Ford/Mercury/Lincoln models
- polarising design, MiniCooper wannabe
- body ridges
- huge
- does not know who it is targeting.. MiniCooper buyers who need more room???
And, what happened to TWAT??
tedward-
I agree with you on this one. What’s the opposite of seconding a nomination?
The philosophy behind the Solstice is sound; it’s good looking, RWD, available with a manual, and not too expensive. It’s got it’s problems, but has too many good qualities to be a ten worst.
@davey49: Favorites for list inclusion?
Scion Xb – They tried to sell to youth, but old people bought it. So they made it bigger with more horsepower, less milage and interior room, and now no one buys it.
Ford Flex – Too big, too heavy, too much money, and too late. Just when I thought I was supposed to be “living life on the Edge” they bring us this.
Ford Focus – It’s ugly, and its liberal use of plastic chrome bits doesn’t add a touch of class. A radio that obeys voice commands isn’t worth getting behind the wheel of that thing everyday.
Dodge Caliber: I always wondered how Luke Skywalker felt trying to dodge Obi Wan’s lazerblasts with that helmet covering his eyes in Star Wars. I had that same experience driving this wheezing little turd down the interstate last weekend as my rental car. You can’t see out the front, you can’t see out the back. Luckily, the driving dynamics are terrible enough to make the prospects of a blind head-on collision somewhat inviting.
-Ken
Dodge Caliber: Acres of cheap plastic and an agricultural grade engine? No thanks.
Chrysler Aspen: Who does Chrysler think they’re fooling with this heap?
Lincoln MKZ: An uglier version of the Fusion with a bigger price tag. Cars like these are why Lincoln is a perennial also-ran to Cadillac.
Buick Lucerne: Committee-designed boringmobile with absolutely no features not already found in a garden variety Camcord.
FJ Cruiser: Strange how so many people ignore Toyota’s horrendous gas guzzlers, especially this abomination which requires premium fuel.
Chevy Colorado: Bottom of the parts bin vehicle made even more irrelevant by the fact that you can get a base Sierra/Silverado for comparable money at a GM toe tag sale.
Honda CR-V: Cheap plastic interior with anonymous styling and a gutless four-banger.
Acura TL: Look at it.
Smart ForTwo: Ultra tiny vehicle with subpar fuel mileage and large price tag.
BMW 135: This is the best they could come up with? I have yet to read a review that doesn’t say to spend the extra money and get a 3-series instead of this overweight and cramped excuse for a BMW. Not to mention that the 135 price is in Hyundai Genesis territory, which is a superior car in every objective measure except number of doors.
Dishonorable mention: Nissan GTR – Phenomenal numbers car that was beaten at its own game by the ZR-1, not to mention the launch control issues and dealer gouging.
Pontiac Torrent, only because no one has ever actually seen one of these.
BMW X6. All the size of an SUV, without the pesky fuel economy or additional utility and seating.
Hummer H2 and H3: you bought it because you wanted to look cool – but now everybody is laughing at you. The symbol of the excess that drove us to the current crisis. (I’m amazed no one mentioned those yet…)
BMW X6: might be a great vehicle, but horrible timing to market, and looks pretty certain to be a flop.
Aston Martin DBS: The same car as the DB9 for $100,000 more. And it doesn’t look nearly as good (and yes, I realize I just nominated an Aston Martin!)
Obviously, there are plenty more, but many have been nominated already, so I’ll avoid too much redundancy.
The Jeep Compass is still the worst. Why is this CUV? Even after years of looking at it the styling is as offensive, if not more so, than the day I first saw one. It also has a platform mate that fits the Jeep image, in style at least, and is the exact same vehicle with a different body. Why? How can anyone at Cerberus ask for us to add to their cash horde while they continue this blight on humanity?
Next has to be the spectacular flop that is the Flex. Did they even sell 10K of them? It is the epitome of the answer to the question no one asked, a huge vehicle with SUV like fuel economy and manueverability, but car like capability. It compromises everything except the ridiculous MINI styling and the even more ridiculous name.
Moving on in the D3 travesty brings me to the Taurus X. The invisible vehicle the Flex replaced but Ford kept on sale anyway. What kind of crack would you have to smoke to sell both of those vehicles under the same brand at the same time? Meanwhile the Taurus X was designed and marketed as though it were a test for some form of vehicular cammoflage that the military could never use. Well hidden is the fact that it is actually a fantastic vehicle that does everything a family could ever need. Put some sliding doors on it and give a real name with marketing support and Ford would have had a genuine winner.
