The Overrated List of 2008

Aura didn't replace the Ion did it? Didn't the Astra? Other than that, Amen on most of this list.

I agree about the Speed Channel. In the huge world of speed rated activities, why do they have such a narrow focus?

Not everyone is a redneck living in a trailer park.

Now this is the problem with anonymity...

Well, I'm not going to post a flaming response. Only a few corrections.

The Aura replaced the not-that bad looking L200. And the Aura is a very nice car-it just has to put up with it's younger, more athletic, handsomer and better dressed sibling, the best in class Malibu.

The GT500 isn't really that much better than the SRT8. Yes the Challenger is WAY too heavy, but despite the weight advantage and the huge horsepower advantage, the Mustang is only something like .3 seconds faster from 0-60. So, reall, the Mustang isn't as good a performer, because a 500hp Challenger would have the GT500 licked. And a 500hp Comaro would blow both their doors off.

The Civic Si isn't that ugly. Just too damn expensive. The Civic in general is the one car Honda can still sell at full price (wow, the market has gotten that bad!).

The XF is a good looking car! Not the best, but better than the GS/M35/possibly 5 series. LEt me insert a radical statment of my own by saying that the Cadillac CTS is the best looking car in this class (yeah-I have a little mechanic in me).

He is right on target about the new mustang. What was Ford thinking? Giving the world that slow striptease for a car that looks marginally better than the original. Especially a car that would be invisible sitting next to a Comaro.

How bold of him to talk about Bob Lutz. Gm's wingman should be sending his minions out soon.

why not add Honda Pilot to the list? That thing is down right disgusting.

How is the Civic Si overrated? For it to be overrated, it had to have been highly rated to begin with. Wasn't it always kind of living in the Mazdaspeed 3 and GTI's shadow? Also, it's a Honda. Were you really expecting torque?

A couple of points about the new camaro, which is off the list of desired cars for me:

1. It's not good looking. I've seen it first hand at the Silicon Valley Auto Show yesterday and it just doesn't inspire any kind of powerful feeling. It doesn't look badass enough. It looks more like a toy than a serious vehicle, especially with that narrow back window and pointy front end. The previous generation model looked much more menacing.

2. We really don't know how fast a 500 hp camaro would be so I wouldn't go as far as saying it would blow the doors off the gt500 and the challenger.

I agree with all but two things.

I half agree about the XF. Looks great in pics, but the impact is not there in person. I still like it.

Top Gear is completely over rated. I loved the show when they actually reviewed cars. Sadly they prefer to make dumbasses of themselves now instead. The show has been headed down hill the last couple years. Top Gear stuntman of this year epitomizes everything that has gone wrong.

You're dead on with the whole small SUV thing. I saw a Tiguan a few weeks ago and I couldn't believe someone would pay so much for something so small.

I'm going to add one to your list - Audis. Every Audi that is released is always described as "gorgeous" or "sleek". I don't get it, they all look the same and have the same interior design. Aston Martin is beginning to fall into that same group to me.

"Not enough cool stuff." What would you like to see on the Speed Channel?

And since you brought up NASCAR, I'm going to mention Bristol Motor Speedway races. I never saw why they were hyped up so much.

Firstwagon I watch NASCAR and just so we're clear I've never been to a trailer park.

Speed Channel used to show WRC and tons of GT racing. It was really good at one time.

Where is the R8?

R8 - Same price as the ZR1 but a souped up Civic can blow its doors off... Oh and don't forget about the front overhang that's able to knock a full second off the car's 1/4-mile time.

Gas is going back up! Paid $2.20 today for premium.

"2009 Nissan GT-R"
Before I saw your list, I knew this had better be on it. Even if you like the car, it's way overrated.

"The Toyota Prius"
This car has it's place, but is overrated by posers.

"The Tesla"
A good proof of concept. Not a product. I know greenies that think this is god's gift. Come on people! it's for rich posers. Something this impractical, is not green.

"Small SUVs
Acura RDX, Infiniti EX35, VW Tiguan, etc."
If you're going to only include luxury vehicles, then I agree. If you look at other vehicles (ex, Ford Escape), then I disagree.

"Speed Channel"
At least it all gets stuffed in one place.

"Sync"
I agree, but it sells.

"Saturn Aura
So much better than the embarrassing Ion it replaced"
Replaced the Ion? Share some of your weed, dude...

"Top Gear"
Even if you like this show, you have to admit, it's way over rated. The Top Gear fanboys are worse than the domestic/import fanboys.

