The worst cars on the market

Forbes Magazine via MSNBC.COM ^ | January 13, 2005 | Dan Lienert

[Doohickey]

I'm sure it's a fine automobile. All seriousness aside, I'll tell you the same thing I tell the guy in my office: Nothing says "loser" like driving an "L" :)

[-YYZ-]

I just went and had a look. I can't agree that the plasticated Avalanche looks better than the plain one. The plain one just looks a little silly, while the plastic-clad one looks like a "Transformer".

[The SISU kid]

Anything built by Chrysler in the 80's was an absolute abomination.

Agreed! Of course Red Green would loose half of his material if it weren't for the "K" car.

8^)

[nothingnew]

this was posted last week.

Gee...thanks...I'll stop reading now and step into my "Wayback Machine" and read it "last week".

FMCDH(BITS)

[stainlessbanner]

Not a fan of the Av, but big tires make any truck look better

[rickmichaels]

I also had an '82 Mustang. Piston cracked at 70k.

My cousin bought a used 79 'stang that should have been towed directly to the nearest scrapyard as soon as it came off the assembly line. He had it for four years. This is what he fixed/replaced: crankshaft main bearing, timing chain, ball joints, complete exhaust including manifold, tires & brakes (OK, I know), four (count em' - FOUR) radiators, master cylinder (twice), passenger side door handle, water pump (twice), and wiper motor. He finally got so fed up with it that he invited me over to his place one afternoon and we beat the sh*t out of it with a crowbar and tire iron. It was great.

[NRA1995]

The Minicooper does that, too.

[badbass]

Have you noticed that everyone driving a Honda Element looks exactly the same? Gray beard, long gray hair in a pony tail and a cordoroy suit. And that is the women...

LOL, very funny.

[oldcomputerguy]

"in a Yugo."


I recall the road test of a Yugo where the steering was described as "vague"

[Publius6961]

What's a Mike Vick?

[lilylangtree]

Thanks. Good info.

[litehaus]

I CAN'T stop grinning!

[Uncle Fud]

Fugly is in the eye of the beholder. Now, a Lincoln or Cadillac "SUV" with leather and wood interior, neon undercarriage lights, and 24" spinner rims, that's major-league fugly.

Personally what I'd like to see back on the market are vehicles like the Jeep CJ-7, the '60's vintage Land Cruiser or Land Rover Defender - no frills, utilitarian. Sad to say the Element is closer to that concept than almost anything else made today.

[Zathras]

Nothing personal about the Honda Element, I just like cars with curves (like the 427 Cobra).

[N. Theknow]

Have you noticed that everyone driving a Honda Element looks exactly the same?

That's because they are...*ready*...."In their element."

*duck*

[Corporate Law]

I cannot believe they keep finding them still running for him to tranform into something else.

[DustyMoment]

. . . . the 1961 Plymouth Valiant?

It had to be the '61. Now you're going to make me show my age. Actually, I remember the Valiant as being more boring than necessarily ugly.

[DustyMoment]

I can't believe no one's mentioned the Aztek yet.

Ummmmm . . . . . . I own two of them. They may be odd looking, but I'll take a dozen of them over the Element or the Scion. And, given their propensity to arbitrarily self-immolate, I'll pass on anything produced by Ford these days. That's a talent my Azteks lack . . . . thankfully.

By the way, didn't we get our fill of box-mobiles in the 80s?

[Uncle Fud]

"'61 Valiant as being more boring than necessarily ugly"

This is true, but a billion years from now, when mankind and all his other acheivements will have fallen to dust, I suspect that somewhere there will be a Chrysler slant six engine chugging reliably along.....

[Uncle Fud]

"Nothing personal about the Honda Element, I just like cars with curves (like the 427 Cobra)."

Don't disagree, I think that utility vehicles should look the part and fun vehicles should do the same.

For example, you could buy a decent small block Cobra replica -and- a Honda Element for the price of the silly, marginally useful Hummer H2.

Car styling today gives us the worst of both worlds, with horrible styling excrescences on supposed "utility" vehicles, and the "box it came in" look of current high performance sedans and coupes (esp. Chrysler and Cadillac products), with their slab sides, ghetto rims and tank-commander-viewslit windows.

Assume that your handle indicates you are a B5 fan? Me too.