Your worst car decision ever.

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
The Chevette is right up there with the Vega as two of the Generals worst cars out of Detroit. I`m SUUUURE they would sooner forget these things,rather than keep their memory alive.


I came across a story (with links and lots pics) on Jalopniks (I think it was) a while back on some nut trying to sell his 'mint condition, very low mileage' '79ish Chevette for more than what it cost new. He considered it a collectible antique and priced it accordingly (as I said, he is a nut). Lots of pics of the car that really brought the memories back.

It would be amusing to see a Motor Trend magazine style 'shootout' between the Vega and Chevette. Of course, it would be an Onion type piece but I would gladly write it myself if I could find the required specimens in running condition.

-Spyder

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Spyder7
Originally Posted By: lexus114
The Chevette is right up there with the Vega as two of the Generals worst cars out of Detroit. I`m SUUUURE they would sooner forget these things,rather than keep their memory alive.


I came across a story (with links and lots pics) on Jalopniks (I think it was) a while back on some nut trying to sell his 'mint condition, very low mileage' '79ish Chevette for more than what it cost new. He considered it a collectible antique and priced it accordingly (as I said, he is a nut). Lots of pics of the car that really brought the memories back.

It would be amusing to see a Motor Trend magazine style 'shootout' between the Vega and Chevette. Of course, it would be an Onion type piece but I would gladly write it myself if I could find the required specimens in running condition.

-Spyder

 

[onebigunion]

Originally Posted By: David S.
I misunderstood this thread. It seems "Your worst car decision ever" is actually "Your worst car purchase decision ever."

My worst car purchase decision ever was a 1989 Honda Civic LX 4-door 5-speed. Drove it for 149K miles over almost 10 years. No ABS, no air bags, etc. The engine was so underpowered that I had to turn off the AC when going uphill and when accelerating. The rear doors and trunk didn't stay open by themselves and they'd slam shut when parked on an incline or with the slightest breeze. The radio failed twice. The exhaust system rusted out regularly every 30K miles - replaced it 4 times. The timing belt changes were wicked expensive (every 60K miles). I sold it before shelling out hundreds for the next timing belt change, as rust began appearing around the fenders, as the exhaust was getting louder, and as the AC wasn't cooling as well as in the past. At the time of purchase fuel economy was competitive in the low to mid 30 MPGs, but less than 5 years later similar cars from others were around 40 MPG - and cost less to purchase, had more options, had more safety features, had engine steel timing chains, had stainless steel exhaust systems, and getting rust around the fenders (or door dings) was impossible. There was more about that car I'm forgetting as its been over 10 years since I happily signed the back of the title over to the next owner.


I realize this is just one anecdote - but this is the kind of story that really makes me question the "Honda is slipping, Honda has gone downhill" arguments. I've owned three recent Hondas, currenthly own a 2005 and 2011 Civic. Neither has any trouble keeping its doors open on an incline. The 5-speed manual has averaged over 43 mpg for 215k miles, the automatic is at just under 39. Never an exhaust problem. Timing belt is at 110k miles on the 05 (cost about $250 at dealer), 2011 doesn't have a belt. AC on both works very well. Power isn't overly abundant on either as you might expect, but both accelerate just fine uphill with AC at full. Some of this too is just anecdotal of course, but some of this is design of the vehicles.

I auditioned Hondas several times in the mid-late 80's and 90's, and I never was impressed with the quality or performance, at least of the Civic, though I was clearly in the minority as they were extremely popular. But I just don't get the "gone downhill" thing that I hear (of course I heard it 15 years ago, too).

 

[addyguy]

A Vega would easily smoke a Chevette like a cheap cigar - the 2.3 OHC engine, while unreliable, was peppy and quick for it's class.

However, the Chevette would easily win in utility - it had more cargo room, and the option of a 4-door.

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: onebigunion
I realize this is just one anecdote - but this is the kind of story that really makes me question the "Honda is slipping, Honda has gone downhill" arguments. I've owned three recent Hondas, currenthly own a 2005 and 2011 Civic. Neither has any trouble keeping its doors open on an incline. The 5-speed manual has averaged over 43 mpg for 215k miles, the automatic is at just under 39. Never an exhaust problem. Timing belt is at 110k miles on the 05 (cost about $250 at dealer), 2011 doesn't have a belt. AC on both works very well. Power isn't overly abundant on either as you might expect, but both accelerate just fine uphill with AC at full. Some of this too is just anecdotal of course, but some of this is design of the vehicles.

