Worst Cars

nippononly · February 2006

is the most extreme example of the weird Korean styling themes. I agree that it is rather ugly, looking a lot like the new cars coming out of China, especially the ones that imitate (way too much) top-dollar cars like Rolls Royce.

I was glad to see that Hyundai seems to be moving away from the weird awkward sort of Korean styling with the new Sonata, which while fairly generic-looking, at least has a clean design that is easy on the eyes.

lemko · February 2006

...out of those Chinese imitators. I've seen pictures of a Geely that blatantly copies the nose of a Mercedes C-Class and its taillights. Too bad they tried to graft them to a Toyota Echo look-alike with its tiny wheels and top-heavy, stubby proportions. I've even seen a Chinese copy of a Lincoln Town Car. Weird! I have seen that Phantom clone! Grotesque! I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of poseurs in NA would buy that car - a "Phantom" for the price of a Kia.

nippononly · February 2006

the new Azera will wipe out the weird and ugly styling of the XG350 in favor of a "Sonata's big brother" kind of look. The Koreans are learning. The Chinese will take a lot longer, I am sure.

jefferyg · February 2006

First time I saw an Amanti I thought, "Mercedes wannabe." But you know immitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Along those lines, for as much as VW is maligned by many posters here, it sure is funny to me how many new cars seem to be copying the previous generation Passat and Jetta.

As for Kev604's comments about the Cayenne, I agree it does look somewhat like a fat Boxster, but I think it's kinda cool. Even as a VW driver I think it is better looking than it's first cousin, Toureg. If money were no object the Cayenne would be close to the top of my list as far as SUVs go. I also think that it was a good idea for Porsche to offer an SUV. Off-road racing is gaining in popularity and why shouldn't Porsche get in the game. As a brand their cars are arguably the most "race-inspired" cars on the road, so why not branch out to the off-road.

andre1969 · February 2006

it is an attractive car, but for some reason, there was just a certain strange sort of coolness that I found in the XG. Hard to put my finger on why, though! :confuse:

chicagodrive1 · February 2006

Someday these abominations will hit our shores.

Blatant C-Class rip-offs:

Daimler must be choking on his wienerschnitzel. Reminds me of those knock-off Rolex watches you buy on NY streets.

fintail · February 2006

ROFL I just about choked when I saw that monstrosity.

Whoever approves those things coming over should be introduced to a guillotine.

anythngbutgm · February 2006

Whoa, that's horrible... Looks like a C-class front and rear grafted on to an 86' Hyundai Excel sedan.

tour4sure · February 2006

That C-Class imitation is ugly as hell...

But its nothing to uncommon to expect. If your into dirtbikes or atv's you'll probably known about all these chinese manufactures that make these imitation yamaha, Kawasaki, or honda bikes and quads of there own. Built with engines with comparing size of their inspiration, they only come through with a fraction the horsepower you'll find the honda bike there trying to copy. Might I add, these imitation are built with the lowest of quality, rather than using magnesium, or aluminum alloys for the frame, like what honda, Kawasaki, and yamaha does, they hollow steel framing, covering the bike with a FIBERGLASS body shell. Those chinese imitations are dangerous!!! Yet there use cheap materials, and compromised speed, horsepower, safety, and quality, for the ability to sell their, flimsy might I add, bikes for an average of $250 to $800, a small fraction of the price Kawaski or Honda would sell their bikes. Honda's smallest of models for at least $1,100. These same Chinese manufactures also builds the pocketbikes, the fad throughout all the kids two years ago, which are imitations of real pro minibikes made by companies like Blata, or Honda. Many injuries were reported on the news, with kids who ride the chinese imitations through the streets, which led feds to outlaw the use of pocketbikes through inner cities and most suburban areas. These things are dangerous, I'm not implying that honda, kawasaki, or yahama bike do not have dangers of there own, but these are trusted companies, that build quality products.

tour4sure · February 2006

The Chinese have been known for there imitation products, whether its from cell phones, to clothes, to game console, or to electronics and appliances. These are all things that are found common through the street and small shops and stores of New York City. This is only because these are products made in a country with, less harsh copyright laws, I've seen the documentary on Discovery. This is why China and its neighboring countries promote bootlegs and copyright infringing software like KaZaa.

explorerx4 · February 2006

see that thing was a shock! the front plate even looks like a knock-off of 'M B 300'.

jchan2 · February 2006

I think I just found my nomination for worst car of the century.

