Crapiest modern car you've driven...

[Blake Noble]

I'd also like to nominate another household sedan we've had.

We had a 2004 in charcoal gray that was almost complete rubbish. It might have been a decent car if we had the LS package and not just the base model.

Here are its list of faults:

• The interior design was sterile and uninspiring and had next to nothing in terms of fit and finish. Since we also had a bench seat in front, that means we also had the column shifter, and I can remember thinking that the interior wouldn't look out of place in a truck. The plood was nasty as well. The backseat was about as comfortable as a park bench made out of cinderblocks and the front seats were just as bad.
• Yes, I know we picked up the base model Impala, but this car was brand new for the 2004 model year. So was I asking too much when I realized the car should have more standard features, like say ... a CD player, for one? Yes, this car did in fact have a cassette deck and, yes, it came from the factory that way. I was also expecting a tachometer, but instead the only instrumentation was a temperature gauge, speedo, and fuel gauge. By the way, before the car was traded in for the G6 I mentioned earlier, the speedometer never worked correctly.
• The transmission had started to slip at 40,000 miles. Quite badly, too.
• Those gawd-awful plastic wheel covers. I think wheel covers made out of actual recycled $h! and used tampons would have been better. These had started to fade to yellow at 34,000 miles or so.

I will give the Impala this: it did handle pretty great.

Edited August 20, 2009 by whiteknight

[SAmadei]

I vaguely remember those. If a car is forgotten, that's not good. Nobody forgets a 70s/80s Cutlass or Grand Prix or Camaro or Firebird.

Wait. Isn't that the twin of the Mercury Zephyr at the time?

Granted, they were forgettable... but keep in mind these are still RWD and Fox based... like the '80s Mustangs. There are a lot of people making Fairmonts and Zephyrs into 10 second sleepers for cheap.

OTOH, most of the FWD appliances GM has made will REALLY be forgotten... except a few of the supercharged 3.8 cars.

[aaaantoine]

I am sure it will last a long time and you probably got it for a good (reasonable) price.

Thanks. Yeah, it was only 3 years old and the GP's depreciated value made it a steal. I miss the Cobalt, but I needed to move to something with a more accessible back seat.

[The O.C.]

OTOH, most of the FWD appliances GM has made will REALLY be forgotten... except a few of the supercharged 3.8 cars.

Just saw a last-gen Grand Prix GT in the parking lot this morning.......THAT car actually looked quite nice.....and the interior design appeared to be much more cohesive....and actually looked to have better fit-and-finish than the current gen.....

[regfootball]

I vaguely remember those. If a car is forgotten, that's not good. Nobody forgets a 70s/80s Cutlass or Grand Prix or Camaro or Firebird.

Wait. Isn't that the twin of the Mercury Zephyr at the time?

not sure. they had a lot of models back then!

[daves87rs]

Just saw a last-gen Grand Prix GT in the parking lot this morning.......THAT car actually looked quite nice.....and the interior design appeared to be much more cohesive....and actually looked to have better fit-and-finish than the current gen.....

I have yet to see one in good shape here....

The 04+ ones are heading that way quickly.....

[trinacriabob]

Just saw a last-gen Grand Prix GT in the parking lot this morning.......THAT car actually looked quite nice.....and the interior design appeared to be much more cohesive....and actually looked to have better fit-and-finish than the current gen.....

You're talking 97-03 and not 04-08, right? That was a less polarizing car and they sold a lot of them. I've talked to people who have 97-03 GPs who really like them.

[The O.C.]

You're talking 97-03 and not 04-08, right? That was a less polarizing car and they sold a lot of them. I've talked to people who have 97-03 GPs who really like them.

Yes....'97 to '03.

[Intrepidation]

Just saw a last-gen Grand Prix GT in the parking lot this morning.......THAT car actually looked quite nice.....and the interior design appeared to be much more cohesive....and actually looked to have better fit-and-finish than the current gen.....

I actually looked at one the day I bought my car. I'v always liked the last gen exteriors. However I sat inside of it and it was such so horribly cheap. It had a black interior. Everything was rough, poorly textured, poorly fitted, and hollow feeling. Completely pales in comparison to the quality of the car I looked at afterward, and ended up buying.

