THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - SMART FORTWO

In buying in to the concept of Daimler's smart fortwo, a consumer recognizes the impact of efficiency across the board; not just in terms of fuel efficiency. Initial cost outlay is low. Maintenance costs are much lower than on the diesel-powered first-gen smart cars which came to Canada in earlier in the decade. Exterior dimensions belie the spaciousness inside. The smart fortwo accomplishes its tasks with minimum expenditure, the true definition of efficiency.

As soon as the car increases in price while, at the same time, packing on the pounds with equipment, its efficiency argument evaporates. That's why the smart fortwo Brabus cabriolet is a perfect example of a Good Car Gone Bad. $20,990 nets you a nicely equipped convertible, sure. That's hard to find anywhere else. But the payout for frivolous accessories doesn't bring about improved performance, increased space, or enhanced economy. In a car meant to save you money, effort, and time, the smart fortwo Brabus cabriolet strikes everybody but the three people who bought one as horrifically overpriced and thus contradictory to the smart's purpose in life.

Want the smart fortwo to be smart, indeed? Think pure (as in equipment lines) with as few options as possible. Keep the weight low. Keep the price low. Otherwise you're spending your money in the wrong place, turning a very Good Car into something very bad.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

The Good 12 v3.0 Part X - Smart Fortwo

The Good 12 v3.0 Gone Bad - Porsche Boxster

The Good 12 v3.0 Gone Bad - Mini Cooper

The Good 12 v3.0 Gone Bad - Kia Soul

Pounds/BHP - Smart Fortwo & Small Cars

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - PORSCHE BOXSTER

Carving down a canyon road, hitting the apex of a hairpin corner, feeling your Porsche Boxster rotate around your pancreas.... that's a feeling. The Good Car Guy honoured the Boxster in both The Good 12 and The Good 12 v2.0 before laying praise solely at the feet wheels of the Porsche Boxster Spyder in The Good 12 v3.0. Partly because of its beauty; certainly because of its weight loss and sense of purpose; very much as a result of its exclusivity, the Porsche Boxster Spyder felt like the car the Boxster always should have been.

See, the Porsche Boxster isn't an inherently gorgeous car. It'll attract teenage boys in front of the local Starbucks, sure. But paint choices gone askew, equipped the wrong way, the Porsche Boxster loses desirability faster than you can say horizontally-opposed six-cylinder.

Indeed, as pictured, the Porsche Boxster is verily a Good 12-worthy car gone bad. Like the previously mentioned Kia Soul, Boxster-in-basics is not the way to go. Find a few grand more, please. Painted Speed Yellow with a red top, this Porsche Boxster incurs no extra cost the way Porsche Racing Green Metallic would. Standing firm on your belief that no option boxes should be ticked is a great way to see way too much wheelwell and far too many snickering Mazda MX-5 Miata owners. The "free" wheels are labelled '17" Boxster III Wheel'. Spending anywhere between $390-$$3,675 nets you a strong set of four wheels; a set not chosen by some backwater aftermarket consultant for an '87 Pontiac Fiero when that car was eight years old.

Do the right thing. Don't let your amazing Porsche Boxster leave the factory unfinished else you end up with a Good Car Gone Bad.

Yellow paint with a red top? Porsche allows this?

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - NISSAN 370Z

In almost every automotive case, removing the roof of a vehicle nets you a higher list price. Why is it that automakers require greater payment for less structure? Well, there's generally more material underneath, and thus, greater weight. Weight gain is also the reason many car enthusiasts avoid convertibles.

In the case of the new Nissan 370Z Roadster, the hardtop-to-softtop changes haven't caused as much damage as in the 350Z Roadster of yesteryear. Stylistically, the Nissan 370Z Roadster is more becoming. Dynamically, the 370Z Roadster is also more competent. In fact, though The Good Car Guy didn't include the convertible from Good 12 v3.0 proceedings, it wasn't actually excluded, either. So in this case of Good 12 Gone Bad, just like the Mini Cooper S Clubman before it, the Nissan 370Z covered here is a different bottle in the spice rack.

