In 1958, Ford launched the Edsel Corsair (which was named after Henry Ford’s son). The car was highly publicized, and Ford allegedly spent a calumniated $400 million on the engineering and marketing of the car. Despite containing new features such as self-adjusting brakes and automatic lubrication, which would be adopted across the automotive industry – the car was just too ahead of its time (and had a very, very ugly grill). Edmunds.com ranked the 1958 Edsel as the 7th worst car of all time.
The Edsel had many features that were hated by the public, starting from its push-buttons on the wheel that would make you accidentally change gears when trying to change radio stations, and up to the outer grill which made it look like “a Mercury pushing a toilet seat”. Ford is estimated to have lost over $250 million on the Edsel, and the name is synonymous to this day with “a commercial failure”. The car was eventually discontinued around 2 years after its launch, and is a painful reminder to all Ford fans, that even the best companies can sometimes make hilariously bad mistakes.
Honda Odyssey
Sometimes car reviewers are split about the quality of a car. Odyssey testers divided into two categories, some suggesting that you should absolutely buy it, and others warning to avoid it completely. The 2019 Honda Odyssey is a curious case of a split judgment. Highly regarded for its modern family safety and tech features, with a V6 that's powerful enough to make any father happy when he wants to kick the pedal by himself.
Edmunds rated the car 8.1 out of 10, while Consumer Reports lumped it in the same category of "Worst Overall" with the previous 3 SUVs. We recommend giving the Odyssey a test drive in your nearest dealership before making a decision for your family car.
Volkswagen Atlas
Usually known for their high quality and reliability, it was a surprise for sure when we found the 2019 Volkswagen Atlas hiding in the corner with a shame-filled expression and a “Least Reliable” badge attached to it. However, it was quite well-received by Edmunds, which said they're "quite pleased" with the 2019 Atlas. When compared to the Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX-9, Edmunds chose to name it as their Best Midsize SUVs for this year.
However, Consumer Reports didn’t share the same sentiment. The publication said “Though the V6 engine and smooth eight-speed automatic make the Atlas feel lively during everyday driving, its acceleration trails competitors’ and its 20 mpg overall fuel economy is not outstanding,” You can find the Volkswagen Atlas at prices ranging from $30,000 to the SEL premium 4Motion model at $48,000. All in all, you might rather check out the Kia Telluride before running to the Volkswagen dealership.
2002 Citroen Pluriel
Originally marketed as a fun car for young people who love having their long hair swaying in the breeze while driving along the sunny beach road, The 2002 Citroen Pluriel was a great car that provided everything you'd ever dreamed of. That is, besides having to manually remove and assemble the roof on your own.
Later editions of the car seemed to fix this problem by making the roof opening and closing automatic. Putting aside the later editions, we can’t help imagining a young surfer stud who just bought the original 2002 version and spent 15 minutes taking the roof off to impress his date, only to ruin his chance at a second date when having to explain to her why they have to soak in the rain while he struggles to reassemble this rooftop.
1961 Amphicar
Some people like cars, other people like boats. “Why not grab both markets in one swing?” This is what car the makers of the 1961 Amphicar Model 770 were probably thinking when this idea first came to their minds. Due to the technical limitations of the '60s and also because this is not James Bond in “The Spy Who Loved Me”, the Amphicar wasn’t a particularly good car, but also not a very good boat.
One of the problems with this car-boat hybrid was its lack of speed in the water. At best, the Amphicar could reach a top speed of around seven miles per hour, or the swimming speed of your average adult, depending on who you ask. Despite its lackluster performance, this car seems to indicate exactly what it’s going to give you from the start. One unlucky owner of the Amphicar summarized it perfectly, "It's not a good car and it's not a good boat, but we like to think of it as the fastest car on the water and fastest boat on the road." Next, let's have a look at some of the worst cars that 2019 had to offer.