"2009 Chevy Corvette"
Moved from the weed to crack? That's one fine vehicle that's getting the attention it deserves.

"Me
I'm not really as great as I say I am."
No sh*t.

I need to add one: "Green"
It's one of the most over used and over rated words of 2008.

Sync - I think you missed the point here. I rock the sync every day in my mKZ, Britney plays for me upon request... maybe you didn't understand, it's a two step process; push the "media" buton and say "Play Artist Britney" ;)
...I kid

"Where is the R8?

R8 - Same price as the ZR1 but a souped up Civic can blow its doors off... Oh and don't forget about the front overhang that's able to knock a full second off the car's 1/4-mile time."

Ah, louiswei! Still an Audi hater I see! :D

I should probably let you know that cars can do other things besides go in a straight line. Perhaps you didn't get the memo. The R8 does those other things quite nicely. In addition to not being half bad at going straight. Something tells me that if you ever drove one you would eat your words.

Where is:
Mercedes AMG, especially 65s. Powerful, but they never any better than the originals.

Corvette. Lots of chocolate box materials and cows with plastic skins. O com'on, ZR1 buyers pay a house for it.

Toyota reliability. 20 years, all other cars fell apart by the time you got home, but now every car just doesn't and shouldn't.

BMW and Ferrari. No matter how good they drive, they are simply the ugliest cars on the road. Compare to the lastest Hyundai and Kia, you know the benefits of bland and boring.

Steering feel. Okay, we have to know the grip of the front tire and the direct its going. But steering feel for a sport car? Modern sport cars never lose its grip unless you explore not just their physical limits, but also the limits of the law. For ordinary cars and luxury cars? I rather want to know how big the boot is, or how much I have to pay for the replacement tires and brake pads.

Fuel economy. Yes, in bad time like this, every penny counts, but interest rate, deperication and insurance bite you much harder than fuel economy, even when you brought a 16 wheelers or Ford F350. After all, you don't buy a mini for chaffeuring 8 people or a Subarban for the Green Party meetings, do you?

Where is:
Mercedes AMG, especially 65s. Powerful, but they never any better than the originals.

Corvette. Lots of chocolate box materials and cows with plastic skins. O com'on, ZR1 buyers pay a house for it.

Toyota reliability. 20 years, all other cars fell apart by the time you got home, but now every car just doesn't and shouldn't.

BMW and Ferrari. No matter how good they drive, they are simply the ugliest cars on the road. Compare to the lastest Hyundai and Kia, you know the benefits of bland and boring.

Steering feel. Okay, we have to know the grip of the front tire and the direct its going. But steering feel for a sport car? Modern sport cars never lose its grip unless you explore not just their physical limits, but also the limits of the law. For ordinary cars and luxury cars? I rather want to know how big the boot is, or how much I have to pay for the replacement tires and brake pads.

Fuel economy. Yes, in bad time like this, every penny counts, but interest rate, deperication and insurance bite you much harder than fuel economy, even when you brought a 16 wheelers or Ford F350. After all, you don't buy a mini for chaffeuring 8 people or a Subarban for the Green Party meetings, do you?

Saying that the Prius is overrated because it would be lousy "if it were conventionally powered," (when its reason for being is that it isn't, and gets ~45 real-world MPG) is like saying the Boxster sucks because it's crap off-road.

The XF is saving Jaguar (for now). If it didn't, THEN we should call it overrated.

911 Turbo performance at half-price? That isn't overrated either. The Z is overrated. So is CVT. If the GT-R V-spec comes to America, the 911 Turbo would be overrated. Maybe even the GT2.

You want overrated? Ferrari California. 7-speed DCT and foldable roof being firsts for Ferrari don't deter from the fact that IT'S FREAKIN UGLY!

I like it!! A man unafraid to make himself heard!!

- "While I may not agree with what you say, I'll defend to the death your right to say it!"

Overrated? Boy, where should I start?
Toyota, Honda, and the rest of Japan Inc. reliability scores. My wifes 07 Honda Odyssey has had two transmission rebuilds, rotors replaced twice, dash rattles like a bag of marbles dropped down it, Dvd player skips over anything looking like a bump. All happend in less than 18k miles. My Toyota Camry blows its engine due to Toyotas Famous Engine Sludge Cover up. No one in the media catches on to the millions of affected Toyota engines. A few more of my overratings;

I agree on the small Lux ute. Why are they making these things? Are there that many stupid money high school girls out there?

Infinity FX and the rest of Nissan's line up. Who is designing those abortions? Crack heads?

