The 100 worst cars of all time

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Yes. BTW, PT cruiser (dodge neon in disguise) is the worst car Ive driven in the past decade. Terrible.


and yet it still does everything better than a Citation.


Darn straight it does everything better than an X-body... Yeah, vehicles share dimensions and sometimes components, that's not some sort of "cheat."

Dislike it and insult it all you want, but insult accurately.
Sorry. I forgot plymouth threw-out the Neon rear indie suspension for a simple twist beam axle - prob a move for better load carrying capacity since the car was designated a light truck for CAFE fleet boost. (I know you shouldnt judge a car by one rental excursion - but I had rented one in FL on vacation and brought it back since she and I didnt get along.) The biggest issue in FWD other than drivetrain and mounting and control are the LCA mounting and cross bracing and strut top mounting and bracing. Most all FWD cars are pitiful in this regard (including RWD BMW 318) but can be fixed with addition of simple bracing firmer LCA bushings, and better strut components.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Sorry. I forgot plymouth threw-out the Neon rear indie suspension for a simple twist beam axle - prob a move for better load carrying capacity since the car was designated a light truck for CAFE fleet boost. (I know you shouldnt judge a car by one rental excursion - but I had rented one in FL on vacation and brought it back since she and I didnt get along.) The biggest issue in FWD other than drivetrain and mounting and control are the LCA mounting and cross bracing and strut top mounting and bracing. Most all FWD cars are pitiful in this regard (including RWD BMW 318) but can be fixed with addition of simple bracing firmer LCA bushings, and better strut components.
]



I suspect the rear axle was as much for the low floor as for load carrying. But in general, now you're getting to some valid complaints about the PT. The front LCA bushing setup is just flat ridiculous- asking a hockey-puck bushing to flex the way those do is just incomprehensible. Fortunately there are aftermarket solutions. Also as the picture you included shows, the half-shaft asymmetry on the NA versions is pretty bad. The turbo and diesel PTs got a carrier bearing on the long (passenger's side) half-shaft which makes the sprung portion of it almost identical in length with the driver's side version. Of course that is so short that the CV-joint angularity is big.

Disagree on the stiffness tho- that is a STOUT unibody and has very little flex. Ironically that was a gripe I had about the rental Chevy HHRs I've gotten. I expected them to be near-copies of the PT in GM flavor. Nope! Very different vehicles. The HHR has a far better transmission with more sanely spaced gear ratios, and that was the only clear victory. The Ecotec is more modern than the EDZ in the PT, but not such a huge margin of win there. And the body/interior were a decided loss to the PT. Somehow they felt far narrower and more cramped, and there was seemingly more body flex/creak/rattle, especially around the dash area on the ones I've gotten (even low mileage ones). The PT's strongest point (other than cargo flexibility) IMO is the fit/finish and tightness/rigidity of the body. Wife's s rattle/squeak free at almost 70,000 miles.

 

[MillerMan]

80's Imperial: I actually wish I could have one of these in excellent condition now. If I had the money it would be upgraded with a built 360 (maybe a stroker 360) etc. it could be a sleeper almost muscle car and a luzury car at the same time.
and lots of common people (younger fools) don't even know what they are when they see one

 

[MillerMan]

#69 1989 Ford Thunderbird This one doesn't belong on the list.

 

[andyd]

Yah, most of those cars were terrible.. But I have a soft spot for AMCs. The Samurai and the Swift were very capable cars if used properly. My BIL bought an Aspire for 300$ for my niece. It got totaled while parked. My BIL took the money and bought it back from the insurance company. He hammered out the body so it would take a LR light and replaced the mangled Rear suspension. Then he drove it for a year. He sold it last month for 700$

 

[edhackett]

Whew! Missed them all. It was real close on #57(Ferrari GT4). I looked into one of those seriously. I decided the ongoing maintenance costs were more than I wanted to take on at the time.

Ed

 

[semaj281]

At least 15% of the cars on this list are worthy of owning. The author probably hasn't driven half the cars that he's talking about.

 

[IndyIan]

I liked my '81 Olds Omega, the V6 was pretty smooth and torquey enough. I used to tow a light trailer with no issues and the seats were nice too. If it didn't have the 80's emission equipment I might be still driving it.

 

[Nate_V8]

Look at all the GMs on there, no wonder they were bailed out.

 

[joaks]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
I've got to agree 100% with the Subaru XT and the Pinto being on the list. Both were junk. The Subaru XT made me NEVER want to buy that brand ever again (and I have not). The Pinto? Underpowered, trouble prone, wimpy looking piece of garbage. I do however disagree with the '74 Gran Torino Elite (not to be confused with the earlier Torinos). While not being a car of any particular advancement upon earlier Torinos, it was VERY comfortable and had a decent fit and finish to it. Made a nice road trip car and was more a luxury vehicle than anything else.


What was wrong with the XT? I never driven one but they look unique and interesting to me.
BOTH of my parents had Pintos. Dads was okay. Moms brown, no AC, vinyl interior did not go well with the short shorts on the early 80s.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: joaks


What was wrong with the XT? I never driven one but they look unique and interesting to me.
BOTH of my parents had Pintos. Dads was okay. Moms brown, no AC, vinyl interior did not go well with the short shorts on the early 80s.


The XT looked like a 3rd gen Prelude....or maybe the Prelude looked like it.

One had all wheel steering. One had all wheel drive.
The driver controls and steering wheel were weird, but if you compare it to the Death Star tillered Mitsubishi Starion or equally weird control pod RWD Isuzu Impulse, it's all the sudden not that weird.

