50 worst cars ever

[cletus8269]

50 worst cars ever according to time

[Robert Hall]

End of the year...slow news time...time for pointless lists over and over again, year after year

[CARBIZ]

A time waster. The usual dead horses to flog: Edsel, Pinto, Aeroflow, Pacer....

Some that I took exception to:

They bitched about the Model T, for Gawd's Sake. Why? Because is put America on wheels; therefore, global warming, all the dead whales - everything is the T's fault.

#21 The '71 Imperial LeBaron. Shocking, since we are running a fuselage thread elsewhere on C&G. Their insults are just that, insults. I think the fuselage was the pinnacle of Chrysler's design. Perhaps not engineering, but certainly design.

#22. Pinto. Okay, so the tanks were prone to explode, but it's not like they were exploding all over the place! And the idiots posted a photo for a clearly post-'74 Pinto under the caption of '71. More great reporting.

'76 Chevette. At least they had the decency to mention that it's best attribute was it was hardy. GM sold millions of them and many are still on the road today. I"d like to see a shoot out between a '76 Chevette and a' 76 Civic. Time is re-writing history again.

#41. '95 Explorer. Agian, the eco-loonies at Time can hardly contain their disdain for all things automotive. Their prime complaint against the '95 Explorer? It's popularity launched the SUV craze.

They should stick to what they know best: who Britney is boffing these days.

[Robert Hall]

A time waster. The usual dead horses to flog: Edsel, Pinto, Aeroflow, Pacer....

#41. '95 Explorer. Agian, the eco-loonies at Time can hardly contain their disdain for all things automotive. Their prime complaint against the '95 Explorer? It's popularity launched the SUV craze.

Yes, and why did the ignorant f*ckers pick the '95 Explorer? The Explorer came out in '91. The 4dr SUV popularity was really launched by the Cherokee in the '80s anyway...

[smk4565]

While maybe not the worst car ever (those Russian communist cars take that title) the most damaging was the Cimarron. 25 years later and Cadillac is still haunted by that. Luckily, they'll never rebadge a Chevy into a Cadillac again. Oh wait, the XLR, 2010 SRX and 20?? Lambda Escalade, hmmm.

[Robert Hall]

While maybe not the worst car ever (those Russian communist cars take that title) the most damaging was the Cimarron. 25 years later and Cadillac is still haunted by that. Luckily, they'll never rebadge a Chevy into a Cadillac again. Oh wait, the XLR, 2010 SRX and 20?? Lambda Escalade, hmmm.

Well, the XLR is hardly a rebadge..it shares some hidden dirty bits w/ the Corvette, little else..even the wheelbase is different. The Cimarron was a Cavalier with a different grille and taillights and other trivial trim differences.

[smk4565]

At least GM tries to hide the platform sharing now, the Cimarron was god awful, they didn't bother to change anything really.

[cletus8269]

These days, cylinder deactivation, or variable displacement, is relatively common — the 2008 Honda Accord V6 has it, for instance. And it's a beautiful idea. When the engine is running at light loads, it's logical to shut down unneeded cylinders to save fuel, like turning off lights in unused rooms. But in 1981, when semiconductors and on-board computers were still in their infancy, variable displacement was a huge technical challenge. GM deserves credit for trying, but the V-8-6-4 was the Titanic of engine programs. The cars jerked, bucked, stalled, made rude noises and generally misbehaved until wild-eyed owners took the cars to have the system disconnected. For some it was the last time they ever saw the inside of a Cadillac dealership.

someone please correct me if i am wrong but didnt the 5.3's sport active fuel management in 05? in monte carlo's no less? praise be to Honda the seers of techno... what do you mean chevy and dodge have been successfully doing it since 2006?

[gm4life]

I need to get this off my chest before I go to bed...

I only looked at the last two eras... And I disagree with...

1980 305ci. Corvette - yeah not exciting but at least it had a V8 in it, unlike some 70's Mustangs when the biggest engine was a V6!

1981 Cadillac 8-6-4 - great idea ahead of its time, its not as bad as they made it out to be, so it didn't work right...

1981 DMC-12 - okay so it wasn't the fastest, but it certainly looked the part, I happen to like DMC-12's they are sweet and with a turbo are even better...

1995 Explorer - give me a break it was a good SUV and people loved them, take that you hippies!

2000 Excursion - one of the best vehicles Ford ever built just because of how HUGE it was, and its a shame it never saw a redesign with the new Twin Turbo 6.4, Sierra club killed that too!

2003 Chevrolet SSR - how can you say that? This was an amazing looking vehicle, actually had a trunk and with the 6.0L LS2 it really moved!

I have to agree on the...

1982 Cimaron - sucked yeah it was a Cavi for the rich...

1997 Prowler - cool looking, I wanted a 4.7L SOHC V8 and stick in it tho...

2003 H2 - a vehicle that is pointless, you can have a Tahoe Z71 or a Avalanche!

So basically it never featured a Toyota vehicle, dare I mention the Tercel? New Turds/Seqs that fall apart? Or what about that ugly bubble minivan?

