UCP Cars of the Year 2004

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Hi out there in cyberspace.

If you were here last year you may remember a thread that asked your opinion of the best cars of 2003.

Now it might seem a little premature (It's only october) but the last poll was done around the same time.

There will be the following catagories, other catagories may be added later.

And it's only open to caars released in 2004.

Best New Car Overall
Worst New Car Overall
Best SUV/4WD
Worst SUV/4WD
Best Family Car
Worst Family Car
Best MPV/MiniVan
Worst MPV/Minivan
Best Sports Car
Worst Sports Car
Best Concept Car
Worst Concept Car
Designer of the Year
Head On A Stick Award
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone)

Feel Free to add your own spin on things. Answer all or none of the catagories if you wish.

[Coventrysucks]

Some sort of list of all the cars released in 2004 may be in order...
Completely new cars, or are updates etc allowed?

Off the top of my head: (and probably not definative)
Alfa Romeo GT
Aston Martin DB9
Audi A3
Audi A6
Bentley Contintal GT (?)
BMW 1 Series
BMW 5 Series/ Touring
BMW 6 Series
BMW X3
Cheverolet Corvette C6
Chrysler Crossfire (?)
Citroen C2 (?)
Ferrari 612
Fiat Panda
Fiat Idea
Ford Focus
Ford Mustang
Koenigsegg CCR
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
Land Rover Discovery 3
Lotus Exige
Maserati MC12
Maserati Quattroporte
Mazda 2 (?)
Mercedes SLK
Mercedes CLS
MG X-Power SV
Mitsubishi Colt
Nissan 350Z (?)
Peugeot 407/ 407SW
Porsche 997
Porsche Boxster
Renault Megane (?)
Renault Scenic (?)
Renault Espace (?)
Renault Modus
Seat Altea
Seat Toledo
Skoda Octavia
TVR T350T
TVR Tuscan 2
TVR Typhon (sort of)
Vauxhall/Opel Astra
Vauxhall/Opel Tigra
Volkswagen Golf V
Volvo S40/ V50

Fire away...

[Blitz_]

hmm i dont know really, pretty good list, but 2 many BMW's, i rekon the FPV Typhoon should be in there once realesed, great car, and the Ford Territory, withought doubt its a landmark Australian car, Aussie X5 for falcon bucks!

[Spastik_Roach]

Best New Car Overall: Ford GT.
Worst New Car Overall: Scion bB
Best SUV/4WD: New Land Rover Discovery:
Worst SUV/4WD: I dunno if it could count But, Rover Streetwise
Best Family Car: Toyota Prius
Worst Family Car: Cant think of one.
Best MPV/Minivan: Mitsubishi Grandis
Worst MPV/Minivan: Ford C-Max (Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't innovate at all in terms of what its got)
Best Sports Car: Koenigsegg CCR
Worst Sports Car: Chrysler Crossfire
Best Concept Car: Vauxhaul VX Lightning
Worst Concept Car: Bugatti Veyron
Designer Of The Year: Dirk van Braeckel

[UK CARS]

Best New Car Overall- Porsche careara gt
Worst New Car Overall - Toyota Prius ( get a Citroen c2, save £11,000 and get 68mpg, karrmann)
Best SUV/4WD- Land rover discovery 3
Worst SUV/4WD- Bmw x3
Best Family Car- Peguot 407
Worst Family Car- Citroen c5 (facelift)
Best MPV/MiniVan - Renault Espace (facelift)
Worst MPV/Minivan - Fiat multipla (facelift)
Best Sports Car- Mercedes slk
Worst Sports Car - Audi tt (the new one with more power)
Best Concept Car - Bmw m5
Worst Concept Car - Ford shelby gr-1
Designer of the Year - Henrik fisker
Head On A Stick Award - Bennie Eccelstone/Chris Bangle
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up- Mg/Rover
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone) - Morgan (wtf??)

