Top Gear Announces Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot Cars Of The Year

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: January 23rd, 2009

top gear announces whiskey tango foxtrot cars of the year

And yes, as with TTAC’s Ten Worst, Detroit gets it between the eyes. From the Aveo (“if Fiesta is the iPhone of ‘minis, Aveo is a pair of polystyrene cups and a shoelace”) to the Sebring (“so bad, even the man at Hertz will wince apologetically as he hands you the keys”), to the Jeep Compass (“winner of the Not Going Down Fighting Award). But thanks to the wild diversity of the UK market, there’s plenty more to chuckle about. Asian oddities like the Ssangyong Rodius (“like the result of a genetic experiment by a blind, fingerless, sadistic scientist”) and the walking dead Nanjing/SAIC/MG F roadster (“it costs £16.5k. A last-gen TF can be had for £4k. Do they think we’re stupid?”). And weird Euro models like the 2CV tribute Citroen C3 Pluriel Charleston, the Mercedes CLC and the practical-to-the-point-of-horror Fiat Qubo. Bloated plutcratmobiles like the BMW X6 and Maybach Landaulet arelauded for representing rude hand gestures to “the environment, poor people and practicality.” Check out Top Gear’s Foreman blog for the full treatment, served up with trademark British acid wit. Meanwhile, the “iPhone of ‘minis” has won What Car?’s Car Of The Year award. The UK car buyers guide calls Ford’s Fiesta “the most complete small car we’ve ever tested.”

Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 13 comments

Jcap on Jan 23, 2009
Edward Niedermeyer I wasn't picking on you in particular. I just find it strange that TTAC has such a problem with Jeremy Clarkson when your "no holds barred" journalistic style is often reminiscent of his. Also, people around here often get VERY defensive when foreigners criticize the US for anything. The US should understand that as the worlds superpower, foreigners expect self confidence from the US. Nobody feels he has to hold back criticizing the bigboys.

Like Reply
Runfromcheney on Jan 23, 2009

BAHAHA! I love how they slammed the SsangYong Roduis. Seeing a picture of that car is why I am not surprised at all that SsangYong is out of business.

Like Reply
Billy Bobb 2 on Jan 23, 2009

“Cheese-eating surrender monkeys” Willie the Scot Janitor on The Simpsons, but he speaks for me!

Like Reply
JJ on Jan 24, 2009
the french “Cheese-eating surrender monkeys”, environmentalists “Treehugger”, Europeans “Communists” I'm European and I agree with at least two of those. And I'm not to fond of 'the french' in general either, but some of those 60mn people who live there are bound to be nice people. I also agree with the general statement that 'mericans are too fat, use up the world's energy, can't build nice cars and can't drive a racecar fast (except when they come from Italy, as in Andretti, but the new generations, being born in the US, have miraculously lost that speed as a result). Yet still think they are and will be the world's superpower.... Usually prejudice wouldn't exist if there wasn't at least some truth in it. But again, 300 mn people... And, being European, I still do think the future will center around the pacific ocean, but to think the US would still be the leading power ('we can lead once again')...uh...not so much (and it's not like I'm too glad about that).

Like Reply