Crappest Car of the 'Noughties'

[strangehighways]

Hirst, if Ssangyong was a child in your art class you wouldn't have to try to be pleased by the handed in scribble you'd need to be more concerned by Ssangyong poohing its pants at the back of the class and then smearing it on the wall.

Hahah this and Hirsts comments made me cry with laughter. Cheers guys!

[Mr Lobster]

Rodius. Not only it is deeply offensive to look at, it also drives horribly with comical amounts of body roll, understeer and a somewhat reluctant gearchange and steering that doesn't really know what the front wheels are doing. Parts availability is none existant meaning lengthy waits when it breaks. Which it will. Radio is a shockingly cheap thing presumably sourced from whichever car boot sales were closest to the importers. Immobiliser system is over complicated and alarm constantly goes off with only the slightest provocation.It could redeem itself by being practical. But the interior isn't as flexible, adaptable or even as comfortable as a Galaxy / Alhambra / Sharan / Espace / 807 / etc. Comical residual value as well.(Had seven of the bastards at work, very glad to see the back of them)What other cars -CityRover - for reasons already discussed elsewhere.VW Fox - For being surprisingly expensive and worse in every respect than the Lupo it replaced.BMW X6. No explanation needed.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Having never seen nor indeed heard of this Ssangwrong Rodent , i concur its truly hideous and makes my suggestion of a Q7 very wrong , i bow to your superior knowledge

It looks worse from the rear:

 

 

And worse still in the flesh.

 

Reckon it'll look ace in 20yrs time though.

[whitevanman]

Personally I kinds figure that at least it stands out compared to the other shit, that Pug is bloody awful as are almost all new cars

[whitevanman]

It also reminds me of the first Laguna estates and the Aerodeck Accords with its dodgy "extension"

[Polystratus]

Another one for the BMW X6, having seen one in real life, have no desire to see another one - ever.New VW Beetle - just like a VW Golf , horrible, hated the rather deep dash when was looking at one down the local car supermarket type place.BMW Mini - and gets worse as there's a cross-over suv type thing out this year.

[Cavcraft]

I'm probably the odd one out and (as a confirmed anti-VAG-ist I can't believe I'm saying this) but I quite like the 'new shape' Beetle.I haven't driven one though.

[dollywobbler]

Ok, so is the Rodius a bit different, a bit kooky and still likeable - you know, not really like the girl next door.

 

Or is it just fapping horrible and you wish it'd go away?

[Mr Lobster]

Its definately Cherie Blair as far as I'm concerned in that I'd like to see it vanish and never reappear.And BTW, Hearseclub Girl = Yummy

[Torsten2001]

Now the Rodius is so hideous that it really does have some charm but I'm afraid that as long as I live I shall never have a modern Chrysler EVER again so my vote goes for the Neon, total turd on wheels and I was a total fuckwit for not asking you's opinions first!

[Polystratus]

I'm probably the odd one out and (as a confirmed anti-VAG-ist I can't believe I'm saying this) but I quite like the 'new shape' Beetle.I haven't driven one though.

It's personal taste I guess but having a original Beetle, I know which I prefer, it's a bit like the Mini, chap at work has a original one and on the rear screen he has a sticky label 'BMW Mini My Arse!'

[Tayne]

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[Cavcraft]

I'm probably the odd one out and (as a confirmed anti-VAG-ist I can't believe I'm saying this) but I quite like the 'new shape' Beetle.I haven't driven one though.

"ooh, its just like a Golf!"

That alone is enough to make me change my mind

[reallyloud]

The Rodius was designed by the head of the Royal College of Art - Ken Greenley. He was responsible for the styling of various Bentleys and Astons. I can only imagine they paid him handsomely for creating this land-barge.I have to say my bugbear are most Peugeots after the 106 died in 2004 and new cars are definately getting uglier, the headlamps have become large graphics that dominate the front of the car. Air intakes look like gormless expressions and what is it with flat sided alloy wheels? I want a little dish! The wierd fish sided curves and scollops (cheers BMW 5 series) are suppose to catch the light and help make the sides look thinner. The Alfa Mito pisses me off - that bug eyed high waisted look will dominate the Alfa range for the next few years, yet there are some lovely touches on the car. Cars don't look like cars anymore, they look like training shoes. If I had to pick out just one car, then it would be the Porsche Cayenne. For a start porsche are not supposed to be high off the ground, be easy to get into or look like lady gaga's supposed gash. Not only that but the people who drive them have the charm of a Katie Price fashion guide. Its got to get better.

[trigger]

I'm suprised by the amount of hate for the BMW Mini, i've driven a couple, a cooper s and a 1.4d One model and both seems like a nice drive, solid and well made.I think the biggest problem is that they was called a Mini and designed as a replacement, what they should of just been what the BMW 1 Series is now. I bet if they was called the 1 series with no reference to the Mini less people would hate them.

[wuvvum]

The Rodius was designed by the head of the Royal College of Art - Ken Greenley. He was responsible for the styling of various Bentleys and Astons.

Didn't he do the Panther Solo too?

[Hudsonpie]

The Alfa Mito pisses me off - that bug eyed high waisted look will dominate the Alfa range for the next few years, yet there are some lovely touches on the car. Cars don't look like cars anymore, they look like training shoesA lot of modern cars also look like crappy Alba stereos that you could get in Argos during the nineties, the ones with all the weird chrome and funny angles. Its like some design grads were sitting about getting stoned, had a project to hand in the next day and as their eyes wandered around the room looking for a spark of inspiration thought mmmm I'll copy that....man....