I auditioned Hondas several times in the mid-late 80's and 90's, and I never was impressed with the quality or performance, at least of the Civic, though I was clearly in the minority as they were extremely popular. But I just don't get the "gone downhill" thing that I hear (of course I heard it 15 years ago, too).

Honda's design and innovation have gone downhill lately. Quality still seems to be top-notch.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10

Honda's design and innovation have gone downhill lately. Quality still seems to be top-notch.


They're the only company I can think of with a hydrogen fuel cell powered prototype on the road and ready for mass production.

They also very recently moved their Civic lineup to giving the driver a range of decent FE options or going hybrid.

I guess innovation depends on your perspective. In terms of innovating to meet the alternative fuel options available, they've caught up to Toyota on the hybrid electric front, and lead the pack on the fuel cell alternative.

I interpret that as signs that innovation is still alive and well at Honda, and going beyond the mostly cosmetic stuff that masks as innovation within the industry, and instead into the R&D heavy under the hood stuff.

-Spyder

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Spyder7

It would be amusing to see a Motor Trend magazine style 'shootout' between the Vega and Chevette. Of course, it would be an Onion type piece but I would gladly write it myself if I could find the required specimens in running condition.


My parents had two Vegas. We had a 1973 Vega GT hatchback. ( stripe package - not Cosworth, 2BBL, No catalyst) Seemed like it accelerated well enough. Better than our Datsun B210 (which had a knockoff of an Austin motor)
The '73 dissolved like a slug in salt. I don't know how the backlight was staying in. It was so surrounded by perforations. It was always a concern that when you closed the hatch, the glass would just keep going.

We also had a '76 Vega. I think it was a 1bbl and choked with emissions stuff no doubt. It was sllllooooowww. At least compared to the '76 Rabbit we also had at that time. But it didn't rust. Might have been a smidge faster than my Chevette

 

[NateDN10]

Originally Posted By: Spyder7
They're the only company I can think of with a hydrogen fuel cell powered prototype on the road and ready for mass production.

They also very recently moved their Civic lineup to giving the driver a range of decent FE options or going hybrid.

I guess innovation depends on your perspective. In terms of innovating to meet the alternative fuel options available, they've caught up to Toyota on the hybrid electric front, and lead the pack on the fuel cell alternative.

I interpret that as signs that innovation is still alive and well at Honda, and going beyond the mostly cosmetic stuff that masks as innovation within the industry, and instead into the R&D heavy under the hood stuff.

Good points.

I was thinking of some of their recent hybrid developments. The Insight is aimed at the Prius, but in every comparison test I've seen the Prius is head and shoulders better. And while the CR-Z seemed to have a lot of potential, it doesn't deliver on either the fuel economy or the sportiness.

And while the new Civic is technically very good, it's mostly an incremental improvement over the old model.

Don't get me wrong - I have a very high opinion of Honda. If we needed a new car now, the Accord and Civic would definitely be among our top choices.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog

My parents had two Vegas. We had a 1973 Vega GT hatchback. ( stripe package - not Cosworth, 2BBL, No catalyst) Seemed like it accelerated well enough. Better than our Datsun B210 (which had a knockoff of an Austin motor)
The '73 dissolved like a slug in salt. I don't know how the backlight was staying in. It was so surrounded by perforations. It was always a concern that when you closed the hatch, the glass would just keep going.



The first car I bought after I got out of college in '78 was a '74 Vega, a Maroon GT station wagon with the deluxe vinyl interior. Actually a quite nice looking and fun car, for a four cylinder.

The problem was, I was new to the Houston area, and didn't know that cars kept in the vicinity of the local refineries, where I bought the car, develop major rust problems. It had no visible rust, but within a year or so, every rainstorm resulted in water pouring in from above the rear view mirror.

The next problem was that the engine developed the infamous ring problem, and then the transmission started slipping. Time for a Buick V6 swap! That made it even more fun to drive, but eventually someone ran an intersection in front of me, and that was the end of that.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Mine was easy: 2003 Mercedes Benz C320.

