The only COY choice they made that was relevant is the 70 Torino. The SCJ was particularly good. They were certainly a handful. I left the magazine MANY years ago when they went "GREEN". John--Las Vegas.
Motor Trend Car of the Year
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Originally Posted By: Torino
The only COY choice they made that was relevant is the 70 Torino.
I think the Toronado was a pretty good choice too.
And the 300M was the closest thing the big 3 had to a Maxima at that time.
I never met anyone who had the original Omni/Horizon with the 1.7 Volkswagen engine that didn't like it. (later 2.2s?...yeah. Lots of complaints. but the early models were well liked)
The Vega was pretty revolutionary. It was junk but it was revolutionary junk. (not that it matters, they've all dissolved now like so many slugs in the salt)
The only COY choice they made that was relevant is the 70 Torino.
I think the Toronado was a pretty good choice too.
And the 300M was the closest thing the big 3 had to a Maxima at that time.
I never met anyone who had the original Omni/Horizon with the 1.7 Volkswagen engine that didn't like it. (later 2.2s?...yeah. Lots of complaints. but the early models were well liked)
The Vega was pretty revolutionary. It was junk but it was revolutionary junk. (not that it matters, they've all dissolved now like so many slugs in the salt)
I agree that at the time they are nominated, the cars are new, and problems are seen with hindsight.
BUT, they should have learned from their mistakes a long time ago - they nominated the Vega, which turned out to be a dud, and then they go and nominate the Monza 4 years later!
Shouldn't they have learned that GM compacts weren't being built properly, and that the Monza was gonna be junk just like the Vega?
The Volt is too expensive, and too unoproven. In this market, it will be a dud, and will go down on the list just like the Vega/Monza did........
BUT, they should have learned from their mistakes a long time ago - they nominated the Vega, which turned out to be a dud, and then they go and nominate the Monza 4 years later!
Shouldn't they have learned that GM compacts weren't being built properly, and that the Monza was gonna be junk just like the Vega?
The Volt is too expensive, and too unoproven. In this market, it will be a dud, and will go down on the list just like the Vega/Monza did........
Originally Posted By: boxcartommie22
lol...yep or the gov told them if you pick the volt we will give you a bail out.
Or help out with a convenient tax loophole for GM only to exploit.
GM is improving but calling a limited production Volt car of the year already is a leap. Especially given their editorial to published time lag.
-Spyder
lol...yep or the gov told them if you pick the volt we will give you a bail out.
Or help out with a convenient tax loophole for GM only to exploit.
GM is improving but calling a limited production Volt car of the year already is a leap. Especially given their editorial to published time lag.
-Spyder
The Vega had some problems with the engine early on but it was not really that bad of a car. Neither was the the Corvair for that matter. Car and Driver heaped a lot of praise on it at the time: "Car and Driver magazine in 1971 awarded top pick to the Vega above the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, VW Beetle, Toyota Corolla and Chrysler Simca. 'It was the only car aside from the shortened compact Gremlin that could cruise at 70 miles per hour or above.' The Vega's ride and handling were highly rated. It was the quickest of the cars tested, taking 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h). C&D credited the Vega 'an excellent combination of performance and economy' and called it "a car for all occasions."[74]
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
Originally Posted By: LS2JSTS
I sold the Renault back in the early eighties...definitely a clinker for the list. What a piece o junk!
Yeah, my mom had this car too and it blew a head gasket with less than 10,000 miles. An absolute POS. Motor trend cars of the year are meaningless to me.
I sold the Renault back in the early eighties...definitely a clinker for the list. What a piece o junk!
Yeah, my mom had this car too and it blew a head gasket with less than 10,000 miles. An absolute POS. Motor trend cars of the year are meaningless to me.
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Originally Posted By: mechanicx
The Vega had some problems with the engine early on but it was not really that bad of a car. Neither was the the Corvair for that matter. Car and Driver heaped a lot of praise on it at the time: "Car and Driver magazine in 1971 awarded top pick to the Vega above the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, VW Beetle, Toyota Corolla and Chrysler Simca. 'It was the only car aside from the shortened compact Gremlin that could cruise at 70 miles per hour or above.' The Vega's ride and handling were highly rated. It was the quickest of the cars tested, taking 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h). C&D credited the Vega 'an excellent combination of performance and economy' and called it "a car for all occasions."[74]
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
We had a light blue '73 Vega GT with black stripes on the hood and hatch lid (but not the roof). awesome mini-Camaro looking car.
