Thursday, January 1, 2009

THE BAD 8 v2.0 & THE BAD 8 SUPERSIZE - INTRODUCTIONS

That which was written on GoodCarBadCar.net 365 days ago is not only as true this year as it was then - it's even more true. "You're less likely than ever to be stranded on the side of the highway with your new car, but you'll probably be comfortable waiting inside your automobile if indeed you do come to an unexpected stop. The car - yes, just about any new car in North America - will keep you safe in an accident and do plenty to avoid the accident in the first place. There's a good chance that same car is more fuel efficient than its equivalent ancestors, better for the environment, and more powerful," The Good Car Guy said. 

Both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power say cars are more reliable now than they were last year. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recommended far more cars this year than last as top safety picks. Horsepower? Still on the rise. Fuel efficiency? Contrary to societal belief, better than ever. 

So what's this all about? You've come to the right place for the second edition of The Bad 8, the first of which you can read about here. Yet this sounds like GoodCarBadCar.net is about to laud each and every automaker for their greatness, amidst great turmoil in an industry where plenty of brands are being accused of building the wrong cars. 

To put it simply, The Bad 8 v2.0 isn't full of cars like the Ladas of the '80s or the first batch of Korean cars to hit North America. There is no Ford Probe here. Nah, these are the cars that that The Good Car Guy wishes you'll avoid for a variety of reasons. Boredom, ugliness, wretched vehicle dynamics.... it can be anything. Most importantly, terrible reliability isn't the only point of entry. Some unreliable vehicles remain desirable. The cars coming up in The Bad 8 v2.0 and the first Bad 8 Supersize are here because they aren't worth their MSRP, and paying the sticker price on these vehicles ought to embarrass you greatly.

Over the next week or so, you'll see vehicles appear on GoodCarBadCar.net from the "car" and SUV/van/truck categories in the regular Bad 8 and Bad 8 Supersize, respectively. They'll be roundly mocked, razzed, insulted, and generally made to appear as vehicles that should never have been birthed. The price of entry must be under $72,000 USD and these vehicles must be on sale by January 1st in North America. Only new or significantly revised vehicles are eligible. If they weren't bad enough to make it last year, they shouldn't be forced to be mocked this year. Vehicles that were on the list last year in the first ever Bad 8 may make the unfortunate cut again. On the other hand, if badness was reinvented over the last year, some of last year's Bad 8 may gain reprieve.

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