Edited December 19, 2008 by gm4life

[Intrepidation]

This article is utter $h!. Not one Japanese $h!box on it. Bias much? Besides, you could find the worst 50 for sale in China right now. The Model T and Ford Explorer being on the list shows the hidden, anti-car agenda IMO, and ruins all credibility.

[CARBIZ]

At least GM tries to hide the platform sharing now, the Cimarron was god awful, they didn't bother to change anything really.

Perhaps you're new here: we had an entire thread about the Cimarron where C&D gushed about what a great car it was. Again, we're playing revisionist history. The Cimarron was no worse a re-badge than the ES is a tarted up Camry.

I won't defend the Cimarron, but I worked at a Caddy dealer in '82 and we did sell a lot of them. Gas prices doubled over night around here. Our car jockeys beat the $h! out of those little Caddys and they were pretty tough.

REMEMBER: IT WAS THE '80s.

[CARBIZ]

These days, cylinder deactivation, or variable displacement, is relatively common — the 2008 Honda Accord V6 has it, for instance. And it's a beautiful idea. When the engine is running at light loads, it's logical to shut down unneeded cylinders to save fuel, like turning off lights in unused rooms. But in 1981, when semiconductors and on-board computers were still in their infancy, variable displacement was a huge technical challenge. GM deserves credit for trying, but the V-8-6-4 was the Titanic of engine programs. The cars jerked, bucked, stalled, made rude noises and generally misbehaved until wild-eyed owners took the cars to have the system disconnected. For some it was the last time they ever saw the inside of a Cadillac dealership.

someone please correct me if i am wrong but didnt the 5.3's sport active fuel management in 05? in monte carlo's no less? praise be to Honda the seers of techno... what do you mean chevy and dodge have been successfully doing it since 2006?

Yeah, I caught that, too. Again, these f'ing writers know nothing about cars. They sift through a bunch of pictures and think 'oh, yeah, I remember hating that car,' and include it on their list.

[CARBIZ]

I need to get this off my chest before I go to bed...

I only looked at the last two eras... And I disagree with...

1980 305ci. Corvette - yeah not exciting but at least it had a V8 in it, unlike some 70's Mustangs when the biggest engine was a V6!

1981 Cadillac 8-6-4 - great idea ahead of its time, its not as bad as they made it out to be, so it didn't work right...

1981 DMC-12 - okay so it wasn't the fastest, but it certainly looked the part, I happen to like DMC-12's they are sweet and with a turbo are even better...

1995 Explorer - give me a break it was a good SUV and people loved them, take that you hippies!

2000 Excursion - one of the best vehicles Ford ever built just because of how HUGE it was, and its a shame it never saw a redesign with the new Twin Turbo 6.4, Sierra club killed that too!

2003 Chevrolet SSR - how can you say that? This was an amazing looking vehicle, actually had a trunk and with the 6.0L LS2 it really moved!

I have to agree on the...

1982 Cimaron - sucked yeah it was a Cavi for the rich...

1997 Prowler - cool looking, I wanted a 4.7L SOHC V8 and stick in it tho...

2003 H2 - a vehicle that is pointless, you can have a Tahoe Z71 or a Avalanche!

So basically it never featured a Toyota vehicle, dare I mention the Tercel? New Turds/Seqs that fall apart? Or what about that ugly bubble minivan?

The Excursion was a horrible vehicle! Did you ever drive one? It had a Ford Super Duty chassis and drove like a Mac truck. Ford could have at least gussied up the suspension a little. The SSR was over-priced and took 4 years to come to market. By the time it did, any interest in it had passed. (Sounds like the upcoming Camaro is going to be deja vu, no?)

[CARBIZ]

This article is utter $h!. Not one Japanese $h!box on it. Bias much? Besides, you could find the worst 50 for sale in China right now. The Model T and Ford Explorer being on the list shows the hidden, anti-car agenda IMO, and ruins all credibility.

:rotflmao:

[Robert Hall]

Perhaps you're new here: we had an entire thread about the Cimarron where C&D gushed about what a great car it was. Again, we're playing revisionist history. The Cimarron was no worse a re-badge than the ES is a tarted up Camry.

I won't defend the Cimarron, but I worked at a Caddy dealer in '82 and we did sell a lot of them. Gas prices doubled over night around here. Our car jockeys beat the $h! out of those little Caddys and they were pretty tough.

REMEMBER: IT WAS THE '80s.

Invalid comparison. The ES platform shares with the Camry--it's as the LaCrosse is to the Impala. Not a rebadge. The Cimmaron is undefendable--it was a rebadge of the Cavalier.

[balthazar]

According to the press of the day, it was still a nice little 'sport sedan' that handled very well. Jump to the V-6/5-spd and you got performance quite competitive in it's class. In that Cadillac entered the J-program late, they still did quite a bit with the car, tho the visual connection was undeniable, yes.

CARBIZ is completely correct - the sentiment today is revisionistic. In other words, look at the car as if the Cavalier never existed if you can, because not a single detractor has been able to judge the car on it's own merits ...

