GTP Worst Car of 2008/2009 (Nominations)

[YSSMAN]

​

Its that time again, for a little fun, where we go on about naming our worst car of the 2008 and 2009 model years. We've seen a lot of interesting changes this year, with the automotive market collapsing, all while automakers rush to deliver niche-filling vehicles that extend fuel economy, fun to drive, or just seek to wave their junk in the wind to prove how much better they are than anyone else.

Normally, we'd do one big nomination thing by country... But meh, lets just have a free-for-all. Its a little more easy this way, and furthermore, the new car numbers are a bit smaller than normal it seems. Of course, your nominations need to fit into a few particular criteria:

1) The vehicle must be all-new, or significantly updated, as a 2008 or 2009 model
2) The vehicle must be produced by an actual company (GM, Toyota, BMW, etc), no one-off models produced by performance parts organizations, "tuners," etc.
3) You are open to nominate based on your own opinion of "worst," but humor is always greatly appreciated

There we go, nominate away!

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YSSMAN's Nomination

The 2009 Dodge Journey

Talk about a waste of good intentions, the Dodge Journey has been an absolute disaster. In a world that has become flooded with crossovers both big and small, this relative mid-sizer has become both redundant, and outdone at the same time. Its no major fault on Dodge's behalf, they made the mistake of launching it early in Europe, and then bringing it to the United States. Oh, and the ditched the diesel option too. Not to mention the rather silly ad campaign. Or the lack of any truly positive reviews. Or the fact that its based on a crappy platform and continues to use crappy mechanical bits. No, its not a major fault of Dodge at all...

But, lets give them at least some credit. As a crossover, I'd say this is just about the "right size" for people who need a little room, but don't need a full-size thingamajig that they offer down the street at GM or Ford. Furthermore, I'd stand out on the hills and scream about how it is a rather handsome vehicle both inside and out. But when you botch just about everthing else, the odds become insurmountable. Throw on the complications with Getrag over their new dual-clutch gearbox used in the crossover, and it just gets worse.

The Journey is a case-in-point example why Chrysler is stupid. Lets just hope Fiat can turn this little barge around in time before it collides into the USS Cool Town (ie, Ford) and takes everyone down with it.

 

[buickgnx88]

2009 Volkswagen Routan

This is my nomination. It appears VW wanted in to the minivan segment, so decided to partner up with Chrysler, who has one (well two) of the best selling minivans on the market. Rather than design their own awesome minivan (or at least use the concept from the early 00's), they decided to slap their own front and rear onto the Caravan and call it a day (while touting just how great it is). They didn't even get the popular stow 'n go/swivel 'n go seating. Even if I were popping kids out of love, I still wouldn't buy the damn thing.

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm still thinking of my nomination - it's tempting to say the Nissan GT-R, because of the vast volume of tedious drivel about it that's been filling the internet, but it's too good a car to grace this thread, unfortunately. So I shall keep thinking...

 

[Philly]

2009 Volkswagen Routan

VW chose the best possible platform to start with for a minivan I think. I'm still clueless as to why they didn't put the 2.0T under the hood, but I wouldn't call it terrible. It's not the best vehicle on the road, but it isn't terrible.

My nomination is the Saturn Astra.

As a car, I wouldn't say it's that bad. But GM and everybody thought it was going to help save GM, and I've seen maybe three on the roads, in a whole year that they've been selling them. I'd say a huge flop of a car deserves a place on this list, even if the car itself isn't the reason it's here.

 

[Danny]

I'm still thinking of my nomination - it's tempting to say the Nissan GT-R, because of the vast volume of tedious drivel about it that's been filling the internet, but it's too good a car to grace this thread, unfortunately. So I shall keep thinking...

I have no such qualms.

I'm sick of hearing about you! Go away!


And your gearbox is silly.

Take that, everything-I've-ever-known-about-cars.

 

[HACKr]

Danny! What is this?