[Karrmann]

Best New Car Overall- Ford Five Hundred
Worst New Car Overall- 05 Ford Focus
Best SUV/4WD-Mitsubishi Pajaro/Montero
Worst SUV/4WD- Hummer H2
Best Family Car- Toyota Prius
Worst Family Car-Ford Expedition
Best MPV/MiniVan- Dodge Caravan SXT
Worst MPV/Minivan-Ford Freestar
Best Sports Car- Mazda Miata
Worst Sports Car-Dodge Viper
Best Concept Car- Oldsmobille Aerotech III
Worst Concept Car-Honda Fya-Jo (oh I wonder wonder wonder wonder, what's in a wonder box!!?)
Head On A Stick Award- Bill Ford
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up-Ford's consumer service
Lifetime Achievement Award-Toyota for making the first production hybrid and making it so good people are waiting for atleast 2 years for 1!
biggest lemon award- Ford Focus
best looking car-Vector "Avtech" WX-3R (good job Gerald!!)
worst looking car-Honda Fya-Jo (it's a giant vaccum cleaner!!)

[Wouter Melissen]

Best Concept Car- Oldsmobille Aerotech III

That concept is older than you are.

[Ferrari Tifosi]

Best New Car Overall - Porsche Carrera GT
Worst New Car Overall - Scion bB (agree with you here Spastik)
Best SUV/4WD - n/a
Worst SUV/4WD - n/a
Best Family Car - Maserati Quattroporte/ BMW 3 series
Worst Family Car - n/a
Best MPV/MiniVan - Honda Odessey
Worst MPV/Minivan - n/a
Best Sports Car - Mazda Mazdaspeed Miata
Worst Sports Car - Lamborghini Gallardo
Best Concept Car - Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Worst Concept Car - n/a
Designer of the Year - Pinanfarina (love their styling)
Head On A Stick Award - n/a
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone) - Corvette C6

[Karrmann]

That concept is older than you are.

well, I like that car and even if the company is bankrupt, it still was an great idea, even it is 80's.

[Coventrysucks]

Karrmann: WTF is an elik? is it like an alec?
Also, when voting for 2004 cars, you might want to pick a car from 2004.
Are you going to vote for Abraham Lincoln next week? No, because he isn't a 2004 presidential candidate.

Now for some Concepts:
Audi Le Mans
Audi RSQ
Bertone Jet
Buick Velite
Chevy Nomad
Chyrsler ME412
Dodge Slingshot
Farboud GTS
Fiat Trepiuno
Fioravanti Kite
Ford Bronco
Ford Focus Vignale
Ford Shelby Cobra
Honda SUT
Hummer H3T
Hyundai HCD8
Italdesign Visconti
Italdesign Volta
Jeep Rescue
Lexus LF-C
Lincoln Aviator
Lincoln Mark X
Lincoln Zephyr
Mercedes Vision B
Mercedes vision GST
Mercedes Vision R
Mitsubishi Concept-E
Mitsubishi Sport Truck
Nissan Actic
Nissan Qashqai
Noble M14
Opel Trixx
Peugeot 907
Pininfarina Nido
Range Stormer
Renault Fluence
Renault Wind
Rolls Royce EX100
Saturn Curve
Shelby GR1
Sivax Xtile
Toyota FTX
Toyota MTRC
TVR Sagaris
Volvo 3CC
Volvo YCC
VW Concept C
VW Concept R
VW Concept T

But there were many more...

[jones.dk]

Best New Car Overall- Aston Martin DB9
Worst New Car Overall - Toyota Prius
Best SUV/4WD- Bmw X5 4.8is
Worst SUV/4WD- New Land Rover Discovery
Best Family Car- Audi A6
Worst Family Car- Mitsubishi Colt
Best MPV/MiniVan - Seat Altea
Worst MPV/Minivan - Fiat Multipla
Best Sports Car- TVR T350T
Worst Sports Car - Chrysler Crossfire
Best Concept Car - BMW M5!!!
Worst Concept Car - Lexus LF-C
Designer of the Year - Henrik fisker!!! YEEEEHHAA (hes a dane)
Head On A Stick Award - Bennie Eccelstone
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up- N/A
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone) - Pininfarina/ Porsche 997

[Slicks]

Best Sports Car- Mazda Miata
Worst Sports Car-Dodge Viper

Wow, you really need your brain inspected....

[Rockefella]

Karrmann: Also, when voting for 2004 cars, you might want to pick a car from 2004.
Are you going to vote for Abraham Lincoln next week? No, because he isn't a 2004 presidential candidate.

