Top 10 Worst Cars

“Worst” is such a subjective term. Bad is bad and very bad is…well, the worst. And so here are our choices for induction into Automobile Hell.

Pontiac Aztek:

Drive it and anyone can quickly realize that the Aztek’s exterior design is its best feature. It’s the very worst car of all time because it’s the only car on the list to kill an 84-year-old car company. It’s undeniable that the Aztek’s utter hideousness drove the biggest and last nails into Pontiac’s heavily side-clad, plastic coffin.

Ford Mustang II:

Built upon the spindly bones of the Pinto, this shrunken, malformed pony is instantly appalling to Mustang lovers. And, unfortunately, hugely popular with buyers stuck with serial fuel crises.

Yugo:

A Serbian-made version of the Fiat 127 that people thought couldn’t possibly be as awful as its low price suggested. But it was!

Chevrolet Vega:

An engine that couldn’t hold oil, in a car built with contempt for its buyers. It’s the car that invited Americans to buy Toyotas and Hondas. However, it did make a good Pro Stock racer.

Saturn Ion:

Shockingly incompetent to drive and with a stupid interior to match. Kick it and your foot could get stuck in the gaps between the plastic body panels. Easily the second worst car of the 21st century.

Edsel Corsair:

Ford goes hunting for a market niche that wasn’t there with a redecorated Mercury that had been beaten with an ugly stick. The legendary flop of all automotive flops.

Cadillac Cimarron:

Shameful, cynical attempt to compete against BMW with a redecorated version of the front-drive, four-cylinder Chevrolet Cavalier. A self-inflicted wound that nearly killed Cadillac.

Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Diesel:

As bad as the 5.7-liter Olds diesel V8 was, the 4.3-liter version was worse. Sold only in the ’79 Cutlass, the 4.3 diesel made 90 hp before shattering into shrapnel.

Chevrolet Series D:

Chevy’s first V8 could only manage 36 hp — less than the brand’s four-cylinder engine. GM killed it after 1918, and the next Chevy V8 came a full 37 years later.

Ford Pinto:

Built to a $2,000 base price, the subcompact Pinto lacks protection for its rear-mounted fuel tank. It earns a reputation as a fire-prone death trap and Ford pays out millions in judgments.