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The Worst Cars 2005
Source: www.forbes.com
Written by Dan Lienert
Author J. Bryan III once wrote, "My Uncle Jonathan's first car, circa 1910, was an E.M.F. The initials represented the manufacturers, Everitt, Metzger and Flanders of Detroit. But a long series of breakdowns led to their being translated as 'Every Mechanical Fault'" (or "Every Morning Fixit," as Nick Georgano states in the 2000 edition of The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile).
Fortunately, no car today could merit such nicknames, right? Wrong.
According to the newest data from Consumer Reports, Nissan Motor's full-size Infiniti QX sport utility vehicle has the worst ratings possible for the reliability of its electrical system, brakes, body integrity, power equipment and body hardware. It is 300% less reliable than the average car, and a QX owner must feel the way an owner of an E.M.F. model felt: What's going to go wrong with my car today?
Go to Forbes.com to view a slideshow of the worst cars
The Worst cars
We really enjoy the $50,000 QX. It is extremely opulent and sophisticated, but remember a basic rule: The more complicated something is, the greater the number of things is that can go wrong. This is especially true for such an expensive guinea pig as the QX: It was not only an entirely new car when it went on sale in early 2004, but it was also the first Infiniti built in North America.
Ironing out the kinks in the QX's manufacture has not gone well for Infiniti, as the model is the least-reliable new car on the market. We talk more about it in the slide show that follows this introduction, and we talk about other vehicles that make up our list of the ten worst cars on the market at press time.
Even now, in the early days of the 2006-model year, several vehicles stand out for subpar performances in several important categories--in some cases, matters of life and death, such as safety.
Our list of the worst cars is based on three criteria: the worst crash-test scores, the lowest projected reliability and the lowest projected residual values--that is to say, the list features the worst cars in each of those categories, not in a combined ranking. We thought about castigating cars for multiple recalls, but the 2006-model year is too young to do so (most recalled '06 models have been recalled only once so far). Furthermore, consumers often ignore such issues as recalls--unless they are for universally dangerous reasons, such as spontaneously exploding gas tanks--in favor of style, sex appeal and raw power.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the cars in the slide show are not particularly sexy. Several of them are among the cheapest cars on the market.
The source for all crash-test scores is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation that administers vehicular safety laws. No car currently sold in the U.S. suffers the indignity of a one-star crash-test rating (out of five stars). But several have achieved two-star ratings, and we have included all of those models on the list.
Go to Forbes.com to view a slideshow of the worst cars
The Worst cars
Whatever your current political leanings, we advise you to trust the government when it says you and your kids could have a 21% to 25% chance of serious injury in an accident in a particular car. At least trust it enough not to buy that car.
NHTSA has not tested every 2006 model car. For example, it has no crash-test scores for Audi's A6 sedan or General Motors' Hummer H3 SUV. But the agency is the authority on vehicle safety, and we feel confident criticizing 2006-model cars based on the NHTSA scores that are currently available.
For reliability, we looked to Consumer Reports. For projected residual value, we went to the bible of the automotive resale world: the Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide.
Forbes.com phoned all of the manufacturers mentioned in the slide show for responses to this article. Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi and Kia could not immediately be reached for comment. Representatives from Nissan told us over the phone they would call us back or e-mail us with a comment on the Sentra sedan's sub-par crash-test results, but at press time they had not.
Nissan's Infiniti subsidiary e-mailed us a statement about the QX's last-place ranking in Consumer Reports' study--a statement which included the line, "Naturally, we are disappointed with the Consumer Reports projected reliability for some of our 2006 models."
Read on to see which vehicles earned warnings from the government and to see the rest of the worst 2006-model cars.
Anywho here is the list of cars and trucks:
- Least Safe: Ford Ranger/ Mazda B-Series duo
- Least Safe: Mitsubishi Lancer
- Least Safe: Nissan Sentra
- Least Reliable: Infiniti QX (according to Consumer Reports this is the least reliable vehicle on the market)
- Worst Residual Value: Chrysler Sebring
- Worst Residual Value: Ford Freestar/ Mercury Monterey duo
- Worst Residual Value: Jaguar X-Type
- Worst Residual Value: Kia Optima
Source: www.forbes.com
Written by Dan Lienert
Author J. Bryan III once wrote, "My Uncle Jonathan's first car, circa 1910, was an E.M.F. The initials represented the manufacturers, Everitt, Metzger and Flanders of Detroit. But a long series of breakdowns led to their being translated as 'Every Mechanical Fault'" (or "Every Morning Fixit," as Nick Georgano states in the 2000 edition of The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile).