Toyota's Lexus and Scion. Scion sales are tanking faster than, well, the Titanic. Lexus is the ultimate Posurmobile. Owners don't have enough sense to buy the real Audi/MB/BMW.

I don't get the whole Korean thing. Nothing uglier (except, of course infinity/Nissan Murano FX Rouge nighmare) on the road. People driving them look like they are trying to get on Jerry Springer as guests. Have tog ive a ten year warranty. I have not seen any Korean car last longer than three years let alone ten.

I have said my peace. I will be waiting for all of the checkerd suit, greased hair, fake Rolex wearing sales personal at Japanese and Korean dealerships to go at it. I'm sure they have a lot of time on there hands. Maybe they could help out the retarded monkeys at my local Honda dealership service department and show them how to rebuild a transmission. Now THAT would be something to see.

I second "green" needing to be added to the list.
Talk about being the flavor of the day/week/year.

Also, being a car guy/auto enthusiast/gearhead and saying the Prius is overrated is like saying water is wet.

I agree with all of them except the Corvette, Prius, and Civic SI. The SI and Corvette aren't ugly at all. Especially the Corvette.

1)The Prius perfected and demonstrated a technology four years ago that other automakers are still struggling to duplicate today (Honda still hasn't quite done it with the Insight...slower and less frugal).

2)I agree about the small SUVs, but only if they are too expensive. The Tiguan makes no sense since it can cost as much as an EX35. You can buy a loaded Odyssey for the price of a Tiguan. The RDX is ugly. I'd call the X6 overrated but no one rated it highly in the first place. Small SUVs like the RAV4, CR-V, and especially the Forester aren't overrated, however. They offer a good blend of utility and sport.

3)MPG will never be overrated...that's the attitude that GM and Chrysler took that eventually almost led to their downfall last year. MPG will always be underrated no matter how low gas prices go...especially once we RUN OUT OF OIL.

Here's one to add to the list...the Nissan Murano (and Nissan CVT in general). Ugly, awkward, and the CVT is just stupid. I like the sound of changing gears, not a loud drooooooooooaaaaannnnnnn when I accelerate. Also, I now consider every BMW except the 5 series and 3 series coupe to be ugly. Stylistically, there isn't a more lost or confused company.

Forgot one....no matter how much I love Honda as a company, the only attractive cars they make now are the S2000 and Fit. I know I said the SI isn't ugly, but it isn't attractive, either. Just ok.

I LOVE YOU! Agree with everything you said. If anything you were nice for leaving Mercedes AMG division off the list. Long live Porsche and BMW!

I agree with everything you say, although I don't think the civic SI is as ugly as you say. It's a shame it looks exactly like an EX though. Also, you may think the vette looks ugly from behind, but I think it looks ugly in the front. For a car so fast....the vette just doesn't have road presence. Last, the GTR...it's cool because it's fast and the geek in us love the technology in it. It's just ugly...sinfully ugly.

The 3rd from the bottom is the only one I can say that makes any sense...

Sync: Only over-rated if you don't have it in your car. Because it's cool as hell. Though something tells me the mechanic may have a hard time figuring it out.

Saturn Aura: Surely a car-nut such as yourself would know that the Aura, being a mid-sized sedan, wouldn't replace the Ion, a small car. As many have said, the Astra replaced the Ion.

Miles Per Gallon: Are you really this short sighted? Gas prices have gone down? Good lord, no one take investment advice from this guy. I mean... wow. Yes, Mech, they are *totally* gonna stay that way, too! Let's just stop all our efforts to be more fuel efficient and less reliant on foreign oil. I mean, why not get back into the whole truck craze again while we're at it?

I admire your passion, Mechanic. But after reading three or four of your articles, I'm starting to wonder just how much attention you pay to cars after all.

The Astra Replaced the Ion not the Aura you idiot.

The Corvette is a great car and is worth all the hype.

The GTR is also a great car and deserves a lot of praise.

Chip Foose is the best car designer on the planet and on of the nicest "celebrates" I have ever met in my life.

I enjoyed the writeup and agree with most comments.
When is the Speed Channel going to become what it should be? I don't know one car guy who doesn't complain about it.

I don't agree with 3/4 of your list, but it was funny.

Dude you effin suck big time
your just a stupid car hating guy that
has nothing else better to do than diss peoples
cars
maybe you are right about the corvette being plastic made but i would like to see you make a better car than the Dodge Challenger and the Nissan GT-R.
The GT-R is a masterpiece while the Challenger is a great car to look at and fun to drive!
go and do something else better in your spare time!

