Buying A Car Help

Asian automakers are still building the most reliable cars and trucks, with eight of the top 10 brands from Japanese and Korean companies, according to an annual survey by Consumer Reports.

But several models from Ford Motor Co. are now consistently scoring above Honda and Toyota, the perennial leaders.

While Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand finished first for the second year in a row, several Ford models, including the midsize Ford Fusion and its cousin, the Mercury Milan, consistently have been at or near the top of their classes, a trend that led Consumer Reports editors to declare that Ford is now making some vehicles with world-class reliability.

After Scion, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti and Acura rounded out the top five brands in reliability based on surveys taken in March of subscribers who own or lease 1.4 million vehicles.

“Ford is definitely doing something right,” said Rik Paul, the magazine’s automotive editor.

Ford’s Detroit-area competitors, General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, didn’t fare as well, however.

Chrysler had only one model that Consumer Reports recommended based on reliability and its staff test, and the Chrysler brand finished last out of 33 brands sold in the U.S. One third of Chrysler’s models were much worse than average in reliability.

Six models from GM were recommended by the magazine, but it’s still inconsistent. Only 21 of 48 models the magazine studied scored average or better in reliability.

The relatively poor performance by GM and Chrysler could hurt efforts to fight back from financial problems that led to stays in bankruptcy court earlier this year. Auto industry officials say the nonprofit Consumer Reports is among the most widely consulted sources when people buy vehicles.

Officials at GM and Chrysler say they are committed to improving quality.

At Ford, though, four-cylinder versions of the Fusion and Milan finished second in the family car category, beaten only by Toyota’s Prius gas-electric hybrid. The Fusion and Milan outscored Toyota Motor Corp.’s Camry and Honda Motor Co.’s Accord, the two top-selling cars in the U.S. “which many people view as the paradigms of reliability,” Paul said.

Of the 51 Ford, Lincoln or Mercury models in the survey, 46 were ranked average or better in reliability.

Yet while Mercury was the only Detroit brand to finish in the top 10 (10th), the Ford brand finished 16th, while Lincoln finished 20th. That’s largely due to higher-end models — many with all-wheel-drive — scoring below average in reliability, said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior automotive engineer.

“Those types of problems are keeping them from being truly world class,” Fisher said.

Bennie Fowler, Ford’s vice president of global quality, said the company is applying the same methods that worked with the Fusion and other models to the ones that didn’t perform as well. The company constantly listens to customer complaints and tracks warranty claims to improve quality, he said.

“We know that the quality levels today have to be greater tomorrow,” he said.

Toyota, despite a recent spate of recalls, and Honda consistently build cars that cause few problems for Consumer Reports readers, Paul said. Ford, he said, is approaching that consistency, and while GM has some bright spots, it still has a ways to go to match the Japanese.

The Dodge Ram pickup, the only Chrysler model recommended by the magazine, did well in road tests and was average in reliability. The recommendation is important, though, because the Ram is Chrysler’s top-selling model.

Paul said automakers often can only make quality improvements when new models come out, and those have been few for Chrysler in the last two years.

“Hopefully for them, when they do release new models, they will still have the same level of quality that we saw in the Ram,” he said.

Honda’s Insight hybrid was the most reliable vehicle in the survey, while the Volkswagen Touareg was the least reliable.

The Consumer Reports survey also found that higher-priced cars aren’t necessarily more reliable than less-expensive ones. Inexpensive small cars and midsize family sedans were the most reliable in the survey, which questions subscribers about 17 potential problem areas.

There are a number of ways you can finance the purchase of a car these days and to the uninitiated, the choices can sometimes be daunting. However, it is important that you make the right choice in car finance as you can end up paying more than you bargained for, if you make the wrong decision.

Below is a description of the most common ways of financing a car with an outline of the pros and cons of each.

Personal Contract Plans (PCPs)
With this form of finance package, you pay a deposit upfront and then pay subsequent low monthly payments. After 2 or 3 years, you are faced with 3 options. You can pay what’s called a ‘balloon’ payment and keep the car. When dealers talk about ‘balloon’ payments they’re referring to a final one off larger repayment at the end of the series of much smaller repayments. You can simply hand the car back and walk away but to do this you must ensure that the car is still in good condition and the dealership will have required you to keep within a certain mileage limit. Alternatively, if the car’s value remains higher than the balloon figure (which is the norm but not guaranteed), then you can use the difference and set that aside as a deposit (or part of your deposit) on your next car.

