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10 cars that sank Detroit

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:08:43 +0000

They’d like to blame the economy. Foreign competition, too. But when you get right down to it, one of the biggest problems that proved to be the undoing of the Detroit-based automotive industry went on right under the Big Three’s noses:

Bad cars. Lots of ‘em.

Sure, the American automobile industry has enjoyed some winners, but decades of noteworthy lemons helped erode Detroit’s image both at home and abroad. U.S. News & World Report did a little research and came up with its list of the 10 Cars That Sank Detroit.

Here’s a peek:

1. Ford Pinto
2. Chevrolet Astro
3. Chevrolet Cavalier
4. Ford Taurus
5. Ford Explorer
6. Jaguar X-Type
7. Toyota Prius
8. Chrysler Sebring
9. Hummer H2
10. Jeep Compass

To read more about why these helped Motown’s undoing, and to see a slideshow, visit U.S. News & World Report.

America’s most-ticketed cars

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:00:21 +0000

Some drivers have all the luck. While the other guy manages to brake in time or sees the police cruiser well in advance, you’re the one who spends all that time on the side of the road, trying to talk the nice officer out of giving you another ticket.

Is it you…or the car you drive? According to the Quality Planning Corporation, which puts together risk data for auto insurance companies, some vehicles are more likely to draw attention. (How you drive matters, too, of course!)

What are the most ticketed cars on the road?

Here’s the list, from QPC and CNBC:

1. Hummer H2/H3

2. Scion tC

3. Scion XB

4. Mercedes Benz CLK63

5. Toyota Solara

6. Mercedes Benz CLS63

7. Scion XA

8. Subaru Outback

T9. Audi A4

T9. Toyota Matrix

To see a slideshow of these popular targets, visit CNBC.
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America’s most-stolen cars

Bill Sullivan — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:25:31 +0000

That nice, shiny new car you just parked in the driveway can be a target. Thieves like nice, shiny new cars, too.

Some vehicles, it seems, are simply made to be stolen. Forbes did a little research on the subject and came up with its list of “America’s Most-Stolen Cars.”

Is your favorite toy on the list?

Check it out:

Honda S2000 Convertible

Dodge Durango

Hummer H2

Dodge Magnum

Hummer H2 SUT

Ford F350 SuperCrew

Dodge Charger

Cadillac Escalade

Ford F250 SuperCrew

Cadillac Escalade ESV

To read more about these high-risk vehicles, and to see a slideshow, visit Forbes. Also check out their list of America’s Least-Stolen Cars.

Worst cars since 1990

Bill Sullivan — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:22:59 +0000

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Edsel a few years back, Time and Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive critic Dan Neil conspired to put together a list of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time.

For those of us with slightly shorter memories, here’s a sampling of the more recent entries: Neil’s take on the most outrageous lemons from the 1990s through the present day:

1995 Ford Explorer: Paved the way for gas-guzzling tanks to come.
1997 GM EV1: Early electric car couldn’t deliver on its promise.
1997 Plymouth Prowler: Looked hot, but appearances were deceiving.
1998 Fiat Multipla: Worked beautifully, but looks put people off.
2000 Ford Excursion: 19 feet long, 6.5 feet high, 7,000 pounds.
2001 Jaguar X-Type: Trying to compete in the “more affordable” range didn’t work out.
2001 Pontiac Aztek: Too many cooks spoiled the broth.
2002 BMW 7-series: Dealing with the car’s many settings proved problematic.
2003 Hummer H2: Introduced shortly after 9/11. Oops.
2004 Chevy SSR: GM’s version of the Prowler. Looked hot, but was not.

To read more about these, and to see the rest of the fateful 50, visit Time.

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