Dented Wallets and Square Wheels: The 10 Worst Cars of 2010

In the age of high gas prices, hybrids and everyone supposedly going green like the government would make you think, the 2010 class of cars, SUV's and trucks took another hit this year with depreciation and upkeep costs. Just about all the top companies took a good hit in both categories of big and roomy and the supposedly fuel-efficient compact variety which is not as a big hit to people as many would tell you. Here's a listing of the worst performers of 2010 and vehicles you should avoid. These are not in any specific order. (contributed by Design 911)

Cadillac Escalade - Type: Luxury SUV

It's hard to say really what tipped the "experts" off on this vehicle. It did rank poorly amongst safety and value but the one statistic that really stuck out was this vehicle got top honours for the most stolen vehicle out of everything that's out there. "Pimp My Ride" apparently does not apply here.

Chevrolet Aveo - Type: Compact

The Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT overall value is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to even more expensive models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic. Consumer Reports concludes that "the ride is jittery and noise is constant." . What would you expect from driving something as small as a golf cart?

Chevrolet Colorado - Type: Pickup Truck

This vehicle has been rated poorly in just about in every aspect so I'm not going to waste my time telling you about it because what does matter is the fact that GM is soon doing away with this model as well as the Canyon. So, of course the best medicine would be to stay away from these models.

Dodge Nitro - Type: SUV

The SLT model is just another version of the Jeep Liberty but with lower marks. Consumers complained
how noisy this SUV is and how it lacks agility. There tended to be some sort of body lean which added difficulty for people steering. This would be the equivalent of pushing a baby stroller in gravel.

Ford F-250 - Type: Truck

The 2010 Ford F-250 Lariat was ranked the worst on gas mileage getting on average just 10 mpg. This was a diesel engine model as well. Hate to see how an unleaded version would do. At this bad a rate of miles per gallon, one would think you'd have to get a bank loan just to get back and forth to work every three months.

Jeep Wrangler - Type: SUV

The Unlimited Sahara was the main gripe but Jeep Wrangler overall has plummeted 23% in sales since the beginning of the year. Apparently it does well off-road but fell short when driven on-road. Handling is a challenge with vague steering and low cornering limits. It's reliability was another negative for consumers.

Chrysler Sebring - Type: Midsize

Car experts ridicule this unpopular gem for its cheap interior and poor performance. It is considered the worst midsize car for the money due to the high ownership costs. Its rate of depreciation is almost faster than watching paint dry.

Mercury Mountaineer - Type: SUV

Top honours for worst midsize SUV for the money, the Mountaineer (and its twin, Ford Explorer, which ranked right behind it) is truck-based. So therefore it makes it use more fuel than the competition and not something suited for city and suburban driving. If you live in this type area, the handling may cause a vein to pop out of your forehead as well.See another worst car 2010 here.

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06-RF

2011 Chevy Corvette Z06-RF has been realized by Vortech and includes a centrifugal supercharger, an air aluminium intercooler, a bypass valve, alluminium installation supports, a high capacity gasoline pump and increased injectors. However there are several differences between the two cars: the engine’s capacity, the exhaust system and the final performances.



In fact the ZR1 has been developed on the base of the LS9 6.2 litre engine, but the 7.0 litre LS7 that equips the Corvette Z06 permitted Romeo Ferraris to take advantage of the higher cubic capacity. First of all the higher reliability and, thanks to a high performance exhaust system realized by the Factory and a careful optimization of the electronics, to obtain more horse power at lower number of rpm (677 bhp at 6000 rpm vs 646 bhp at 6500 rpm of the ZR1) with more disposable torque all speed long: up to 823 Nm at 4950 rpm (The ZR1 reaches the maximum peak of 819 Nm at 3900 rpm).

2010 Mustang, Camaro Challenger Muscle Cars

2010 Mustang, Camaro Challenger Muscle Cars

Concept car : Chevy Camaro 2010

Chevy gives the Camaro a long list of tuning options from GM's Performance Parts division

The key word for the Chevy Camaro is heritage. And with this offering by GM's Performance Parts division, the Chevy brand restores a little of the romance that helped make the Camaro one of the icons of American car culture.

