The Spies hope all of you are enjoying a great holiday season. Get ready for a busy next three weeks or so...Almost all of the media outlets have a 'Best of' but only the Spies have the courage to bring you the most disappointing cars/trucks/suvs.
This is DEFINITELY a list you DO NOT want to be on.
The most disappointing cars we saw this year
1. 2005 Honda Odyssey- So much was expected with this total redesign since the old van was the standard of the industry. Well Honda, in our opinion you've lost your reign at the top to the Toyota Sienna. The Sienna is a better looking product and it's Lexus-like finish now makes it 'THE' minvan to buy in this highly competitive segment. You guys had your chance and you blew it. The new Odyssey design is 'Frumpy' at best and there are really no revolutionary new features on the latest version. How can we prove we're right? Go try to buy one and you'll here a word you don't hear very often on new cars at Honda dealers...DISCOUNTS! Dealers are ALREADY discounting these vans heavily and are secretly reporting to us they are disappointed in the new product.
2. Acura RL- Is everyone else driving a different version of the RL than us? Or are they scared to death to jeopardize the huge ad dollars Acura is throwing at them? We drove this thing and couldn’t believe how awful this thing drove. It was heavy feeling and the steering was absolutely numb. It felt like a 1995 E-class gone WAY wrong. The suspension is so brittle and stiff (maybe due to the SHAWD?) that is very uncomfortable over rough pavement. Then there was the space issue. This car is TINY inside the cabin! It feels slightly larger than a 3-series and even the TL feels more roomy. Acura will tell you the specs say there is more space in the RL than the TL but we didn't see it. Go sit in both and you make the call. It’s not even close. Now let’s talk about the exterior design. How can their flagship not be the best looking car in their product line? We think the TL beats it there as well. Now price…$50k for the RL? You have got to be kidding us! Not a chance this things worth over $40 grand. The only redeeming feature? The dash/console design and the best nav system on earth. Keep those, scrap the rest and start over. BMW, MB, Lexus and Infiniti are laughing in their halls!
3. Ford 500/Mercury Montego- The only two words we need to use to describe this for you to understand our true feelings are ‘Chrysler 300c’. The 500/Montego are the antitheses of the Chrysler and that IS the key problem with these two must win/destined to lose vehicles for Ford.
4. Jeep Cherokee- After seeing SO many promising concepts at the shows, this one is a real let down. When I saw it for the first time my jaw almost hit the floor. The concepts showed so much promise and excitement. we thought for sure when we saw the Chrysler 300, the Cherokee would be even cooler. Boy, were we wrong!What's up with that front end? YUCK! The most important seller in their product line turns out to be a dud.
5. Cadillac STS- If we had never seen the 300c or the Cadillac Sixteen concept, we may have a more favorable opinion of this car. But WE HAVE and that’s what bugs us about this car. It’s just too darn bland. Where is the ‘Escalade’ of sedans? Why does it have a Chrysler logo? All Cadillac had to do was produce a smaller version of the sixteen and they would have had a winner. The sixteen looked like it meant business…the STS looks like it’s ready for entry at the 2005 Mediocrity convention. So much expected here and so much to gain but they’ve missed the opportunity of a lifetime to really take charge. Our advice to the Caddy team…you’re in like 10th place…ROLL THE DICE!!!!!!