Beginning with the Touring Sport Package, the Nissan 370Z Roadster is $44,040 car. Yikes. Navigation, a Black Cherry top, and some small options take this 370Z north to $48,320, destination charge included. Though The Good Car Guy may approve of any Z purchase above that of a Mercedes-Benz SLK300, the fact that a Nissan costs more than its German competitor is a bit astounding. Even if it is faster, better-looking, and more fun.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - MINI COOPER

Stretching the boundaries of what it means to be a Good 12-winning car Gone Bad, the car mentioned here isn't actually a member of The Good 12 v3.0. Instead, this is an example of the breed; an unfortunate evolution of the species.

Even the cute little Mini Cooper can turn in to something undesirable. As a stretched edition, the Mini Cooper Clubman is maybe cute, but only in the "That baby's so ugly it's cute" kind of way. Add Sparkling Silver paint - which doesn't sparkle one bit - and a clashtastic silver shade on the mirrors and roof, and the Clubman is downright egregious. Oh, but it gets worse. Much, much worse.

Check Out The Mazda 6 Gone Bad

In S form, the Mini Clubman comes with standard 16" S-Winder wheels. They're not cool. Hundred-dollar silver bonnet stripes further the bad taste. Get rid of the S-Winders with black web-spoke wheels in the $1,750 sport package, on top of the $1,750 premium package. The black wheels do nothing for the dirty silver finish on the rest of the car. A really awful aero kit, especially when seen in this colour, works in tandem with a sport suspension and other sportific goodies to jack the price in to the stratosphere. But we're not done.

Hot chocolate leather? English Oak? Navigation? Sirius and hi-def radio? Deemed necessary to the OTT buyer. John Cooper Works parts add thousands of dollars to the price tag. $599 checkered floor mats? Oh, please. Slather on the Union Jack treatment: mirrors, door handles, vents.

Check Out The Kia Soul Gone Bad

The $24,050 base price for the Mini Cooper S Clubman is on the verge of doubling when I slow down. There's more on the accessories list, but I'm nauseated. $4,453 in accessories is enough. The cash register rings in at $42,703 for an ugly silvery-beige wagon-like hatchback with enough performance to give Porsche 911 drivers a run for their money. The model so beloved by The Good Car Guy? Yes, that regular Mini Cooper is a $19,500 car, less than half the price of the turbocharged Clubman, and way more than half the car. There is a way to make a very good thing a very bad thing, indeed.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - MAZDA 6

Brilliant Silver Metallic paint isn't so brilliant after all. Actually, it's the only thing you can do to your Mazda 6 to make it seem familiar to Toyota Camry owners - other than jamming the 6's floormat underneath the accelerator. If your misguided goal is to turn your Good 12-winning Mazda 6 into a BMW 3-Series fighter, something it'll never truly be, then you can add the $1,980 technology package, $2,000 worth of navigation, and other options valued at an extra $1,800. Since you chose the Mazda 6 s Grand Touring with its base price of $28,390, destination and options have taken your sticker northward in a harsh manner.

CLICK HERE FOR THE KIA SOUL GONE BAD

How far has the MSRP climbed? First, let's point out that a loaded V6 Mazda 6 is a pretty nice car, indeed. The Good Car Guy's honoured the 6 range the last two years because of its fun-to-drive nature, handsome sheetmetal, and the level of interest it creates in a class full of dullness. However, a fully-loaded Mazda 6 at $34,920 receives a penalty for encroachment. The Infiniti G37 is more than $1,000 cheaper. For $31,450, an Audi A4 is an awfully awesome car. Sure, those are base prices. But they're also far more desirable cars.

CLICK HERE FOR THE HYUNDAI GENESIS 4.6 GONE BAD

Be careful what you take from this posting. He (or she) who purchases an impressively quick, handsome, completely optioned Mazda 6 isn't getting a car which belongs in The Bad 8 v3.0. Rather, it's the bad version of a very good car.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - KIA SOUL

In the case of many an automobile, The Good Car Guy's suggestion would be to search long and hard for a base model. Surely there's a dealership within 100 miles carrying an optionless jalopy. Surely.

In the case of the Good 12-winning Kia Soul, I'd really prefer it if you opted out of the Base model (capital B because Kia gives it no other name) and set your sights higher. In fact, even if you wanted to option up the not-as-stylish Kia Soul Base.... you can't. Oh wait, there's one option: carpeted floor mats for an outrageous price of $95.00. They better throw those in for free, man.

CLICK HERE FOR THE HYUNDAI GENESIS 4.6 GONE BAD

Want to take it another notch further down the ruinous scale? Paint it Dreaded Silver. Kia calls it Bright Silver but GoodCarBadCar.net is officially ill from silver car intake. Who cares if your car appears to be cleaner longer? You look like everybody else.