The list of tuning options is long and includes both interior and exterior trim kits, from cabin design to classic stripe kits in various colors. What stands out are the rally and hockey stick-style strip options which evoke the past (yet another 70s-referencing design cue) while keeping the contemporary Camaro relevant in the marketplace today simply by its boldness alone.



Also on offer here are some performance goodies for under the hood and beyond. It includes air box and exhaust kits for both the V6 and V8 engines to improve performance and accentuate sound. And the real kicker, a short-throw shifter developed with Hurst with the classic styling of that well-know parts maker.



No details on pricing or performance boosting are available but the pics tell their own story.



Source: GM

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Concept Car :Chevy Volt 2010

Genius in theory. In reality? We might know by 2010.

For decades, American automakers, Washington politicos, oil companies and consumers alike have been caught up in the lure of cheap gasoline. It’s led to fuel inefficient vehicles, lax legislation, and even more lax energy innovation. But in the end, the root of all these behaviors comes back to the American consumer. The American consumer has always wanted and purchased gasoline-powered products, so that’s what the market delivers. But like repeatedly putting one’s hand on a burning stove, at what point do American consumers conclude the financial pain at the pump has gotten too great? And when do their automobile choices start changing the behavior of automakers, politicians and oil companies? The Hybrid craze is the first step in this new direction. Although Hybrids get a lot of well-deserved grief from some industry experts, there is one undeniable merit to them - Hybrid popularity is producing more alternatively-powered choices for American consumers.

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Concept Car : Chevy Orlando 2010

This is the 2010 Chevy Orlando which is a prototype vehicle that will be displayed at the Paris Motor Show next week. Gizmodo says that blue lights give the Orlando a Tron-like feel.
It's pretty similar to the 2010 Chevy Cruze, but as you can see, it's got some pretty dramatic blue lighting on its exterior. I'm not quite sure if its completely ridiculous or totally awesome; it probably falls somewhere between the two. I mean, Tron lights are awesome, but Tron lights on a glorified minivan?

The blue lights are cool but are they real or is it just a trick of the lighting. There are many more pics here on Jalopnik.

Concept Car : Pontiac G8 ST 2010

When General Motors announced that some models were going to be postponed, I thought for sure the niche market G8 ST would be on the short list. It’s just such an oddball vehicle in the grand scheme of things, cool, but not a mainstream model like the Chevy Cruze that was pushed back a year due to cost cutting restraints. Fortunately for car-based pickup truck fans, or utes as they’re known in Australia where GM’s Holden division makes a version of this very truck, it’s on schedule for a 2010 model year launch later in 2009.

“There are no efforts to delay the truck,” commented Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson to PickupTrucks.com. “Construction is scheduled to start in July 2009, and the first G8 STs are expected to go on sale here in the fall of 2009.”

The point of its origins is the main reason why it’s not being held back. After all, Holden has done all the ground work for a vehicle that will sell in massive quantities, so why not revise it and rebrand it for the North American market? A sort of reborn El Camino, of sorts.

El Camino in mind, GM had a little marketing fun coming up with the new pickup’s name, creating some buzz about the product in the process. It only took 18,000 submissions, with most playing the “Tame the Name” game wanting the new sport truck to be dubbed El Camino, despite it being a Pontiac rather than a Chevy, and the winning submission was… ST. Yes, that’s the same name GM used when introducing the truck at the New York International Auto Show last March, and to be fair, it was popular among nominators too.

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GM Issues official Statement on the Disbandment of its High-Performance Vehicle Operations

As part of its restructuring plan (we wonder how many times we've heard this phrase in the past and how many more times we'll be hearing it in the future....), General Motors has disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations unit. The company said that all 60 engineers impacted by this decision "have been placed in other engineering operations of General Motors to work on core, volume products, including further improvements in fuel efficiency and advanced propulsion."

General Motors' H.P.V.O. unit was responsible for the chassis and powetrain development of the firm's most potent sports cars such as the Chevy Cobalt and HHR SS models and the Cadillac CTS-V.

"When market conditions and public demand for high performance or specialty vehicles change in the future, General Motors will return these resources to their original tasks," said GM in the statement.