10 New Cars to Avoid

[mmntech]

Forbes lists it's 10 new cars to avoid due to low initial quality, poor value, and/or poor safety records.

1. Jeep Liberty/Dodge Nitro
2. Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon
3. Nissan Armada
4. GMC Sierra / Chevy Silverado 2500
5. Dodge Caliber
6. Nissan Titan
7. Smart Fortwo
8. Kia Sedona
9. Volvo XC90
10. Mercedes-Benz R-Class

Hit up the link for their reasons. None of these are really surprising to me. I've driven the Caliber, Fortwo, and Sedona. They're junky cars.
http://ca.autos.yahoo.com/p/2322/10-new-car-clunkers-to-avoid

 

[busydude]

In other words.. most uninteresting cars of today.

 

[mwmorph]

I don't think the R class is that bad. On one hand it is more expensive than a Odyessy and Sienna, on the other hand it is made by Mercedes so it's price will be inflated. I mean truthfully, a C250 being more expensive than a fully loaded Civic or Corolla is not a big issue.

The R is actually somewhat interesting. RWD minivan with an available AMG V8.

 

[foghorn67]

It shows the new and unavailable Colorado/Canyon in the file pic. Editors are stupid.

 

[HAL9000]

I disagree with the Volvo XC90

 

[Vic Vega]

It's Yahoo! Auto... they just picked a bunch of random cars they think people will dislike and made a list. As was pointed out they can't even provide the correct photos for the cars.

 

[soccerballtux]

4 of the top 5 are American, no surprise there

 

[CraigRT]

Can see pretty much all of the list.. One that stands out to me is the GM pickup.
I don't recall them ever having a bad reputation.

 

[BUTCH1]

4 of the top 5 are American, no surprise there

6 out of ten are imports, no surprise there, the Smartcar needing premium gas is the biggest LOL of all as it's still slower that snot..

 

[sdifox]

R-Class are built in NA

 

[ShawnD1]

6 out of ten are imports, no surprise there, the Smartcar needing premium gas is the biggest LOL of all as it's still slower that snot..

I thought they had diesel engines in them

6 out of ten are imports, no surprise there, the Smartcar needing premium gas is the biggest LOL of all as it's still slower that snot..

"imports" are usually crap. Stick to the 3 good ones and you'll be fine - Honda, Toyota, Subaru. The others like Mitsubishi and Mercedes are craptastic.

 

[skyking]

I disagree with the Volvo XC90

Go ahead. My cousin has had two replacement transmissions through his in less than 100K.

 

[Bignate603]

6 out of ten are imports, no surprise there, the Smartcar needing premium gas is the biggest LOL of all as it's still slower that snot..

The smartcar is a joke, you could spend less than a grand more and get into a fiesta sedan. The mileage is a little worse but it takes regular gas and it can do things you'd expect a car to do, like hold more than 2 bags of groceries.

 

[BUTCH1]

The smartcar is a joke, you could spend less than a grand more and get into a fiesta sedan. The mileage is a little worse but it takes regular gas and it can do things you'd expect a car to do, like hold more than 2 bags of groceries.

Agree, even a 2 yr old domestic midsize with warranty left can be had for what it costs to buy the dumbcar, I've seen very few around here..

 

[HAL9000]

Go ahead. My cousin has had two replacement transmissions through his in less than 100K.

Well... 100k is a lot. (assuming you mean 100,000 miles and not 100 kilometres)

 

[slugg]

Well... 100k is a lot. (assuming you mean 100,000 miles and not 100 kilometres)

Two replacement transmissions in 100k? 100k is not a lot! My friend's Miata has ~300k miles on the original engine and transmission! Our old Toyota Cressida had about 200k before we sold it.

Two replacement transmissions within 100k miles. Holy crap, that's terrible!

 

[HAL9000]

Two replacement transmissions in 100k? 100k is not a lot! My friend's Miata has ~300k miles on the original engine and transmission! Our old Toyota Cressida had about 200k before we sold it.

