What is the Worst Vehicle of All Time?

"shpuker" (shpuker) 08/08/2017 at 23:33 • Filed to: None

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What car is just so apologetically awful that it left a serious dent in the automotive world? I’m looking for the car so absolutely shit in every way that the owners should legitimately seek restitution? My entry: The Chevy Cavalier Convertible. The result of taking a legitimately bad vehicle with bad safety ratings, and making it less safe, and less reliable.

Oh and there will be a GM edition of Really, That’s Your Vehicle Lineup? coming on Thursday some time so keep your eyes open!

Anyways, let’s hear your entries.

Honeybunchesofgoats > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:37

0

I can’t say that GM didn’t make the worst cars of the late-nineties.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:38

0

I’m still waiitngorr the ToyMoCo version. It will be good.

Brian McKay > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:38

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That reminds me — Chevrolet Cobalt cars kill their drivers. I love General Motors. Oh wait; no, I don’t.

LongbowMkII > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:40

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It’s not even the worst J-body.

Nibby > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:40

1

miata

*flame suit on*

sony1492 > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:41

1

Sunfire ‘vert (the only way to properly say it)

A gut punch to automotive design

WilliamsSW > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:42

2

Take everything you said, and slap a highly unreliable turbocharger on it, and you have my first brand new car.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:45

1

Pre facelift Dodge Journey. It had the worst of the terrible Dodge interiors, it was bland on the outside, unlike the Nitro, and it had weak outdated engines.

It’s only redeeming feature was a neat built in booster seat. Which was carried over to the 2011 facelift.

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 08/08/2017 at 23:45

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And yet, if you slap the right price on it, I would buy that as shown.

I shouldn’t think too much about what that says about me.

LongbowMkII > WilliamsSW 08/08/2017 at 23:45

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That’s awesome.

LongbowMkII > Nibby 08/08/2017 at 23:45

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0/10

WilliamsSW > LongbowMkII 08/08/2017 at 23:45

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It might actually be the best J body.

To extent that there can be such a thing.

Shoop > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:46

1

Mustang II comes to mind.

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 08/08/2017 at 23:47

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I can assure you that it would be a terrible decision that you would regret.

Fun to drive? Sure. Get used to replacing turbochargers and head gaskets.

punkgoose17 > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:47

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In the same vein the last gen Chrysler Sebring convertible.

Also Chevrolet Aveo and the Suzuki Reno/Verona/and that other rebadged Daewoo they sold.

I am trying to think of more horrible cars. That is all I have at this moment.

WilliamsSW > LongbowMkII 08/08/2017 at 23:49

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I loved it until I found myself changing head gaskets and turbos almost as often as oil.

Mine was black and a 5 speed. Much torque steer.

Nibbles > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:49

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I’m gonna have to go with the Dodge Aspen / Plymouth Volare

fhrblig > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:49

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But those Cavaliers have a virtue... they’ll run forever. They’ll run shitty, but forever.

I think the GM X-cars are WAAAAAAAAY worse.

I had one, can verify. They could barely move under their own power, but when they did they were unable to stop.

Chariotoflove > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:49

1

Domestically? The Shitvette. I have credibility on this because I drove one in high school. The simple act of putting on the A/C would drop 10 mph instantly.

In the world, I have to go with the Yugo. My wife’s roommate in med school drove one. I haven’t seen a worse death trap since Spanky and the gang went off the air.

fhrblig > Nibbles 08/08/2017 at 23:51

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I don’t know, the Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch gave them a run for their awful money.

WilliamsSW > Nibbles 08/08/2017 at 23:52

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For those that remember those shitboxes, this is an excellent suggestion.

Nibbles > fhrblig 08/08/2017 at 23:53

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Yeah but you still see a Granada from time to time

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:54

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Olds toranado diesel.

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 08/08/2017 at 23:54

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Nineties J-body? Wait, I thought all you had to do is throw a new gerbil into the wheel under the hood and you were good to go.

I may have to rethink my plan.

Nibbles > WilliamsSW 08/08/2017 at 23:56

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That would be the Cavalier Type-10 or maybe the 89-94 Z24

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 08/08/2017 at 23:57

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See, mine actually was pretty quick (by the standard of the day), and it was fun. But it was a horrible drive train.

fhrblig > Nibbles 08/08/2017 at 23:58

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I think I’ve actually seen more of the Volaspen twins recently than the Granadas.

