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Smokey
07-15-2014, 07:22 PM
They asked Motor Trend Magazine to pick worst cars of last four decades. Following are MT's editor's first picks.

Not in any particular order:

Pontiac G3: Pontiac G3 gets a nod here because it wasn't just bad, but an insult to the brand.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/a2/a25fbecec4f2456091bb655f2dc62431.jpg

1982-1988 Cadillac Cimarron: Memories of the Cimarron caused automakers to shy away from the entry-level luxury concept for years.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/7d/7d802ebab4e64acbac6b63fa28b38832.jpg

Mitsubishi Mirage: lack of power contributes to less than favorable acceleration— especially on on-ramps and while passing. Narrow, low-rolling-resistance tires and vague steering feel make traveling any direction other than straight frustrating at best.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/11/11ea7df074e2464c9f2f124145f455bb.jpg

Ford Excursion: With an overall length of almost 19 feet, it was a rare sighting to see a Ford Excursion parked inside a garage. It was a chore to drive and far from practical: Stopping from 60 mph exceeded the distance of half a football field and real-world mileage of about 10 mpg was the norm.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/77/77dbd0900c9f4e429d3ffe601f0d14c1.jpg

Saturn Ion: Up until the Ion, Saturn customers ranked as among the most loyal in all of cardom. The Ion destroyed all that, as well as the several billion-dollar investment GM made when creating Saturn out of whole cloth.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/ba/ba8bf69078c94f1c80e2e5adf103bbf5.jpg

Ford Granada: What makes the Granada so ghastly in retrospect is how Ford marketed it as an alternative to a Mercedes, actually running ads comparing the Mercedes 450 SLC ($24,000) to the Granada Sports Coupe ($4,100).
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/9e/9e55c7c691c743f98ece076180810fab.jpg

Dodge Caliber: On sale from 2007 to 2012, the Dodge Caliber represents everything wrong with the twilight of the DaimlerChrysler fiasco.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/ab/abe7f609d5b34222932178a6d7a78a66.jpg

Hyundai Accent GS: In 2009, Hyundai and Nissan battled to the bottom: to offer the least expensive new car on the market. In the Hyundai's case, gone went creature comforts including power windows, air-conditioning, and the radio. Safety features too; there was no ABS.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/07/07febad7cc1b433e9d2ce5ad99e7fcbe.jpg

Porsche 924: When Volkswagen ran out of money developing its top-of-the-line sports coupe in 1976, it handed over production and design of the so-called 924 to Porsche. Performance was dismal. Porsche took notice, and released a 924 Turbo in 1979, but it was too late. The damage was done.
http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/Media/580x348/8d/8d5763eec91b4e63b8a78b22b12c21b8.jpg

Yogu: Sold in the United States from 1985 to 1992, critics pointed to its use of old-generation Fiat technology and alleged issues with build quality and reliability. The Yugo was voted worst car of the millennium.
http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/1987-Yugo-GV-Sport-01.jpg

Editors' picks: Horrible cars of the last four decades - MSN Autos (http://editorial.autos.msn.com/editors-picks-horrible-cars-of-the-last-four-decades#1)

Feanor
07-16-2014, 06:55 AM
Some pretty bad cars here, none worse than the Yugo, of course.

A number of the cars on the list were pretty popular, though. A recent example was the Dodge Caliber. Really ugly first or all, and a Chrysler product with about the worse reliability in the industry. Yet suckers bought few, at least around here

TheHills44060
07-17-2014, 03:53 PM
Oh lord the Yugo. For a whole year i dreaded driving to work because I never knew if there was going to a traffic jam on the highway completely out of the blue...why you ask? Because of that damn Yugo! Some guy had one and would not (possibly could not) drive faster than 45 mph so what would normally be typical morning work week traffic turned into a nightmare. Either you got stuck in the same lane as the Yugo or you almost got killed trying to pass him like everyone else.

blackraven
07-18-2014, 07:02 PM
Chevy Citation, Ford Pinto, Chevy Vega, Geo Metro!

Smokey
07-19-2014, 09:58 PM
Chevy Citation, Ford Pinto, Chevy Vega, Geo Metro!

I drove Chevy Vega for couple of years back in the early 80s, and really wasn't a bad car. The car was made so simple wih only an engine, carburetor, stick shift and four tires that even a shade tree mechanic could get it fixed up.

blackraven
07-20-2014, 07:13 AM
I drove Chevy Vega for couple of years back in the early 80s, and really wasn't a bad car. The car was made so simple wih only an engine, carburetor, stick shift and four tires that even a shade tree mechanic could get it fixed up.

My dad had a Vega. It was loud, my dog could hear it coming from over a mile away. I would be out walking the dog and the dog would start getting all excited like he did when my dad came home from work. About 5-7 minutes later the my dad would pull up in the car. It did not matter what time of day or night it was. The dog could hear that car coming. My dad ended up selling the car and bought an MG which was a cool car but it was built like crap.


I have to agree about the Saturn Ion. My daughter wanted to buy a used one from the local Saturn dealer until we drove one and saw how bad it was built and the crappy interior materials that were used.

Feanor
07-20-2014, 08:31 AM
Withal, the Saturn Ion, Chrysler Calibre, and Hyundai Accent were pretty popular in my neck of the woods, and you still see plenty of them on the road today.

Smokey
07-20-2014, 07:59 PM
Withal, the Saturn Ion, Chrysler Calibre, and Hyundai Accent were pretty popular in my neck of the woods, and you still see plenty of them on the road today.

Maybe those vehicles are more reliable in colder climates :D

Feanor
07-29-2014, 04:30 AM
Withal, the Saturn Ion, Chrysler Calibre, and Hyundai Accent were pretty popular in my neck of the woods, and you still see plenty of them on the road today.
Maybe those vehicles are more reliable in colder climates :D
Hehe! It's not that they are more reliable in the cold, it's that they are cheaper models.

It's fair to say that Canadians are cheap. But then cars tend to be significantly more expensive up here where prices and taxes are higher. Consequently for example the most popular car in the US (now or recently) is the Toyota Camry but in Canada it's the Corolla.