Anyone who has sat in an astra, aura, and ion can tell you that that astra is entirely too small to have replaced the ion. The aura is about the same size. The only comparison between the two is they happen to be the smallest 2 cars of their lineup of their time.

Agreed with all items on the list except for the Vette comment. I think the Vette looks sweeeeeet, nothing else like it.

As for the IS-F ... yes the fake tailpipes really ruin everything.

"Battlestar Gallactica called and wants its dashboard back."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHA!!!

Nice wide swing at the state of the automobile world.

I disagree about the C6, I love the butt. As a former owner I found the quality to be lacking though in a number of areas and hated dealing with GM/Chevy service. From my C6 experience it is easy to see why GM is floundering.

The EX-35 is really a small station wagon (maybe too small) with matching insurance rates.

Burdened with 250 additional pounds and fed by 75 fewer horses the Challenger can not keep up with the Mustang. The Challenger needs a crash diet.

Chip has become one dimensional due to his fame.

GT-R @ 3920 lbs. needs a strict diet.

The Tesla is a bad joke.

The MKS @ 4127 lbs. needs to loose 300 lbs.

The 2010 Mustang styling indicates whats wrong @ Ford.

The Aura should be replaced with the Insignia now.

2008 Civic Si's sit on Honda's lot. Way overrated and the top of my list.

MPG means nothing with today's high global unemployment.

So much to comment on in only one blog:

Honda Civic Si - Agreed! I don't like the look inside or out, and its performance is lacking. I'll spend the $1000 more for a GTI, thanks very much.

2009 Chevy Corvette - not overrated performance wise, but certainly overrated with regards to road presence/'coolness'. I yawn when I see one, though I appreciate the sound it makes with it passes me :)

2009 Jaguar XF - Love it, and I think its far better looking in and out then any other car in its class.

Dodge Challenger SRT-8 - Still too crappy an interior for the price. C'mon Dodge you're sooo close.

Miles Per Gallon - If you are stupid enough to think gas prices are going to stay low, then you deserve whats coming to you.

i see the mechanic put himself on the list. i don't think he's overrated; he's already rated pretty low in my book. oh wait, even then he's still overrated

I hope you all aren't taking this too seriously..

I wouldn't DARE to disagree with any of your choices on this list. Not only are your observations spot-on accurate (aside from the previously mentioned Ion/Aura lapse), they're funny as hell! I particularly enjoyed the GT-R launch control and the Synch references. But someone needs take a rolled-up car magazine to you for not proofreading your writing before you submit it.

Some of the more glaring errors: BillEt, sAmba, laughingstock, and Galactica were misspelled; "There's more room... than IN the new crop" isn't grammatically correct without the "in"; and "more-money-than-brains" requires hyphens in the context you used it. There's lots more punctuation errors, but you get the point.

Oh, and before anyone can respond with "Wow, that's so anal, you must either be an english teacher, a german car engineer, or gay!", let me just say I'm not a teacher or an engineer, ok? LOL!

Mechanic, you have hit the nail on the head with this list! Pretty much every point is right, especially the following:
Top Gear - Have watched from Season 1 of the new series (aka NOT the one from the 70s) and love it.
Speed Channel - Wish they had more coverage of F1 and DTM
GT-R - Nothing more to add
Corvette - If it was just a bit nicer to look at and didn't have a crap interior, it would actually be a decent car. If I want great performance with not-so-great looks inside and out, I'll take a Caterham.

"Speed Channel - Wish they had more coverage of F1 and DTM"

Speed's current coverage of F1 is so bad, and the announcers/personalities so terrible, that I'm almost glad they don't have more. This way, we can at least get it from some decent sources.

Umm OK, please give me my 3 minutes back.

Your whiny list became null and void when you failed to tell the difference btwn the Aura and Astra.

The GTR is what it is, every car doesn't have to ride and be as quiet as a Lexus ES350.

The MKS engine isn't anywhere as bad as you claim.

Ignore every other attribute associated with XF, and complain about something subjective.

Get a life....

"Umm OK, please give me my 3 minutes back."

No way. The Mechanic is funny...and often his caustic humor has the ring of truth.

"'Battlestar Gallactica called and wants its dashboard back.'

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHA!!!"

Poor Si...I like the way it looks. No really!

Poor Si...

Glad to see at least one automotive writer doesn't take himself seriously. So whatever happened to the WRC on Speed TV anyway. It put them on the map! I guess it's just like Saturday Night Live used to be funny and MTV didn't used to actually play videos.

