Pontiac Aztek Tops Edmunds' InsideLine.com's List of "100 Worst Cars of All Time"
Pontiac Aztek Tops Edmunds' InsideLine.com's List of "100 Worst Cars of All Time"
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — December 13, 2011 — The 2001 Pontiac Aztek has earned the title of "Worst Car of All Time," according to Edmunds' InsideLine.com, the premier online resource for automotive enthusiasts. InsideLine said that the Aztek topped the list because it "drove the biggest and last nails into Pontiac's heavily side-clad, plastic coffin."
"If it weren't for the bad cars, how could the world appreciate the good ones?" said Edmunds.com Editor in Chief Scott Oldham. "There's a good idea at the heart of all of these cars, but it's a good idea betrayed by half-effort engineering, haphazard quality and cynical compromises."
The vehicles that follow the Aztek in the top five include:
2. 1974 Ford Mustang II — "Built upon the spindly bones of the Pinto, this shrunken, malformed pony was instantly appalling to Mustang lovers. And, unfortunately, hugely popular with buyers stuck with serial fuel crises."
3. 1955 BMW Isetta — "Originally designed by Italy's Iso, BMW built the atrocious, single-cylinder 12-hp, one-door Isetta for 7 years. Parked nose-in to a wall, the door wouldn't open. The whole car was a crumple zone."
4. 1987 Yugo — "A Serbian-made version of the Fiat 127 that couldn't possibly be as awful as its low price suggested. But it was! Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary as shorthand for automotive crap."
5. 1971 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."
The vehicles included on Edmunds' InsideLine.com's list span most of the last 100 years, dating back to the 1917 Chevrolet Series D, which came in at #11. And while some of the more notoriously bad vehicles (1971 Ford Pinto, 1970 AMC Gremlin, etc) appear on the list, there are also some lesser-known misfires by luxury and supercar automakers (1980 Lamborghini Espada, 1990 Infiniti M30 Convertible, 1975 Rolls-Royce Camargue, etc.) that make an appearance as well.
For the full list of the "100 Worst Cars of All Time," please visit http://www.insideline.com/features/100-worst-cars-of-all-time.html.
Earlier this year Edmunds' InsideLine.com released its "100 Greatest Cars of All Time." The list can be found at http://www.insideline.com/features/the-100-greatest-cars-of-all-time.html.
About Edmunds (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/index.html)
Edmunds publishes Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site and hosts the most established automotive community online. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.edmunds.com, makes car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and otherwise on the go. InsideLine.com is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.insideline.com, features the wireless Web's highest quality car photos and videos. AutoObserver.com provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edmunds.