The main advantage of PCPs is that, due to the low monthly repayments, you’re more likely to be able to drive around in a more expensive car than you would otherwise be able to afford. You’ll often be able to also include any maintenance charges in the payment and, possibly its greatest attraction – it’s easier to change your car every few years and receive a guaranteed second hand value to the car. Therefore, if the car ends up being worth more than its estimated value, you can sell it on and be in profit or if it’s worth less, you can simply hand it back to the finance company.

However, interest charges do tend to be higher due to the balloon and if the balloon payment is too high, the car may end up being worth less than the balloon payment so you may end up not having a sufficient amount of money to put down as a deposit on your next car. So, the key thing is to ensure that you’re going to be able to afford the balloon at the end of the term or else your only option then would be to take out another new loan to use as a deposit on your next car.

Hire Purchase (HP)
This is where the finance is arranged through the dealership itself. The benefit of a buying a car this way is that once you have completed the term of the agreement, the car belongs to you. Rates tend to be pretty low and your deposit will also be quite low – around 10%. As far as the actual amount of interest is concerned, you may be able to negotiate that with the dealership and, because they want your business, they’ll often lower the APR to secure the sale. However, if they don’t, it’s well worth checking out other finance companies in order to get a lower rate that will save you money. The loan will be secured on the car, however, unless you make your own arrangements, so it can be repossessed if you’re unable to keep up with the repayments which also tend to be higher than for PCPs.

Personal Loan
Many people mistakenly believe that they will get a cheaper deal on their new car if they offer the dealership cash and so they choose to take out a personal loan to enable them to do this. However, car dealers are incentivised to arrange finance for you as they receive a significant amount of commission for doing so. Therefore, it’s in their interests to make you a better offer. As mentioned earlier, it’s better to let them give you a quote and then you should do some research to see if you can get a better deal. The main advantage of taking out a personal loan, however, is that it won’t be secured on the car so it cannot be repossessed and also the total amount of interest you’ll have to pay is likely to be lower compared with other options. So, with this option, it’s always better to find out what the dealer is prepared to offer you first.

Extending Your Mortgage
This option might be considered if you do not have a lot of ‘movement’ in your current financial situation as the cost of the car can be spread out over perhaps 20 years but that means that the car will have long gone by the time you’ve completed repayments and your overall repayments will be higher in the long run. It’s also more complicated to buy a car this way and takes far longer to arrange and, if you fail to make the repayments, the consequences are dire as you could end up losing your home.

It goes without saying that buying a used car can present many additional pitfalls than buying new from a dealership. It’s important to be vigilant and aware of the kinds of things you need to look out for and questions you should ask to avoid problems later. That said if you know what you’re doing, buying a used car that’s genuine and has been well looked after and cared for can be very worthwhile and can provide excellent value for money.

The main issues to consider when buying a used car are:

* Legal ownership
* True mileage of the vehicle
* Mechanical condition
* Safety of the vehicle

To establish the legal ownership of the vehicle, there is further information available on another article in this section entitled, “What Documentation You Should Have When Buying a Car”.

What to Look Out For
‘Clocking’ is the term used to describe the illegal practice of winding back the odometer (which calculates total mileage) on a car in order to increase its value. You should carefully examine the dashboard for screws that have become worn as this may be an indication that the instruments may have been tampered with. From a visual standpoint, it’s become harder to check for clocking these days since the introduction of digital odometers as these can be adjusted electronically. If, however, the odometer shows a low mileage, look at the pedal rubbers to see how worn they are. A shiny and worn steering wheel is also a potential giveaway. Basically, however, most cars usually average around 10,000 miles per year so if the odometer doesn’t tally with the age of the car, you may wish to investigate further. Check the current MOT certificate and ask to see previous ones if possible. There are also some companies online who can provide you with mileage records for a car’s registration number for a small fee up to their most previous MOT service. However, if you’re in doubt, walk away from the sale.

One of the biggest pitfalls of buying a used car is determining whether or not it is a ‘cut and shut’. This is when the remnants of two or more cars which have usually been damaged in an accident and have become an insurance ‘write off’ and have been welded together to form another vehicle, then illegally given one of the original damaged cars own identity. Unless you’re an expert, some of these welded vehicles can appear outstanding to the naked eye. However, checking the registration certificate carefully and/or asking a mechanic to take a look at the vehicle, are ways that you can minimise the risks of buying one.

