Top 10 Automotive Turkeys of 2011
— the cars that, for one reason or another, just plain missed the mark. Some are unpleasant, others are atrocious. Still others are flat-out intolerable, the kind of thing we wouldn't wish on our worst enemies. Maybe you drive one. Maybe you know someone who owns one. Maybe you're just the kind of person who wants to stay informed. Regardless, pay attention: New cars don't get more turkey-ish than these.
2012 Fiat 500C
The convertible version of the Fiat 500 offers everything its fixed-roof sibling does, but at a much higher price and without much gain. The retractable top — the C in the Fiat's name stands for "convertible" — is essentially a large cloth sunroof, and while it adds charm to the Fiat, it does so at a remarkable cost. On average, the folding-roof 500 runs about $4,000 more than the fixed-roof version. Add desirable options and you can easily have a $27,000 economy car, and one that isn't a convertible by any standard definition. Call it a great car ruined by sticker shock.
2011 Ford Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost
On paper, the Ford Explorer 2.0-liter EcoBoost makes a lot of sense. Here we have a cleanly styled crossover that offers ample room and a host of technological goodies, including a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. The result should be an efficient, desirable family truckster. Unfortunately, it's not. The 4,550-pound Explorer's problems — road feel borrowed from the Queen Mary and the intensely frustrating MyFord Touch system — are compounded by the engine's inability to deal with the vehicle's heft. (The Explorer is also available with a V6 engine. Get that instead.) Think of this as a modern-day '55 Chevrolet, only without that car's pizazz.
2012 Honda Civic Si
Turkeys don't always have to drive poorly. Sometimes, they gain their turkeydom by simply following a strong act. Such is the case with the 2012 Honda Civic Si, which replaces the 2006 to 2011 Si, a model that was almost universally loved. It was fast, sounded and looked great, revved to 8,000 rpm and had gobs of personality. The 2012 Si — well, it's still kind of fast. And it sounds OK, but nowhere near as ominous as the car it replaces. But in the interest of fuel economy and torque, the Si's engine has been neutered, revving only to 7,200 rpm but producing 20 percent more grunt. This isn't a bad car, but man, do we miss the one that preceded it.
2011 Lexus CT 200h
Let's dream up a car, shall we? Start with a hybrid; for instance, the Toyota Prius or Lexus HS 250h. Then make that hybrid look sporty by packaging its driveline into a sleek hatchback form. Market it as something of a sports car, despite the fact that it takes 9.8 seconds to hit 60 mph. Then stiffen the suspension so that the heavy machine handles decently. Predictably, this will ruin ride quality. And finally, against all logic, give this vehicle — ostensibly a luxury car — an interior that could live in a Toyota Camry. This is the Lexus CT 200h. Excited yet? Neither are we.
2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport
The 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport is the exception on this list, in that we haven't driven it yet, but frankly, we don't need to. Look at that face. It looks like the alien from the "Predator" movies. Big mandibles, sharp teeth, a gaping maw — and then you have the rest of the car, which is just run-of-the-mill sport sedan. We get it: Lexus is trying to be different. Memo to Japan: Different doesn't have to mean hideous.
2012 Nissan Versa
At just $10,990, the Nissan Versa is one of the cheapest new cars available. Don't let this fool you; just because the Nissan is affordable doesn't mean it's a bargain. The Versa's 109-horsepower 4-cylinder engine is uninspiring , and it's paired to a continuously variable transmission that amplifies its weaknesses to the point of torture. The brake pedal is mushy, and the suspension dishes up nauseating body roll and head toss in spades. The interior is filled with shiny, hard plastic. The styling reminds you of a house cat in heat, with preposterously high flanks and a dorky, come-hither face. Sure, it's inexpensive, but it's definitely an example of you get what you pay for.
2011 MINI Countryman
Here's an idea: Let's take everything good and loved about a MINI Cooper — diminutive size, clever packaging, subtle style, light weight — and throw all that out the window. Then replace it all with a big, flexible chassis, cartoonish styling and an optional all-wheel-drive system that provides good traction but that also increases weight and hurts the MINI's respectable fuel economy — that's the Countryman in a nutshell. This 3,200-pound "SUV" is the MINI theme taken to questionable heights, and while it handles and drives decently, it offers few advantages over an ordinary MINI. Good car? Yes. A necessary one? Not so much.
2011 Saab 9-4X Aero
Poor Saab. The beleaguered Swedish automaker has spent most of the past year fighting for its life, struggling to survive in a harsh financial climate. The 9-4X Aero is a remnant of when Saab was owned by General Motors; it's essentially a badge-swapped version of the impressive Cadillac SRX, sharing that car's chassis and drivetrain. It's even built by GM. But Saab is now on death row, and it doesn't need a rebadged Cadillac. It needs distinctive cars. This one's a turkey by association.
2012 Scion iQ
Much like the smart fortwo, the Scion is small and intended primarily for city use. Much unlike the smart, the Scion features a usable back seat and cool looks. So what's the problem? Simple: The iQ is deeply disappointing, a potentially good car let down by details. Firstly, its 1.3-liter 94-horsepower engine is bolted to a continuously variable transmission that kills any fun the pint-size chassis and low curb weight might provide. And secondly, the iQ costs a whopping $15,995, more than a host of other cars — the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Kia Soul, to name a few — that offer more fun, similar fuel economy and greater interior space. What good is a small car if it's not cheap and entertaining?
2011 smart fortwo Electric Drive
With electric cars, there are machines that were designed to take electric power from the start and machines that weren't. The former are usually intelligent compromises, balancing acts between crippling weight — battery weight affects both handling and efficiency — and the range-heavy needs of real drivers. The latter are often deeply flawed. On that note, meet the smart fortwo ED. It offers a 63-mph top speed, a 63-mile range (with a tailwind), 23 seconds to 63 mph, and a price tag more expensive ($599 a month lease) than a Nissan Leaf. The Leaf has a back seat and resembles a real automobile. This doesn't. Shame on you, smart.
MSN Autos
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