The girl I went to prom with in junior year had a Mercury Monarch coupe and she hated it so much. I felt so bad for her.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > shpuker 08/08/2017 at 23:59

1

Morris Marina

...especially those from the very late 70's. This wonderful machine was based on an undercarriage dating from 1948...and I’ll let these guys say it best:

“As we mentioned at the start of this article, the Marina componentry dated back to a “tried-and-tested” 1948 design. That meant a torsion bar arrangement that was used on the Morris Minor .

It may have worked ok on the flatter and better quality roads found in Britain, but it was woeful in Australia. Here, where we are served a diet of heavily patched bitumen along with unsealed uneven roads, the Marina would have the road going ability of a 44 gallon drum. It provided plenty of thumping, kickback through the steering and vibration of the dashboard and steering column. The vibration was a feature of both the four and six cylinder Marina’s, and given the build quality, the vibration would would soon have most of the interior squeaking, rattling and in some cases falling off - which to some owners was preferable to listening to the parts in their death-throws.

Some thought the Marina could never handle any worse - but with a six under the hood it set a whole new level of understeer that was downright dangerous. Quite a few were surprised by this, as the considered opinion was that the four-cylinder Marina was so bad that nothing could possibly have been worse. But the Red Six was, offering full-lock plough with ease. A reasonably neutral attitude could be obtained by getting the Marina tweaked up in the corners but this required a considerable degree of driving dexterity. On dirt and loose gravel the Marina would switch around, offering copious amounts of oversteer.

The Leyland engineers were obviously not too concerned that their creation was hideous in every concievable way. The standard specification was even fitted with 5.00 x 13 crossplies - a sure sign that they did not consider your safety a high priority. Thankfully Leyland did add radials to the options list, for A$45. The brakes were power assisted and while offering a very soft pedal in the Marina style they were surprisingly up to the performance of the Red Six engine. At city speeds they were reassuring and even when abused, showed little signs of fade. The turning circle was a tight 33 feet with four turns lock to lock. The steering tended towards the stiff side, understandable with the additional weight overhead.

If you found a straight, well made road then cruising in the Marina Six was comfortable, the heavily padded seat giving good support. The rumble of the Six exhaust could be closed out and wind and road noise levels were acceptable. The low-down torque made the Marina very flexible around town and the overall power increase made it a more suitable touring car with plenty in hand for quick passing. But there were so many faults that it, predictably, did not live up to sales expections.”

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/car_info_morris_marina

WilliamsSW > Nibbles 08/08/2017 at 23:59

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The winner by default.

The Sunbird Turbo was more fun, but man what horrible reliability.

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 00:00

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Mine was not turbocharged. It was neither quick nor reliable, but it was way better than the Chevette that preceded it. Therefore, win.

Nibbles > fhrblig 08/09/2017 at 00:00

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I haven’t seen one o doze Mopars in years. Saw a Granada coupe on the mountain roads today actually, and CL has had one on for a good while. Guy’s asking like 7 grand for it. 31k miles I think

Nibbles > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 00:02

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Yeh. Maybe I’m biased, I had a 1987 CL that was a gat dag workhorse, but I never saw the J-body as “worst”

It definitely wasn’t great. Good would even push it a tad. But there was always something worse you could get stuck with

fhrblig > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 00:04

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At my family’s cabin in upper Michigan, we had an old Aspen rusting out by the outhouse. I think it had been one of my aunt’s cars. I would have nightmares thinking about how many spiders and ticks probably lived in it. It had been there so long that the wheels had sunk about halfway deep in the dirt.

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 08/09/2017 at 00:05

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I spent part of my afternoon on Oppo building a case for how crappy the ‘Vette was. You don’t need to convince me.

fhrblig > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/09/2017 at 00:06

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You could have just said ‘Olds’ and ‘diesel’.

WilliamsSW > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 00:07

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I’m biased because it was justifiably the worst car I’ve ever owned.

I had a 74 Dart that was less reliable, but I bought that car 15 years old for $600. I paid $14k for that Sunbird, new.

Nibbles > fhrblig 08/09/2017 at 00:07

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So, it was what, four years old?

LOL MOPAR RUST TROPE I AM SO FUNNY

Spridget > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/09/2017 at 00:08

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Unreliable, slow, bad looks . . . truly no redeeming features.

fhrblig > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 00:10

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Well, it was parked there in 1983 if I remember right...

Nibbles > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 00:11

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Body by Fisher, transmission by Aisin, engine by Opel. How could you (not) go wrong?

Nibbles > fhrblig 08/09/2017 at 00:11

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AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 00:13

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Oh, sorry. I wasn’t around. But I’m sure you were doing the lord’s work.

fhrblig > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 00:14

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And of course by the end of its time there, large chunks of the sheetmetal had rusted away. Because A) Dodge Aspen and B) Michigan.