A C Class front end and rear end tossed onto something that looks like it came out of the 80's or early 90's. Reminds me somewhat of the Hyundai Accent...

That front end is so close to the C-Class DCX should seriously build a case and sue.

That mast antenna looks out of place on a (gasp) faux Mercedes.

xrunner2 · February 2006

Per Pontiac, their mid-60s cars were perhaps the most beautiful cars to grace the road. They need a lot of that magic today.

Right. Specifically, back in 60's and +, look at 62 Catalina Grand Prix, 63, 64 Grand Prix, 65 Catalina, 64-66 GTO, 67-68 Firebird, 71 Trans AM.

Worst cars, style wise, from Pontiac were the plastic cladded models of last 10-15 years.

Solstice is very nice, but grille not quite right. Sky is better.

Pontiac has good heritage, but GM squandered. If GM were awake in last 3 decades, for all divisions, Pontiac could have had a BMW 3 equivalent. "Types" of folks buying perf Pontiacs in 60's would buy a Pontiac if it were "truly" equivalent/better than a 3 series. At least "Pontiac" is strong sounding name.

explorerx4 · February 2006

they probably sell too many e and s class to sue.

rockylee · February 2006

fintail, Your going to buy a Chinese Benz aren't ya :P

Lemko we found the ultimate Chin-E-class

Rocky

jrosasmc · February 2006

I don't know if this can be classified as one of the worst cars but I'm going to say my UPS truck is pretty awful. It's one of those old GMC panel vans with a big 292-ci I-6, three-speed manual and no power steering. A real pig to drive.

rockylee · February 2006

LOL....don't let them here you complain around here. You will get squashed for making too much money at UPS which is classified by all these college degreed folks in this forum as unskilled labor that depends on the Union (teamsters) to screw it to the company for pay.

your pal,

Rocky

carlisimo · February 2006

I know power everything is good, but the other day I saw power doors in action (on a minivan) and decided I will never get them.

Power trunks, doors, convertible tops, and even seats, drive me crazy because they're so SLOW. Who wants to sit around and watch a door or roof close over the space of five seconds? Putting up an MX-5's top takes one arm, and one second to lift and another second to latch. During those two seconds, you're busy, so it doesn't seem like time has gone by at all!

On the other hand, guillotine-speed power doors and trunks would be a bad idea. So... no power for me. Thanks.

nippononly · February 2006

they're designed so that you can open them as you approach the van, and the kids can scramble in and get settled while you are doing other things, like loading groceries or whatever. They are very convenient in that sense.

Then after you have checked car seats and safety buckles, it will close itself while you walk around to the driver's door. That part offers less convenience, but it doesn't usually hold you up in the real world either.

I am less sold on the power rear (cargo) doors that many vans and SUVs are adopting nowadays.

rockylee · February 2006

I guess I'm a lazy Generation Xer.

Rocky

210delray · February 2006

I had the power sliding doors and tailgate (plus the Stow 'n Go seats) in a rented Grand Caravan, and they were all great for use in moving my son out of his apartment in Brooklyn last spring.

jchan2 · February 2006

I like the power doors but since I don't have a power tailgate in my Odyssey I'm not completely sold on that yet.

guss · February 2006

the power tailgate in our Chrysler T&C, and while not as useful as the power doors, it is a nice fature when you are carrying groceries.

The only thing I worry about with it is someone hitting the button while the van is in the garage.

ubbermotor · February 2006

Sure the Chinease cars are cheap knock-offs. But think about what the [non-permissible content removed] where selling here in the 60's and early 70's.

The early Toyota Crown was so poorly built you'd be lucky to finish the test drive before it broke down. The body panels on Datsuns were so thin I'd swear that if you took of the first layer of paint you'd find a budwieser label. And Honda never could build a carborator that worked in high humidity. Hard to believe these are the same companies.

What was the worst from my own experiences? My mother had a Spitfire that would have made a quit nice, if expensive planter. Ok, so on the day(s) that it did run it was fun to drive.

wilcox · February 2006

They made some real "dogs" over the years....

The "850" models hold the world record for rusting.