I actually second the Astra.

 

[Danny]

Danny! What is this?

I'm taking a stand, dammit!
For the People's Republic of Earth!

Go away, GTR!
You're not real!

 

[Jondot]

Well, I was going to nominate this monstrosity:

But then I realised it came out in 2007. Damn.


So, instead I'm nominating the same monstrosity minus a roof.

The (conveniently) 2008 Chrysler Sebring... Convertible.

Why? Because it drives like a bus without a roof; looks like something out of a nightmare; has an interior tackier than a PoundStretcher; and (over here at least) is insanely out of touch with the market. The UK (supposedly) has the highest number of convertibles:normal cars ratio of any country in Europe. Or so I heard/read/may have dreamed. You practically trip over convertibles here - Micra C+Cs, Peugeot 207 CCs, Vauxhall Tigras, MX5s... the list goes on. They all have a couple of things in common: they're small, they're fun, and they're cheap (relatively).

The Sebring is none of those things. It barely fits inside a UK car parking space; it's a big wallowly old hector, and it starts at £22,000. £22k! And there's a choice of two engines. Well I say 'choice', it's more like being forced to pick whether you'd rather sleep with Jade Goody or her mum - you're not really going to be happy either way. If you pick the diesel, then you've essentially got a VW Passat without the refinement, quality or image; and if you pick the 2.7 V6 then I hope you like the Sebring's interior, as it's where you'll be living once it's sucked up your remaining bank balance and forced you to sell your house.

Evil, evil car.

Rather than design their own awesome minivan (or at least use the concept from the early 00's), they decided to slap their own front and rear onto the Caravan and call it a day German Engineering.

Fixed.

 

[buickgnx88]

Haha damn, I forgot that part of their advertising!

 

[Azuremen]

Oh god, the Sebring. I second it. And I hate the people that buy them because they see me with the top down and think we have something in common. No, I'm sorry, I don't even want you to dream your Sebring has anything in common with my Spyder. Nothing.

 

[gator of kana]

I'm sick of hearing about you! Go away!

I've heard of many reasons why people hate this car but this reason was funny

EDIT: I would say this is a bad apple here

I don't see any potential in this Hummer H3 other than that it just eats up gasoline and oil. The body design is terrible, it's drag coefficient is very high. It's ride height is so high I think this thing could flip very easily after a hard corner.

 

[niky]

I'm taking a stand, dammit!
For the People's Republic of Earth!

Go away, GTR!
You're not real!

---

Does it have to be a car introduced in 2008?

Only thing I can think of is the BMW X6:

But I actually like the X6. Don't doubt somebody else will nominate it, so I'm putting it up on the block, anyway.

 

[Tornado]

 

[Philly]

I almost nominated the Venza, seeing that I didn't see a single one over break in Seattle when the local Toyota dealer had 5 in stock.

I'm taking a stand, dammit!
For the People's Republic of Earth!

Somebody's been drinking the haterade.....

You practically trip over convertibles here - Micra C+Cs, Peugeot 207 CCs, Vauxhall Tigras, MX5s... the list goes on. They all have a couple of things in common: they're small, they're fun, and they're cheap (relatively).

I never would have guessed, with the UK being the second rainiest place on Earth after Forks, WA...

The Sebring ... you've essentially got a VW Passat...

Why the VW hate?

 

[Jim Prower]

I'll catch hell for this one, but I can't think of anything worse...(Perhaps, because, at the moment, I'm thinking like Clarkson...and the good one (Sebring) has already been taken...)

TATA NANO

India attempts to re-create the VW Beetle with a paper-flimsy city car. I'd feel safer in the Bug.

I'm taking a stand, dammit!
For the People's Republic of Earth!

Go away, GTR!
You're not real!

You know, for spite, I should have nominated this...

But, let's face it, I'd rather not stoop to that level of pettyness.

 

[Rykon Zero]

I'd drive it.









