Don't Just Kick the Tires
Use these tips to avoid buying one of the worst cars of the century.
By Jill Amadio •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Those yucky Yugos and some of their ill-fated cohorts, theGremlin, Pinto, Vega, Fuego, Chevette, and on the luxury side,Cadillac's 4-cylinder-engined Cimmaron, have thankfully gone torest in the graveyard of Truly Awful Cars. Among the worstautomobiles of the past century, some even talked, warning that"Your door is ajar," which became a national joke.General Motors also got its share of taunting for its decision tosell diesel-engined passenger cars back in the late 1970s, all ofwhich were flops.
Sinking a significant amount of money into a new vehicle can berisky if you don't check out depreciation rates and considerother factors that indicate a bad buy. Some cars depreciate as muchas 20 percent the first year. Poor quality and novelty equipment,in particular, can label your new car a bad pick. If you choose aLexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Lincoln, you've probably made agood choice, says Kelley Blue Book editor Charlie Vogelheim.
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