The 124's could decay very quickly if parked outdoors often.

hpmctorque · February 2006

The fact that we're bringing up the Triumph Spitfire, Toyota Crown, early Datsuns, carburated Hondas, and '60s and '70s Fiats indicates that U.S. consumers have far better choices today. Interestingly, all except Triumph are still in business. And Fiat, all but given up for dead recently, just reported a decent profit for the last reporting period.

ubbermotor · February 2006

Cars are more reliable, and higher quality.

Consider that in the early-mid 90's a certain well known consumer magazine had to redo there ratings system becuase majority of the cars tested were rated at "above average", with almost nothing getting a poor rating. If only the worst cars have average reliability/build quality then it no longer average reliability/build quality.

Durability is another issue however.

rockylee · March 2006

Date posted: 03-10-2006

SHANGHAI  Geely Automobile, the Chinese automaker that generated a shock wave of publicity in January when it displayed its tiny CK sedan at Detroit's auto show, is making waves back home with its new Haixuan, described as China's "first car to tempt female buyers."

Unveiled this week in conjunction with International Women's Day, the Haixuan is being offered by Geely subsidiary Shanghai Maple and will go on sale later this year, priced from just under $10,000.

According to the Shanghai Daily newspaper, the company put together an all-female team of engineers to create the Haixuan, which will come in such colors as "Tiramisu Yellow." The company detailed a list of female-oriented features including a special brake pedal with a cutout to accommodate a high-heeled shoe, an additional rearview mirror to monitor the backseat, and a portable child safety seat.

The paper said women now account for only 30 percent of auto buyers in China's major cities, but their numbers are growing by double digits.

What this means to you: Chinese women don't yet have nearly the influence on car purchases as their American counterparts  but their clout is growing.

What this means to the Lady's: Move on over Mercury, because Geely has made the perfect :lemon: for you.

Rocky

P.S. I gurantee Lemko's girlfriend would spit on it.

lemko · March 2006

My girlfriend would be as likely to be seen in a Chinese, (or Korean) car as she would be in a Wal-Mart - a place she absolutely despises. However, that doesn't exclude her from Japanese cars. I couldn't get her butt out of the Lexus LS430 I looked at years ago. She doesn't think much of the Camry and a lot of it has to do with the sharkish way the sales personnel treated her.

rockylee · March 2006

Then you better keep her out of the Lexus showroom, because the new LS460 is even nicer. :surprise:

Rocky

rockylee · May 2006

They let Stevie Wonder carve this one out ?

Say Wha? Reader's Digest Picks Ford F-250 Super Chief as "Best Four Wheels"

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=114961

Rocky

rockylee · June 2006

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=115643

Geely's KING KONG. Lemko welcome to the future. :sick:

Rocky

xrunner2 · June 2006

Geely's KING KONG. Lemko welcome to the future

Styling is so-so, not bad. A lot better than some stuff out of GM such as Malibu.

rockylee · June 2006

A lot better than some stuff out of GM such as Malibu.

Not even the Malibu is that ugly xrunner ! :sick:

Rocky

guss · June 2006

Looks like a Corolla to me, and I like the looks of the Corolla.

For $3k more I'll take my chances on the Toyota.

lemko · June 2006

Good God! A Saturn Aura front end on an old Mercedes 190 with an Echo interior! I guess they'll be selling these things in blister packs as impulse items at Wal-Mart checkouts. Geeze, I don't think even poor people will find these appealing.

xrunner2 · June 2006

Good God! A Saturn Aura front end on an old Mercedes 190 with an Echo interior! I guess they'll be selling these things in blister packs as impulse items at Wal-Mart checkouts. Geeze, I don't think even poor people will find these appealing.

Poor people,as well as people of other income brackets, shop at Wal-Mart because of the value received.

Would be interesting if Wal-Mart started selling low priced cars in the future. How would they address the servicing issue. We could hope that with their overall expertise, the servicing arrangement they set up would be cheaper than any current car dealer in US.

Geely, on style, does not belong in Worst car category. GM has many offering in last decade that are more appropriate - Aztek, some Saturns, Firebird nostril car, Malibu, Monte Carlo, original Avalanche, Grand Prix bulbous rear, Cavalier/Sunbird, Rondayvoo, etc.

