Forget
ObamaCare and the federal deficit. Let's even put aside
the mess in the Middle East for a minute. We've got real
controversy here. The editors at Cars.com have compiled
a list of the worst cars of the decade.
For the record, I agree with most of
them. I had to paraphrase the editor's comments, but the
rankings — in descending order — are:
1. Smart ForTwo (2008-present): The
ForTwo may look cute, but you won't be smiling after you
drive it.
2. Chrysler Sebring (1995-present):
With a weak base power train, poor interior quality and
haphazard styling, it never had a chance in the midsize
sedan segment.
3. Jeep Compass (2007-present): A
soft-road poseur, and not a good one at that.
4. Toyota Echo (2000-2005): Call the
Echo ahead of its time if you must. Mainly, it just
wasn't a very good car.
5. Cadillac Catera (1997-2001): A
soft, underpowered rear-wheel-drive car that felt
front-wheel-drive and suffered from advertising that
proclaimed "The Caddy That Zigs."
6. Pontiac Sunfire (1995-2005): Cheap
interior plastics run amok, a coarse four-cylinder
engine and horrendous crash-test ratings sealed its
fate.
7. Jaguar X-Type (2002-2008): A
too-small, not-so-sporty sedan hamstrung by quality
issues.
8. Isuzu VehiCross (1999-2002): The
fanglike grille on the outrageous two-door SUV looked
like it would eat you, which was scary mainly because no
one wanted to be inside a VehiCross.
9. Daewoo anything (2001-2005): We
mused over which would kill us first in a Daewoo: toxic
gases from the cheap interior, the recalcitrant
transmission or inconsistent acceleration.
10. Pontiac Aztek (2001-2005): It was
criticized for its ghastly styling for the duration of
its life. The critics were right.