[dollywobbler]

Let's not get into Mini/MINI bashing again. However, I'd like to lob the Citroen C3, C3 Pluriel and (sorry to the chap who's just bought one!) original C5 into the mix. Dreadful machines. Ok, the C5 is a decent motor to cover ground in (I've driven one from Basingstoke to Paris and back, such is my glamourous life) but it felt super-flimsy. The C3 is hideously shit and while they initially tried the 'ooh, it's our retro 2CV, just like the New Mini and Beetle!' they had to give this up when even non-car people realised it was utter bollocks.

[Richard]

The C5 does feel flimsy, but it's tougher than it look and it is quite a pleasant way to get around.

 

I've never driven a C3 but to me it looks quite useful and nicely proportioned for a modern car. Are they really grim to drive?

[reallyloud]

Its like some design grads were sitting about getting stoned

Its actually the opposite! Maybe thats the problem. The guys I studied with at Cov uni, were on the whole decent people but somewhat soulless chaps. Secondly very few had any idea about what made car styling work well (e.g Giugiaro's Panda and Golf) and seemed to think that welding different styling cues from different cars constitutes a design. Not only that but the way that cars are designed has changed, computer aided design is the usually the quickest and most cost effective way to style cars these days - they still ask students to sketch and style in clay (I did and loved doing it) but at the end of the day your accountant and head designer is going to determine what your car looks like.

[Polystratus]

Let's not get into Mini/MINI bashing again. However, I'd like to lob the Citroen C3, C3 Pluriel and (sorry to the chap who's just bought one!) original C5 into the mix. Dreadful machines. Ok, the C5 is a decent motor to cover ground in (I've driven one from Basingstoke to Paris and back, such is my glamourous life) but it felt super-flimsy. The C3 is hideously shit and while they initially tried the 'ooh, it's our retro 2CV, just like the New Mini and Beetle!' they had to give this up when even non-car people realised it was utter bollocks.

Did you ever see that AutoExpress pic of Citroen's 'new 2CV' that was based on a C3, it was some sort of April Fools joke thankfully! Once road tested a C3 - awful thing, couldn't even get the seat hight adjuster working.

[Polystratus]

but at the end of the day your accountant and head designer is going to determine what your car looks like.

Also a crap load of safety regulations to work to as well, which explains why car design has gone the way it has.

[ChinaTom]

Hyundai Grandeur gets my vote.

[Tayne]

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[Mr Lobster]

Hyundai Grandeur gets my vote.

Interestingly, when I was watching '24' last week, I noticed that the Presidents Chief of Staff drove a Grandeur. No wonder the countries buggered and needs Jack Bauer to save it I thought to myself.Sorry, going off on a bit of a tangent there.

[Milford Cubicle]

I think crash regs are exaggerated a bit to excuse for shoddy styling. I remember when the Peugeot 407 came out, the excuse for its huge front overhang was pedestrian crash regs, but the much prettier and cohesive 2003 Honda Accord managed the same pedestrian crash rating.

[brammy777]

C3s arent THAT bad, my mums first one was hideously unreliable and the dashboard was of super poor quality, but the one she has now is alot better, plastics have been improved, no more black plastic bumpers and it hasnt let her down once. (bar the disc brakes getting ruined by sand, but that could happen to any car) The ride can be choppy, but alot of that is roads round here, smooth tarmac on the M3 has recently been added and its like gliding.I cant comment on how it is to drive, but if any of you (ever) think of getting one, avoid the desire and get a higher up model, the seats are alot better. But its roomy inside mostly. I think the worst trend of the 'noughties' has been those ridiculous crossover cars, which was capped off with those terrible softroader hatchbacks group that the streetwise was part of, if anyone ever sees a Polo or C3 that were given bigger wheels and loads of cladding for that ever so brief 'fashion', take a picture, they have already got rare.

[Mash]

For me it's not so much the cars, most modern cars are pretty much the same as each other in all respects as far as I can tell. There's been a few interesting styles as we've gone along but as Ratdat said, actual progress has been minimal.No, what bugs me are all the different niches that have cropped up over the last 10 years. It used to be simple: Fiesta, Escort, Sierra, Granada - that's your lot (and all you need too).I was watching the Nissan ad this evening - Pixo, Note, Micra. Er, so that's three Micras then?

[Guest]

Hyundai Grandeur gets my vote.

You want to take this outside?

[The Liberator]

The Rodius was designed by the head of the Royal College of Art - Ken Greenley. He was responsible for the styling of various Bentleys and Astons. I can only imagine they paid him handsomely for creating this land-barge.

All the Greenley designs I can think of are pretty ugly, imo. The Aston Martin Virage looks like a kit car based on a Capri or Calibra, and the headlights look like they were borrowed from something really inappropriate, like a Maestro. I remember seeing the 'Scoop' photos in Car and thinking they've got to change those headlights, but I don't think they did. The only good bits are those pretty much directly lifted from the Towns V8's styling. Similar story with the Bentley Continental he did, and the SSSSSSSSangyong Mussel was about 20 years out of step. The Rodius is uglier than the Aston or Bentley, but less of an insult to the marque.Anyway, my vote goes to any one of the hideous, over-complex, German faux-off-roaders - X5, Q7, Cayenne, Touareg or Mercedes ML - that are less likely to be used off-road than a contractor's Astra van, and barely more capable of doing so on the tyres they usually have. Hateful, all of them.