What is amazing is that GM supposedly has decades of styling experience(?) and upstart Geely produces a decent styled car in its short existence. It is already "look out" GM from Hyundai. Just wait till the Chinese get revved up. Think that any Chinese company pays their workers to not work and just sit around all day in a jobs bank?

lemko · June 2006

Geeze, it looks like they dissassembled several different cars, threw random pieces on the floor and reassembled them.

Value at Wal-Mart? So I can buy some shoddy Chinese-manufactured piece of junk that will be discarded after six months versus what would normally last a lifetime if purchased from elsewhere? Try to find any decent tools. Good God, I swear I've seen better stuff in dollar stores.

I'll take the most grotesque, ugly abomination of a vehicle from GM over this Geely piece of garbage.

wonderwall · June 2006

geely should be sold at wal-mart since everything else there is made in china.

xrunner2 · June 2006

Value at Wal-Mart? So I can buy some shoddy Chinese-manufactured piece of junk that will be discarded after six months versus what would normally last a lifetime if purchased from elsewhere? I'll take the most grotesque, ugly abomination of a vehicle from GM over this Geely piece of garbage.
One can buy many, many items at Wal-Mart that are made in US.

The way things going, maybe people wanting to buy a Buick in future will see that it is made in China. IBM Thinkpads now owned by Chinese company and made in China. How soon will Buick name be owned by company of China and proudly display plaque in doorsill showing Made in China.
Might GM sell off Buick brand to Chinese company?

On Geely, in coming years workers at any US office will probably announce with pride that they just bought a new Geely. It will be a very "In" vehicle to have. Thing to watch is how fast Geely will improve in style, performance, reliability. People laughed at Hyundai and now they have some things better than GM in value.

US citizens should take notice about how many scientists and engineers are graduating from college in China vs the US.

For all-time ugly/grotesque, GM has some good contenders including the Aztek and late 50's Olds and Buicks. These have to be on worst styled cars list.

lemko · June 2006

...but I absolutely LOVE those 1958 Buicks and Oldsmobiles! I'd take a 1958 Buick Limited over ANY new car! I'm with you on the Aztek.

The day I see Buicks made in China is the day I head straight for the Lexus or Mercedes dealer. I doubt very much that people will be proud to own a Geely. They only bought the vehicle because they couldn't afford anything better. I'd rather own a really nice 15 year-old car than a new Geely.

xrunner2 · June 2006

The day I see Buicks made in China is the day I head straight for the Lexus or Mercedes dealer. I doubt very much that people will be proud to own a Geely. They only bought the vehicle because they couldn't afford anything better.

I guess that is today. Looks like youll be driving a Lexus or Mercedes soon. Doesnt GM already make Buicks in China for the Chinese market?

I know people at the office and in my neighborhood who always have to have the in-thing. People like Rich, Sue, George, Randy, Megan, etc. In a few years, I can just hear Rich, for example, coming in some day and exuberantly stating, Hey, I bought a Geely over the weekend. You got to come out to the parking lot and see it at lunch-time.

On 58 Olds, Buicks  Design or style that is good or excellent survives the test of time and many times is copied or emulated. Think of Ipod, 40 years of same basic shape of Porsche 911, almost any Ferrari, etc. That did not happen with 58 Olds, Buick. In fact, didnt GM realize its design snafus in late 50s by extensively cleaning things up in early 60s? IMO, 58 Olds, Buick should be on top ten list of worst designed cars in last 50 years.

andre1969 · June 2006

with the '58 Olds and Buick is that they were heavy-handed facelifts that were rushed to the market, and reactionary to the sleek designs Chrysler had come out with. The '57 Olds and Buick were actually quite attractive. Their only problem was that compared to the sleek, futuristic-looking Chrysler products of that same year, they looked downright outdated, and not so vastly different from the '56 models.

As heavy-handed as it is, I actually think the '58 Buick kinda works, style-wise, although it's nowhere near as beautiful as a '58 DeSoto or Chrysler. I think the '58 Olds is a disaster, though. I actually think that the '58 Olds is about the worst looking car of that year. Oddly though, considering the economy of the time, it was a very good seller. There was a horrible recession in 1958 that hit the middle-priced makes the hardest. But out of all the brands in that category, Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, Mercury, and Edsel, as a percentage, Olds saw the smallest decline in sales from the previous year. Now, there was no Edsel in '57, but to compare it to the others, I use their original sales forecast of 100,000 units. IIRC, they ended up selling about 63,000.