[The O.C.]

I actually looked at one the day I bought my car. I'v always liked the last gen exteriors. However I sat inside of it and it was such so horribly cheap. It had a black interior. Everything was rough, poorly textured, poorly fitted, and hollow feeling. Completely pales in comparison to the quality of the car I looked at afterward, and ended up buying.

I thought the GP interiors were decent.....not like the Regal/Century interiors....that I HATED.....

[Robert Hall]

I thought the GP interiors were decent.....not like the Regal/Century interiors....that I HATED.....

I don't remember much about that era of Ws..I think I had a '98 Lumina rental once and have ridden in a Regal and an Intrigue. One thing I liked about that generation of GP's was the roofline--great shape on both the 2dr and 4dr, IMHO.

Rob

[aaaantoine]

I feel like the 04 Grand Prix, when compared directly to the 03 Grand Prix, has a better design all around.

Though when taken in light of the 2004 competition, and especially 2009 and 2010's cars, the Grand Prix design is most certainly sub-par.

Yes, I'm ragging on my own car. I know what a bad interior looks like; I just don't let it bother me while I'm driving (not a good idea to stare at your quality materials or feel up your dashboard when driving at highway speeds ).

Edited August 21, 2009 by aaaantoine

[Satty]

90's Cavalier

90's Grand Am

[trinacriabob]

I thought the GP interiors were decent

I think that the design of the interiors was fine (shape of the dash/console) but that the craftsmanship/materials was not. The circular vents were kind of cool.

I think that the 04+ seats were not comfortable, nor were they nicely finished..the prior gen had more comfortable and more nicely upholstered seating (they took a step back in 04)

[aaaantoine]

I think that the 04+ seats were not comfortable, nor were they nicely finished..the prior gen had more comfortable and more nicely upholstered seating (they took a step back in 04)

I think if you sat in my dad's 02 Grand Prix than sat in my 05, you would not be saying this, at least not about the front seats.

In 2002, Pontiac cheaped out and made hollow headrests. I don't care how comfortable the rest of the seat is, the head rest is distractingly uncomfortable.

[bobo]

The last generation Toyota Corolla was one of the worst cars I've driven.

Regarding the W-bodies, I test-drove a Grand Prix Comp G and was not impressed one bit. I liked the Buick Regal, which drove reasonably well. I liked the styling of the previous Grand Prix with the pumpkin-shaped taillights. However, the Dodge Intrepid of the same vintage drove better.

[Croc]

I don't know, maybe within the last 20, at most 25 years? Anything older than that seems like a truly old car to me.

(I started driving in 1986, my first new car was an '87, so that is my reality context).

Rob

I'd say the last 15 years. You know, since the advent of modern tuning, near-universal unibody, traction control, ABS, airbags, etc.

Edited August 21, 2009 by Croc

[frogger]

I almost forgot about the 2001 chevy blazer

[CaddyXLR-V]

I stopped liking the Grand Prix in 04. My 98 GTP was a decent car for the times, in the late 90s. The competition improved more than the Grand Prix has. It's still built on a platform that should have died in the 90s, with engines that should have gone with it.

[daves87rs]

I almost forgot about the 2001 chevy blazer

Is it sad I was looking at one of those?

[trinacriabob]

I think if you sat in my dad's 02 Grand Prix than sat in my 05, you would not be saying this, at least not about the front seats.

In 2002, Pontiac cheaped out and made hollow headrests. I don't care how comfortable the rest of the seat is, the head rest is distractingly uncomfortable.

The general seat shape in 97-03 had flatter bolsters and was easier to get in and out of. For a medium-sized person, this was more comfortable, but the protuding bolsters of 04 and beyond annoyed me.

The hollowed out-headreast was a sporty cue. I'll admit it's not comfortable, but I generally don't lean back into the headrest. It looked good, but it didn't look comfortable.

The GP that just departed would have been much better and more successful if it blended:

97-03 front fascia

04-08 rear lights

97-03 seating config with filled-in headrests

04-08 dash and console design

97-03 dash and console workmanship (better, at least)

97-03 slightly taller roofline

It was too polarizing.