Die-Trying > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 00:30

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dodge neon.......

pt cruiser.....

taurus.......

the EARLY northstar cadillacs.....

there were SO MANY that i was always working on, that were just falling apart, while almost brand new.

squarebody f bodies all sounded like you had were sitting over a trash can full of rocks everytime you hit a bump.......

lone_liberal > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 00:34

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The Cavalier was nothing compared to the Vega. Now that was the total package. Terrible engine and rusted to powder before your eyes.

lone_liberal > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 00:44

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My parents bought a brand new Aspen in 77 or 78. I can confirm that it was a total piece of shit.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 01:53

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I don’t know that it would be easy to choose for all time. I think you need a worst for each decade. This might be the worst for the early-00s, but the PT Cruiser convertible would give it a hell of a run for the money. Such terrible cars.

GM made so much worse in the 1970s-1980s that it’s almost surprising that they still exist.

Nibbles > sony1492 08/09/2017 at 02:06

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One of my coworkers drives one. A red manual vert of the same era. It runs and gets him from A to B. So there is at least one redeeming feature

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 02:12

1

What do you drive?

A red Cavalier

walks away

sony1492 > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 02:32

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But what about all the damage in his wake? All the ruined dreams and depression as ones faith in humanity is forced ever lower. Think of the children.

DutchieDC2R > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 02:58

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Austin Allegro VanDenPlas....dont believe me? Look it up....

Tristan > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 04:00

1

Take the loveable charm of a rental spec Sentra, then remove any semblance of quality and give it a badge from a dying, sad, pathetic marque. I give you the Plymouth Breeze.

I dare you to find one redeeming characteristic. It’s as if you can hear every member of the design team unanimously screaming “I DON’T GIVE A SINGLE, SOLITARY SHIT” every time you look at a picture of one... Because lord knows there aren’t any left in the wild for you to look at.

pip bip - choose Corrour > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 04:26

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Holden Camira (GM J-car)

Jagvar > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 06:42

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I’m just going to leave this here.

shpuker > Die-Trying 08/09/2017 at 07:20

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Gotta specify second gen Neon. The first gen one you showed actually was pretty revolutionary when it came out.

shpuker > Brian McKay 08/09/2017 at 07:24

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To be fair, that ignition did debut in the Cavalier

duurtlang > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 07:45

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Interesting that almost all suggestions are American cars or at least built by American companies. Or Brits or communists. Nothing Asian, nothing continental non-commie European.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Tristan 08/09/2017 at 07:46

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Taking away any resemblance of quality in a Sentra? I didn’t think there was any to start.

bhtooefr > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 08:35

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So, for a vehicle to be the worst, it fundamentally needs to be incapable of achieving its stated goals, in the context in which they were produced and sold. Objectively, something like the Smith Flyer is absolutely terrible... but yet, it met its goals, and in its context, things were a lot more primitive.

Also, you specifically mentioned restitution, so...

I’m going to nominate the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It was pushed as a sporty, environmentally friendly sedan... when it was neither of those things. It had a solid rear axle, it was massively decontented from the previous generation, and, well, we all know about Dieselgate. Oh, and those CJAA motors were pretty demanding of repairs, too, with their complex emissions control systems and fuel systems, even though they weren’t being used most of the time.

As far as the car itself, VW enthusiast communities mocked the Mk5 Jetta as looking like a Corolla, but the Mk6 Jetta was worse than a Corolla as far as driving experience goes. The interior materials were worse than a fucking Chevy Cruze . That wouldn’t be bad enough to count as “the worst vehicle”, but the combination of that with the TDI engine’s failings pushes it up there, IMO. (And, this was easily the worst of the common rail TDIs - all of the others were clearly better cars , even if they shared the engine.)

Oh, and that era’s cheating left a colossal dent in the automotive market, worldwide - both during the cheating, and after.

During the cheating, several manufacturers - Honda, GM, and Mazda - attempted to enter the US passenger car diesel market, under the belief that it could be done without AdBlue, because VW did it. All three failed to get compliance, and Honda gave up, GM eventually added AdBlue, and Mazda hasn’t launched their product yet (and had to do the second generation of the SkyActiv-Body platform to support AdBlue).

After VW’s cheating was blown wide open, European industry-wide cheating (some legal, some illegal) was exposed, and this is literally accelerating the death of internal combustion . The 2008 European-market Tiguan and the 2009 US-market Jetta with 2.0 TDI engines (the first applications of VW’s cheating engines), and their successors, were the cars that were so bad, they killed internal combustion , and then consider that the 2011 US-market Jetta was worse .

