These Are The 10 Worst Cars Of The 2000s
Photo: David McNew (Getty Images)
The 2000s was the decade where automotive design went to die an undignified death, and yesterday, we asked you what the very worst vehicles of the decade were. And boy did you folks have feelings.
10. Nissan Altima
Photo: Spencer Platt/Newsmakers (Getty Images)
Nissan Altima. This is the introduction of the bad-credit Nissan driver that you now see weaving through traffic with the bald donut spare on the front wheel.
What you’re looking at here is the birth of a meme.
Suggested By: 89islander
9. Dodge Caliber
Photo: JEFF HAYNES/AFP (Getty Images)
I think the Dodge Caliber is right up there. Horrible quality interior materials assembled with indifference, driving position like sitting in a bathtub, lackluster engine made much worse by a groaning CVT. Not really good at anything it’s supposed to do.
They killed the PT Cruiser for nothing.
Suggested By: Beasy Mist
8. Chevrolet Aveo
Photo: China Photos (Getty Images)
My vote for the worst would be the Chevrolet Aveo.
I drove one in 2010 or so, and was FURIOUS at it. The worst new car for sale at the time – because it reminded me of a crappy car from 1993 – in a way no new car had in at least a decade or more. Basically GM was making something so bad so many years later they should be ashamed.
At least it came in a good color.
Suggested By: CycleReport_Nate
7. Chevrolet HHR
Photo: J. Emilio Flores (Getty Images)
The utterly disgustingly terrible 2005-11 Chevy HHR.
It was a cheap cynical copy of the already cheap Chrysler PT Cruiser, with cut-your-fingers barbed plastic finish in the interior that would make a Yugo feel like a luxury vehicle, and you could hardly escape being cursed with one if you needed a car rental in the late noughties.
The road holding was absolutely non-existent, even compared with the PT Cruiser, I remember laughing out loud when the tires would start chirping and complaining as I would take pretty regular cloverleaf highway exit/entrances at no more than 30 mph (any more than that the poor thing would understeer its ugly nose off into the grass). I could take the exact same exit/entrance with a rental PT Cruiser at 40 mph with no drama.
Visibility with the tiny windows was a disaster, which is bad because you really wanted to avoid looking at that vomit-inducing interior that you cannot touch because your fingers will literally bleed (yep, there was an unfinished plastic barb near the driver mirror adjustment that happily lodged itself into my finger).
This was both unsafe at any speed and garbage at any speed. Easily the worst thing GM produced in the 2000s….
One of my friends’ moms had a Chevy HHR for about six months before she finally pulled her hair out and bought something else.
Suggested By: GTO62
6. Kia Rio
How did we ever let Kia get away with this?
2007 Kia Rio, was an absolute eyesore marketed as a sports car
Suggested by @RatRunner48 via Twitter
5. Saturn Ion
Photo: General Motors (Getty Images)
The Saturn Ion was the worst car I ever drove from any decade.
Yeah, but it’s so cute.
Suggested by @Twiffalo via Twitter
4. Chevrolet SSR
Photo: William Thomas Cain (Getty Images)
Chevy SSR. Crap as a truck, no sport, too expensive, crap interior, looks like a melted bar of soap, drives worse.
Imagine designing this, stepping back, and saying, “Yes. This is perfect.” What happened? Where did it all go wrong?
Suggested By: Andy Jensen via Facebook
3. Dodge Avenger
Photo: JOEL SAGET/AFP (Getty Images)
The 2008 Avenger and Sebring. They were a 10-year old car when they came out. Terrible drivelines, cheap interior, poor fitting panels, and horrendous reliability.
My family almost bought an Avenger. We dodged a bullet.
Suggested By: Scott Pro via Facebook
2. Jeep Compass
Photo: JEFF HAYNES/AFP (Getty Images)
Since the Caliber has been mentioned, how about its mechanical cousin, the first gen Jeep Compass.
As one fine commenter responded, “it looks like a giant eraser.” That it does, friend. That it does.
Suggested By: Tony La Russa’s Frosted Ass
1. Hummer H2
Photo: GM (Getty Images)
Low-hanging fruit, but the H2 was Dubya’s “Mission Accomplished” banner in vehicular form.
It was by all accounts great off road, but as the mall crawler status symbol, it was a terrible, sloppy pig with a dollar store interior. I feel immense pity for every single underpaid limo driver who gets stuck with a stretched one
The Hummer H2 was a massive hit for my younger brother and I, largely because we could buy a remote controlled version that fit Barbies and G.I. Joes.
Suggested By: Maymar