With all due respect, this article severely needs an editor to correct a number of spelling, grammatical, and factual errors. Somba?

I would disagree with you on the Pilotis. I have three pairs myself. I find that I cannot drive stick without them. I found I was wearing down my left heel especially with dress shoes. Also I heel-and-toe so it really works for that. I suppose it's all about what you really want to get out of the shoes and why you bought them. If you are a poseur who drives an automatic, then don't get them. But if you really want to maximize your ability to drive a manual gearbox then you should consider them. Are they a bit overpriced? Probably. Are some of the designs a bit garish? A few are. But I haven't found anyone else who makes driving shoes that look reasonable and aren't racing shoes. I have seen people who wear the Adidas or Puma driving shoes and they look idiotic. This list is one of the things that I hate about overrated/underrated lists simply because it's all based on your perception of something's rating. It's hard to objectively define a rating. But here is one really overrated car, not of this year but of the decade. The original Ford Focus ZX3. That car won or placed high on a lot of comparos, it got onto Car & Driver's 10 Best list a couple times, but it was a dog with regard to reliability and build quality. Just look at all the recalls it had.

Aviboy's 2008 Overrated List consists of one thing and on thing only:

The Mechanic.

What a waste of my wasted time at work. I thought Edmunds hired good journalists? Oh, wait....this is Edmunds....anyone with a GED can write a better article...

The Saturn Aura replaced the lousy Saturn L series......I will forgive you for that mistake. The L series was pretty forgetable.

I will say that, although the Challenger is only slightly lighter than a herd of elephants, at least it made it to production. I'm not so sure that the 2010 Camaro ever see the light of day, given the current economic climate. Regardless, if it does make it, I'm sure we can go ahead and add it to this list for next year. I'm sure it will be another disappointment from Detroit. Too heavy and too expensive.

The number one overrated thing in 2008:

Those people who have taken this article way too seriously...

Pretty embarrassing article. Like really embarrassing.

Prius: Yes, and if the mechanic had half a brain he'd understand the need for such an ugly shape. Tell us why the new Insight looks just like the ugly Prius. Funny concept called aerodynamics.

Tesla: I keep forgetting West LA is the center of the universe. I've seen three Teslas up in Northern California already. You know, the source of all your food and water?

IS-F: Fake tailpipes. Bet you hate the R8 and Ferrari California for having "fake tailpipes" too. Oh wait, I forgot, nobody mentions those.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/10/2008-audi-r8-the-great-tailpipe-conspiracy.html

Mechanic: Only one I agree on this list. Waste of space.

Love this list!

Keep these posts coming.

I agree with more than half of the list. Not bad, I suppose, considering I usually don't agree with "the Mechanic." Or maybe that is bad?

I do not agree with the comments about Sync, Saturn Aura, Jaguar XF, Corvette, and Bob Lutz.

First of all... that was probably the best thing anyone has said about the Prius. I totally disagree about the Corvette. How many automotive publications rate it on of the best supercars ever? One little correction the ION was replaced by the Astra (GM's best small car in need of a HP dose) not the Aura (GM's 3rd best sedan after Malibu and CTS). Speaking of the ION... it is the sibling of the Cobalt. I own a Cobalt and love it. The ION was a good car you just couldn't tell behind the horrible interior design and plasticy exterior.

The fake tailpipe thing is growing. My Mazdaspeed 6 has them. It's this whole new thing with sticking the tips out through holes in the bumper instead of just hanging below. Because of that, the makers can now add that additional tip (or hole really) and make it look like a real exhaust outlet. But with the IS-F it's so obviously fake because no one would actually stack the outlets that way.

A good starting point but....

Challenger is not bad as what it is, a fast-ass 2009 Cutlass Supreme or Cordoba. It's NOT a ponycar however...

I must be the only person on earth who doesn't think the 'Vette interior is that bad. Cannot understand however how my '03 Focus SVT has leather Recaro's and the 'Vette get's weak standard GM fare. And a Malibu steering wheel? On 2nd thought....

GT-R, unbelieveable performance overshadowed by the worst styling to come out of Japan since the original 300ZX. C'mon Nissan, put your best designers and best engineers in the same room.

Shelby GT500; how does a Supercharger and a styling kit add up to 20k over a loaded Mustang GT? Reminds me of the ZR-1 'Vette, 20k for an aluminum 4-valve small block. Except the Mustang is selling and the ZR-1 didn't.