Oh, and VW is offering restitution to owners of these cars, at least in the US (and Canada, although I forget the value). Literal restitution. At least $5100 of it.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 09:05

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Nissan Murano convertible

shpuker > bhtooefr 08/09/2017 at 09:58

1

Long-Voyager > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 10:21

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So it’d be like a modern Subaru equivalent?

Long-Voyager > Tristan 08/09/2017 at 10:23

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2.5L engine takes well to boost.

Hell the 4 cyl can have SRT4 parts bolted on to make a great sleeper.

They handled very well.

Oh wait, that’s 3 qualities....

WilliamsSW > Long-Voyager 08/09/2017 at 10:24

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Mine went through 3 turbos and 2 head gaskets in 55k miles - from new. I don’t have any experience with Subies, but I hope they’re better than that!

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 08/09/2017 at 10:25

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I would say that it was difficult, hard work - but it wasn’t.

X37.9XXS > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 10:30

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You guys don’t know what bad is

This is the Taco Bell of automobiles

shpuker > X37.9XXS 08/09/2017 at 10:32

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Taco Bell is amazing though. How about the Arby’s of automobiles?

X37.9XXS > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 10:39

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Three questions

How old are you?

Have you eaten any real Mexican food?

Have you ever ever eaten at Taco Bell while you were sober?

shpuker > X37.9XXS 08/09/2017 at 11:05

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23

Yes, quite a bit of it. It helps if you don’t think of Taco Bell as Mexican food.

More often that I probably should, yes.

Nibbles > sony1492 08/09/2017 at 11:29

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This guy makes six figures and drives a Sunfire.

X37.9XXS > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 11:39

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Okay, you’re forgiven

Case dismissed, due to naivety and non compos mentis

sony1492 > Nibbles 08/09/2017 at 11:40

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!!!?????????

Quadradeuce > Chariotoflove 08/09/2017 at 11:57

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ORLY?

https://greenbay.craigslist.org/cto/d/1989-sunbird-gt-convertible/6236514607.html

Long-Voyager > WilliamsSW 08/09/2017 at 12:01

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.

Chariotoflove > Quadradeuce 08/09/2017 at 12:01

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I am saved by the fact that that is too far away.

Also, I don’t have enough allowance.

Tristan > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 08/09/2017 at 13:39

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Exactly.

Tristan > Long-Voyager 08/09/2017 at 13:44

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The Breeze was just a crappier Stratus... The Neon got the good handling. I can buy a PT Cruiser GT with SRT4 turbo stuff already on it, and at least the PT would have some character to it. You either love or hate a PT... The Breeze elicits zero emotional response whatsoever.

Die-Trying > shpuker 08/09/2017 at 16:30

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im not sure exactly how revolutionary it was......... it was a parts bin car, that shared pretty near all its underpinnings with the minivans, and the k cars that had preceded it. and it later shared a TON with the pt cruiser....... water pumps, and headgaskets in those neons. they rattled like when you would shake a box of cereal looking for the toy inside. just about all the handles and door bits would pull off in your hand.

they looked kinda cool, in a melted jellybean kind of way...... BUT i remember being able to buy them all day long, running for $300, and people were MORE than happy to take your money...... fun cars for going out and playing in....... the later ones could go around corners....

WilliamsSW > Long-Voyager 08/09/2017 at 23:25

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Welp, I’m crossing Subaru off my shopping list

TylerLinner > Die-Trying 08/11/2017 at 21:22

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First gen Neon R/T’s and ACR’s were pretty great on the track, and people still race them. I would disqualify them for their performance alone. Just as I would disqualify the third gen Cavalier for its (IMO) reasonably attractive styling.

Die-Trying > TylerLinner 08/11/2017 at 23:01

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i remember BOTH of those cars about 5 years after they were new, like i said, you could pick them up all day long running for around $300 for a rough one. $1k for a real nice one......

but those acr, and rt could sure stick a corner. was downright impressive..... and then the miatas came along......

PyramidHat > shpuker 08/12/2017 at 00:17

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Mexicish food, I call it...

PyramidHat > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 08/12/2017 at 00:21

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No no...you need to use the Fronch proninciation: Caval-yeeaay

GBond > Jagvar 09/20/2017 at 17:39

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It does have a redeeming quality, I once saw AutoAuto perform in Germany, they make music while destroying a car in the process. A friend talked to them after the show and they said this car (Opel Kadett over there) was by far the one that made the better noises while being destroyed.