Best and worst lists are, well, the worst. What does worst mean? What is the best? These words are too vague. Plus, most of these lists are really meant to evoke discussion about the list, and, ultimately, sell magazines, or generate web traffic, or something similar. Time’s list is poor in many of it’s choices, a few I will touch on.
Time’s List
Like many lists before it, this list has many economy cars on it that are blasted for being cheap. This lists blasts the Model T for the same reason that most people list it as one of the best, that it introduced the car to most of society. It lists the Ford Explorer for “setting this country on the spiral of vehicular obesity”. Some people love and want big cars, but obviously not Time, who believes that SUVs are a scourge to society.
Of course, the real problem is that it is rife with inaccurate statements. Here are claims made about the Trabant, for example:
“Powered by a two-stroke pollution generator that maxed out at an ear-splitting 18 hp” It is a not so clean two stroke, but it had 27hp. That’s not much, but it is 33% more.
“a car constructed of recycled worthlessness (actually, the body was made of a fiberglass-like Duroplast, reinforced with recycled fibers like cotton and wood).” The Trabant was designed to use a minimum of steel because the Eastern Bloc countries didn’t have much. Apparently turning recycled materials something useful is not a good thing?
“A virtual antique when it was designed in the 1950s” Let’s see, front wheel drive, transversly mounted engine transverse leaf springs.. Strange, most of those things were extremely _innovative_ in the 1950s, not antiquated.
“Trabants smoked like an Iraqi oil fire, when they ran at all” Poor maintenance and parts availability led to many cars running poorly, not a bad design.
“and often lacked even the most basic of amenities, like brake lights or turn signals.” Wrong. The Trabant P601, the most common Trabant, built from 1964 to 1989 had turnsignals and brake lights, just like ever American car. They often did lack radios and certainly had no luxuries to speak of, but they were simple tranasportation.
This list, like all similar lists before, and likely after, is inherently flawed. There is no best or worst. It depends on how you measure it. So to create a more meaningful list, here is are the best and worst cars I’ve owned, and the reasons why _my_ examples were so bad.
Best:
1992 Toyota MR2 – Fun to drive, simple to maintain, looks great, and I made it 170k miles before it’s first major repair, a new trannie solenoid.
2003 BMW 330xi – Although it had an annoying check engine light issue, this car was comfortable and quick. It also looked really nice compared the to newer 3 series which does not impress me as much
Worst:
1973 Ford Pinto Station Wagon – While this car is much maligned, my was a dud due to the fact that it blew a head gasket after four months.
1985 Ford EXP – Ford’s try to make a two seat sports car out of an escort, it was slow and ugly. Plus it had a total capacity for the two people and all of your cargo of 500lbs. This might not sound bad, but my roomate and I, along with a small suitcase each, would easily max it out. Sad…
What were the best and warst cars you’ve ever owned? I’m sure somebody will disagree with my choices as well…
