Automotive Lemons, 5-8
From the Yugo of the late 1980s to the recently developed Aztec, see the rest of our list of automotive lemons below.5. 1986-1991 Yugo GV
The Yugo originated from a plant that had been making Fiat-based cars since 1954. The GV, which reached America in mid-1985, was billed as the cheapest car on the market with a starting price of $3,990, compared to $5,340 for a Chevrolet Chevette, the lowest starting price for a domestic car.
Soon owners knew why: little power, shoddy quality and reliability, and scary crashworthiness. The little hatchback was later joined by a convertible, but bankruptcy in the United States and civil strife back home in a disintegrating Yugoslavia ended things.
6. 1996-1998 Suzuki X-90
This little two-seater tried to make a sports car out of the Suzuki Sidekick. But the X-90 would have looked more at home in a circus, disgorging a steady stream of clowns.
The compact SUV had a petite 86.6-inch wheelbase and a 95-horsepower four-cylinder engine. Noisy at highway speeds, the X-90 also had a bouncy ride, minimal cargo space, and tiny radio buttons that were nearly impossible to use in the dark.
7. 1996-2003 General Motors EV1
After talk of alternatives to the petroleum internal-combustion engine started gaining momentum in the 1980s, General Motors plugged in to the pursuit of electric technology. The EV1 was the result, and it was leased through certain Saturn dealers.
However, it was a two-seat economy car with a luxury-car price, and it had limited range before it needed to be charged. (Range was severely limited in colder climates, which made the EV1 even more impractical in those areas.) Some lessees wanted to buy their EV1s, but GM, wary of future liability concerns, wouldn't sell.
8. 2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek
This was Pontiac's first stab at a "crossover" vehicle, a mix of car and sport-utility vehicle that was a new market segment at the beginning of the 21st century. Derived from Pontiac's Montana minivan platform, the Aztek suffered from incoherent, angular styling that was roundly criticized.
From the rear, it looked tall, narrow, and ungainly. Off-road capability was limited in all-wheel-drive models, and interior materials and finish left something to be desired.
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen
