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Cars You Hate/Cars You Would Kill

derrado1derrado1 Member Posts: 194
edited March 2014 in INFINITI
Seeing as how there are so many different opinions on these boards, I thought it would be interesting to start a discussion on what cars, past and present, you despise.

Let's not make it as simple as just listing names, let's get into specifics. I'll get the ball rolling..

Saturn ION
Rubbish from the get-go. Possibly the worst car in its segment. Dumpy looks, cheap interior, and most heinous of all, it's based on the same platform as the Opel Astra? How on earth did they take a good car and ruin it so? Needs to be euthanised as soon as possible so it doesn't share floor space with the good new Outlook, Aura, Sky.

Infiniti QX56
Offers neither the good quality of Japanese competitors (LX470) or the style of American (Escalade). Has a pretty ugly interior for the money too, and is a very unconvincing clone of the Armada... even Cadillac and Lincoln do better.

Isuzu Ascender
Or is it dead already? Isuzu is hanging on by the thinnest of threads and this pointless exercise in badge engineering cheapens both Isuzu and GMC's names.

Mazda B-Series
Is this necessary? Sells worse than pretty much every other pickup truck (although I-Series and Raider are vying for that title, too), and doesn't fit in AT ALL with Mazda's image. It's a dodgy old Ranger with Mazda logos on it.

Let's hear everybody's opinions? What cars do ya hate? Which ones do you wish manufacturers would just dump already?
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Comments

  • marikamarika Member Posts: 39
    I think that anything that gets less than 40 mpg should be restricted to professionals who require such vehicles for their (essential) jobs.

    The rest of us should be demanding 40, 50, and 60+ mpg vehicles, with increases in efficacy each year.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I want to help in killing the Ion

    I saw a dark blue one the other day with those dopey 4 spoke wheels and grey A-pillar trim...awful awful thing, a sure way to kill brand equity.

    I agree with the QX too...I see the Ascender and B series as being irrelevant and redundant...can't recall even seeing one lately.

    I also want to see automakers issue sanctions to dealers who put carriage tops and similar atrocities on supposedly modern domestic cars.
  • wonderwallwonderwall Member Posts: 126
    Dump Pontiac entirely. This, I feel, would make the mullet hairstyle go away. It seems nonsequitor, but I really believe there's a correlation.

    Kill the Chevy Tahoe and all private sales of gigantic SUVs. Besides being energy inefficient, they are a threat to the safety of us all.

    The Maybach is also a ridiculous vehicle. It looks like someone spliced Mercedes genes with a 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue.
  • chrisducatichrisducati Member Posts: 394
    Ion, what a sad replacement for the S sedan/wagon. Ship us the Astra untouched please

    The large rear drive Ford/Lincoln/Mercury sedans. Honestly. Why? If you have ever had to set in the middle position of the rear seat in a Town car, you know it only really holds 4 people. :cry:

    Large SUV's Or at least let me take that Escalade of yours on a Jeep Rubicon run. I will bring back what is left of it.

    Any American made Isuzu. GM needs fewer divisions, not more.
    Isuzu has trucks in other markets not based on US models. They should have brought them here.
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    From information floating around on the internet, Looks like we won't get the 3 door Astra, or the 3 door Vue replacement?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Antara

    Says the 2 door from the shows won't come here, but will be replaced by a 4 door( I think they meant 2 door-hatch, 4 door -hatch?). The 4 door is not horrible, but the 2(3) door is 10x's more interesting.
    Why do they do this? Take something that even import buyers would check out, and make it "Me-Too", thus....
    losing potential customers/conquest sales?

    Here's hoping someone over at GM reconsiders the 3 door, and put it out for sale Somewhere in one of their divisions( FWD , with optional AWD).

    Same for the Ion replacementI was interested in the Astra 3 door, not a 5 door, and same goes for the Vue replacement.

    At least Scion still offers the tC 3 door. Also, Hyundai( and Kia, I read) have/will have 3 door sporty cars.

    5 door Astra-Ion replacement?
    http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/04/ast- - - raf3-4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/18/is-the-opel-astra-the-ne- - - xt-saturn-ion/&h=243&w=450&sz=25&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=BsySvGHoxWEx6M:&tbnh=66&tbn- - - w=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DOpel%2Bastra%2Bto%2Breplace%2BIon%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3De- - - n%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

    Like I said, they aren't bad, but the concept(s) - to me, anyway- were waaay better.

    It seems they want to garner attention, but they do what everyone else does. Maybe offer a 5 and 3 door Vue and Ion?