To the scrap heap.

 

[exigeracer]

India attempts to re-create the VW Beetle with a paper-flimsy city car. I'd feel safer in the Bug.

Read up on what's happened with the Nano, the country-wide scandal and civil conflict that erupted over the factory and you'll see why it shouldn't be nominated because of safety at all. Huge failure.

I'll have to go ahead and say this:

Brad couldn't stop talking about how it will be God's gift to Man, and how it will sell GM out of trouble. If GM has so much riding on this thing, and the buildup I've been exposed to, then they should be praying to different Gods for different gifts over at the GM headquarters. I've seen three of them.

 

[Jim Prower]

Read up on what's happened with the Nano, the country-wide scandal and civil conflict that erupted over the factory and you'll see why it shouldn't be nominated because of safety at all. Huge failure.

Wow. That is something I did not know. I've never known a car to cause widespread Civil Strife. Thanks for the heads up, I'll read into it.

 

[TVC]

2009 Mustang

Ugly, slow, made by Ford, I just don't see why someone would want one.

 

[gator of kana]

Eww, that Mustang just gotten uglier. It looks a bit more of a pancake now

 

[YSSMAN]

RE: Toyota Venza

I was going to nominate it too, but you know what? I have a really, really hard time hating it. I see one every day at school, and while I keep thinking about how ugly it is and how pointless it is in the lineup, I can't help but to think that its a moderately reasonable alternative to a minivan... Without being a minivan.

Eww, that Mustang just gotten uglier. It looks a bit more of a pancake now

Thats because its not what it looks like:

 

[buickgnx88]

That's a 'shopped pic of the previous version, probably to get an idea of the new front end or something.

 

[Cano]

I second the Mustang, its so stupid I cant even think of something to say.

 

[Philly]

RE: Toyota Venza

I was going to nominate it too, but you know what? I have a really, really hard time hating it. I see one every day at school, and while I keep thinking about how ugly it is and how pointless it is in the lineup, I can't help but to think that its a moderately reasonable alternative to a minivan... Without being a minivan.

Like most Toyota products, I think it's hard to hate, yet it's thoroughly uninspiring at the same time. As for it being a reasonable alternative to a minivan, well, let's just say that sounds familiar and it makes you understand why nobody has bought one yet.

 

[Tornado]

I can't help but to think that its a moderately reasonable alternative to a minivan... Without being a minivan.

So is the identically-priced-yet-more-spacious Highlander. Which also offers a third row.

As for it being a reasonable alternative to a minivan, well, let's just say that sounds familiar and it makes you understand why nobody has bought one yet.

Don't forget its corporate-not-quite-twin:

 

[Rotary Junkie]

I don't see any potential in this Hummer H3 other than that it just eats up gasoline and oil. The body design is terrible, it's drag coefficient is very high. It's ride height is so high I think this thing could flip very easily after a hard corner.

That's mostly the point of a Hummer... To go offroad.

That said the H3 is pointless because it's dynamically compromised to give the false appearance of being good off-road when it's really not all that great.

 

[Tornado]

Its still better than most, so long as you get the V8.
Also (though this honestly isn't saying much), it is pretty much the best truck on that platform.

 

[exigeracer]

The (conveniently) 2008 Chrysler Sebring... Convertible.

I totally agree, completely third-rate effort for this car. However, I'd like to contribute to its failure by noting to those who did not know that the Sebring convertible, with the top down, has no trunk space. I'm not talking no trunk space as in you can't put a golf bag in it, I'm talking no trunk space. The roof folded down occupies the entirety of the rear luggage room.

 

[Tornado]

The best part is that the soft top model takes up just as much space when the top is down as the hard top model.

 

[YSSMAN]

Its worse than the G6 convertible? Really?

My primary complaint about the Sebring Convertible was the terrible structure. Apparently they "improved" the current car a bit with chassis stiffness, but considering how sloppy its predecessor was, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.