# Misfires:



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 28, 2011)

> For every home run, there's thousands of strikes. For every Friends, there's a Coupling. For every Big Mac, there's a Mc DLT.
> The same is true of the automotive world. Each year, there are new vehicles that never quite live up to their hype, with many ultimately being used as a "bad" example for years to come.
> 
> So, here's our list of the top 5 automotive flops of the modern age. Don't take the news to hard, manufacturers. We're sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. On paper. Or something like that.


http://autonewsandcommentary.blogspot.com/...od-idea-at.html


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## humner (Apr 28, 2011)

glad I read up on that, was really thinking about the Honda Ridgeline. Will be thinking along other lines now, thanks for posting


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

I bet if there were a 6th car on that list, the Plymouth Prowler would have claimed the spot. That car was cool as hell...looking. But the performance never lived up to the hot rod looks.


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## roadwreck (Apr 28, 2011)

I'm surprised the Pontiac Aztec isn't #1 on that list. Although, that thing probably never looked good on paper either.


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

roadwreck said:


> I'm surprised the Pontiac Aztec isn't #1 on that list. Although, that thing probably never looked good on paper either.


No, but they sold a shload of those things due to it's sponsorship of the first season of Survivor. The marketing was far better than the car.


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## udpolo15 (Apr 28, 2011)

wilheldp_PE said:


> roadwreck said:
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> > I'm surprised the Pontiac Aztec isn't #1 on that list. Although, that thing probably never looked good on paper either.
> ...



I have heard that people who have one really like them absent the styling.

What about the PT Cruiser? Never understood the appeal.


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## Master slacker (Apr 28, 2011)

udpolo15 said:


> What about the PT Cruiser? Never understood the appeal.


Lesbians? That and the HHR. Just sayin'.


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

udpolo15 said:


> What about the PT Cruiser? Never understood the appeal.


Yeah...an "SUV" built on a Dodge Neon frame. Fantastic idea.


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## humner (Apr 28, 2011)

wilheldp_PE said:


> udpolo15 said:
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> > What about the PT Cruiser? Never understood the appeal.
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Nostalgia look that some people took to. With me, I first find a car that I can fit into and put the drivers seat back, and then see if there is room behind me. My sons are as tall as I am with large feet too. You would be surprised how many cars actually fit into the "Iron Maiden" form of torture for people in the back seat.


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## willsee (Apr 28, 2011)

humner said:


> wilheldp_PE said:
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That's why I bought a coupe.

Unless you buy a huge 4-door car the backseat is still pointless for grown adults.


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## Capt Worley PE (Apr 28, 2011)

willsee said:


> humner said:
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I don't know what you consider huge, but my Malibu Maxx has vast legroom in the back. saturn Aura and the 2008-2012 Malibu are on the same platform and have pretty good legroom as well.

The Impala backseat is pretty roomy as well.


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## csb (Apr 28, 2011)

All the tall people I know drive Impalas or Crown Vics.

I'd say the Honda Ridgeline made no sense for me from the same standpoint as the Chevy Avalanche...if you want an SUV, buy an SUV. If you want a truck, buy a truck. Don't buy some useless hybrid of both.


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## MA_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

I never understood the concept of the part SUV/Part pickup truck like the Ridgeline and especially the "luxury" versions (Cadillac or Lincoln) they just seemed foolish.

The Crossfire looks like a nice car, but trying to break into the luxury sports car market is tough. I get a laugh out of the guys that talk about "performance" for these cars because I believe that 95%+ of the owners never even remotely test out the bounds of the performance. It's a status thing where they can quote auto enthusiast magazines about what the car is capable of.

It's unfair to list the "specialty vehicles" like the SSR, they were never intended to be mass marketed. Just like the Prowler, the Viper, etc.

The VW Pheaton, the writer was spot on with that one.



> Word to the wise: People who want VW's don't buy $85,000 cars, and people who buy $85,000 cars don't want VW's.


The Aztek was a really useful vehicle and had great room and visibility, it was just ugly as sin.