    It seems that many makers are now showing excellent concepts, and then change them to "me-too", or water them down too much.
    Have a good one.
  • derrado1derrado1 Member Posts: 194
    Carriage tops look... I can't believe I'm saying this but almost... almost... acceptable - on SOME cars. A '97 Deville can pull off a carriage roof (it'll be ugly, but it'll pull it off). But an '06 STS? Or a Dodge Intrepid? People do it. It's scary.

    The STS is probably one of, if not the, most attractive American sedans currently on sale. But the old-fogey Floridian golf-club-membership geezers insist on butchering it, and other cars, with carriage roofs and wire wheels and gold doo-dads. Honestly.

    I noticed, today, too a big Ford F-Series Superduty. Now, not many of these are around where I live, but occasionally I'll see one. It just makes me think... what's the point? Sure, they may be essential for some uses but they are just so commonplace in America. Don't get me wrong, Australians are almost or just as lazy a people as Americans, and we love our big sedans and SUVs. But we get by just fine with our Falcon/Commodore Utes and Hiluxs (Tacomas), Navaras (Frontiers), Rodeos (Isuzu D-Maxs). So how is it that the Ford F-Series is consistently one of the best-selling vehicles in the US? Do that many people need them so?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,655
    with a carriage roof is that the car has to have crisp, linear, squared-off styling to begin with. If the car is too curvy or rounded, or has too many creases that kick up here and there, a carriage roof just doesn't fit.

    I think an STS could pull off a carriage roof better than many cars could, but if I had my preference, these damned things would not have survived past the 1985 Seville!
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    So how is it that the Ford F-Series is consistently one of the best-selling vehicles in the US?

    Very simple. The Crew Cab PU is the most practical suburban vehicle on the roads today. You can haul 5 people and a load of manure, trash or whatever. If they made a midsize Crew Cab with a 4 Cylinder diesel it would be the most practical and very economical.

    I would get rid of every small car on the road rated below average for safety by the IIHS.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Anything with a "gold package" :P
  • prosaprosa Member Posts: 280
    The B-Series (and Ranger) are not quite state of the art - to put it mildly! - but they're just about the only true compact pickups remaining.
    Hasn't the Raider been killed off already?
    As for the Ascender, if it still has any raison d'etre it's the pricing ... a local dealer has a new one right out in front on the lot with a price of $19,995 on the windshield. I doubt you'll find any other midsized SUV for anything like that.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    The [F-150] Crew Cab PU is the most practical suburban vehicle on the roads today. You can haul 5 people and a load of manure, trash or whatever.

    LOL: Did you ever see a full load of people + manure in a pickup?
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Buick, Pontiac, and Saturn clones of the Chevy Uplander (and the Uplander itself is dumb enough).

    Mercury - any Mercury.

    Pontiac Torrent (GM said they were done with "badge engineering," so what gives here?)

    Isuzu - is this some kind of joke they're pulling with just 2 models on the market, and they're GM rebadges at that!

    Saturn ION - I agree with all you've said before; fortunately this dies in December (with no replacement for a year -- way to go again GM!)

    Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey - The 1995 Windstar lives!! (just barely)

    Mitsubishi Endeavor - if the Outlander is growing for '07, why keep this loser?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Did you ever see a full load of people + manure in a pickup?

    No, but when I had to haul a half dozen bags of cow dodo in my Suburban, i decided to go back to owning a PU truck. Minivans and SUVs are limited in some areas of utility.

    PS
    Kill the Subaru Tribeca. It makes the Aztec look almost good.
  • derrado1derrado1 Member Posts: 194
    Didn't the Endeavor win a comparison on Edmunds once? Nevertheless, it sells about as well as any other Mitsubishi... that is to say, not well at all.

    I like the current Outlander but it seems they're going to suck the fun out of it for the '07 model year. Which leaves, what? Lancer? Rubbish. Galant? Nothing special. Montero? Dead after this year. Raider? Rebadge.

    Mitsubishi isn't doing well anywhere in the world, it would seem. Especially down under, the 380 (Australianised Galant) was meant to save Mitsubishi's Australian operations and factories. It was replacing the Magna which stagnated for about ten years without any major changes, and ended up fleet-fodder (think... Taurus). Now, the 380, which Mitsubishi promised wouldn't be a special-edition-repeat-offender, is... just that. They've slashed a few grand off the price, they're hyping the "380 Series 2". I feel for the Mitsubishi Australia workers... they could be out of a job. The 380's a decent car, but it offers nothing over a Falcon or Commodore and has a cheap interior and front-wheel-drive.

    Ha. And I totally forgot about the Mercury Monterey. The only minivan that sells worse than the Saturn Relay. Utterly, utterly pointless. Wasn't the Villager a better, albeit smaller, car?