Karrman isn't old enough to vote for the President yet. ;)

[Matt]

Karrman isn't old enough to vote for the President yet. ;)

I would guess that he won't be old enough in 4 years, either.

[Ferrari Tifosi]

Wow, you really need your brain inspected....

I would also consider the Miata a far better sports car than the Viper. The Miata is more true to the sports car heritege than a Viper.

[UK CARS]

I would guess that he won't be old enough in 4 years, either.
No, retards cant vote.

[Matt]

No, retards cant vote.

Technically, they can. And it explains our current situation.

[Rockefella]

No, retards cant vote.
especially when younger than 18... :D :D

[Coventrysucks]

Best New Car Overall - BMW E60 M5 - Performance car £40,000 less than it should be

Worst New Car Overall - too many to choose from, I can't make my mind up.

Best SUV/4WD - Land Rover Discovery 3. Because it can go offroad (wow!)

Worst SUV/4WD - BMW X3. Because it can't.

Best Family Car - Ford Focus Mk 2

Worst Family Car - Can't decide.

Best MPV/MiniVan - Renault Espace

Worst MPV/Minivan - Mercedes Vaneo. The technical term is "big bag of w**k"

Best Sports Car - Marcos TSO R/T. Like an old school TVR, but won't break down. (And if it does, the Americans are to blame.)

Worst Sports Car - Chrysler Crossfire. It would have been average 10 years ago.

Best Concept Car - Renault Fluence. Pushing the standard of concept cars forward.

Worst Concept Car - So many to choose from, most of them from Ford and GM. Worst is probably the Chrysler PT Cruiser Coupe: pathetic.

Designer of the Year - Patrick le Quément. Avant-garde without being unneccessarily ugly.

Head On A Stick Award - Dr. Karl-Heinz Neumann. There might be a new Bugatti sometime in the next century. Possibly.

Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up - Ferrari - 3 (4 if Auto Express' image of the 575 replacement is mildly accurate) absolute stinkers on the trot in terms of design (all IMHO of course), then they built a GT car which didn't comply with the GT rules, then they managed to get it racing anyway. The Maserati Quattroporte's gearbox has been slated for being rubbish. Etc, etc

Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone) - Aston Martin: They actually turned a profit, possibly the first time ever.

[cuntukimushroom]

youve all forgot the supercar or does that count in the sport's car categoury i cant spell

[Karrmann]

I would also consider the Miata a far better sports car than the Viper. The Miata is more true to the sports car heritege than a Viper.

yes, cause the Viper is caught between over rated piece of junk and pedal bike.

Dodge is acting like they got a heads up on the supercar market but it can't beat many of the competeters, Ferrari F355 Lamborghini Gallerdo etc.

a sparts car is a car that is peppy, sporty, cheap and is stylish enough to be the coolest car on the block. the Viper fits nowhere in those lines.

and slicks, my brain is working fine, stop action like these Viper lovin big jocks on SC.net

[Niko_Fx]

Best Concept Car- Oldsmobille Aerotech III

That concept is older than you are.

HaHaHa! :)


Are you going to vote for Abraham Lincoln next week? No, because he isn't a 2004 presidential candidate.

HaHaHaHaHa!!!! LMFAO


Best Sports Car- Mazda Miata
Worst Sports Car-Dodge Viper

Wow, you really need your brain inspected....

ROFL Definitely

[UK CARS]

a sparts car is a car that is peppy, sporty, cheap and is stylish enough to be the coolest car on the block.
Karrmann, do you have Cerebral Palsy?

[Karrmann]

UK CARS, i'm asking Wouter for a virtual UCP restraining order.

[PerfAdv]

Best New Car Overall---E60 inspite of looks
Worst New Car Overall---Buick LaCrosse despite of looks, same old-tech under the skin
Best SUV/4WD---VW Touareg, new for '04 otherwise Toyota LC
Worst SUV/4WD---Ford Excursion, purpose?
Best Family Car---Honda Accord hybrid or reg. if hybrid is '05
Best Family Car above $30K---Mercedes CLS
Worst Family Car---Kia Rio, spend a couple grand more and get much more car
Best MPV/MiniVan---Honda Odyssey, redo maybe '05
Worst MPV/Minivan---?
Best Sports Car---Lotus Elise
Worst Sports Car---Mustang, no IRS in a sporty car?
Best Concept Car---Bugatti Veyron, great concept
Worst Concept Car---?
Designer of the Year---Michael Fink for designing new M-B CLS
Head On A Stick Award---Ecclestone
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up---?
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone)---Toyota and Honda for making viable hybrids, although still surpassed by some diesels. Next gen!!!

