What's the Worst Car You Have Ever Driven?

It's really a tough question. I have held the wheel of so many terrible piles of scrap that recalling one that stands out amongst the most takes a few minutes of deep thought.

The first car that jumps to mind is the Hyundai Elantra from the mid-2000s. The thing is, I never really got to drive one of these cars. I parked plenty. Just those few yards were enough for me, especially with that tinny chime the car makes when the door is open and the key is in the ignition. One of the few times an Elantra left the car lot I worked on, it didn't return on its own power. Its head gasket failed (on one with about 80K miles, mind you) at a Taco Bell down the street, and I had to assist in towing it back. 

So, since I didn't really drive one anywhere, the Elantra cannot be the worst car I've ever driven. 

In terms of scariest, that would have to go to an old E-150 conversion van. First, take a massive old van, and raise the center of gravity. Then, allow twelve years of Ohio salt corrode all the suspension bits. Finally, add 140,000 miles of wear and tear to everything else. The result is a car with such vague and loose steering that keeping it in a straight line was close to impossible. That wouldn't be terrifying if the van didn't take up the entire lane. However, I don't think the conversion van was the worst. It was too comfy (in its own American way) for me to hate it. Plus, you could practically live in one of those things. It'd be unfair to judge an apartment as a car. 

When it comes to the worst car I've ever driven, I can only think of one car: The 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier. Just turning the key and selecting reverse were so clunky and cheap feeling that I felt nauseous. I was so shocked by how quickly the car left a bad impression on me that I forgot to look behind me, and bumped into another car. Thankfully no damage was caused, but in those ten seconds I developed an irrational hatred for the Cavalier. Every single one that came in was just as awful and cheap. The plastics were nasty, the seats were hard, the steering was too heavy and indirect, the automatic transmission was made of porridge, the gearstick felt like it was an old Bic pen, and the engine felt like it ran on pebbles. 

Enough about me, I want to know what the worst car you ever had to drive was. Chances are, it was from your college days as well. Let us know in the comments section!