    The CSV's are a pretty tepid stopgap measure... and there never should have been another Pontiac minivan, but I must admit, the SV6 looked the best out of 'em. Now the Relay's the best-looking (maybe I have to see one in the metal, but from some angles it looks almost Volvo-ish). It's got the nicest looking interior too (no faux-classy-Terraza interior, no bizarro-fake wood like the Uplander). I suppose if you had to buy a GM minivan, a runout SV6 or a new Relay wouldn't be that bad. At least you're not in a Freestar.
  • tncarmantncarman Member Posts: 82
    Hmm... I can name quite a few.

    Saturn Ion and Relay- Why keep them? I haven't even seen a Relay on the road, EVER. The Ion is an eon behind the rest of the market, too.

    Chevy Uplander- Just as bad as Relay

    Buick- Rendevous and uhh, well all but Lucerne and Enclave

    Pontiac-All but Vibe, Torrent, and Solstice

    Ford- Ranger, I haven't seen a new one in years

    Honda- Insight, they are dead and the Civic Hybrid is MUCH better

    Mitsubishi- All, the Raider Ive never seen, the Galant failed to meet my expectations after its great commercials.
  • tncarmantncarman Member Posts: 82
    Yea, just read your post. I owned a 1993 Mercury Villager. Bought it on tax day, I remember that. But yes, it was a great minivan based on the Nissan Quest. It was affordable and reliable, we had it for 8 years and we never had any problems. The GS we bought was great, but now I'd never think of buying a Monterey Convience, or any mini-van for that matter.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Amen!
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    I've never seen an SUV with a full load of people in it. About 99% of the time they're occupied by the driver only, who is usually a trophy wife speeding, and tailgating, all while yacking on a cell phone. I say "death to the Stupid Useless Vehicles."
  • atlvibeatlvibe Member Posts: 109
    Anything Mitsubishi. Subaru Tribeca, the dysfunctional Aardvark front end is too much. Pontiac, Buick, Saturn, and GMC need to go to Grave yard. GM has too much needless duplication. Mercury suffer from the malady with Ford. Chevy Monte Carlo.... enough said.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    ...the new minivan GM has out now with the longer snout? Saturn, Pontiac, Chevy, and Buick all make one and they all look exactly the same. What's up with that? It's kinda like back in the 70's when they all decided to make a version of the Nova. Way too much duplication.
  • irnmdnirnmdn Member Posts: 245
    I think that anything that gets less than 40 mpg should be restricted to professionals who require such vehicles for their (essential) jobs

    Are you implying general public should only buy Honda and Toyota?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I think that anything that gets less than 40 mpg

    I agree, got any suggestions. I need a midsize PU that gets 40 MPG. They are available all over the world. Oh, except in our restricted society. We are by law not going to get that kind of mileage except on cars too small for most people's needs.
  • ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    I agree with you re the GM 'mini' vans; I saw the Chevrolet version the other day and thought to myself, 'Jeez, leave it to GM to mess up something as tried-and-true and presumedly inconsequential as the front end of a van.' The fact that they've been on the market for a couple years (IIRC) and that was one of the first I'd seen on the streets should tell you something. Ugly.

    Despite their protestt to the contrary, GM is as guilty as ever of badge engineering, eapecially in the SUV and minivan categories. I can't help but wonder how much better GM would be if they offered two divisions (a bread-and-butter and 'luxury', like, uh, Honda, Nissan and Toyota). Then they could do something amazing like concentrating on the big details that really matter rather than petty little trim peices that separate, say, a Torrent from an Equinox.
  • chuck1959chuck1959 Member Posts: 654
    I noticed, today, too a big Ford F-Series Super duty. Now, not many of these are around where I live, but occasionally I'll see one. It just makes me think... what's the point? Sure, they may be essential for some uses.

    I have never liked those "carriage" tops.

    Here in Houston, I see alot of the Super Duties. Your answer to "what's the point?" They are mostly used commercially. Rare to see one used as a private use vehicle.
  • chuck1959chuck1959 Member Posts: 654
    I always thought it was a bit odd that the General and Ford (who at one time touted themselves as "the wagon master" because almost every car in the line up was offered as a S/W model) never really had a decent minivan. IMO the Astro/Safari and the Aerostar were just a scaled down, truck based full-size van.
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    My sister has a 2004 Ion... awful little car. I get in it only under duress.

    The Ford Ranger is suffering the most in Ford's financial problems... it always has its redesign "postponed" first. I challenge anyone to find much difference between a 2006 Ranger and a 1989.

