Obviously, we all have our favorite cars. But in many if not most cases, those favorites aren’t exactly a single car; if you’re a Mustang person, you know the four-cylinder turbo Boostang and the V8-powered GT are two very different machines, no matter how outwardly identical-ish they may appear, and despite sharing the majority of their components beyond the most important personality- and performance-defining bits.
Few would argue, however, that a turbo Mustang and a proper GT aren’t both fun high-performance coupes and “real Mustangs.” Meanwhile, there are many examples of car models with a vast chasm of desirability between their “best” and “worst” variants. Let’s tall about them!
I’ll let Stephen and The Bish take the reins:
The Bishop
Growing up, we had a Datsun 280Z and a 1990 Nissan 300ZX; loved those cars. But the Z31 sleepy-eye Z? Bluhhh. The very disco 280ZX wasn’t much better. My dad test drove them and declared that they were “great Maxima coupes, but not Z cars”. I think that’s a fair assessment.
Stephen Walter Gossin
I had a thing for first-generation Sebring convertibles for a long time. The 1997 “all Chrysler” model (Chrysler engine and transmission) in base trim was the worst version, and got a four-cylinder engine. All other models got a Mitsubishi engine. The coupes were pretty much all Mitsu-power (except for the base model having the Neon engine), and the Gen 2 and Gen 3 cars were DCX (read: not Chrysler Corp) disasters with the notoriously bad internal-water-pump-equipped 2.7. Fun fact: the 2010 PT Convertible was the last “all Chrysler” (Chrysler brand) 2-door ever sold.
Your turn! What’s the worst version of your favorite car? Or any car you like. Or don’t even like, but you’re impressed by how great the good version is and shocked by how spectacularly low the not-good model goes. We’re not big on rules, is what I’m saying.
To the comments!
I’m with the Bishop on this one. I’ve been in a LOT of Zs and most are soooo good in at least one way, but not that one.
Super Beetle.
Death shake on the highway and handles like an oxcart.
It’s still a Beetle, so it’s still fine, but man.
The new supra. It’s a fine sports car. Maybe even excellent. It is not a Toyota. It’s a BMW with a very light Toyota overlay. Plus, it is sized for midgets. The real supras were GTs not tiny little track rabbits. That was the mr2. Maybe one day I’ll convince my wife that I really need a mk2 or 3 supra to fill the empty half of our garage.
Clearly, there is one answer that towers above all the others, and it’s the Mustang II. No other car has generated as much hate as the Pretend Pinto, and even Farrah driving one on Charlie’s Angels didn’t make a difference. The engine doesn’t matter, the very body shape is deeply offensive to Mustang purists.
To this day, Mustang IIs are conspicuously absent from Mecum or B-J auctions, unless it’s one that’s full-on Pro-Touring. And even that will sell for 1/10th of the build cost.
While I generally agree with this, the body shape isn’t that bad. It’s certainly, design-wise, prettier than the 71-72 monster block/wedge (though I dig the ridiculous rake of its rear window).
Came here to put down Mustang LX (1990s era) with the 4 cylinder engine. It had this sad little bent tailpipe hanging out of the back… but that did not stop people from gluing “5.0” badges on the side. This enraged me as a teenager (I’m from Detroit, Dad worked for Ford, later became an auto engineer). What drove me nuts about the fake 5.0 badge was that the only people who would know what it meant would also know that the 4 cylinder with the sad tailpipe, wheel covers and tiny tires was NOT a V8. 30+ years later, still SMH.
I was just going to say “Mustang 5.0 with a 4-cylinder engine” and see anyone knew what I meant. If reading those words together fills you with rage then you must be a Mustang fan.
Mustang II…the greatest generational automotive letdown ever.
Favorite car: Porsche 959
Worst version: VW Beetle
I’m a VW person, but I’ll give you that one.
Well my favourite car is a Tesla Model S.
To me, the worst version of that would be an early non-founder one from 2012 or 2013 with the 40kwh battery. These are very rare… likely less than 500 made.
Also supercharging capability would not have come standard with these.
And the early Model S units are known for a higher rate of drive unit failures, battery pack failures, door handle failures, touch screen delamination/failures and they had the least comfortable seats of the bunch.
Also the early ones didn’t even have parking sensors.
So definitely the worst Model S is one of the early ones with the 40kwh pack.
Rubber-bumpered MG Midget 1500. Heaviest of the lot, with raised ride height. Burdened with the most emmisions equipment, especially so if for California market. The 1500 Triumph engine was at its limit being enlarged that much and had split half crankshaft thrust washers that would wear so thin they could drop out into the pan. If that happened the likelyhood of a rod through the block was almost guaranteed. Polar opposite to the earlier “chrome-bumpered” cars with the legendary A-Series.