Does your ride rate worst?
AAA is out with its
list of the “worst cars of the 2000s” and you may be
surprised which one tops the list.
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| 10. – Cadillac Catera Known in Europe as the
Opel Omega, Catera was meant to compete with the rising
popularity of BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C Class and upstarts
Lexus and Infiniti. But underpowered and plagued with
mechanical problems and a forgettable style that looked
more Chevy than Cadillac, Catera just wasn’t a good car. |
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| 9. – Daewoo anything (1999-2002) The most joked
about cars since the Yugo and Ford Pinto, we noted bumper
stickers on Daewoos declaring “the parts falling off
this car are genuine Daewoo.” Horrible crash test ratings,
build quality, performance and driving characteristics
doomed the upstart Korean manufacturer’s vision of stardom
here in the states. |
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| 8. – Chrysler Prowler (1997-2002
total built 11,702) They were inspired to look
like custom hotrods, except … they weren’t. With an
underpowered 6-cylinder engine under the hood, and
lacking a manual transmission, it was impossible to
even lay down the requisite black rubber burnout stripes
on the pavement. Note: There is no such thing as
a factory-built hotrod. |
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| 7. – Jeep Compass (2007-present) For a brand
known for off-road capabilities, Compass is an ill-conceived
idea. Ridiculously overpriced, it features odd styling
with ugly flashing, a horrible plastic interior, harsh
bouncy ride and it doesn’t even come with a compass. |
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| 6. – Chevrolet Uplander (2005-2008) Did anyone
actually buy one of these oddballs or were they simply
relegated to rental car fleets? Everyone knows GM can’t
build a mini van and the Uplander along with twinned
siblings Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana and Buick Terrazza
were among the most unreliable vehicles built in modern
day. Their problems ranged from electrical and power
equipment to paint, rust and overall poor build quality. |
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| 5. – Toyota Echo (2000-2005) This odd-looking subcompact
car stood tall and narrow and was so grossly underpowered
by a buzzy sounding engine that it wallowed on the road
like a drunken tree toad. Add the center-mounted instrument
panel and cheap-looking everything, and it was a relief
when Toyota pulled the plug on Echo in 2005. |
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| 4. – Chrysler Sebring (1995 – present) The absolute
mainstay of rental car fleets, Sebring’s poor build quality,
cheesy-looking materials, underpowered engine, sloppy
handling and noisy cabin made it one of the most forgettable
cars of the last 15 years. |
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| 3. – Hummer H2 Perhaps no vehicle in history
has been so controversial: H2 single-handedly killed
any notion that GM was a green company and allowed Toyota
to take the lead in that arena. Overweight and underpowered,
its high center of gravity made it tipsy. Add to that
one of the worst interiors ever found in a vehicle and
dismal fuel economy, and it was no surprise that pitiful
sales doomed the H2 this year. |
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| 2. – Pontiac Aztek (2001-2005) Universally acclaimed
as the ugliest vehicle of all time, Aztek was on the
right path as a crossover vehicle but the execution stunk.
How this slipped by consumer focus groups remains one
of the biggest mysteries of all time. |
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| 1. – smartfortwo (2008 – present) After seeing
the diminutive little two-seater everywhere in Europe,
I was anxious to be among the first to test it when it
arrived in the U.S. Sadly, it was the absolute worst
driving vehicle I have ever experienced. This is largely
due to the underpowered engine, annoying transmission,
motion-sickness invoking ride and the feeling that I
was about to be squashed by every other vehicle on the
road, especially the 18-wheelers. |
What's Your Rating?
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