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## humner (Apr 28, 2011)

Capt Worley PE said:


> willsee said:
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we looked at the GMs, but they did not have close to the room that the Snotta has that I bought. I know it is a Hyundai, but when you take any of these new cars apart, they are all the same nightmares.


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## humner (Apr 28, 2011)

csb said:


> All the tall people I know drive Impalas or Crown Vics.
> I'd say the Honda Ridgeline made no sense for me from the same standpoint as the Chevy Avalanche...if you want an SUV, buy an SUV. If you want a truck, buy a truck. Don't buy some useless hybrid of both.


Well, if you have a family and need a truck, the Avalanche is the way to go. We may end up going that route for a truck for when I do field work and bring one, if not both my boys plus the dog. The Avalanche also has room in the back for taller people and I can keep my Topcon locked in there and not in the back of the truck under a cap.


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## Master slacker (Apr 28, 2011)

I rented a Hyundai Elantra a few weeks back. Nice little car, but no balls.


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## csb (Apr 28, 2011)

humner said:


> csb said:
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Fair enough.

I think the Ford Explorer truck was the worst offender of these...it had that dinky little bed that usually came with a bed extender just to be able to carry little stuff. It seemed like a truck for guys who couldn't bear not driving a truck, but really needed a mini-van.


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## momech (Apr 28, 2011)

humner said:


> Well, if you have a family and need a truck, the Avalanche is the way to go. We may end up going that route for a truck for when I do field work and bring one, if not both my boys plus the dog. The Avalanche also has room in the back for taller people and I can keep my Topcon locked in there and not in the back of the truck under a cap.


I once had an Avalanche as a company truck. I really liked it for hauling the family around. Don't expect it to function even remotely as a truck, though. There is just not much space back there. I've never had a Tahoe, but I'd expect it would function basicly the same.


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## willsee (Apr 28, 2011)

csb said:


> humner said:
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BIL had one that I used to haul some furniture and I had to take multiple trips just to load a couple of pieces.

He traded it for a minivan


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## Capt Worley PE (Apr 28, 2011)

I really wouldn't mind having a used Ridgeline, but they are still too pricey for me used.

Yeah, I'm a cheapskate.

Local Lincoln-Mercury dealer had six Blackwoods on the lot. "Buy a Blackwood, get a Cougar, FREE!!!"


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## Master slacker (Apr 28, 2011)

Oh yeah. THAT'S a deal.


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## envirotex (Apr 28, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> I never understood the concept of the part SUV/Part pickup truck like the Ridgeline and especially the "luxury" versions (Cadillac or Lincoln) they just seemed foolish.


Don't forget the car/truck hybrids---Chevy El Camino and the Ford Ranchero...You too could be as cool as Randall "Pink" Floyd.


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## csb (Apr 28, 2011)

willsee said:


> csb said:
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Awesome.



envirotex said:


> MA_PE said:
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> > I never understood the concept of the part SUV/Part pickup truck like the Ridgeline and especially the "luxury" versions (Cadillac or Lincoln) they just seemed foolish.
> ...


The Subaru Baja was essentially an El Camino, just updated.


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## MA_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

Yep El Camino and Rachero were pretty dumb, but you could get some badass ones you could put together a mean Chevelle SS with a pickup bed.

How about the Chevy 454 SS two-wheel pickups or the Dodge Daytona pickups with the wing just above the tailgate. not the most practical things.


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## MGX (Apr 28, 2011)

Once I rented an HHR for a business trip. I've since dubbed it the Homo Hot Rod :f_115m_e45d7af: *

*not that there's anything wrong with that


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## cableguy (Apr 28, 2011)

I thought the Crossfire was a pretty decent looking car.

The Prowler was a cool looking car too, but that V6 mated to an auto-only transmission sure brought the pansy. Gimme a big V8 with a 6-speed manual.

SSR was too heavy to be sporty like a car, and too car-like to be useful as a truck.

I think some of the new offerings from Nissan are butt-ugly. The Cube and the Juke are just hideous little boxes.