Fortunately, no car today could merit such nicknames, right? Wrong.
According to the newest data from Consumer Reports, Nissan Motor's full-size Infiniti QX sport utility vehicle has the worst ratings possible for the reliability of its electrical system, brakes, body integrity, power equipment and body hardware. It is 300% less reliable than the average car, and a QX owner must feel the way an owner of an E.M.F. model felt: What's going to go wrong with my car today?
Go to Forbes.com to view a slideshow of the worst cars
The Worst cars
We really enjoy the $50,000 QX. It is extremely opulent and sophisticated, but remember a basic rule: The more complicated something is, the greater the number of things is that can go wrong. This is especially true for such an expensive guinea pig as the QX: It was not only an entirely new car when it went on sale in early 2004, but it was also the first Infiniti built in North America.
Ironing out the kinks in the QX's manufacture has not gone well for Infiniti, as the model is the least-reliable new car on the market. We talk more about it in the slide show that follows this introduction, and we talk about other vehicles that make up our list of the ten worst cars on the market at press time.
Even now, in the early days of the 2006-model year, several vehicles stand out for subpar performances in several important categories--in some cases, matters of life and death, such as safety.
Our list of the worst cars is based on three criteria: the worst crash-test scores, the lowest projected reliability and the lowest projected residual values--that is to say, the list features the worst cars in each of those categories, not in a combined ranking. We thought about castigating cars for multiple recalls, but the 2006-model year is too young to do so (most recalled '06 models have been recalled only once so far). Furthermore, consumers often ignore such issues as recalls--unless they are for universally dangerous reasons, such as spontaneously exploding gas tanks--in favor of style, sex appeal and raw power.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the cars in the slide show are not particularly sexy. Several of them are among the cheapest cars on the market.
The source for all crash-test scores is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation that administers vehicular safety laws. No car currently sold in the U.S. suffers the indignity of a one-star crash-test rating (out of five stars). But several have achieved two-star ratings, and we have included all of those models on the list.
Go to Forbes.com to view a slideshow of the worst cars
The Worst cars
Whatever your current political leanings, we advise you to trust the government when it says you and your kids could have a 21% to 25% chance of serious injury in an accident in a particular car. At least trust it enough not to buy that car.
NHTSA has not tested every 2006 model car. For example, it has no crash-test scores for Audi's A6 sedan or General Motors' Hummer H3 SUV. But the agency is the authority on vehicle safety, and we feel confident criticizing 2006-model cars based on the NHTSA scores that are currently available.
For reliability, we looked to Consumer Reports. For projected residual value, we went to the bible of the automotive resale world: the Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide.
Forbes.com phoned all of the manufacturers mentioned in the slide show for responses to this article. Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi and Kia could not immediately be reached for comment. Representatives from Nissan told us over the phone they would call us back or e-mail us with a comment on the Sentra sedan's sub-par crash-test results, but at press time they had not.
Nissan's Infiniti subsidiary e-mailed us a statement about the QX's last-place ranking in Consumer Reports' study--a statement which included the line, "Naturally, we are disappointed with the Consumer Reports projected reliability for some of our 2006 models."
Read on to see which vehicles earned warnings from the government and to see the rest of the worst 2006-model cars.
Anywho here is the list of cars and trucks:
- Least Safe: Ford Ranger/ Mazda B-Series duo
- Least Safe: Mitsubishi Lancer
- Least Safe: Nissan Sentra
- Least Reliable: Infiniti QX (according to Consumer Reports this is the least reliable vehicle on the market)
- Worst Residual Value: Chrysler Sebring
- Worst Residual Value: Ford Freestar/ Mercury Monterey duo
- Worst Residual Value: Jaguar X-Type
- Worst Residual Value: Kia Optima