The linerless engine was fine. The corrosion was the problem. By 1976 my parents had to buy a Volkswagen Rabbit because the rust on the Vega had eaten holes in the areas around the windshield and back glass. Closing the hatch one expected the glass to keep falling in.
We also had a Datsun B-210 at the time. A car noted for it's rust. It was rust free by comparison.
But they fixed all the problems and offered an unheard of (at the time) 5 year 60,000 warranty by 1976. They killed it the very next year.
The Vega had some problems with the engine early on but it was not really that bad of a car. Neither was the the Corvair for that matter. Car and Driver heaped a lot of praise on it at the time: "Car and Driver magazine in 1971 awarded top pick to the Vega above the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, VW Beetle, Toyota Corolla and Chrysler Simca. 'It was the only car aside from the shortened compact Gremlin that could cruise at 70 miles per hour or above.' The Vega's ride and handling were highly rated. It was the quickest of the cars tested, taking 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h). C&D credited the Vega 'an excellent combination of performance and economy' and called it "a car for all occasions."[74]
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
We had a light blue '73 Vega GT with black stripes on the hood and hatch lid (but not the roof). awesome mini-Camaro looking car.
The linerless engine was fine. The corrosion was the problem. By 1976 my parents had to buy a Volkswagen Rabbit because the rust on the Vega had eaten holes in the areas around the windshield and back glass. Closing the hatch one expected the glass to keep falling in.
We also had a Datsun B-210 at the time. A car noted for it's rust. It was rust free by comparison.
But they fixed all the problems and offered an unheard of (at the time) 5 year 60,000 warranty by 1976. They killed it the very next year.
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Over the years since they had specific models;
2011 Chevrolet Volt
2010 Ford Fusion
2009 Nissan GT-R
2008 Cadillac CTS
2007 Toyota Camry
2006 Honda Civic
2005 Chrysler 300
2004 Toyota Prius
2003 Infiniti G35
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2000 Lincoln LS
1999 Chrysler 300M
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Malibu
1996 Dodge Caravan
1995 Chrysler Cirrus
1994 Ford Mustang
1993 Ford Probe GT
1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
1990 Lincoln Town Car
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars, Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant
1980 Chevrolet Citation
1979 Buick Riviera S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Citroën SM
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Pontiac GTO
1967 Mercury Cougar
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
There were some "winners" there.
Bill
I would agree with 1986 Taurus. That has to be the pinnicle of all COTY choices--what other COTY's have been nearly so outstanding (among peers)?
The Taurus set a whole new benchmark worldwide for its combination of economy, utility, comfort, safety features, handling, and price point! AND STYLING!!
Maybe the 1996 Dodge Caravan, 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser, or 2009 Nissan GT-R can come close...
but the Volt can't touch the 1986 Taurus in this regard.
Over the years since they had specific models;
2011 Chevrolet Volt
2010 Ford Fusion
2009 Nissan GT-R
2008 Cadillac CTS
2007 Toyota Camry
2006 Honda Civic
2005 Chrysler 300
2004 Toyota Prius
2003 Infiniti G35
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2000 Lincoln LS
1999 Chrysler 300M
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Malibu
1996 Dodge Caravan
1995 Chrysler Cirrus
1994 Ford Mustang
1993 Ford Probe GT
1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
1990 Lincoln Town Car
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars, Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant
1980 Chevrolet Citation
1979 Buick Riviera S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Citroën SM
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Pontiac GTO
1967 Mercury Cougar
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
There were some "winners" there.
Bill
I would agree with 1986 Taurus. That has to be the pinnicle of all COTY choices--what other COTY's have been nearly so outstanding (among peers)?
The Taurus set a whole new benchmark worldwide for its combination of economy, utility, comfort, safety features, handling, and price point! AND STYLING!!
Maybe the 1996 Dodge Caravan, 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser, or 2009 Nissan GT-R can come close...
but the Volt can't touch the 1986 Taurus in this regard.