Test Driving
Any seller should gladly agree to your request for a test drive before you decide whether or not to go ahead and buy the car. But it shouldn’t be just a quick ‘once around the block and back’. You should really be looking to test drive it over about 10 miles or so to let it warm up properly and to be driven on different types of roads in varying conditions and speeds in order that you’re better placed to notice anything untoward.

Make sure you go to see the car in broad daylight, preferably when it’s sunny. That way, it will be far easier to spot visual signs of accidental damage and repairs which you may not have been made aware of. Taking someone with you who knows a lot about cars is always a good idea. They will not only be able to spot things that you may have missed but will also be privy to any agreements you may or may not have made with the seller.

And, as for the seller themselves, make sure they are who they say they are and always meet them at their own home or business premises. That way, you can see whether the address on the registration certificate matches the address where you meet. You should never agree to meet at a neutral location, e.g. a car park and you should be wary if the only telephone number the seller gives you is a mobile number.

And remember, do not be pressured into handing over any money until you are fully satisfied as a result of all the checks you have made.

There are pros and cons for buying both new and second hand cars and your decision will often be swayed by the importance you place on the various advantages and disadvantages. Below are some of the major factors to consider.

Depreciation
You’ve bought a brand spanking new car and are just about to drive it off the forecourt. The trouble is as soon as you drive it away it then becomes a ‘used car’ and, as such it starts to depreciate in value immediately. In fact, it’s estimated that a brand new car loses approximately 40 per cent of its value within 3 years, although this is just an overall average figure and some models do tend to retain their value far longer than others. Therefore, when you buy a used car, someone else has copped for the vast bulk of the depreciation so you don’t lose out anywhere near as much when buying used.

Costs
Both new and used cars come with additional costs. For the new car owner, it will possibly come with higher insurance premiums, registration etc. whilst with a used car; you’ll incur more costs for repairs and replacement parts that have become worn over time.

Warranties
Although some dealers will still offer some kind of limited warranty on a used car, they won’t be as comprehensive as for those who are buying new and, if you buy from a private seller, you’re not likely to get any kind of warranty at all.

History
As a particular model of a car becomes more well known, drivers get accustomed to understanding just how well (or, in some cases, badly) each model tends to perform over time. They get to understand each model’s quirks, their strengths and weaknesses etc. and this is all very useful information when considering what kind of used car might suit you in terms of performance and reliability. Some people heavily rely on consumer reports of defects and problems with certain models when choosing a used car whereas when buying a new model that has recently been introduced onto the market, there are not a lot of readily available consumer reports to go on and you’re having to pay out a lot of money for a new model with not much more than hope, expectation and the manufacturer’s reputation to rely on.

Reliability
Although the tendency would be to think that a new car has to be more reliable than a much older used vehicle, this is not always the case and some older models can prove to be extremely reliable and durable. However, that said, only by buying new can you be sure of how the car has been treated and looked after.

Condition
Although many used car owners are, rightfully, proud of their purchase despite the fact that somebody else has owned it previously, many would argue that there’s simply nothing like owning a brand new car in mint condition.

Safety
Up until a few years ago, many car owners would argue that buying a brand new car as opposed to a used one would be far safer due to the increased emphasis on the car manufacturers to install safety features. However, with some of these safety measures having been standard for a number of years now, many used cars today are equally as safe as a new one, providing the car has been looked after.

If you like to watch a good kerfuffle, go to an auto-enthusiasts’ web site, visit their forum, and start a new discussion thread titled either “Manual Transmission is Safer!” or “Automatic Transmission is Safer!” Then step back and watch as the sparks start to fly.

The truth is that there is a broad variety of opinions on this topic. Both sides are able to marshal arguments that seem intuitively compelling. Yet there is little concrete data that could settle the controversy one way or the other.

It is, perhaps, natural to assume, at first, that an automatic drive vehicle would be safer. After all, there is less for the driver to do and so less opportunity for things to go wrong. There is no need for the driver to remove one hand from the steering wheel in order to change gear, with all of the loss of control that implies.

Less Stress With Automatics
Studies which monitor stress by measuring heartbeat have shown that drivers of manual-transmission vehicles do experience significantly more stress than those in automatics. In fact, so great was the differential that drivers of automatics experienced stress levels which were comparable to those of passengers!