When both my parents died on 2002 I decided to use some of the money to get a new reliable car to replace my 94 Olds 88 that had started to have some issues. Looked at a bunch of cars - Acura RSX, Nissan Altima, the newly re-introduced MINI, Pontiac, Volkswagen, and the list goes on. A new Mercedes dealership had just opened up and I thought, probably can't afford it but I always liked them. Went in and found to my surprise I could get a c class for just a little more than a Passat.

Wrote them a Check on Valentines day 2003 on a brand new C320 sedan. Planned on the legendary Merc reliability and safety (first kid on the way) to keep me in that car for at least a decade. Owned it 8 months.

First morning getting in it - gear shift came off in my hands - not the nob, the entire shifter mechanism. Called the dealership - "oh that's normal, just stick it back in". I hesitantly did and it did become a regular experience. Complained every time until finally four months later they fixed it. The promised loaner was only given once and it was filthy (think animal house inside). They replaced 3 laser keys for me in the first 6 months. The last straw was when the traction contol started to get confused and wanted to kick out the rear end on about every third turn. Traded it in on a Subaru because it was just short of the lemon law.

Beautiful car but it was killing me (almost literally).

 

[lexus114]

WOW! their was definitely something wrong from day one with that "C". Should have complained to corporate, I bet they would have done something for you.

 

[cadfaeltex]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
WOW! their was definitely something wrong from day one with that "C". Should have complained to corporate, I bet they would have done something for you.


Tried to get with corporate but half heartedly by that point. Would have pursued it more now - was younger, stupider, grieving, and had a largely pregnant wife.

 

[Tornado Red]

Three bad car decisions:
1) a very cheap late-60s Suburban or similar vehicle, purchased in late 70s. It had a 3-on-the-tree shifter with a linkage I could never get just right. And the carburetor was never right either. I don't know how much I paid or how many miles I drove, but it probably cost me $1/mile to own.

2) an early 70s full-size Ford wagon, purchased because it had a lot of cargo space. Paid about $1200, totaled it several months later and the insurance company gave me $700-800. It was not very reliable.

3) a '75 Datsun 260z, I think, but with a Borg-Warner automatic. Quite a lot of rust, bad wiring, dual carbs that no one could tune. I practically gave it away with four almost new tires and was happy to see it go.

After all this, my next car was a Saab 900T that I owned and drove for 16 years and 290k miles. And then my Golf TDI. So I think I learned something from a series of bad choices.

 

[artificialist]

My Saturn ION treated me poorly.

 

[occupant]

I have about a dozen of these. But I'll pick the most irritating one.

I had good luck buying cars on eBay. A $100 '88 Dodge Shadow was great. A $275 '88 Buick Century better, and a $250 '89 Century just as nice. Then I tried Yahoo Auctions. Found a 1989 Tercel and won it for $300. Allegedly had cold air, burned 1qt oil only every 1500 miles, and had new tires. I lived in Texas and this car was in Queens NY. Should have known it was trouble but I went anyway.

My girlfriend and I decided to make the trip up and back together. We bought a pair of Greyhound tickets which should get us from Dallas to New York in 36 hours.

Problem #1: boarding the wrong bus in Memphis at the layover which put us on a LOCAL bus instead of EXPRESS. We rode through the deep South, standing room only, across to Atlanta and finally up to DC. Travel time went from 36 hours to 52 hours. We were a mess.

Problem #2: because we weren't on the same bus as our luggage at this point, our bags got held up in Buffalo. So when we arrived at Port Authority, our bags did not. It took another 8 hours to get our bags.

Problem #3: the seller wasn't answering his [censored] phone as we made our way through the subway system to get to Queens. By the time we got there it was afternoon, we were hot, sweaty, stinky, tired, and mad. Finally about 3 the guy calls us back on my girl's cell and he picks us up and takes us to the car.

Problem #4: while it sat for 3 days waiting on us to get up there, some neighborhood kids broke the passenger window, stole the radio, and damaged the AC controls to where it didn't work anymore. Also, the battery was dead and his jumper cables sucked, but it finally fired up and didn't idle well and had little power. Joy. We started our trip back to Texas.

Problem #5: it was getting cold in east PA on the trip back so we caught a hotel room (for all of $89, what a wonderful deal for a roach-infested dump) and rested/showered/changed clothes. The window being down was a problem so we hit an Ace Hardware to pick up a drop cloth and duct tape. We had to pull over every 6-8 hours to change the tape in the rain.