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## MA_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

MGX said:


> Once I rented an HHR for a business trip. I've since dubbed it the Homo Hot Rod :f_115m_e45d7af: *
> 
> *not that there's anything wrong with that


I had a PT Cruiser for a rental once. Not a bad little car but iot couldn't punch it's way out of a paper bag. Felt a lot like an old VW bug to me (I had a 68 bug at one time).


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> I had a PT Cruiser for a rental once. Not a bad little car but iot couldn't punch it's way out of a paper bag. Felt a lot like an old VW bug to me (I had a 68 bug at one time).


I got a PT Cruiser convertible as a rental in Ft. Lauderdale one time. You're absolutely right. It reminded me of the billboards when the new VW Bug came out..."0 to 60? Yes."


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## David Wooderson (Apr 28, 2011)

envirotex said:


> MA_PE said:
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> > I never understood the concept of the part SUV/Part pickup truck like the Ridgeline and especially the "luxury" versions (Cadillac or Lincoln) they just seemed foolish.
> ...


Man, it's the same bullshit they tried to pull in my day. If it ain't that piece of paper, there's some other choice they're gonna try and make for you. You gotta do what Randall Pink Floyd wants to do man. Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N.


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## Kephart P.E. (Apr 28, 2011)

I drove a Ridgeline and it was really nice.

It handled well, had a smooth comfortable ride, the interior was very large and spacious.

But I didn't buy one for the same reasons lots of other people didn't.

It cost as much as a F150 and it doesn't have the power or hauling capability of a full sized truck.

You are buying a light SUV with a bed.

An Avalanche is a better option if you are using it to say tow a ski/fishing boat because you can get it with a V8.


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## Kephart P.E. (Apr 28, 2011)

I can understand how a Crossfire gets built at least it looks the part.

But to whom did the Aztek look good? That car looks bad from any angle you pick.


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## wilheldp_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

Kephart P.E. said:


> But to whom did the Aztek look good? That car looks bad from any angle you pick.


It looks a lot better if you get it painted baby shit green (as a guy I know did).


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## envirotex (Apr 28, 2011)

David Wooderson said:


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Finally upgraded to college girls, Wooderson?


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## csb (Apr 28, 2011)

I wanted an Aztek at one point, almost expressly for the tent option. I instead got a pickup I could sleep in the back of and realized that I was also a fan of Aztek because AJ Langer was a spokesperson. (I'm not explaining that reference)


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## MA_PE (Apr 28, 2011)

if you've ever been inside an Astek, it seems as if it were designed from the inside out. Interior is quite comfortable and functional. Then they made the outside look like a transformer. the interior fabric stylists were also smoking peyote. The seat fabrics looked like native american blankets.


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## Capt Worley PE (Apr 29, 2011)

MGX said:


> Once I rented an HHR for a business trip. I've since dubbed it the Homo Hot Rod :f_115m_e45d7af: *
> 
> *not that there's anything wrong with that


My parents rented one for a trip to Wyoming and Montana. It was purple. Dad said, "It drove really well and was a nice car. Granted, I'd never BUY something like that."



MA_PE said:


> if you've ever been inside an Astek, it seems as if it were designed from the inside out. Interior is quite comfortable and functional. Then they made the outside look like a transformer. the interior fabric stylists were also smoking peyote. The seat fabrics looked like native american blankets.


It was built on the Chevy venture platform...aka the bottlenosed minivan. My sister had one and it was a gigantic peice o'poo. Stuff was always breaking and when you drove it, you got the distinct feeling that the front and back ends weren't solidly connected.


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## MA_PE (Apr 29, 2011)

Capt Worley PE said:


> My sister had one and it was a gigantic peice o'poo. Stuff was always breaking and when you drove it, you got the distinct feeling that the front and back ends weren't solidly connected.


I wonder if that was tied to the vehicle model/design or just poor quality control by GM (imagaine that??). Of course, my expereince with the Aztek is having one for a couple of days as a rental and I did not travel very far with it.


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## Capt Worley PE (Apr 29, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
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> > My sister had one and it was a gigantic peice o'poo. Stuff was always breaking and when you drove it, you got the distinct feeling that the front and back ends weren't solidly connected.
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I think it was a tragic combination of both, really.


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