    All 3-letter-name cars and trucks. Come up with a NAME, people. I guess the automotive industry is suffering the same lack of imagination as Hollywood, who only seem to spit out remakes and adaptations these days.

    Every remaining Buick model. No explanation needed.

    Every 4-door sedan whose steeply raked back window both reduces the trunk opening to an oversize mail slot, and prevents anyone with an adult-sized hand from cleaning the inside of the glass because A) glass cleaner just drips straight down onto the back seat and shelf, and B) no one's hand will EVER reach the bottom of the window.

    Any vehicle whose C or D pillar is so ridiculously wide and misshapen that you'll never see anything over your right shoulder.

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    ...Saab 9-7X. Rebadge a GM SUV and call it a Saab. Oh the humanity!

    All GM and Ford minivans.

    SUVs under 20mpg unless they're used for Commercial work.

    All Buicks.

    All Mitsubishis, Isuzus.

    Agree on the Subaru Tribeca. Dump the Subie with that spoiler, too. No amount of performance is worth a car that looks like that.

    Get rid of the big trucklike SUVs from Lexus and Infiniti. Get rid of the Escalade, too. In fact, I don't like hardly any SUVs unless they're for a good pupose. Did I say for Commercial business? I know many people say they want need their SUVs. But of course before 1990 they weren't available and thus weren't as needed - but somehow we got by, didn't we?

    BTW, Honda did just announce they're discontinuing the Insight.
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    1) PT Coupe:
    (they have the convertible, all they need to do is a little more work on this model to make this happen).

    2) Kia ED:
    (compact sporty car, 200HP: may make it here, in 2-3 years, may not).

    3) Ford Reflex:
    Who knows?

    4) Dodge Hornet:
    Nice concept, and rumors are Chrysler is looking for someone to build it for them/with them.

    5)Sporty Suzuki Reno:
    Rumor is it will be built(see edmunds future vehicles,etc, intellichoice) for 07 or 08?

    That's it for now.

    Out of all of these, sounds like that a version of the Hornet is almost a done deal, the Reno will be here(?), and
    the Kia sporty car will (eventually) show up, in some form.
    No word on Reflex. PT Coupe probably won't happen, unless they do aftermarket stuff(or through dealerships).
  • khmerkenboykhmerkenboy Member Posts: 14
    For 2006, the one car that everyone should get rid off is the Subaru Tribeca. What a monsterity. Talk about over indulgence, I usually see single moms or lesbians driving that thing.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    they want need their SUVs. But of course before 1990 they weren't available and thus weren't as needed - but somehow we got by, didn't we?

    Suburban has been around since 1935. Always popular with big families even when I was young. Many others since the mid sixties were popular. Not like the crazy decadent 1990s I will admit. The 1990s spawned every kind of excess in our society.
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    Gagrice, I'll grant you the suburban. Let's just kill all of the other big SUVs. I hate the fact that now SUVs are an excess version of the 1960's station wagon. The problem is that not only do they increase our dependence upon foreign oil, they make it more hazardous for those of us who want to drive reasonable-sized vehicles.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I look at vehicles somewhat like houses. One guy builds a house 12 feet tall the next guy has to be 16 feet tall to see over his neighbors house.

    Maybe the price of gas will slow the sales down. I do not see a big need for a Suburban to commute to the office. I personally like the upright seating position in my PU truck vs the lounge chair feel of our Lexus. Most of my trips are about 3 miles to the Home Depot or Costco. So gas is not an issue either. If I felt the environmental community, the EPA and the Government were in the least bit interested in saving fossil fuel I would downgrade to a smaller PU truck. Outside of Edmund's I don't hear anyone talking about conserving at all. Except the bit about ethanol paid for by our friends at ADM.
  • chuck1959chuck1959 Member Posts: 654
    I agree. Not only that it's WAY overpriced!

    You actually SAW one? I haven't seen a single one on the road yet.
  • tncarmantncarman Member Posts: 82
    Hmm, 16ft is huge? Wow, Im living in a 18-Wheeler then...

    Anyways, the Buick Lucerne needs a name change. Is it just me, or does "Lucerne" sound like an 80 year old woman? I mean, just think about it...
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    reminds me of cottage cheese or buttermilk, yuck.... The car deserves a better name.
  • hangaralf1hangaralf1 Member Posts: 107
    i know this comes in a little late, but there is nothing, no-way, no-how, that can make the Aztec look even almost good - this thing should be recalled for offensive esthetics and as a possible cause for eye and nerve damage. and the people who brought this to market should be made to drive one...well, i wouldn't wish that on anyone, but those who bought one should be hauled in and tested.

    btw - i like the name lucerne - i've been to luzern in Switzerland - beautiful, elegant, sophisticated city - i hope the car lives up to the name
  • hangaralf1hangaralf1 Member Posts: 107
    i agree with you also on the GM minivans - reminds me of when somebody straps on a pig snout for halloween. i figure they had to change it since it did so badly in the crash tests.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Nissan Armada/Infiniti QX56 - thing looks like a 1957 Rambler on steroids. Hideous!