Problem #6: that rain...only the driver's side wiper worked, the passenger side had stripped threads on the stud. That's fun at highway speeds if you already didn't know. Also, the rain came in through my window covering no matter how I taped it up. And it's noisy.

Problem #7: that low power meant I was getting passed by double trailer semis on hills in PA, WV, VA, and TN. The car was burning oil at a rate of 1qt/150mi now. It was harder to start each time we stopped, too.

Problem #8: once home to Texas, I discovered that the name signed on the back of the title was the same name as the notary stamp, but not the same name as on the front of the title. I would never be able to sell the car or probably register it either.

Problem #9: I got a 30-day temp tag for it just to run back and forth to work and before the end of that 30 days, the engine lost compression so I had it towed to a Toyota dealer to check on it. They said the timing belt broke but the engine was non-interference. $380 later and it still wouldn't start easily but it did start again. Within a week the engine would no longer start at all. I scrapped it for $100.

Problem #10: there was an air freshener jammed way back in the dash vents so any air flowing through made it smell like that air freshener and it smelled like those little pink cakes in the bottom of urinals. I couldn't get it out even with a coat hanger so I lived with it. Thankfully that was for a short time. Little Trees make one called Black Ice that kinda smells the same. So when I buy those I put a little label over the "Black Ice" part and I make it say "Urinal Cake"

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Originally Posted By: onebigunion
I realize this is just one anecdote - but this is the kind of story that really makes me question the "Honda is slipping, Honda has gone downhill" arguments. I've owned three recent Hondas, currenthly own a 2005 and 2011 Civic. Neither has any trouble keeping its doors open on an incline. The 5-speed manual has averaged over 43 mpg for 215k miles, the automatic is at just under 39. Never an exhaust problem. Timing belt is at 110k miles on the 05 (cost about $250 at dealer), 2011 doesn't have a belt. AC on both works very well. Power isn't overly abundant on either as you might expect, but both accelerate just fine uphill with AC at full. Some of this too is just anecdotal of course, but some of this is design of the vehicles.

I auditioned Hondas several times in the mid-late 80's and 90's, and I never was impressed with the quality or performance, at least of the Civic, though I was clearly in the minority as they were extremely popular. But I just don't get the "gone downhill" thing that I hear (of course I heard it 15 years ago, too).

Honda's design and innovation have gone downhill lately. Quality still seems to be top-notch.


Hard to say whether or not I agree (depends on the model) I love my 2011 Civic, but I still think the Civics from the 90's are some of the best cars ever to come from Japan (overall reliability, cost of ownership, looks, etc.)

I think the '12 Civic is not as attractive as 06-11 though, that is for sure.

 

[eljefino]

We have a winner!

 

[MaxPilot]

86 Pontiac Grand Am
90 GMC Safari

 

[wander2039]

Worst purchase was a 88 S15. Underpowered and couldn't keep the "Check Engine Light" off for any amount of time. Gas mpg was terrible mostly because it took all it had to get any where. Somehow managed to keep it 5 years and 50k.. not sure how. Worst decision to buy a vehicle was the 00 F150. Great truck but frankly I didn't need it. The V8 cost me alot of gas in the years I had it. There's more vehicles I wish I would of kept.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

It wasn't my worst decision, but imo it was my dad's.

He bought a brand new Dodge Stratus in 1996 and paid full price for it. The thing always had something go wrong on it. The a/c was fixed a couple times, three of the four window motors went bad, headgasket at 30k miles, starter failed, wheel bearings went around 60K, and the mechanic thought the headgasket (#2) and cat converter was on its way out from some rattling noise. And the gas mileage sucked for a 4 cyclinder. The interior was cheap. Nice looking car compared to the stuff back then though. And why in the world did Chrysler put the battery behind the bumper? You have to take the wheel and wheel well cover off to replace it. Traded it in for a new 2004 Camry at 61k miles. Dad probably could have gotten a 1996 Camry back then instead of the Stratus and it probably would have ended up being a hand me down to me.

If we knew of all those issues on the Stratus, we'd probably wouldn't have put 4 new Bridgestone Turanzas on there. They were nice touring tires.

The 2004 Camry still runs great at 106k miles sans paint because of the hack of a bodyshop we brought it to after a hurricane roughed it up.

I think that car has made me want to avoid Chrysler for a while. And the GMs that my relatives had has made me want to avoid those too. Ford is still okay. But I guess we kind of have a Ford in the stable with a heart from Nissan.