Small ute's; Second that vote! The EX35 has less cargo and back seat room than the Versa, equally ugly however! Escape, RAV4 and Vue make pretty good sense however.

Chip Foose; say what you will, he brought car customization to the masses and as posted above, is a genuinely nice guy. My wife loves him!

The Mechanic; a boilerplate schizo.... brilliance followed by the absurd. Trying to be the next "Gonzo" Thompson?

Oh brother, talk about your out of touch, spoiled auto journalist! The GT-R is overrated? Supercar performance and slot car handling for $75K and you want to whine about "it's noisy?"

Come on guy, get in touch with your readers. Honestly, how many of your readers - given the chance to drive one of these (and I have, by the way) awesome cars would walk away saying it's overrated? How about NONE?

You really disappoint me - not only by missing the mark on this lame call, but by featuring it as the photo promoting the article. Oh, and Top Gear is the best show on television today for car lovers. Name one that's better.

This list is pretty much for entertainment purpose only. But you really deserve to be credited on how to boost page views. And I have to agree with you about the SPEED channel.

SPEED Channel being overrated is dead on...Went from having great programming to be completely unwatchable...even in HD.

Miles per Gallon - yes - but it's just too much fun to bitch about gas prices...even when they're low (?)...

How can you complain about the ZR1? Sure it costs $100k, but to get a faster car you have to spend at least $50k more.

I don't understand the whining (and not just from you) about the Mustang. The prior car looked good, the new version is an evolution of an already good looking design that harkens back to a 1960's version. I don't hear anybody complaining that Porsche keeps reusing the basic 911 shape.

I would much rather Ford spends it's VERY limited R&D dollars on iproving interior quality (done) and suspension (kind of done, but more work needed). Personally I don't like the new Camaro and if I wanted a 2010 US built muscle car it would be the Mustang ot Challenger.

At least somebody sees the GT-R for what it really is. However:

Small SUV's cost same and take up same space, but carry more stuff than small cars. They sell for a reason.

Gas is cheap __now__. Not forever.

Meanwhile, why not define "cool stuff": hoons drifting Vipers/Z1's/G8's all day? Ferrari drag races? AWD Go-Carts with 1000 HP engines?
Abolishment of all speed limits?

Piloti is good for its price. If you think it's overpriced, you must be paying retail. If you're paying retail, then you aren't very smart are you? It's like paying MSRP for a car. who does that nowadays?

Mr. The Mechanic,
You are right on!!
Your comments hit the nail on the head!
You can take them to the bank!
Keep up the biting wit.
I love it.

spot on...I remember when speed channel was fantastic, and even showed car flicks.

"Small SUVs
Acura RDX, Infiniti EX35, VW Tiguan, etc. Who the hell buys a Sport Utility with absolutely no utility? There's more room in my sinus cavity than the new crop of cute utes."

Canada. We need AWD (most of us, anyway) and most non-luxury cars don't have it - Subaru doesn't count.

ok i have driven a 04 Corvette convertible and a 2008 Corvette coupe. sure it looks plasticy but so does the benz s class and every other car!

At least in your prior posts you were saying something of meaning...what happened?

It's funny, I've seen a Tesla where I live...in Ohio.

You are wrong about the Jaguar but so very right about the GT-R and Challenger I will let it slide.

Some kind of special award needs to go to the paddle shifters on a CVT Nissan.

trlennon, I hope you aren't putting CVT trans. and GT-R in the same thought. The GT-R has a dual clutch trans. NOT a CVT.

Oh, and even though I don't own a GT-R and have never driven one...I have a hard time believing 480hp, 3.5 0-60 times, ridiculous skid pad times, some of the best coefficient of drag on the market, a backbone created by Lotus...etc. all for 75K is overrated. What other car can beat a Mercedes Mclaren and Porsche GT around a track for that price, out of the box?

What's up with the hatin' on Nissan? They're AWESOME cars and look GREAT! Guess since they're better than any American car in they're respective classes, the hate has to be thrown around, huh?

Anyway, I agreed with SOME things on your list, but, disagreed with more:

Challenger's hotter than any Mustang can ever be!

GTR DEFINITELY deserves all the hype - Super Car performance for under 80K? HELLO! Wake up call to all super car makers out there to make more accessible performance cars for non uber rich! I applaud that fully! AND, it's not ugly. It's a hot car - looks are subjective, as is art.

Though I hate the Prius, I still understand its purpose; and to knock it for NOT being conventional is like knocking an English teacher for not being good at Gym.

