A car that’s horrible to drive sucks. That same car massaged and reborn as something an enthusiast would be proud of is something else. It turns into something you can’t really hate. And if you don’t really like it at first, it’ll certainly grow on you.
Last week, we asked our readers what they thought the best versions of bad cars were. These were their responses.
This is a car that I had no idea existed. The car we knew as the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique was the Mondeo Mk II in Europe. While the only performance version we recieved of this car was the Contour SVT, European buyers were treated to a few performance trims. One of them was the Mondeo ST24.
The ST24 had the distinction of being the first Ford to wear the “ST” badge. With that badge came a Rally Sport Appearance package, unique 16-inch wheels and special interior trim. Unfortunately nothing was done to up the power output of the 174 hp 2.5-liter V6.
Suggested by: fluffy_black_dog
The Chrysler PT Cruiser got a lot of hate for simply existing. Many just thought it was something old people drove because the design reminded them of cars from the 1930s and 1940s. One trim of the PT Cruiser that should have never been over looked was the PT Cruiser GT.
The GT was very nearly a Dodge Neon SRT-4 hatch. Both cars shared the same 2.4-liter 230 horsepower turbocharged I4. The big difference was that while the Neon SRT-4 was manual only, the PT Cruiser GT could be had with either a five-speed Getrag manual or a four-speed automatic with Chrysler’s Autostick. Other changes included sportier styling, 17-inch wheels and sport suspension tuning. And it all only cost you just over $25,000 loaded.
Suggested by: Kevin D. Barry via Facebook
Going with the Dodge Omni GLHS. Far from the greatest hot hatch ever, but when the starting point is taken into account - it’s a pretty amazing achievement.
Introduced in 1978, the Dodge Omni was forgettable as hell. You’d probably walk past it in a parking lot. It was cheap though and Dodge sold a ton of them because of it. But it was nothing special and it was slow.
Fast forward to the mid 1980s, and Carrol Shelby approaches Chrysler with an idea to make a compact. The original GLH (Goes Like Hell) was born. Never content, Shelby took things even further with the GLH-S (Goes Like Hell S’more). Only 500 were ever made. All were powered by a turbocharged 175 hp I4. This was enough to scoot the compact hatch to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds before it topped out at 135 mph.
Suggested by: Keith Nowak
Not that the regular Fiestas are bad cars. The stock ones handle okay since it’s a similar platform to the Mazda 2. But it’s a little too tall for extreme cornering (roll over). And the base 1.6 and 1.0T were anemic. The automatic was horrible. The paint job is crap on all trims; increadbly thin. Rust around the hatch lid, antenna opening is very common.
The Fiesta ST still handles almost as well as cars that cost much more. I’ts not a straight line speed demon. Lots of people will buy them second hand and immediately throw on a new turbo. You’re missing the point if you’re just trying to beat a muscle car on the highway. It’s happiest in the corners. It’s built for the dragon roads.
Why did you stop making small, fun, inexpensive cars like this Ford? We miss you Fiesta ST!
Suggested by: Tony Ng via Facebook
You want a bad car? First gen Cavalier. Then they did this. With a digital dash....
The Chevy Cavailer was never nothing to brag about, especially the first gen. Things changed in 1986, when Chevy decieded to give the Cavalier the option of the Z24 Package. In addition to an available 2.8-liter V6, checking the box for the Z24 package got you an exterior ground effects kit, unique front facia with lower air dam, Z24 specific wheels and a digital guage cluster. Looking back, the Cavalier Z24 actually didn’t look bad in a three door hatchback configuration.
Suggested by: I can’t believe it still runs either
Hands down. Even Has an Oldsmobile fan, I find the Achieva somehow ungainly in terms of shape/stance, but learning there was one version actually able to give the JDM hot hatches a run for their money while keeping the Oldsmobile badge on the nose made me want to drive one ASAP.
We’ve talked about the SCX before, but to recap, it was pretty much a factory SCCA racer. Power came from Olds excellent Quad-4 engine. It put out 190 hp to the front wheels through a five-speed Getrag transmission. I’ve never seen one in action, but apparently these things were not to be messed with on the track.
Suggested by: Adrien Svartasmetal via Facebook
You all remember the Pontiac 6000 STE? There was even an AWD version for a short while. And back in the day you could mention this car in the same conversation along with the Audi 5000 and not get laughed out of the room.
The 6000 STE was Pontiac’s attempt to go up against European performance sedans. The STE (which stood for Special Touring Edition) took the rather boring 6000 sedan and dialed things up to 10. Well, 4.5. Power came from a high output version of the 6000's 2.8-liter V6 with 135 hp, up 23 over the standard engine. It also gained a digital gauge cluster, sport tuned suspension and four wheel disc brakes.
While outlets like Car & Driver praised how it drove, when put up against actual European sedans at the time, its old Detroit tech reared it’s ugly head. It used a carbureted engine for instance while competitors all used electronic fuel injection.
Suggested by: RelunctantFloridaMan
Panther-platform Mercury Marauder. Body on frame barge from a mid-tier brand BUT with upgraded suspension and braking and boasting 302 horsepower from a DOHC Modular V8 instead of the wimpy 235 horsepower from the SOHC. Plus, you get mistaken for a cop all the time, so everyone gets out of your way.
Fun fact about the Marauder: it shared the 4.6-liter Modular V8 with the Mustang Mach 1. We’ll never see anything like it again.
Suggested by: msuitepyon
The second generation of Buick’s Regal is only remember for three things: being an excellent low rider platform, and the GNX and Grand National performance versions.
The GNX was a monster. Only limited to 547 units, its turbocharged V6 proded 300 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. It was described as being faster than both the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930 in a drag race. Even today it’s performance holds up: 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and a quarter mile time of 12.7 seconds. That’s why it sucks to see ones with nearly no miles on them going for big bucks on sites like Bring a Trailer. A car like this deserves to be driven.
Suggested by: towman
I’m not sure the Fiat 500 was a bad car. As long as you didn’t need tons of space. But it was pretty mundane.
The Abarth version, though - took that rather plain little car and turned it into a fire breathing monster that sounded like a pissed off Ferrari hauling ass down the Mulssane straight, while you were running out to get bread. Still one of those cars I’d seriously consider if I needed a third little runabout.
Who else misses hearing the burble of one of the best sounding stock exhausts ever? Maybe if Fiat still made cars like this today their sales would be a bit better.
Suggested by: TheWalrus
The Lancer was a boring, cheap, and poorly built economy car where it was a race to see if it rusted out around itself before the engine spun a bearing (or similar).
The Evo on the other hand was a cool looking, fire breathing rally car that could hang with BMW M3s of the same era (in the right driver’s hands).
One could argue that this all could be said for any compact performance car since they all have compact car bones. The Lancer was something else though. Never quite able to compete with the Civic or Corolla, the Lancer was something you got because you either didn’t know any better or the payment was cheap. It wasn’t compelling enough to recommend.
And that’s why the Lancer Evolution – particularly ones like the Evo VII and VIII — are bonkers. If you’ve ever driven one, you know the performance is nuts, but there’s an underlying sketchy-ness to it, especially at the limit. Almost like the cheapness of the Lancer is coming through. It’s both exciting and scary at the same time.
Suggested by: mrmcderm