Some argue, however, that by very virtue of the fact that there is less for the driver to do, the driver of an automatic is inclined to pay less attention to the road-traffic environment and so is less likely to detect the signs of an impending accident. In fact, some go further and contend that the greater ease of driving an automatic leads drivers to take an excessively relaxed view of road safety and do things that they would not normally do while driving, such as fidget with objects or people (especially children) in the car. The countervailing argument to this is that people in cars tend to do this anyway and, if they are going to act so irresponsibly, it is safer that they do it in an automatic-transmission vehicle.

Driver inattention is a factor in approximately 25% of road traffic accidents. Whether an automatic transmission system helps reduce the problem or, in fact, worsens it by making it more frequent, is not completely clear. One study which measured reaction time to hazard stimuli, however, found no significant difference among the drivers of manual or automatic cars.

More Control With Manual?
Many veteran drivers who have experience of both types of transmission system insist that a vehicle with a manual gearbox is safer because it gives them more control. An automatic is, in effect, making guesses about the optimal gear to be in for any given situation. However refined the engineering that makes those guesses has become, it can never equate to the complexity of a human brain and, while an automatic can usually be relied on to make good choices in normal driving conditions, some insist that manual control gives them greater flexibility to react to something unusual, such as a slippery road or a possible collision, by adjusting gears in a non-standard way.

Ultimately, from a safety perspective, neither automatic nor manual transmission would appear to have any decisive advantage over the other. Had it been otherwise, one would probably have displaced the other by now in general use, and insurance companies (which, after all, depend for their profitability on their ability to make relative risk assessments) would reflect the difference in their premiums. Neither of these things has happened so, if you are pondering which transmission type you would like to have in your next vehicle, there is probably no need for you to be unduly concerned with the safety implications of your choice.

These are the highest-quality vehicles of the year, according to the 2009 Initial Quality Study from J.D. Power and Associates, an automotive research and consultancy firm based in Westlake Village, Calif. The study measures new-vehicle quality at 90 days of ownership, with information on problems experienced by consumers gathered from more than 80,000 purchasers and lessees of 2009 model-year vehicles. The study evaluates 228 problems distributed throughout eight categories: exterior, driving experience, features/controls/displays, audio/entertainment/navigation, seats, climate control, interior and engine/transmission. Each vehicle’s performance is measured using a “problems per 100 vehicles” (PP100) system. The lower the PP100 score, the better the quality. Each segment’s winners are the models with the fewest reported problems in their class.

Toyota Yaris
Segment: Sub-Compact Car
Brand PP100:101
MSRP: $12,205

Hyundai Elantra Sedan
Segment: Compact Car
Brand PP100: 95
MSRP: $14,120

Scion tC
Segment: Compact Sporty Car
Brand PP100:118
MSRP: $17,670

Nissan Z
Segment: Compact Premium Sporty Car
Brand PP100: 110
MSRP: $29,930

Lexus IS
Segment: Entry Premium Vehicle
Brand PP100: 84
MSRP: $31,305

Lexus GS
Segment: Mid-Size Premium Car
Brand PP100: 84
MSRP: $45,500

Ford Mustang
Segment: Mid-Size Sporty Car
Brand PP100: 102
MSRP: $20,995

Lexus LS
Segment: Large Premium Car
Brand PP100: 84
MSRP: $63,825

Nissan Altima
Segment: Mid-Size Car
Brand PP100: 110
MSRP: $19,900

Mercury Sable
Segment: Large Car
Brand PP100: 106
MSRP: $25,120

Chrysler PT Cruiser Wagon
Brand PP100: 136
MSRP: $18,720

Honda CR-V
Segment: Compact SUV
Brand PP100: 99
MSRP: $21,245

Chevrolet Trailblazer (tie)
Segment: Mid-Size SUV
Brand PP100: 103
MSRP: $29,155

Ford Edge (tie)
Segment: Mid-Size SUV
Brand PP100: 102
MSRP: $26,920

Toyota 4Runner (tie)
Segment: Mid-Size SUV
Brand PP100: 101
MSRP: $28,640

GMC Yukon
Segment: Large SUV
Brand PP100: 116
MSRP: $38,655

Lexus GX
Segment: Mid-Size Premium SUV
Brand PP100: 84
MSRP: $47,615

Lexus LX
Segment: Large Premium SUV
Brand PP100: 84
MSRP: $75,855

Ford F-150 (tie)
Segment: Large Pickup
Brand PP100:102
MSRP: $21,565

Honda Ridgeline
Segment: Mid-Size Pickup
Brand PP100: 99
MSRP: $28,200

Toyota Sienna
Segment: Minivan
Brand PP100: 101
MSRP: $24,540

America has a lot fewer functioning Ford Explorers these days.