Two replacement transmissions within 100k miles. Holy crap, that's terrible!

I don't know anyone who has 100,000 miles on their odometer

 

[mmntech]

Can see pretty much all of the list.. One that stands out to me is the GM pickup.
I don't recall them ever having a bad reputation.

They liked the 1500 but not the 2500. Basically, what they say is it's too much truck, at too high a cost, with too few features for who they're targeting it at. Which is true when you compare it to the F Series and the RAM. Even a reasonably well equipped Sierra is barely a step above a Savana Cargo. However, there's are yellow hat trucks. They're for work, not for the boss to boot around in.

The smartcar is a joke, you could spend less than a grand more and get into a fiesta sedan.

the Smartcar needing premium gas is the biggest LOL of all as it's still slower that snot..

I've driven a lot of different vehicles in my time ranging in size from Kei Cars to 26' strait trucks. The Smart Fortwo still stands out as the worst vehicle I've ever driven. When it's not terrifying to drive, you spend the rest of the time laughing at it struggling or feeling like a weenie behind the wheel.

 

[BUTCH1]

They liked the 1500 but not the 2500. Basically, what they say is it's too much truck, at too high a cost, with too few features for who they're targeting it at. Which is true when you compare it to the F Series and the RAM. Even a reasonably well equipped Sierra is barely a step above a Savana Cargo. However, there's are yellow hat trucks. They're for work, not for the boss to boot around in.



I've driven a lot of different vehicles in my time ranging in size from Kei Cars to 26' strait trucks. The Smart Fortwo still stands out as the worst vehicle I've ever driven. When it's not terrifying to drive, you spend the rest of the time laughing at it struggling or feeling like a weenie behind the wheel.

Yea, I could imagine that thing on the I-95 on ramps around here, you would need balls as big as church bells to drive it, LOL, although my '94 Escort was probably almost as bad, the AC had to be turned off during a ramp event, I kid you not..

 

[Anubis]

Well... 100k is a lot. (assuming you mean 100,000 miles and not 100 kilometres)

no its not at all

my 88 volvo 240 wagon which i sold when it had almost 250k miles on it needed nothing by minor preventative maintenance for its entire life and 1 fuel pump

I don't know anyone who has 100,000 miles on their odometer

my Saab just passed 100k last week its a 2005, when i got it in 2008 it had less then 30k miles on it and was not driven for almost all of 2009

 

[Bignate603]

I don't know anyone who has 100,000 miles on their odometer

It's not uncommon in the states to see 5 year old cars with 100k on them.

 

[waggy]

The smartcar is a joke, you could spend less than a grand more and get into a fiesta sedan. The mileage is a little worse but it takes regular gas and it can do things you'd expect a car to do, like hold more than 2 bags of groceries.

when my car broke down we had a fiesta sedan. i was impressed with it. the size was ok with us. it would make a great work or 2nd car.

Though for 2-3k more you can get a Focus wich is a lot bigger.


My wife wanted one of those small smartcar's. i was ok with it until we seen the price. It's way overpriced.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I don't know anyone who has 100,000 miles on their odometer

I have 107,000 miles on my car. My wife's car is pushing 80,000 miles and one of her best friends has a Lexus with over 300,000 miles on it.

 

[Bignate603]

when my car broke down we had a fiesta sedan. i was impressed with it. the size was ok with us. it would make a great work or 2nd car.

Though for 2-3k more you can get a Focus wich is a lot bigger.


My wife wanted one of those small smartcar's. i was ok with it until we seen the price. It's way overpriced.

We're considering a Fiesta and will be comparing it against what we can get in the Focus. The difference though between the fiesta and focus for the SE hatchback of each is $4k, not exactly trivial.

 

[herm0016]

gm 3/4 and 1ton trucks also have a much better ride and are more reliable than the competition. Our company owns some of all 3 and we have an entire dept. that is dedicated to fixing our ford pickups. we have spent a minimum of 10k on my work truck to keep it running till 120k miles. A counterparts gmc has not had a major repair.
anticdotal, but holds true with most of our company.