GM's best efforts in 1958, IMO, are the Chevy, Cadillac, and Pontiac.

rockylee · June 2006

Death Van for China: Mobile Execution Chamber Makes for a Morbid Conversion Van
Date posted: 06-17-2006

CHONGQING, China  The Chinese government is using commercial vans made by armored-vehicle specialist Jinguan Group to carry out executions, USA Today reports.

The executions are carried out by lethal injection while up to six spectators watch in a glassed-in observation area.

There are some 40 Jinguan execution vehicles on the roads, according to the news story. They are priced from the mid-$30,000s to $75,000 and can travel to areas where executions by lethal injection using a Beijing-mixed cocktail of drugs might not otherwise be possible.

The vans measure 20-26 feet long and can reach a top speed of 80 mph, according to news reports. USA Today quoted the designer of the vehicle as saying he is "most proud" of the "humane" power-driven bed that slides out of the vehicle to collect the condemned prisoner, then back in, where it sits inside the van in the style of an ambulance stretcher.

Human-rights groups have voiced suspicion that the Chinese government is relying more on lethal injection, rather than the previous practice of death by firing squad, in meting out the death penalty because it is harvesting organs for sale. Earlier this year, the government responded by banning the sale of human organs, but critics cited in the USA Today story said this is not expected to have a big effect.

What this means to you: Imagine the chill when one of these "death vans" rolls into town.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=115788

Lemko, if we keep down this same path I fear some americans might get "a ride" in that thing for J-Walking :surprise:

Rocky

rockylee · June 2006

Agree pal....I'll drive a Acura, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus before you'll see me drive a Chinese made vehicle.

I fear that day might be sooner than we think.

Rocky

lemko · June 2006

And some oblivious American will be gleefully riding around and picking up her children in her new Jinguan Executive minivan unaware that the Chinese use that model to execute dissidents.

I just saw something about a shirt factory in China. The clueless announcer is, "Wow, could you imagine a place like this could be so huge and employ 6,000 people!" Yes I can! Philadelphia was once full of such places as late as the 1970s - Botany 500, Stetson Hat, After Six, etc. I wonder what happened to all those people who once worked in those big clothing factories and their families? Many are now living in abject poverty and their decendents have either gone into the underground pharmaceutical industry, the department of corrections, or the retail and fast food trades. Are these the other industries which sought out ex-autoworkers but couldn't obtain because of the UAW?

xrunner2 · June 2006

GM's best efforts in 1958, IMO, are the Chevy, Cadillac, and Pontiac.

Maybe Chevy was best of the lot in 1958 with its 2-door Impala hardtop. It is interesting that movie American Grafitti (1973)picked this model year rather than the 1957 Chevy classic. Richie Cunningham, lead guy (good), was the movie owner of the car. Perhaps they picked 1958 model because it looked better in white than did the 1957. The good guy had to have a white car while the tough/bad guy, Harrison Ford, had a black Chevy (55?).

GM had the money and skills to change bodies year after year. Too bad they can't do same with some of their current offerings such as Malibu, Monte, Lacrosse.

57, 58 and 59 Chevy models looked very different. For worst cars discussion, might add the 59 Chevy, with its rear weird wings to top 50 worst designed cars of past 50 years.

xrunner2 · June 2006

Agree pal....I'll drive a Acura, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus before you'll see me drive a Chinese made vehicle.

Aren't many Americans professed to buying American brands already driving "partial" Chinese cars? Do some GM cars such as Torrent or Equinox use Chinese made engines?

Wonder if Americans should demand what amount of content (wight, value, quantity) parts of American brand vehicles is from China. Should this be posted on window sticker.

xrunner2 · June 2006

I just saw something about a shirt factory in China. The clueless announcer is, "Wow, could you imagine a place like this could be so huge and employ 6,000 people!" Yes I can! Philadelphia was once full of such places as late as the 1970s - Botany 500, Stetson Hat, After Six, etc.

Botany 500 made suits and Stetson of course made hats. Is this not close to buggy whip analogy of early 1900's. How many guys wear a suit or hat today? A guy only needs one suit today - to go to funerals, and his own funeral.

lemko · June 2006

uh...I still wear a suit and occassionally a hat. Too bad people are such slobs these days.

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