The number one vehicle destroyed under the Cash for Clunkers program, the Transportation Department says, was the Ford Explorer (1998 edition). Number two, the Ford Explorer (1997). Number Three…you guessed it. The ‘96 model.

The top eight, Jalopnik reports, were all SUVs. In fact, they were all various editions of the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee. A pair of late ‘90s minivans, the ‘97 Ford Windstar and ‘99 Dodge Grand Caravan, round out the top ten. All ten were domestic vehicles.

Domestics claimed a decent share of the new vehicle sales generated by the program as well. The Detroit News notes, “Detroit’s automakers accounted for 47 percent of the first 80,000 ‘Cash for Clunkers’ sales, the Obama administration said today…which is above their overall share in the auto market of about 45 percent.” The top-selling vehicle under the program so far is the Ford Focus. “Four of the top 10-selling vehicles are manufactured by Detroit’s Big Three. Of non-Big Three purchases, the Transportation Department’s preliminary analysis suggests that more than half of these new vehicles were manufactured in the United States.”

Autoblog adds, “White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the average fuel economy increase so far is 9.4 mpg; a 61% increase.” Based on the first 80,000 sales, “83% of the vehicles traded in have been trucks, while 60% of the vehicles purchased under the program have been cars.”

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers Trade-Ins:

1. 1998 Ford Explorer
2. 1997 Ford Explorer
3. 1996 Ford Explorer
4. 1999 Ford Explorer
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. 1995 Ford Explorer
8. 1994 Ford Explorer
9. 1997 Ford Windstar
10. 1999 Dodge Caravan

The Top Ten Cash for Clunkers New Cars:

1. Ford Focus
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Corolla
4. Toyota Prius
5. Ford Escape
6. Toyota Camry
7. Dodge Caliber
8. Hyundai Elantra
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt

Buyer beware: These vehicles retain less than 20% of their value after five years.

High-end sports cars and SUVs like the Audi A5 or BMW X5 are fun to drive, but they don’t make a lot of sense to buy from a value standpoint, right? Wrong. Actually, they are both segment leaders when it comes to resale value, each retaining roughly 40% of their original purchase price after five years of ownership.

The cars that do lose their value quickly are more humdrum (the Kia Sedona and Lincoln Town Car), or are made by a manufacturer in dire financial straits (the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Grand Caravan). While the general wisdom is that new cars lose up to 20% of their value the moment they’re driven off the lot, and about 65% after five years, the Sedona, Town Car, Sebring and Caravan each lost more than 67% of their value after just two years–and a whopping 82% after five years.

At a time like this, when total auto sales were down 23% last month vs. September 2008, experts say that consumers are looking to make a purchase that will last, if they buy anything at all. And in many cases, the cars with the worst resale value are the least expensive up front.

Behind the Numbers

To determine which cars lose their value the fastest, we used residual-value data from Kelley Blue Book. The Irvine, Calif.-based valuation company defines resale value as the projected market value of a vehicle at a specific time. It’s often denoted as the percentage of a car’s original value it will retain after five years, with an annual mileage of 15,000. For our purposes, we evaluated vehicles over a span of time, from 24 to 60 months, to get a more complete picture of how–and when–cars lose their value. (Residual value is virtually the same as resale value, although it’s a term more often used in leasing agreements than new-car sales).

The largest cost of owning a car is that of depreciation, says Mike Quincy, an automotive specialist for Consumer Reports. Depreciation is affected by a number of factors, but the largest one is brand perception, he says. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Kia had three vehicles on our list, while Chrysler had four. The former is still a “relatively recent” inductee to the U.S. market, Quincy says, which means consumers have yet to decide whether they can trust the brand. And the latter, Chrysler, has suffered from years of reliability and management problems, which inevitably affect the reputation of the company’s products.