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Originally Posted By: mechanicx
The Vega had some problems with the engine early on but it was not really that bad of a car. Neither was the the Corvair for that matter. Car and Driver heaped a lot of praise on it at the time: "Car and Driver magazine in 1971 awarded top pick to the Vega above the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, VW Beetle, Toyota Corolla and Chrysler Simca. 'It was the only car aside from the shortened compact Gremlin that could cruise at 70 miles per hour or above.' The Vega's ride and handling were highly rated. It was the quickest of the cars tested, taking 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h). C&D credited the Vega 'an excellent combination of performance and economy' and called it "a car for all occasions."[74]
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
I had a 73 Vega station wagon. I bought it with about 25,000 miles or so on it. It burned and leaked oil from day one and only got worse.
It WOULD go 70 mph (with the a/c on) but it sure took a while. Mine had the automatic transmission. The handling and ride was okay. The MPG wasn't really all that great. 20 - 21 around town, 28-30 on long trips. I guess for what it was it was okay (station wagon with a/c and power steering). I made two or three trips from Southern Ca. to Salem Oregon.
From my experience I'd say at best it was a mediocre cheap car, but DEFINITELY NOT a car of the year!
The Vega had some problems with the engine early on but it was not really that bad of a car. Neither was the the Corvair for that matter. Car and Driver heaped a lot of praise on it at the time: "Car and Driver magazine in 1971 awarded top pick to the Vega above the Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, VW Beetle, Toyota Corolla and Chrysler Simca. 'It was the only car aside from the shortened compact Gremlin that could cruise at 70 miles per hour or above.' The Vega's ride and handling were highly rated. It was the quickest of the cars tested, taking 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 km/h). C&D credited the Vega 'an excellent combination of performance and economy' and called it "a car for all occasions."[74]
Car and Driver said in 1971. "The plain Vega sedan is as good-looking a car as you'll find in its class...with the Vega they've turned out one of the finest-looking compact sedans in the world."[75]
As did its readers: "Car and Driver readers voted the Vega "Best Economy Sedan" three years in a row (1971–'73) in C&D's Annual Reader's Choice Poll".
The Vega is an interesting story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Vega
I had a 73 Vega station wagon. I bought it with about 25,000 miles or so on it. It burned and leaked oil from day one and only got worse.
It WOULD go 70 mph (with the a/c on) but it sure took a while. Mine had the automatic transmission. The handling and ride was okay. The MPG wasn't really all that great. 20 - 21 around town, 28-30 on long trips. I guess for what it was it was okay (station wagon with a/c and power steering). I made two or three trips from Southern Ca. to Salem Oregon.
From my experience I'd say at best it was a mediocre cheap car, but DEFINITELY NOT a car of the year!
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I can't believe that the 1980 Chevrolet Citation made the list.
Okay, it was the first "in-house" American front wheel drive car. I'll give it that(the Omni/Horizon was a French Simca design with a VW engine)
But the 60° V6 models had so much torque steer that Mazdaspeed3 drivers would be scared driving one. Brake bias was goofed and new Citations would lock the rear brakes at the hint of brake pedal pressure. The rack and pinion was mounted separately from the engine cradle (that was loose to minimize vibration) and completely eliminated any steering precision.
It was a terrible car. And ugly too.
I guess to appreciate how good the Volt might be, I need to remember how bad the Citation was.
Okay, it was the first "in-house" American front wheel drive car. I'll give it that(the Omni/Horizon was a French Simca design with a VW engine)
But the 60° V6 models had so much torque steer that Mazdaspeed3 drivers would be scared driving one. Brake bias was goofed and new Citations would lock the rear brakes at the hint of brake pedal pressure. The rack and pinion was mounted separately from the engine cradle (that was loose to minimize vibration) and completely eliminated any steering precision.
It was a terrible car. And ugly too.
I guess to appreciate how good the Volt might be, I need to remember how bad the Citation was.
Originally Posted By: Torino
I left the magazine MANY years ago when they went "GREEN". John--Las Vegas.
That's funny. I left when every car test had to have a picture of the car doing a burnout. It was the VW Beetle in a cloud of tire smoke that sealed my cancellation.
I left the magazine MANY years ago when they went "GREEN". John--Las Vegas.
That's funny. I left when every car test had to have a picture of the car doing a burnout. It was the VW Beetle in a cloud of tire smoke that sealed my cancellation.
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