And the worst cars of 2005 are?

Well, you don't need us to give you the full list from Forbes because most of them aren't even worth the time of day, like the Ford Ranger.

But two of the cars surprised us because we don't think either one is as bad as they are saying.

Not to say that they are great by any means but they should not be on the worst car list in our opinion.

Least Reliable: Infiniti QX

Base Price: $50,300

According to Consumer Reports, Infiniti's QX SUV is the least-reliable car on the market. It is 300% less reliable than the average car.

Worst Residual Value: Jaguar X-Type

Base Price: $32,995

According to the most recent data from the Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide, the X-Type is one of four 2006-model vehicles tied for second place on the list of cars with the lowest projected residual values.

If you didn't see they Spies choices for the worst cars of 2005, here they are again:

10. Buick Lucerne-Kissing your sister is a 'sizzling' experience compared to this exercise in boredom.
9. Jeep Cherokee- After seeing all those gorgeous groundbreaking concepts at the auto shows teasing us with their design expertise, HOW could they have decided on this, as the final design? The front end could be one of the worst in the business! Bring on the Nitro and BLOW this thing up!
8. Ford Five Hundred- Yuck! Let’s hope it only lasts 500 days on the market!
7. Mitsubishi Galant- The WORST car I’ve ever test driven…more flex than Suzanne Sommer's thigh-master
6. Chevy Impala- Back to the drawing board for the hundredth time! Could it have LESS personality? What an insult to previous proud Impala designs.
5. Cadillac XLR- Or should we call it the Allante II? This thing is deadsville in the marketplace. Looks like a door stop with dual nightlights on it!
4. Acura RL- Feels like the whole car's drive system has been shot with Novocaine. The most over priced car on the mainstream market.
3. Honda Ridgeline- With national leases already at $199 per month, this thing (maybe they should have called it, the Honda THING) is sinking fast! Thank GOD!
2. Hummer H3- The Hummer thing is just SOOOOO over. And we predict there is no comeback in sight. Even Steve Jobs couldn’t figure out how to bring this brand back! Sorry Liz...
1. Jeep Commander- Whatever over paid slacker at DCX green lighted this piece of trash, should be removed from his or her command! The only thing missing is the ‘Body designed by YUGO’ on the side panel.

atomicbri - 12/15/2005 9:59:40 AM

+1 Boost

TOo bad it doesn't hold it's value because it is actually a nice car for everyday cruising (don't mistake it for a sports sedan however). But at least I know I can buy a great car second-hand at a great price!!

stone - 12/15/2005 12:10:59 PM

+1 Boost

I am as big a fan of Infiniti as anyone, I've owned 5 nissans, and got my 1st Infiniti last year, an FX45 which has been flawless. However, the problems with the QX56 are well known on the Infiniti boards, DVD players that literally fall out of the ceiling on brand new vehicles, brake issues, squeaks, rattles, etc. The QX was definitely not one of the finer offerings from Infiniti, we seriously considered getting the QX as a family hauler, but even our dealer said we should steer clear. They do get better, with each subsequent year, but this SUV has definitely had its issues. Again, you won't find a bigger Nissan/Infiniti fan than myself but the initial quality of the QX is/was definitely not there.....

Stone

rack - 12/16/2005 2:09:34 AM

+1 Boost

What planet are you on??

How many 500's have you seen on the road? I have never seen one. That really hot mecury montego??? I have only seen one of those too. The guy who buys all the XLR's must be buying these things up.

I see 100x as many new audi a6's as I do 500's and the a6 can be 2x the price.

The 500 is a crown victoria with a faclift, and nothing more. I imagine that the police will drive these cars around soon enough.

Most cars over 60k depreciate at a high rate, and their desirabilty as used vehicles is not that great (If you want an s600, and you can afford a year old one wouldn't you buy new?)


I have owned 3 fords, and everyone of them was a piece. My first car (1979 datsun 210_ I bought used was more reliable than the Thunderbird, tempo, and taurus that I owned.

In our fleet we have ford vans, which cost us 50% more in repairs than our Cheverot Vans.

The explorer changed the automotive world, now its viewed as a unreliable POS. I know 8 people who have all owned them and had many problems with them.

The only american company that knows how to make cars that people want is mopar (maybe hummer but they fill a small niche), but they are no longer American, that may explain why they are building cars that people would buy no matter where they came from.

I'd love to buy an american car, but I just cant convince myself that they even good enough to spend my hard earned money on, so now I have to look to the imports. I talked my wife into looking at the CTS, and lincoln LS she said they were the worst cars she drove while looking to purchase (she is the kind of person that would be happy w/ a toyota corolla).

Maxim - 12/16/2005 12:30:08 PM

+1 Boost

Forbes is an authority on the high-and-mighty, not regular folks. That being said, nothing wrong with the Ford Five Hundred which fulfills its role nicely, thank you. Nor the Impala, which is a vast improvement, at least externally, over the old car. The Ridgeline takes getting used to, but rather innovative on the inside. I think Forbes should stick to Bentley and Ferrari. They know a little more about those cars.

rack - 12/19/2005 9:04:12 AM

+1 Boost

"The Ford 500 and Montego fill the role of a modern larger car that is VERY safe and has exactly what people want in that class of car for the price."

Even if it has everything people want, its somewhat moot, because people are not buying it.

There were probably more pre-orders for the new 3 series than fords first 2 months in sales.

rack - 12/19/2005 9:04:42 AM

+1 Boost

I didnt mean fords 2 months I meant the 500's first 2 months.

rack - 12/19/2005 9:06:40 AM

+1 Boost

Why do the people the people praise the 500 sound like they are reading a brocure?