Tesla: I don't agree there should be any swearing in a supposed "professional" article on a widely used automotive information site.

Small SUVs may not make much sense, but they're really designed for style with a little utility thrown in, and for that they succeed. There IS a reason why they're selling.

Enough has been said in correction of your Saturn Aura comment....duh!

Jaguar XF is GORGEOUS and if it's being hailed as Jaguar's current savior, then it's for a reason.

So WHAT if the Corvette's plasticky? Hasn't it been that way for, like, EVER! Get used to it. I can't think of anyone who wants to buy a sports car for the interior quality and trimmings! That's not why you buy a sports car. For that, you have luxury cars, and even luxury performance cars, but not straight out sports cars. Besides, it's not like the Vette's interior is that of a Tata! Come on, now! And, it's looks? HOT car. Again, subjective.

MPG? Wow! That idiotic comment doesn't even deserve a response.

On the Lexus IS-F the pipes are fake but they are use for air flow coming from the front of the car to keep the car down at high speeds!! also what do you drive?

I like my overpriced clown booties. Can heel toe, drive with one knee, balance the latte in lap and return email at the same time. It's gotta be the shoes.

Well, I'll go ahead and add this to my list of "STUPID SHIT."

sweet, top gear rocks!

Well, first of all, you aren't a very good journalist. I probably speaking for most on this site though, so I won't rant about that.

First, the GT-R and Vette? Hmm, when people talk about being "overrated" they usually speak of performance. I don't feel like scrolling back up but someone correct me if I'm wrong..3/4 of the cars he spoke about, he describes the looks. No performance.

Second, to the one kid who said Civic Si's are on the lot and way overrated. They're not overrated by any means. First, they are probably overpriced because what they pack when it comes to performance/gasoline. A great combo for 20k. You're paying 19-21k for a baseline Si. A car which compared to the cars in its class, beats nearly all of them with a little 2.0. Cars that go for the same price such as the tC and Altima (etc.) have bigger engines with less HP and worse MPG's. To those who feel the need to compare them to GTI's and Speed3's..yes, of course they're overrated. That is not the same class of vehicle though. The GTI goes for nearly 5-6k more. Both which are F/I. The Si has nearly the same exact horsepower of the GTI with a N/A motor. Yes, I understand the horrible torque, but I'm simply stating facts.

Get your shit straight before you simply jump on a bandwagon! ;)

Speed Channel
"Too much NASCAR. Too much Pinks. Too much Wrecked. Not enough cool stuff."

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! These guys need to get it together. I no longer watch SPEED channel as any sane person can only take so much NASCAR and the good ole' boy country grammer! What ever happened to Rally racing every other Sunday betten F1 weekend? And bring on some real cool shows again. Pinks??? Pass Time??? Wrecked??? Come'on!

PS... Nice list!

This guy is just a troll... a bad one at that. I can just picture him now, wearing his Piloti Driving Shoes hand in hand with Chip Foose driving a Toyota Prius into the sunset listening to Kenny G and laughing at this failblog.

haha love reading your shit! write more dammit!

Agreed with almost all of those... except...
-The GT-R is a technological 193 MPH marvel in my book. And it destroyed supercars of much higher magnitude on Top Gears test track.
-The Prius is purpose-built for hypermillers and people who want to make a statement in saving the planet. Sure it drives like a boat, but that's not the point.
-The new Mustang is a good update and a true statement on "evolution, not revolution." Every problem that needed addressing was addressed. (except the damn live axle suspension!)
-And the Corvette is darn good lookin'. It's also cheap and fast. Yeah it's a 'bit' plasticky, but whatever, you get what you pay for. And that includes an LS3.

P.S.- what is the deal with those stupid Pilotis anyway. My 25$ Converse All Stars slip ons do the job just as well. They're light and comfortable, and I can be seen in public with them on.

callin the gtr overrated ur whack u fag

I certainly agree that Speed channel has turned into a bust. Nothing worth watching - so bad - so fast. Ridiculous.

I agree with you on everything except the 2010 Mustang which after seeing one in person it really is a nice car. I agree with you on the GT500 and Challenger thing, a half second or more difference in a 1/4 mile is a life time in a drag race. The 2010 GT500 will only make it even more so with better gearing, better aerodynamics and more horsepower.

Funny read, I don't agree with all them but so what. I definitely agree with the ASSCAR, I mean NASCAR channel pretending to be called speed. When they aren't showing us hillbillies driving in circles we get to watch them playing poker or golf, wow we!

