[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/cars-we-love-to-hate\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/cars-we-love-to-hate\/","headline":"4 cars we love to hate","name":"4 cars we love to hate","description":"Love is in the air around this time of year, what with Valentine\u2019s Day, and when we\u2019re not showing affection for our significant others, we\u2019re directing our love to cars. But not all cars were created equally. While we love cars on the whole, there are some models that suck so much that it\u2019s more fun to poke fun at them than actually drive them. Flying in the face of all the lovey-dovey stuff going on right now, here are […]","datePublished":"2018-02-13","dateModified":"2018-02-13","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Nissan-Murano-CrossCabriolet-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Nissan-Murano-CrossCabriolet-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/cars-we-love-to-hate\/","about":["BLOG"],"wordCount":654,"keywords":["cars we love to hate","Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible","mini countryman","Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet","Reva G-Wiz"],"articleBody":"Love is in the air around this time of year, what with Valentine\u2019s Day, and when we\u2019re not showing affection for our significant others, we\u2019re directing our love to cars.But not all cars were created equally. While we love cars on the whole, there are some models that suck so much that it\u2019s more fun to poke fun at them than actually drive them.Flying in the face of all the lovey-dovey stuff going on right now, here are some cars we love to hate\u20262011 Nissan Murano CrossCabrioletThis drop-top crossover-before-crossovers-were-cool didn\u2019t even go on UK sale and yet it still attracts much ridicule.In its fixed-roof form, the Murano wasn\u2019t terrible. Sure, the ride quality was poor, the driver\u2019s seat got uncomfortable after about an hour and its CVT auto gearbox was skillfully summed up as \u2018a selection of expensive rubber bands\u2019 by Anthony ffrench-Constant for The Telegraph at the time.It was widely accepted that the Murano looked like a cheese grater too, but chopping the roof off could only improve its appeal, right? Wrong.An account from someone on the ground when the convertible Murano was revealed noted \u201can audible gasp and silence\u201d when the covers were ripped off.It would be several years before anyone would dare market a drop-top compact SUV again.Mini CountrymanThe Countryman is not a bad car. In fact, it\u2019s quite good, earning a respectable four out of five from Auto Express and Parkers for its inspired use of space, efficiency and advanced tech.But to call it a Mini gets certain people irate.When you think \u2018Mini\u2019, few would think of a crossover-style estate-cum-SUV and that\u2019s the issue. It may wear the Mini badge on the bonnet but it\u2019s Mini by name only and, for brand purists, it\u2019s an outrage.To everyone else, it\u2019s mildly amusing.Chrysler PT Cruiser ConvertibleThe regular PT Cruiser is one of those models that triggers guffaws from most car nuts and as with the Murano, if you want to make a bad car worse, just tear off the roof. That\u2019s precisely what happened with the top-down PT Cruiser and the results are even more hideous.A regular fixture in worst car lists, the PT Cruiser Convertible has had enough mud slung its way over the years, but it\u2019s hard not to include it again here.The standard car suffered from poor build quality and sloppy handling, but any semblance of structural rigidity was lost with the roof so Chrysler hastily added that gross roll hoop between the front and rear seats.If sales for the original PT Cruiser were in the toilet then they were in the sewers for the convertible, and the car was flushed out of the Chrysler range within two years.Reva G-WizElectric cars have only recently started to be taken seriously, thanks mostly to Tesla and the Nissan Leaf, but a decade or so ago, purely battery-operated cars were a joke – and a large chunk of that is down to the G-Wiz.Even describing the G-Wiz as a \u2018car\u2019 is a stretch, because technically it\u2019s a quadricycle, which means anyone can drive it as long as they\u2019re aged at least 16 and have passed their CBT motorcycle test.The thing is, any 16-year-old with an ounce of street cred wouldn\u2019t be seen dead in this tacky death trap. Produced in India between 2001 and 2012, build quality was leagues below what you\u2019d expect from any new mainstream model in showrooms today.Crooked shut lines and mismatching paint finishes were a common problem and it also meant no two cars were the same. Some even had gaps between the bodywork and doors, letting rain in.But as hateful as it is, the G-Wiz was worth suffering if it meant we got nice things like the Tesla Model S."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"4 cars we love to hate","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/cars-we-love-to-hate\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]