The Worst American Cars - POLL

Forbes ^ | 10.21.02 | Michael Frank

[c-b 1]

They forgot about the Chevy Vega and the melting aluminum engine block....

Don't forget the melting body, that turned to rust.

Before I opened this thread I knew it had to be the Vega, and they forgot it.

[Malcolm]

The worst American car I've ever come across was my mother's 96 Monte Carlo. She bought an extended warranty as an afterthought. Thank G-d for small favors! That warranty has paid for itself 2-3 times over. It runs great now, after 20-25 major repairs on it. If not for the poor rust-through protection, it might make a good battleship anchor.....

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Has anyone mentioned those ugly Chevy Caprices in the 1980's that looked like upside down bathtubs?

[-YYZ-]

"I own a 99 Toyota Corolla and the transmission went out at 74,000 miles. My sister has a 2000 Toyota Camry and her transmission went at 61,000 miles. IMO Toyotas are pieces of junk. They may have been well built in the past, but not today. I would never buy another Toyota again."

Hmmm. I wonder if 20 years of people falling over themselves congratulating Toyota on their quality has resulted in them getting complacent about it?

I've never been as impressed with Honda as many people seem to be, either.

OTOH, I've owned several Nissans, and their drivetrains have been virtually indestructible. Over 200,000 miles on my (5 speed manual) '87 Nissan Multi (Stanza wagon) before I finally replaced it. The rest of the car was falling apart, though. Nova Scotia road salt (they use lots 'cause it's cheap there, as it's produced there) and a couple of minor fender-benders to crack the paint resulted in a seriously rusting body. The rest of it was falling apart, too. It seems to have been an anomaly for a Nissan though, as the others I've owned have been more durable.

[AppyPappy]

My choices:

Vega
Anything Renault
Ford Grenada
Fiat 128
Ford Tempo(It costs more to tow than you get in salvage)

[rdb3]

I'm glad I didn't see the Electra 225 (or "Deuce and a Quarter" or "two dollars and bus fare"). That's the car with which I learned to drive.

Anyone have a '71 El Dorado convertible for sale? I'm looking for one. I've always wanted a Cadillac from my birth year.

[OC_Steve]

1977-90 Chevy Chevette The best thing you could say about this car is that at least they got the scale right

No, the best thing you could say about this car is that it was capable of turning multiple 360s on light ice. A short wheelbase and rear-wheel drive transmission meant that you could spin to your heart's content. Until you flipped. :-)

First time I drove my 1977 Chevette in the snow I ended up doing three 360s before hitting a curb!!! I used to have to keep bags of sand in the back of my Chevette during the winter just to get traction.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Where's the Pontiac AZTEC?

[Petronski]

Nowhere on their poll, but try post 12, above.

[stands2reason]

I loved my '84 Caprice. Never had a moment's trouble with it. After a wreck totalled it, we replaced it with a '90 Camry. It's okay, but I've been at the mercy of a tow truck more than once. I also have to have the engine pulled for a stupid transmission leak--I miss my Chevy Tank!

[RightWhale]

Hey! These are all my favorite cars. Well, after the '62 VW Bug.

[Black Cat]

I owned both a '63 Monza and a '65 Corsa -- both handled much *better* than the average car of their day, which were designed to just plow ahead rather than turn if you turned the steering wheel. Most cars have handling which is dumbed down to prevent incompetant drivers from getting themselves in trouble when the car actually DOES what you tell it to do. The Corvair respected it's drivers and got slammed for it.

Go figure...

[stands2reason]

Same here. My brother owned two Vegas. He'd buy about as much oil as he did gas.

[wardaddy]

Man.....1600s and 2002s (tii) and Bavarias were hot stuff back then....I had a 1600 in 1973.

Why'd you hate them?

For the money and speed, the old Mazda Wankels were quick....

Man those 1973-74 post muscle car days were a big letdown weren't they?

[wardaddy]

One of my best buddies in 73 had the special Cosworth Vega.....souped up with Hurst T-bar shifter and fat back wheels.....it moved on pretty good as I recall.

[ru4liberty]

My first car was a '63 Mercury Comet (like this one but red). Bought 2nd hand from my aunt, it was my H.S. graduation present. I can't tell you how many times I got stranded at the beach in this beauty! GRRRRRRRR...

[gcruse]

I am a fan of the LeBarons but must have seen only one Maserati model on the road. Sorry to hear it was such
a waste. The best LeBaron I owned was my 1987 four-cylinder
four speed convertible with a supercharger on it that
got so hot it peeled the paint off the hood over the years.
But that little four-banger ran like a V8 while delivering
36 mpg.

[gcruse]

Ah, thanks for the memory. I bought a Matador in
Canada. Big sloppy ride, comfy, and a Chevy engine.
I got about ten thousand miles to the alternator.

[RooRoobird14]

I lived across the street from a couple (student pilot and his wife at Columbus AFB, Mississippi) in 1977. They owned BOTH a copper colored Gremlin and a pastel blue Pacer. It was horrifying even back then.

Keep in mind, the hip car of choice for Air Force pilots then were red/black Corvettes or blue Datsun 280z's. Those cars probably cost that young pilot at least one promotion--LOL!

[gcruse]

Ever hear about the cross between a Valiant
and a Comet? It was called the Vomit. It had
a throwup top, bucket seats, and the horn
went Barrrrrfffffffffffff!