The Pinto? The two door wagon wasn't that bad. No worse a driver than a Vega Kammback. But the Runabout had a miserable little trunk and the previously mentioned potential to explode on impact.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: joaks
Originally Posted By: andrewg
I've got to agree 100% with the Subaru XT and the Pinto being on the list. Both were junk. The Subaru XT made me NEVER want to buy that brand ever again (and I have not). The Pinto? Underpowered, trouble prone, wimpy looking piece of garbage. I do however disagree with the '74 Gran Torino Elite (not to be confused with the earlier Torinos). While not being a car of any particular advancement upon earlier Torinos, it was VERY comfortable and had a decent fit and finish to it. Made a nice road trip car and was more a luxury vehicle than anything else.


What was wrong with the XT? I never driven one but they look unique and interesting to me.
BOTH of my parents had Pintos. Dads was okay. Moms brown, no AC, vinyl interior did not go well with the short shorts on the early 80s.

The XT that I had was a total abortion. While the styling was kind of interesting....it was engineered very poorly. Nothing but electrical and mechanical issues tied to the four wheel drive system. For example, after taking the car over a wet and snowy mountain pass I soon discovered that the pump that lifts that raises the cars clearance when the 4x4 was engaged failed to function....and warning lights were showing a malfunction in the dash. Took it in to the dealer and he said that water had gotten into the unit that raises the car. I asked him where the unit was located. He told me right under the car near one of the wheels. So.....it's no wonder it got WET for cryin out loud. That was $600 (not under warranty...it had just expired). The engine was noisy and sounded like a bag of bolts no matter what oil/filter combo I tried. At night the interior had so many lights that it looked comical and cheap. Just a very annoying vehicle.
The Pinto? Had two....both were junk but at least one managed to get me to work for a few months before it broke down.

 

[Spazdog]

My parents had a Pinto wagon.

It was a backup car. My mom's husband used it to carry around his drain cleaning machine on side jobs so it didn't have a backseat or rather it was folded down with a piece of plywood and anchoring points screwed down on it.

It handled roughly about as bad as my Chevette. There's this internet perception that RWD is vastly superior to FWD and it's impossible to have understeer with RWD. The Chevette and Pinto prove this wrong.
Just drive one of these two cars. Then drive any modern front driver. Not all Rear wheel drive cars are capable handlers.

You would go into a corner and the front wheels would slide. Straight for the outside. Giving it more gas just insured that it would slide to the outside faster. (The Pinto was quicker and faster than my Chevette)

I have to say the Pinto was durable. It received no love. I changed the oil and plugs on it once...just once. It drove around with an impossibly loud flipped v-belt until it threw that belt and was replaced. My mom was driving it for some reason and the shifter came off in her hand. Not the shifter knob. The entire shifter. She managed to get it back in correctly and limped the "Deathmobile" home. She never drove it again.

The A/C in the Pinto was hopelessly broken though. Tecumseh compressor locked up completely and a new compressor and drier would cost more thant the car was worth. A/C in the Chevette was the only thing that worked well. Everything worked. Nothing but the A/C worked well.

I beat on the car relentlessly when I borrowed it. Again, it had a little more power than my Chevette did. Might have actually handled a little worse though. Not much difference.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: joaks
Originally Posted By: andrewg
I've got to agree 100% with the Subaru XT and the Pinto being on the list. Both were junk. The Subaru XT made me NEVER want to buy that brand ever again (and I have not). The Pinto? Underpowered, trouble prone, wimpy looking piece of garbage. I do however disagree with the '74 Gran Torino Elite (not to be confused with the earlier Torinos). While not being a car of any particular advancement upon earlier Torinos, it was VERY comfortable and had a decent fit and finish to it. Made a nice road trip car and was more a luxury vehicle than anything else.


What was wrong with the XT? I never driven one but they look unique and interesting to me.
BOTH of my parents had Pintos. Dads was okay. Moms brown, no AC, vinyl interior did not go well with the short shorts on the early 80s.


I liked my XT purchased in college for $800. I had it for 2 yrs. It was a just a regular Subaru with same motor and FWD and never missed a beat with only 1 oil change nothing else.

I parked it at Logan Airport back in Sr year of college for a week trip that turned into 6weeks. Never picked it up. No idea where it is.

 

[toneydoc]

Glad that Yugo made the list. I never had one but they were scrap metal from the get go.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Yugo GV, Its just a Fiat but hampered with the problematic USA made feedback carb (IDR if it was a Holley or carter) and problematic ford vacuum heater hydronic flow valve. The Drivetrain was bullet-proof on mine. 4 speed MT no synchro 1st. Unlike my last Toyota Vitz or RAV4 which didnt last, the yugo lasted. I only got rid of it BC my then girlfriend (now spouse) was embarrassed to be seen in it - and she drove a $5700 cost to buy new 83 Dodge Colt. Just goes to show getting a reliable car is 99% luck of the draw.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Yugo GV, Its just a Fiat but hampered with the problematic USA made feedback carb (IDR if it was a Holley or carter) and problematic ford vacuum heater hydronic flow valve. The Drivetrain was bullet-proof on mine. 4 speed MT no synchro 1st. Unlike my last Toyota Vitz or RAV4 which didnt last, the yugo lasted. I only got rid of it BC my then girlfriend (now spouse) was embarrassed to be seen in it - and she drove a $5700 cost to buy new 83 Dodge Colt. Just goes to show getting a reliable car is 99% luck of the draw.


The previous owner of my old Fiat X1/9 said that it had a Yugo cylinder head. I think I was happier that he had done the timing belt recently.

The transmission had no reverse, the clutch hydraulics were leaky, the fuel pump had to be replaced with a cheap solenoid type electric pump, but the engine was fine.