    Hummer H1 & H2: Wasteful monstrocities.

    Hummer H3: Tonka toy for poseurs.

    Honda Element: This grotesquery exists only because it has "Honda" on it. If this were a GM vehicle, it would've long since been laughed off the market.

    Scion xB: Leave postal truck design to AM General.

    All GM "bottlenose" minivans.

    Pig-nosed Camry: Sure, the old Camry was dull, but adding a weird snout is no way to stand out.

    2006 Hyundai Sonata: A fake Honda Accord. I used to like Hyundai until they started copying existing Japanese designs.

    Hyundai Azera: a fake Toyota Camry. See above.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I agree with you on most of these. Who came up with the retro-Rambler C-pillars? They're popping up on SUVs everywhere, but the Armada/QX56 may have started the trend.

    On the Element, even though it's no beauty, I kind of like it for its functionality. Imagine - a car without carpeting - could never understand why cars must have carpeting (and carpeted mats) when you have to trudge through dirt, mud, sand, or slush sometimes before you get in. It's not like your house where you can take off your shoes at the door.

    I know everyone's criticizing the new Camry, but you ought to examine one up close. It makes a difference. There's a lot of subtle curves there that it didn't have before. But it could lose the Bangle butt! And that snout really isn't one -- it's just the grille has a "hanging" emblem.

    Speaking of emblems, why do they have to be so gigantic nowadays?

    And before I forget, the Buick Rendezvous (son of Aztek) should have been on my list of cars to kill.
  • carguy58carguy58 Member Posts: 2,303
    Ford Crown Victoria

    Oh yeah on the Element: I don;t see to many of them.

    The Camry: well at least people notice it now even if you don't like it. The last one was so whitebread it wasn't even that noticeable. Its like you saw it(the last generation Camry) for a minute and than you forgot about it instantly because it was just so bland. The new one is still conservative but at least it stands out a little bit. I agree about the pig snout: I think Toyota can address that in a mid-cycle refresh in a few years.

    The Sonata: if people wanted a Honda or a toyota they would have bought one. People want a Hyundai not a Honda or Toyota.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...that the GM SUVs and minivans should be found only at Chevrolet and GMC dealers. GM tries to make its minivans stand out from the others, but everything they try doesn't work. Remember the dustbuster minivans? Maybe they should just benchmark a Sienna and leave it at that?
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    ...the Element and its liner, the Scion xB. Both are silly designs. The Cavalier and Neon need to go. Both are very cheaply built disposal-mobiles. Any vehicle that gets less than 30 MPG highway.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    the Scion xB

    That is the only vehicle I would buy from Toyota today. It has great headroom front and back. Plus you can see out of it. You cannot say that for most of the stuff Toyota builds today. Great vehicle for short trips to the store. Too bad it is not all electric, then it would be perfect.
  • pernaperna Member Posts: 521
    the Scion xB

    That is the only vehicle I would buy from Toyota today.


    It looks like a milk delivery truck, and has the acceleration of a pallet of bricks. Looking at your profile, let me assure you that the xB is not a vehicle you would enjoy.

    At least the Element caters to a very specific group of people (surfers).. but at least it does cater to SOMEBODY.

    Although, I'd just as soon own either vehicle than buy a Subaru Tribeca. It is, without exception, the ugliest car I have ever seen. I actually wince when I see one on the road. Those cars make pea-soup green Azteks look like Enzos. The front end is simply the most vile thing ever attached to a motor vehicle.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    The xB is probably the only Toyota product I wouldn't buy. It is hidiously, ridiculously ugly. Did I mention I don't like its looks?
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    You already got your wish - the Cavalier and Neon are no longer in production.
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    Nice to see a "I don't like it so no one else should be able to own one" thread. Describes our society very well.

    There's plenty that I'm happy to hate though. Number one on my list is anything lifted. Next is anything tall. I wouldn't kill them, but I'm not going to respect them either.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Shoot, if CR ruled the world, we'd all be driving boring low-end 4-cylinder Hondas and Toyotas and nothing else.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I'd kill the 97-01 Camry with the carriage roof I spotted yesterday (not a vinyl top either, a full on puffy roof). Nice to see GM isn't alone in attracting stupid owners.
This discussion has been closed.