“The Sebring, the Durango–these are pretty lousy cars,” Quincy says. “They’ve done pretty poorly in Consumer Reports tests. Plus, the Durango is a huge, three-row SUV, and the market for these trucks has just dropped through the floor. If you own a Durango right now, it’s not worth squat.”

History Repeating

A model like the $28,980 Durango or $21,245 Kia Sedona finding a spot on our list isn’t just a onetime anomaly. Along with the $46,525 Lincoln Town Car, these three vehicles were on our worst-resale-value list last year, as well.

This year, the expected residual value for a Durango after five years is just 18% of its original price; for the Sedona, owners can expect to get back 15% of the initial MSRP. The Town Car’s not much better. It retains 32% of its value after two years, 26% after three years, 22% after four years and 18% after five.

Part of the reason these vehicles, especially the trucks (Dodge Ram, Mitsubishi Raider) and SUVs (Saab 9-7X, Dodge Durango), make the list is simply because of their segment. Gas prices and the economy affect what people drive, and when gas prices rise, the value of a gas-guzzler goes down.

“If we’re painting it with broad strokes, I’d say SUVs are going to depreciate at a little higher clip than probably sub-compacts or hybrids or standard sedans, especially as we’re going into Obama’s 35-mile-per-gallon standard in 2016,” says James Bell, an automotive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “I think the American public better start to get ready to look at small cars not as a curiosity, but as a reality.”

An Educated Choice

Bell knows firsthand how consumer perception and, ultimately, gas prices, affect the resale value of gas-sippers. In 2003, he bought a brand-new, $26,000 Toyota Prius, drove it for 42,000 miles, and sold it two years later at a loss of just $2,000. (That kind return on investment isn’t normal, at least these days–Kelley Blue Book lists the 4-year resale value of the 2010 Toyota Prius at 55% of the original MSRP.)

Bell says the foresight to make a similarly wise purchase and subsequent trade can come largely from reading analysis by the likes of JD Power & Associates and Intellichoice.com. Most importantly, he says, make an unemotional decision before entering the showroom about what car you want and how long you expect to own it.

“It’s well worthwhile to do that after you identify what kind of vehicle you like because of its looks or its fuel economy or its dealer network,” Bell says. “Stop and look at it very rationally and economically, because that’s where the real winners can be found.”

In some cases, he adds, buying the car that costs a little bit more than its competitor may pay off–if the first car has a higher resale value. “Just saving that extra $20 a month over the course of three years, you may not recoup that when you go to resell [the car].”

Cars That Lose Value Fastest

1. Chrysler Sebring Convertible
2. Kia Sedona
3. Kia Optima Sedan
4. Kia Spectra Sedan
5. Dodge Grand Caravan

Cash or cashiers check is by far is the safest way to go.

To buy a car on Craigslist, try to deal locally. Find some near where you live, call/email them, set up an appointment to see the car/test drive it and then you’d pay in person. It’s best to actually look at the car before you buy it so you know you aren’t getting ripped off. If you don’t know much about cars, take a friend who does and have them check under the hood for leaks/unusual sounds.

Take someone with you who knows about cars. Whatever you do, do not part with cash until you have test driven it or at least seen it in person.

Even with the strides that cars have made in recent years, let’s face it: There have been some real stinkers, too. Whether poorly executed, ill-conceived or downright dreadful to look at, these 10 stand out for all the wrong reasons. A car had to be sold at any point in the 2000s to be eligible for this list; some of these models were only on the market for a few years, while others are still being sold today.

10. Pontiac Aztek

2001-2005

The Aztek was criticized for the duration of its life for its ghastly styling. Design is subjective, so what do you think of the Aztek shown here? Were the critics wrong? Yeah, we didn’t think so.

9. Daewoo Anything

1999-2002

We had just tested a Suzuki Esteem and marveled at how competent even the cheapest little econoboxes had become when a leather-lined Leganza midsize sedan showed up — the best Daewoo had to offer. We mused over which would kill us first: the toxic gases from the cheap interior or the recalcitrant transmission and inconsistent acceleration. Three days into the loan, the first Daewoo crash tests in U.S. history came out, and we called Daewoo and told them to come pick up the car. We’d never done that before, and we haven’t since.

