10 worse cars??? Aztec @ #10? should have been 1
#1
10 worse cars??? Aztec @ #10? should have been 1
#3
The folks at Yahoo don't, in some cases, know their ass from 3d base. We got our kid a used Caliber, partly because it has excellent crash ratings from the Feds and the insurance people. Actually isn't a bad car, and 25 mpg for an AWD with reasonable power isn't too shabby.
Can't pleas 'em all, I 'spect.
Moon
Can't pleas 'em all, I 'spect.
Moon
#4
Echo is not a bad car, either. Just because it's ugly and it didn't sell particularly well doesn't change the fact that it is practical, relatively comfortable, had a great, reliable drivetrain, and kind of changed the game as far as roominess in a compact car.
#5
I still consider the Caliber a poor replacement for the Neon (I've owned two). Bigger on the outside, smaller on the inside, poorer gas mileage (I averaged 32-33 MPG over the life of my Neons), and a look that makes the Pontiac Aztec look absolutely stylish by comparison. I was a lifelong Chrysler owner, but their lack of a world class small car finally "drove" me to buy a Honda Fit.
#6
It's not an unreasonable list. Cars have just gotten significantly better to the point where it's truly hard to find a complete POS these days. None of these cars are utter failures - for the most part they will start and get you to where you are going with minimum drama, unless you include the peals of laughter and pointing if you drive something as ridiculously styled as the VehiCROSS or the Aztek. But we're not talking about anything like some of the garbage from the 70s and early 80s that were not guaranteed to work even when new.
No Hondas or Acuras on the list, though.
No Hondas or Acuras on the list, though.
#8
I always liked the Vehicross. It seemed like the actually-functional counterpart to the purely-useless Suzuki X-90.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
#9
I always liked the Vehicross. It seemed like the actually-functional counterpart to the purely-useless Suzuki X-90.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
#13
Aztec not ugly? Vehicross badass? I don't expect any less form a bunch of folks that drive "hamsters" around!!!
all kidding aside I think most of the cars were just put in the wrong market, or marketed wrong. I do see how the Aztec and Prius share a few lines, but the pruis works cuz its not as large and clumsy looking...
all kidding aside I think most of the cars were just put in the wrong market, or marketed wrong. I do see how the Aztec and Prius share a few lines, but the pruis works cuz its not as large and clumsy looking...
#14
DrZ, you said it all. My only gripe with the list makers is the usual one; they're entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. They totally mistated the safety rating of the Caliber tribe.
Uncle Gary, first a Neon story. A chit-kicking buddy from near our hunting camp has a built-up Chevy pickup and his wife has a Neon. He has a long commute to a coal mine in Kentucky. He'd been talking about how great the Neon was; lots of pep, great gas mileage, fun to drive. We asked him why he didn't take the Neon on his long commute,and let the truck for his wife. He responded '...you don' unnerstand; real men don't drive Neons...'
Even tho' it's slotted in the same spot in the Chrysler lineup, the Caliber really isn't a Neon replacement; instead it is more of a crossover.
All I knew of them is what I read, but I was pleasantly surprised when I drove it. We took it on vacation as a test hop, and it did very well for three people and a bunch of luggage; we still got 24-25 mpg with 80mph running and the A/C cranking, and it is the AWD version.
Moon
Uncle Gary, first a Neon story. A chit-kicking buddy from near our hunting camp has a built-up Chevy pickup and his wife has a Neon. He has a long commute to a coal mine in Kentucky. He'd been talking about how great the Neon was; lots of pep, great gas mileage, fun to drive. We asked him why he didn't take the Neon on his long commute,and let the truck for his wife. He responded '...you don' unnerstand; real men don't drive Neons...'
Even tho' it's slotted in the same spot in the Chrysler lineup, the Caliber really isn't a Neon replacement; instead it is more of a crossover.
All I knew of them is what I read, but I was pleasantly surprised when I drove it. We took it on vacation as a test hop, and it did very well for three people and a bunch of luggage; we still got 24-25 mpg with 80mph running and the A/C cranking, and it is the AWD version.
Moon
#15
It's not an unreasonable list. Cars have just gotten significantly better to the point where it's truly hard to find a complete POS these days. None of these cars are utter failures - for the most part they will start and get you to where you are going with minimum drama, unless you include the peals of laughter and pointing if you drive something as ridiculously styled as the VehiCROSS or the Aztek.
I always liked the Vehicross. It seemed like the actually-functional counterpart to the purely-useless Suzuki X-90.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
I never got why the Aztek was considered so "ugly". So many cars these days have that exact shape! It seems like one guy complained about it and everyone just dogpiled on.
This should have been on the list.
~SB
Last edited by specboy; 10-08-2009 at 07:09 PM.
#16
Uhh.. The Aztek was based off of the Montana platform which had HUGE numbers of Electrical and transmission issue, especially when mated to the AWD system that they dropped into them. I'd say the VehiCross was not a failure at all, just completely the wrong market at the wrong time. I always liked the aggressive look that they had and Isuzu made/makes some pretty decent SUV's. They were good enough at one point for Acura to us them as their First SUV, the SLX. Honda's Passport and initial Odyssey were also joint ventures with Isuzu.
I have a stack of Car and Drivers dating back to the early 1980s. It's very funny to read road tests from that era - in addition to the writing being much better, there were some serious pieces of junk.
#17
The first Odyssey was a Honda product that Isuzu rebadged. As far as the Aztek issue, all I'm saying is that anything built in this decade will likely have its defenders because most examples probably did start, run, and transport its passengers fairly comfortably for a period of time. The same can't be said for many cars built in the 1970s and early 1980s.
I have a stack of Car and Drivers dating back to the early 1980s. It's very funny to read road tests from that era - in addition to the writing being much better, there were some serious pieces of junk.
I have a stack of Car and Drivers dating back to the early 1980s. It's very funny to read road tests from that era - in addition to the writing being much better, there were some serious pieces of junk.
As for the Odyssey, what I should have said was that there was a joint trade agreement in regards to the SLX, Passport, & Odyssey The odyssey was a honda that Isuzu rebadged, the Passport and SLX were Isuzus that Honda rebadged (and actually Isuzu rebadged the Civic in Japan too).
I look back at old MT and C&D mags from the 80's and read about sports cars back then and 7.5s 0-60 times... when 170hp was HUGE etc... makes me remember back to my prelude; how my 1.5LFit has 3hp more than my '86 prelude Si 2.0 before figuring out SAE corrections.
~SB
#18
wrong board? has nothing to do with GE fits.
#19
I've always seen those fortwo cars on the road. I saw one today. A middle-aged man was driving one around. I'm all for people buying whatever car they want, but this car honestly can't do anything much for you other than get you from point A to B. If you wanted to go out and buy a lot of groceries or anything large, you couldn't. Good luck carpooling cause you can only hold 2 people! Might as well get a motorcycle than drive around in that thing.
Didn't realize it was only 40 mpg either. Doesn't seem that great considering a Prius can get a bit more than that and offers a whole lot more features and room for 5.
Wow, those cars really ARE terrible!
Didn't realize it was only 40 mpg either. Doesn't seem that great considering a Prius can get a bit more than that and offers a whole lot more features and room for 5.
Wow, those cars really ARE terrible!