Wow, what magazine hired YOU as an editor? No wonder the publishing world is in decline. I know this is "just" a blog, but as a journalist, you should always be on top of your facts, much less simple things like punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but saying the Aura replaced the Ion is a big blunder. You should be on top of these details. Your readers shouldn't have to correct you. Ion --> Astra. L-Series --> Aura.

Hey, the Corvette isn't the prettiest car around, but it's not bad, and where else can you get that kind of performance for the money? The ZR-1 runs with 599s and Gallardos, but doesn't cost nearly as much. Ditto the GTR. It's better than a 911 Turbo for half the price, HALF!!!! So what does that extra 70K buy you? A pretty badge, a name, and an engine hanging out over the rear-end. Hardly seems worth it to me.

If you want to talk overrated, let's get real here. Has anyone REALLY looked at a BMW recently. They reign supreme in most comparisons, but they're ugly as sin, and their interiors are not as amazing in quality as they're made out to be. They're drab and uninspired. I especially love the scent of leatherette you get in a $40,000 3-series, which is the same smell you get in the Jetta. Over course, the Jetta costs at least $17,000 less. What's the use of having all that dynamic goodness if you throw up a little bit in your mouth every time you look at it or sit in it to drive?

I'd rather spend the money on an Audi A4, or even a Cadillac CTS, where at least the design is inspiring, and the interior is actually inviting. What a novel concept! So they're missing the exact poise, steering feel, and suspension tuning of the BMW. Let's be real here - we're splitting hairs. An Audi A4 or Cadillac CTS are still immensely entertaining cars to drive, and are dynamically very sound. I'd happily give up a slight edge in steering feel for a whole extra boat-load of style and sophistication.

So there ya go!

Hey Dazracer... who still calls people 'fags'? What are you 12?

This gay guy has a Viper and and SRT-8 Jeep... wanna race?

Yes Top Gear is great but i dissagree with the 2010 mustang and mks he must not get out much but wont the mks be eco boosted to nearley 350hp cant wait to see that!

The Toyota Prius is a great car. They have very loyal owners who swear by them. Even a die hard muscle car fan whose wife bought one thinks they are great cars. You need to take the right wing politics out of the equation. That said I agree with you about the new Dodge Challenger. I saw it at the local auto show and it was underwelming, especially the interior which is really chintzy. What is really annoying with that car though and the Shelby cars are the outrageous markups on them by the dealers. Concur with you on "Speed Channel" and the 2010 Mustang. The latter is a real ho-hummer, as is the Jaguar XF.

I don't think the Prius is a bad car, but its just too damned expensive to be the best thing ever. The new Honda Insight is just better. I agree with the mechanic on everything else EXCEPT the jag xf and MPG. To my mind it looks great, and the side profile finally isn't the only good looking thing about it (like it was with the S-Type). Also, don't let cheap gas skew a good view on economy. Yea their down, but so what??? A Honda Civic will always be better to drive and better to live with than an SUV or Truck. Don't buy a truck/suv unless you really need it.

The Challenger: mopar sets low bar. Why is a muscle coupe the size of a 300 cool? I think the baby boomers screwed us over. I'll take the Shelby for $3k more.

GTR: Overrated? Yes. Would I take one? You betcha!

The Prius is hideous and batteries like that are extremely toxic things. And I have only seen one Tesla. On a stand. At the auto show.

Small SUV's piss me off. Just man up and make a damn station wagon... and call it a station wagon. Thanks again, baby boomers, for this irrational fear of wagons.

The MKS is a Lincoln. What did you expect? Remember the LS? Didn't think so.

Why, oh why, do so many people like NASCAR? Give me rallies or give me death!

2010 Mustang: at least it's not built on the Fox platform. But an IRS would be nice, extra cost be damned.

I like the Aura, but I like the Accord a lot more.

Top Gear may be overrated, but it's all we've got.

Lexus? Just stop trying. You already showed us you didn't really mean it when the IS 300 wasn't available with a manual.

I hate the shape of the Civic and Civic fanatics, but mostly just that stupid freaking dashboard. Give it plasma torpedoes and it's a different story, though.

The XF may be a tarted-up GS, but that's a whole lot better than a tarted-up S-Type.

The Corvette, like Top Gear, is all we've got. And it goes like hell.

And gas prices will never keep me from driving a fast car. But if someone in the gov. wises up they'll tax the crap out of it like in Europe to force CAFE to increase across the board.

I completely agree with Chip Foose and the IS-F. Both are garbage.