8. Isuzu VehiCROSS

1999-2002

The outrageous Isuzu VehiCROSS two-door SUV, whose extreme styling drew varied reactions, lasted from 1999 to 2001, and even that’s surprising. The fanglike grille uprights made it look like it would eat you, which was scary mainly because inside the VehiCROSS was a place no one wanted to be. Headroom was minimal, and the low roof blocked even shorter drivers’ view. If the noisy cabin didn’t get to you, the punishing ride would. Isuzu deserved credit for taking a chance then on a design likely to find more admirers now, and it deserved scorn for a 2001 sticker price that would be just as preposterous in the current market. The VehiCROSS cost $30,350 by the time it fired up its interplanetary drive and went back where it belonged.

7. Jaguar X-Type

2002-2008
Jaguar X-Type
Jaguar X-Type

In the early 2000s, the class of entry-level luxury cars was growing. Most were sporty and started at $30,000 or less. Wanting in, Jaguar came out with the X-Type. From the get-go, critics warned that a cheap Jag would be bad for the brand and that Ford — which bought the company in 1989 — would probably cut corners and sacrifice quality. That was before they saw the product. Sharing its front-drive platform with a European Ford Mondeo, the X-Type was a too-small, not-so-sporty sedan with all-wheel drive that was hamstrung by some of the forewarned quality issues. The trap was clearly visible from miles away, and Ford walked right into it. A 2002 Jaguar X-Type can be had for up to $8,500. A 2002 Honda Civic goes for up to $9,275.

6. Pontiac Sunfire

1995-2005

The Sunfire managed the rare feat of having a worse interior than its GM twin, the Chevy Cavalier. Cheap interior plastics run amok, a coarse four-cylinder engine and horrendous crash-test ratings sealed its fate. On the flip side, the Sunburn was probably responsible for untold thousands of rental-car upgrades: “Honey, remember Fort Lauderdale last summer? Trust me, we want the Grand Am.”

5. Cadillac Catera

1997-2001

To think that Germany’s Opel is now the source of many of GM’s strongest new models…

In the late ’90s, the Opel Omega begat a Cadillac that was sporty in theory but soft and underpowered in practice, rear-wheel-drive in design but front-wheel-drive in feel. And that’s just the car. Cadillac didn’t help its case with advertising that included the tagline “The Caddy That Zigs,” supermodel Cindy Crawford, an animated duck, and the suggestion to “lease a Catera” with the response, “Who’s Lisa Catera?” The geniuses responsible for the Catera should have been exiled, but we suspect they went on to develop something called the Pontiac Aztek. Upgrades and deep discounts in 2001 couldn’t save the Catera; it went to the duck blind in the sky in 2002.

4. Toyota Echo

2000-2005

The Echo subcompact’s high seating position and center-mounted instrument panel were two well-intentioned features that were summarily rejected by consumers (though they would find their proponents in later years and other models). Call the Echo ahead of its time if you must; mainly it just wasn’t a very good car. In taking over for the Tercel — a boring but popular choice against offerings from Suzuki, Geo and pre- renaissance Kia and Hyundai — the Echo proved that sometimes bland is better than bold. The problem wasn’t that the youth-targeted Echo appealed more to older buyers than to younger ones, it was that there weren’t enough of either.

3. Jeep Compass

2007-present

We could have easily chosen the Dodge Caliber for this list — a compact hatchback with unremarkable gas mileage, refinement and crash-test scores — but the hapless Compass edged it out. Why? Besides the fact that you shouldn’t spread lackluster product around to more than one division (the Compass is related to the Caliber), it doesn’t belong in the Jeep lineup, a brand known and respected for its off-road ability. The Compass is a soft-roading poseur, and not a good one at that.

2. Chrysler Sebring

1995-present

The previous-generation Sebring wasn’t a bad car in its day, but Chrysler dropped the ball with the redesigned 2007 model. With a weak base powertrain, uncomfortable front seats, poor interior quality and haphazard styling, it never had a chance in the highly competitive midsize-sedan segment.

1. Smart ForTwo

2008-present
2009 smart fortwo
2009 smart fortwo

We don’t have a problem with small cars in general (we’re big fans of the Mini Cooper), just with ones that don’t deliver on the benefits of going small. The pint-sized ForTwo sacrifices a lot of passenger space for a relatively unimpressive 41 mpg on the highway, has an SUV-like propensity to roll over, and is equipped with an aggravating sequential manual transmission. Sure, the ForTwo looks cute, but after you drive it you won’t be smiling anymore.