Edited December 20, 2008 by balthazar

[chevelle454]

I have a Motor Trend from 1983 and there is a review of the Cimmaron. The actually give it a very good review.

[balthazar]

And I posted excerpts from C&D from '82, and they loved the car.

[Cory Wolfe]

So, basically, anything and everything that didn't fit their perfect automotive mold was picked?

[gm4life]

The Excursion was a horrible vehicle! Did you ever drive one? It had a Ford Super Duty chassis and drove like a Mac truck. Ford could have at least gussied up the suspension a little. The SSR was over-priced and took 4 years to come to market. By the time it did, any interest in it had passed. (Sounds like the upcoming Camaro is going to be deja vu, no?)

Actually I always liked the SSR, I know it was a Trailblazer but it looked sweet, and it actually had a trunk on a two seat roadster you could use. It sitll could tow 3,500 lbs and load up with some things at Lowes. Also I have seen them pulling small speed boats with a matching paint job on the SSR they look sweet. As for the Excursion so it didn't ride well, that thing had a certain appeal to me in a land full of low to the ground Camri's you gotta love a big a$$ BOF SUV, yes I had driven one with the old 7.3 TD and loved it. It was like driving a train! Shame they redid the front end and never got rid of that crummy 6.0 TD. Camaro will not be the same as the SSR much more affordable and larger appeal even to G-Series buyers and so on.

[Robert Hall]

Actually I always liked the SSR, I know it was a Trailblazer but it looked sweet, and it actually had a trunk on a two seat roadster you could use. It sitll could tow 3,500 lbs and load up with some things at Lowes. Also I have seen them pulling small speed boats with a matching paint job on the SSR they look sweet. As for the Excursion so it didn't ride well, that thing had a certain appeal to me in a land full of low to the ground Camri's you gotta love a big a$$ BOF SUV, yes I had driven one with the old 7.3 TD and loved it. It was like driving a train! Shame they redid the front end and never got rid of that crummy 6.0 TD. Camaro will not be the same as the SSR much more affordable and larger appeal even to G-Series buyers and so on.

I used to work with a guy that had both a diesel Excursion and a diesel F350 Crew Cab longbed (alternated driving them w/ his wife).. I remember he had trouble navigating the parking garage at work because of their size. The Excursion was fun to go out to lunch in, could cram almost the whole team in it.

Back in the summer when gas prices were over $4 dollars a gallon, the New York Times ran an article featuring him and his family, spotlighting the pain of the high gas prices on families that live in distant exurbs and commute to the city.

Edited December 21, 2008 by moltar

[Oracle of Delphi]

I take issue with the East German Trabant being on the list, don't they know an East German Icon when they see it?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/german...,489125,00.html

[daves87rs]

I have a Motor Trend from 1983 and there is a review of the Cimmaron. The actually give it a very good review.

pics? I wouldn't find seeing that....

[A Horse With No Name]

Actually several of the cars on the list are rather creative. The MGA twincam was a joke in terms of how it blew up...but it was very advanced thinking, in that so many motors today are built with overhead cams like that....

Chris

[Diehard GrandPrix Fan]

I cannot agree with some of the cars listed, although few of them are my personal preference. I don't think both Jaguars should be in there, Ford Explorer, and Excursions also don't deserve to be called WORST, and to my preference, Pontiac Aztek(I know, I am the only fan of it) while look is subjective, to me, it is the most versatile vehicle ever designed. One of its feature, the slide out cargo tray is even copied by the current Dodge Nitro, though they NEVER give pontiac the credit to have it first, among others. AMC Pacer, and AMC Gremlins, while they MAY be the bad cars, but I personally LOVED their styling. I know, I know, I may be crazy, or just that I have a unique taste, but everyone is different when it comes to something they like or dislike. Also, the Edsels. To me, it was just introduced at the wrong time period. If they were produced about 5 or 6 years back, I think they might have been faired much better. It's unique styling(well, caterred to today's standards while keeping some retro styles intact) will earn quite a few buyers. It's just the the car came out at a bad time.

To me, the cars that SHOULD have been listed as the worst that they FORGOT to include are most of the 80's and 90's Hyundais. Which were utter craps, and piece of s***s that are lucky to last anywhere near 3 years of life cycles.

Well, that's my point of view.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Diehard GrandPrix Fan

[A Horse With No Name]

My inlaws owned an early 1990's Hyundai...it should really be on the list.

Worse IMHO than the cars of British Leyland....and that's saying something.

Chris

[mustang84]

Dumb article. Of course, they focus only on the "popular" stuff to hate like the Pinto and Corvair, but completely left off garbage like the 1986 Excel. '82 Camaro makes it on there, but the Excel doesn't? What about the tinny 70's Toyotas and Hondas that are absent from the road because they have long rusted away?

Placing the Explorer on there killed the entire article for me. Just because they were popular and helped usher in the SUV era does not mean it should have been placed on this list. Same thing with the H2. It just tells me the author is another anti-SUV asshole that would like to dictate what others drive.