I usually disagree with most pieces of automotive journalism, but with the exception of the Civic (which I don't find particularily offensive at all), and the Nissan Cube (I see where they're coming from... but I like it), the Land Rover (They haven't made a reliable one yet) I'd have to say "strongly agree" with this one.

I think the Dodge Caliber deserved its own page. Worst car I have ever driven in my life... they really summed it up by saying the Caliber was awful enough to make you want the Neon to come back. And I'm glad the Ion was mentioned, all the personality of a margerine container, with the build quality of a... margerine container!

http://autos.ca.ms...ocumentid=23127790

I think most Dodge products from the last decade were pretty bad. They all felt the same: full of cheap plastic that reminded me of Legos, uncomfortable seats, and giant steering wheels.

cobalt ss hands down

Posted by WarBird69 I think most Dodge products from the last decade were pretty bad. They all felt the same: full of cheap plastic that reminded me of Legos, uncomfortable seats, and giant steering wheels.

I like the trucks...

Posted by Nismo cobalt ss hands down

you know where to find me.


The Caliber was pretty awful.

smart fortwo: completely disagree, a couple i know has one with a folding rag and it's fun to drive, cheap and easy to operate and maintain and has plenty of room for luggage. incredibly good on gas. unless youve got kids or more vulgar appetites than brains, you dont need a bigger car for day to day use. keep the SUV in the garage for the weekends and take the smart to work and save tons. id roll a smart all year long rather than suffer in a hyundai penalty box with twice the room...

Posted by steponmebbbboom smart fortwo: completely disagree, a couple i know has one with a folding rag and it's fun to drive, cheap and easy to operate and maintain and has plenty of room for luggage. incredibly good on gas. unless youve got kids or more vulgar appetites than brains, you dont need a bigger car for day to day use. keep the SUV in the garage for the weekends and take the smart to work and save tons. id roll a smart all year long rather than suffer in a hyundai penalty box with twice the room...

I dunno, just seems like it should be made by Thomas and that you need a helmet to ride it. I looked at one on the lot, bleh. Give me a Metro for 5% of the price with equal mileage and less people laughing at me (tho with just as much a chance of dying in a collision with an Pepsi can)

Diesel VW gets better mileage than a Smart, for about the same price. Plus, you get a car

are we comparing used to new here, because last time i checked aveos were more than a few hundred bucks and i couldnt drive any new VW off the lot for ten grand...

-seriously go to a smart dealer in the spring/early summer, wear a disguise if you must, and ask to test drive one with a ragtop. and then go out and drive the car.

Keep in mind that most of this past decade with Mopar, they were still owned by Dalmler Benz who were influencing most cars in the stupidest ways.

We almost bought a Smart instead of our Astra. The wife wanted a back seat, I wanted a car that I would keep when she got the slushbox-equipped car of her choice. I now get to pick up what I want when I get to.

Smart cars are interesting. I've drove them once in all places, San Fransisco and boy that puppy was zippy. I think you need a city only kind of vehicle, its the way to go. I wouldn't mind one if I had the money then just buy a pickup to put the Smart car in the back of when I do road trips ha.

And Bandi, VW is working on a Smart car clone actually.

Posted by steponmebbbboom are we comparing used to new here, because last time i checked aveos were more than a few hundred bucks and i couldnt drive any new VW off the lot for ten grand... -seriously go to a smart dealer in the spring/early summer, wear a disguise if you must, and ask to test drive one with a ragtop. and then go out and drive the car.

Eh maybe. I never buy new anymore. And I'm sure its a fairly fun car to drive. But its not really gonna catch on all that well in North America. We have vast expanses of land and many people travel 100+ miles a day. We like room, we like to haul shit we don't need around. Its why you see a 103# soccer mom with a 20# baby going to the MegaMart to get 2oz of nutmeg in a 6000# Suburban. Who to say its wrong?

