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Luke
Luke SuperDork
12/15/11 8:09 a.m.

Inspired by the current 'Worst cars of all time' thread, let's compile our own list of rubbish cars. No Deloreans allowed! (unless you can justify it without cliche ).

My contributions:

This new Lexus Camry thing

A 4-door, automatic, non-turbo GM Saab 900:

Ferrari 348: aka the Ferrari I wouldn't bother with. I've always been quite "meh" about these. I'd have a 308, 328 or a 355 over a 348 any day.

wvumtnbkr
wvumtnbkr Reader
12/15/11 8:17 a.m.

Toyota Prius

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 SuperDork
12/15/11 8:18 a.m.

Any American car from the mid- to late-1970's.

N Sperlo
N Sperlo SuperDork
12/15/11 8:19 a.m.

Tempo

noddaz
noddaz Reader
12/15/11 8:21 a.m.

Please do not lump "thing" in with Lexus/Camry...

It is a slight against the VW Thing...

nderwater
nderwater SuperDork
12/15/11 8:24 a.m.

It's one thing to ask 'What's the worst Ferrari?" but another thing entirely to label a Ferrari "one of the worst cars of all time." I'd pay money for a Ferrari 348, but there are a lot of cars I wouldn't take even if they had cash sitting on the hood.

mad_machine
mad_machine SuperDork
12/15/11 8:28 a.m.

I will agree on the saab. I had the turbo 5 speed and I still consider that car an accident waiting to happen.

No top ten, one hundred, one thousand list of bad cars cannot exist without this monstrosity.

Great in concept.. but totally ruined in production

nocones
nocones HalfDork
12/15/11 8:28 a.m.

I almost think this list will be pointless. It seems at least to me that the point of the Grassroots mindset is doing what you want/can with what you have, and that anything is possible with a welder. We have users that run Yugo's, XT's and all kinds of universally panned vehicles. I'll say that the Grassroots Worst Car list should have nothing on it.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
12/15/11 8:29 a.m.

Definitely Tempo/Topaz.

MG Bryan
MG Bryan HalfDork
12/15/11 8:32 a.m.
nderwater wrote: It's one thing to ask 'What's the worst Ferrari?" but another thing entirely to label a Ferrari "one of the worst cars of all time." I'd pay money for a Ferrari 348, but there are a lot of cars I wouldn't take even if they had cash sitting on the hood.

"Worst Car" lists always turn out to be lists of cars people just dislike for one reason or another. I've been in, but did not get to drive, a friend of the family's 348. It's not perfect, but I wouldn't call it the worst anything.

There are cars that I like that probably do belong on a list of the worst cars of all time. Most of those were produced in the British Isles, and are only "bad" because of quality control problems. There are examples of TR7s, SD1s et al, which left the factory as great cars, but they are, sadly, the exception not rule.

"Worst" without qualification is too broad and subjective for us to actually agree on.

DirtyBird222
DirtyBird222 SuperDork
12/15/11 8:37 a.m.
  • Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire - especially the pre-ecotec models.
  • Modern Volkswagen (have you changed a headlight bulb on a 98+ Beetle?)
  • Any Honda with their old Narrow Angled V6s - leaked oil from every possible spot.
  • Prius
  • HondaZusurolet Passport thing - talk about a parts bin off-roader from three different companies that was a PITA to work on.
  • Chevrolet HHR - just because most everyone I worked on smelled like cats or musk inside. There's even a bulletin about the odors for that car.
  • DSMs with crank walk.
Toyman01
Toyman01 SuperDork
12/15/11 8:49 a.m.

1983 Nissan Stanza. Absolutely the worst car I have ever owned or driven.

93EXCivic
93EXCivic SuperDork
12/15/11 8:49 a.m.