This brings me to the Lincoln MKS. It does nothing better than any of the stiff competition, is a generation behind styling trends but with an added touch of cleft pallet grill and performs like a tarted up Taurus, and costs $35K discounted. Even worse, the supposed salvation, the promised “ecoboost” engine will be brand innapropriate, more expensive, less reliable, and less fuel efficient than the V8 it should have. It screams “Lincoln has no reason for being but we will keep this vegetable on life support forever anyway”.
I could go on and on but I’ll finish this thought by nominating the whole D3 platform.
Next I nominate all of Mercury. You think Ford is doing the best of the big 3? While true, that is quite sad. Explain to me how any competant manager capable of running a profitable automaker in this economic climate could decide to keep this brand?
more to come…
First of all the Toyota Prius, for being overweight, ugly, boring and incompetent around corners…
I second all that. In addition, it’s ugly as sin, it’s a mobile political statement not a car, and you’d save money buying a better car FOR LESS MONEY and using the savings to pay the difference in gas.
I’m not sure if I really mean it, but how about the forester? I like engine and the awd, but subaru seems to be getting a free pass lately for selling us a 4-speed automatic (+ no manual on the interesting turbo model) and turning a good station wagon into a notreallybiggerinside SUV. I know that this website in particular can and has heaped scorn on domestics that don’t update their drivetrains, and does have a love for wagons, so how about it?
Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon: The 5 cylinder engine alone makes these a joke…and does nothing to help the mileage. Hard to believe GM could do worse than the S10 they replaced, but they managed.
Add my vote(s) for the Mini Clubman and Smart ForTwo.
Three vehicles where you spend twice as much for half the utility of similar rides.
Porsche Pannamera. I cannot begin to understand who would spend such money on such an uglification.
Porsche Cayenne. Still a wretched excess. Best argument for income redistribution yet. If you have the money to buy one, and the poor taste to be seen it, you don’t need the money.
Acura RL. The Accord is basically the same car, only a lot cheaper — even with sat nav.
Acura TSX. They took a nice small car, added 500 lbs and whooped it with an ugly stick. Not a good idea.
Mercedes RL lacks the grace of the S and the utility of the GL.
BMW 1 series. Hey guys, just go see if you can find the plans for the original 2002 — you did it right that time.
Sat Nav. How come I can buy a portible for a couple of hundred dollars, but a built in always adds a $K or more to the sticker.
The Panamera doesn’t qualify– yet. The vehicle must be for sale in the United States during calendar year 2008.
Here we go – alphabetical order:
Acura TSX – what was a beautiful gem that was slightly underpowered is now a hideous sore with nothing underneath to excuse it (ala 2002 WRX bugeye). It is not a bad car, it is made well and performs ok – but such a complete disappointment and a major step backwards.
Chrysler Seabreeze and Dud Avenger – I cannot believe these also rans are still trying to be sold. Everytime I see one of these cars I get that not so fresh feeling.
Chrysler Aspen / Aspen Hybrid – Chrysler again late to the game answered a question nobody ever cared about – we need a full size suv hybrid. It shows they were even more incompetent than GM. That’s pretty hard to do. The standard Aspen answered another question people didn’t care about – why doesn’t Chrysler have a Escalade competitor.
Dodge Nitro – Hey – take a Liberty (you know the one with hardly any interior room and footwells for the driver passenger so small you need to have geisha sized feet to comfortably sit up front) and let’s say it’s hip!
Ford Flex – A minivan in an elemental disguise. Didn’t trick me though and with a high teens / low 20 mpg really not that efficient. Just go buy a Caravan or Odyssey and get the same space, sliding doors and get over the minivan stigma.
Hummer H3 – Our favorite rebadged Chevy Colorado – no matter if they stuff a v8 in there it’s a bad platform and underperforms. Now why doesn’t the Colorado get a v8 if the H3 can get one?
Jeep Compass – This aborted Caliber in off road guise needs to go…just like the Patriot.
Pontiac G3 and Chevy Aveo – The Daewoo was so poorly built and selling they had to create another rebadged version of excitement? Tells you GM has a lot of crackheads with rubber stamps.
(not so) Smart ForTwo – Wow…the suckers who bought this tiny contraption for substantially more than the price of a Fit. First ride on the interstate in a Smart car during a test drive will keep these little tyke cars in the big city and not wander out to where the speed limit > 50 mph
VW Routan – STOP LYING to buyers telling it is a German made / engineered masterpiece that chiks get knocked up just so they have a reason to buy – even Miss Lipstick Jungle cannot do her best Jill Wagner “I’m hot” to sell an overpriced Caravan. If I were Germany I’d sue VW for the libel claiming the Routan is “German”!
The new Jeep Liberty. It’s ugly. It’s underpowered. It’s oversized. Its silly canvas roof leaks. It wears its Trail Rated badge like a fake Gucci handbag.