The 50 Worst Cars of All Time

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Sep 8 2007, 10:06 PM) [snapback]509393[/snapback]</div>

So is the EV1


1997 GM EV1
<div align="left">Todd Bigelow / Aurora / Getty</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The EV1 was a marvel of engineering, absolutely the best electric vehicle anyone had ever seen. Built by GM to comply with California's zero-emissions-vehicle mandate, the EV1 was quick, fun, and reliable. It held out the promise that soon electric cars — charged from the grid with all sorts of groovy power sources, like wind and solar — could replace the smelly old internal-combustion vehicle. And therein lies the problem: the promise. In fact, battery technology at the time was nowhere near ready to replace the piston-powered engine. The early car's lead-acid bats, and even the later nickel-metal hydride batteries, couldn't supply the range or durability required by the mass market. The car itself was a tiny, super-light two-seater, not exactly what American consumers were looking for. And the EV1 was horrifically expensive to build, which was why GM's execs terminated the program — handing detractors yet another stick to beat them with. GM, the company that had done more to advance EV technology than any other, became the company that "killed the electric car." </div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sonny Jim @ Sep 9 2007, 04:19 AM) [snapback]509458[/snapback]</div>

<div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The EV1 was a marvel of engineering, absolutely the best electric vehicle anyone had ever seen. Built by GM to comply with California's zero-emissions-vehicle mandate, the EV1 was quick, fun, and reliable. It held out the promise that soon electric cars — charged from the grid with all sorts of groovy power sources, like wind and solar — could replace the smelly old internal-combustion vehicle. And therein lies the problem: the promise. In fact, battery technology at the time was nowhere near ready to replace the piston-powered engine. The early car's lead-acid bats, and even the later nickel-metal hydride batteries, couldn't supply the range or durability required by the mass market. The car itself was a tiny, super-light two-seater, not exactly what American consumers were looking for. And the EV1 was horrifically expensive to build, which was why GM's execs terminated the program — handing detractors yet another stick to beat them with. GM, the company that had done more to advance EV technology than any other, became the company that "killed the electric car." </div>
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Nice write-up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Sep 8 2007, 10:06 PM) [snapback]509393[/snapback]</div>

Such a list that does not include the Chevrolet Vega or the late '70's versions of the Chrysler Volare/Dodge Aspen cannot possibly be complete.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prianista @ Sep 9 2007, 04:22 PM) [snapback]509681[/snapback]</div>

Agreed.

The first car I bought new was a Chevy Vega, after it had been "Car of the Year" at least once. Of course, as soon as I bought one, it turned into an instant lemon, with a cylinder block that wore out in world-record time.

The car before that was a used '65 Corvair that, while it didn't kill me, it did try very hard to gas me, with the leaky exhaust-into-cabin GM trick. The transmission on that car locked up and a piece of broken metal landed on the pavement, along with all the transmission fluid. Chalk off one Corvair.

Those two cars cured me of GM to this day.

I wasn't much more successful with a '91 Ford Tauras wagon, with the "transmission from hell." I couldn't keep a transmission in that car, despite having the transmission rebuilt twice, and had to limp to the junkyard, which was uphill. I barely made it. That has cured me of Fords to this day.

My two Honda Civics ended my losing streak.

Harry

 

I love the looks of the SSR.. how sad it made the list

 

I think I had a 1979 Ford Pinto. Didn't look anything like that car. But it never did get over it's bad design rap on the gas tank thing. Probably why it was so easy to negotiate a much lower price.

Ha ha. The Aztec made the list. Man, that is one butt ugly car, er, SUV, er....what *is* it? Someone living near my parents owns one because I've seen it more than once on my way to their house.

 

Anything can be named "Car of the Year" if enough issues of the magazine are bought.

 

Anything can be named "Car of the Year" if enough issues of the magazine are bought.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 9 2007, 04:19 PM) [snapback]509744[/snapback]</div>

Even once they got rid of the kaboom option, they still burned more oil than gasoline.