Morris Marina. And no I am not saying that because of Top Gear. I have been in one.

joey48442
joey48442 SuperDork
12/15/11 9:00 a.m.
MG Bryan wrote:
nderwater wrote: It's one thing to ask 'What's the worst Ferrari?" but another thing entirely to label a Ferrari "one of the worst cars of all time." I'd pay money for a Ferrari 348, but there are a lot of cars I wouldn't take even if they had cash sitting on the hood.
"Worst Car" lists always turn out to be lists of cars people just dislike for one reason or another. I've been in, but did not get to drive, a friend of the family's 348. It's not perfect, but I wouldn't call it the worst anything. There are cars that I like that probably do belong on a list of the worst cars of all time. Most of those were produced in the British Isles, and are only "bad" because of quality control problems. There are examples of TR7s, SD1s et al, which left the factory as great cars, but they are, sadly, the exception not rule. "Worst" without qualification is too broad and subjective for us to actually agree on.

Exactly. From and autocross standpoint, a Jeep CJ whatever is the worst car ever. From a wheeling standpoint, the Miata is the worst car ever! From a "haul 5 kids to soccer practice" standpoint, an Elise is the worst car ever.

Its all view point. Worst autocrosser/commuter/fourwheeler thread might be a better idea.

Joey

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
12/15/11 9:22 a.m.
1988RedT2 wrote: Any American car from the mid- to late-1970's.

With all due respect sir......you are dead wrong

oldtin
oldtin Dork
12/15/11 9:25 a.m.

There's people around here who can turn Wartburg's into gems and make badass k-cars. I don't think there's much out there that doesn't have potential. I had a passing daydream of a beige camry for a challenge car... lsx powered, box flared and rwd

Brett_Murphy
Brett_Murphy Dork
12/15/11 9:26 a.m.

A car that's been neglected in a salt using state and then put in a field for 3 years to have all of the rusted bolts turn into break-away fasteners so that when you try to bring it back to life, you've got busted knuckles, broken bolts and a lot of welding to do.

In the end you realize you should have just bought a car down south.

PubBurgers
PubBurgers Dork
12/15/11 9:26 a.m.

The Tempo/Topaz tops my list. The Aspire isn't far behind.

jrw1621
jrw1621 SuperDork
12/15/11 9:30 a.m.

I will put forth the Sterling 825 for what it should have been vs what it was.

Klayfish
Klayfish HalfDork
12/15/11 9:31 a.m.

Agree this would be impossible to come up with a definitive list, but I'll give my personal nominees.

Maserati Bi-Turbo

Chrysler TC by Maserati

Cadillac Cimarron

Buick Reatta

I don't think the Azteck belongs on the list. Butt ugly? Sure, but I don't know it was that horrible of a car/truck/whatever under all the warts.

Trans_Maro
Trans_Maro Dork
12/15/11 9:39 a.m.

Everything I have is awesome.

Everything anyone else has sucks.

/thread

mad_machine
mad_machine SuperDork
12/15/11 9:39 a.m.

ok... then let's rephrase.

In stock form.. what car least lived up to it's potential?

in that case.. I nominate the Sterling 825 above. Here was a car that was supposed to have Honda reliability with british luxury.

In reality it was neither luxurious or reliable

noddaz
noddaz Reader
12/15/11 9:42 a.m.
jrw1621 wrote: I will put forth the Sterling 825 for what it should have been vs what it was.

Say what you will...
But THAT Sterling is outstanding in it's field.....

pinchvalve
pinchvalve SuperDork
12/15/11 9:46 a.m.
Toyman01 wrote: 1983 Nissan Stanza. Absolutely the worst car I have ever owned or driven.

I had a Stanza 3-Door from that era and loved it. Depends on your situation I suppose. Worst car I have ever owned or driven:

Satan himself bestowed the mid 80's Buick Century upon the Earth. A cool map light was its only redeeming feature. Even scrap yards won't accept these things. I tried to trow it in a river and the river threw it back. And the Century remains cursed forever. Have you been stuck behind one of these in the left lane going 45 recently?

bravenrace
bravenrace SuperDork
12/15/11 9:52 a.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
1988RedT2 wrote: Any American car from the mid- to late-1970's.
With all due respect sir......you are dead wrong

Every guy in my high school wanted one of those. One of them got one. It wasn't me.
And seriously, they were pretty good cars for the time, as long as you didn't get the T-top, and you did get the 4 speed manual. I ended up with a '78 Z-28, and it was a very entertaining car to drive. It did however, have the T-tops, so my statement above is from direct experience.

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