Finally, the Kia Soul presents itself as a Base model with a laughable set of wheels. Kia says the tires are 195/65R on 15-inch wheels. In practice, they look like a quartet of donuts of a 60s Mini. Stylish then; not now.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - HYUNDAI GENESIS 4.6

4.6L V8s with six-speed automatics weren't commonly known as Hyundai's domain until the Genesis came along a couple years ago. Conservatively handsome with abundant luxury and prototypical Korean pricing, the Hyundai Genesis shot to the forefront of the automotive media, whether buyers could wrap their head around a Lexus competitor from Hyundai or not. Thousands of consumers have wrapped themselves in the coddling embrace of a Hyundai Genesis, and kudos also came in the form of two consecutive Good 12 victories and placement as the North American Car Of The Year.

CHECK OUT THE FORD FUSION HYBRID GOOD 12 GONE BAD

So don't ruin it... please. Painting the car Champagne Beige gets you off on the wrong foot. Selected Cashmere for the interior - not actual cashmere, just the name affixed to the colouring - means you're two feet in the wrong direction. You've taken a car that isn't as exciting as a $40,000 BMW 3-Series and made it.... a bit blaa. Upgrading the car with a Tech package for $3,500 isn't a bad idea, but it's a questionable choice if the Hyundai attracted you because of its loaded nature and sub-$40K price. The Tech pack is full of goodies: 17 speaker stereo, navigation, smart cruise, rearview camera, and Bluetooth among other things. However, dangerous territory is approaching. $185 in accessories puts you within spitting distance of $44,000.

Great value? For sure, son. Just take into account the fact that tasty machinery is thick and heavy on the ground in the mid-$40s and your car is beige-on-beige.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - FORD FUSION HYBRID

One great way to ruin your fuel efficiency advantage over your former car (or the cars of your neighbours) is to spend more money on the car. Now, the great thing about the new Ford Fusion Hybrid is that its base price is really quite reasonable. It drives nicely; looks fine; and behaves normally. With $5,576 in options, a $34,251 Ford Fusion Hybrid doesn't sound like a smart purchase.

How to truly turn the Good 12-winning Ford Fusion Hybrid into something gone terribly wrong? Spending $495 on white paint just so your $348 black Ford racing stripes stand out is just plain wrong, y'all. And what's with the price of the stripes, Ford? $348.00? Sure you don't want to try $347.64?

Although the picture below doesn't completely show the offense that is a racing stripe on a hybrid sedan, you'll get the idea. And it's a bad idea. Especially with a black wind deflector strapped on top. Check out the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon gone bad here.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - CADILLAC CTS SPORT WAGON

Unlike the BMW 335i we've already covered, maximum pricing isn't a gigantic issue with the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon. True, in 3.6L V6 AWD Premium trim with a few options, the $56,440 price is steeeeep. But there's a lot inside the Caddy at that price, not including all the stuff you can throw in the back.

No, if you want a Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon to go bad, paint it in Vanilla Latte. It could be worse: many CTS paint colours cost an extra $995. Vanilla Latte is a "free" way to uglify the CTS Sport Wagon and embarrass your passengers.

In pictoral form, then, here's a Good 12-winning Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon gone bad. Make sure a bucket's handy for your vomit.

THE GOOD 12 v3.0 GONE BAD - BMW 3-SERIES

One of the greatest cars available in 2010 has got to be the BMW 335i Coupe. Tremendous turbocharged performance, classy styling, and a luxurious ambience helped the 335i, as a member of the 3-Series family, become a member of The Good 12 v3.0. However, there's a bad apple in every bunch. For the 3-Series, the worm can be found inside an over-optioned 335i Coupe.

With the desirable M Sport package, premium package, active steering and cruise control and countless other expensive boxes ticked, the BMW 335i Coupe can be priced at $60,825. What's wrong with that? It has got to be a terrific car, right?

In the light of the $58,400 BMW M3, an overloaded 335i appears to be a foolhardy purchase in the eyes of an automotive enthusiast. The M3 comes with one of the most sublime chassis known to man, a rev-hungry V8 with over 400 horsepower, and a reputation matched by few other cars in history.

How does the Good 12-winning BMW 3-Series go bad? With a $60,825 335i Coupe, that's how.