We like room, we like to haul shit we don't need around. Its why you see a 103# soccer mom with a 20# baby going to the MegaMart to get 2oz of nutmeg in a 6000# Suburban. Who to say its wrong?

me, its a pretty wasteful lifestyle, and pretty irresponsible too. i prefer being a good neighbor to hoarding as much crap as i can afford and taking out stupid loans to hoard even more crap that i CANT afford... wont see me declaring bankruptcy anytime soon but that's just me... i prefer good friends to shiny toys.

as for north america? try united states of, because smarts are selling like hotcakes up here... i see at least five a day here in hamilton and even more in toronto. it's not just urbanites who are buying them it's also the lower middle class everymen who want a fun car on the cheap. i remember a car that hit the market in 1939 and got a good 60 year run from that marketing principle...

anyway, karen's on glue. except for the obvious ones, like the caliber...

Smart is also selling like hot cakes here in the west. I see at least 5 of them a day here in Portland.

Posted by steponmebbbboom me, its a pretty wasteful lifestyle, and pretty irresponsible too. i prefer being a good neighbor to hoarding as much crap as i can afford and taking out stupid loans to hoard even more crap that i CANT afford... wont see me declaring bankruptcy anytime soon but that's just me... i prefer good friends to shiny toys.

So lets play a game here for a second. Consider two other possibilities of potential irresponsible or wasteful actions... along the lines of fuel consumption/pollution

1) Someone chooses to take a job requiring an hour commute each way (and chooses not to carpool) vs. someone who chooses to work close to home commuting ten minutes. Extra gas consumption and pollution

2) Someone decides to take two family vacations in a year... neighbour takes one. in the event of driving OR flying, are they wasting extra fuel?

How do you respond? wasteful? irresponsible?

Posted by oddspot So lets play a game here for a second. Consider two other possibilities of potential irresponsible or wasteful actions... along the lines of fuel consumption/pollution 1) Someone chooses to take a job requiring an hour commute each way (and chooses not to carpool) vs. someone who chooses to work close to home commuting ten minutes. Extra gas consumption and pollution 2) Someone decides to take two family vacations in a year... neighbour takes one. in the event of driving OR flying, are they wasting extra fuel? How do you respond? wasteful? irresponsible?

classic straw-man tactic. not going to bite.

a skinny little soccer-mom driving her wee kids around in a giant GMC yukon is irresponsible and wasteful.

Posted by steponmebbbboom classic straw-man tactic. not going to bite. a skinny little soccer-mom driving her wee kids around in a giant GMC yukon is irresponsible and wasteful.

To you. See that's the thing here. I think its overkill. BUT who the hell am I to tell anyone else WTF to drive? If you can afford the fuel, payment, and insurance give me one reason why they cannot drive it? And someone get me some numbers on how well the Smart is selling in rural Montana. If you live in a city and don't ever plan on any long distance driving enjoy it. Just don't expect everyone else to follow suit. BTW was the Prius on that list?

Posted by Agent Skelly And Bandi, VW is working on a Smart car clone actually.

Yes, but it'll actually get respectable mileage I would imagine. The gasoline smart is rated at 36 mpg highway. That's fucking PATHETIC. GM makes crossover vehicles that use less than that.

I'm not against teeny tiny cars that look like golf carts, I don't even hate the Smart entirely. I just think it's funny that my diesel Beetle gets 60-65 mpg depending on what brand of Diesel I use, and I have 600,000 km on it.

Posted by jeepdave To you. See that's the thing here. I think its overkill.

i agree.

BUT who the hell am I to tell anyone else WTF to drive? If you can afford the fuel, payment, and insurance give me one reason why they cannot drive it?

i already gave you two.

BTW was the Prius on that list?

i dont think it was, but i'm sure youve got something to say about priuses and the owners who drive them, so how about you let 'er rip and we'll call it even. ive got two beers waiting for me at the doors pub, and theyre not going to drink themselves...