[taz_rocks_miami]

Best New Car Overall: On American Shores, Pontiac GTO
Worst New Car Overall: Chrystler Crossfire
Best SUV/4WD: Land Rover Discovery
Worst SUV/4WD: Porsche Cayane (sorry if I mispelled it)
Best Family Car: BMW M5 or Audi RS6
Worst Family Car: Too many to choose from.
Best MPV/MiniVan: Who cares!
Worst MPV/Minivan: Same here!
Best Sports Car: Ferrari F430
Worst Sports Car: Again the Crossfire
Best Concept Car: Bugatti Veyron or Shelby Cobra
Worst Concept Car: Not sure yet.
Designer of the Year: N/A
Head On A Stick Award: N/A
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up: N/A
Lifetime Achievement Award: Enzo Ferrari, he should have gotten an award like this when he was alive.

[Matt]

UK CARS, i'm asking Wouter for a virtual UCP restraining order.

I refuse to enforce that on the grounds that it would severly decrease the amount of laughs I get from it. Yeah, I'm selfish. So what.

[Karrmann]

I don't find any of UK's me bashing funny at all.

[bush_tuckerman]

Best New Car Overall: Audi RS6
Worst New Car Overall: ANY Smart
Best SUV/4WD: Ford Territory
Worst SUV/4WD: BMW X3
Best Family Car : Audi RS6 Avant
Worst Family Car: Avalon 2
Best MPV/MiniVan: Honda Oddsey
Worst MPV/Minivan: ...most of them
Best Sports Car: Ferrari Enzo
Worst Sports Car: Mazda RX-8
Best Concept Car: Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Roadster
Worst Concept Car: Hummer H3T
Designer of the Year: Team Ferrari
Head On A Stick Award: Ecclestone
Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up: Mitsubishi - stopping production of AWD Magna/Verada with next model
Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone): Aston Martin - Designing cars the deserce the badge - makeing a profit!

[Rockefella]

I don't find any of UK's me bashing funny at all.
Karrman, i guess it must be really annoying from you're seat next to you're computer, but this bashing is hysterical... :p :D :D

[Coventrysucks]

I disagree about the Veyron being a good concept.

First of all, the Veyron concept was first unveiled in 2000, with a slightly more realistic version in 2003, so not really a 2004 concept.

Second its a 2+ tonne "sports" car, which can't go fast.
Not a great concept in itself.

[Karrmann]

also to add, it's transmission tore itself apart when it drove onto it's display at it's unveiling. also, Bugatti said it would need to use a spoiler which would shave off 20 MPH from it's top speed. and on top of that the engine is exposed, what if it rains, the engine would get friggin waterlogged.

[Egg Nog]

Yeah, I'm selfish. So what.

So very Republican of you!

[werty]

this thread started out being a list of cars in their catagories for 2004

last two pages are about karrmann and politics

interesting.....









Karrmann for President!!! :p

[PerfAdv]

I disagree about the Veyron being a good concept.

First of all, the Veyron concept was first unveiled in 2000, with a slightly more realistic version in 2003, so not really a 2004 concept.

Second its a 2+ tonne "sports" car, which can't go fast.
Not a great concept in itself.
I see your point. I think it's good because of its concept. As in reincarnated legend by an aerospace company. High breeding and lofty goals.

The real Veyron is showing some real flaws. Since it hasn't been released, isn't it still a concept. Even if it is a very long gestation. They should never have promised a release/debut date. There is a limit to being fashionably late, even if you orchestrate for it to be the star.

Remains to be seen if they can put a spin on it. So far they just keep getting free press everytime they delay.

[Turbonutter55]

Best Car: Aston DB9
Worst Car: Saturn ION
Best SUV: Land Rover Disco 3
Worst SUV: X5 4.8iS
Best Family Car: Honda Accord
Worst Family Car: Proton Gen2
Best MPV: Renault Espace
Worst MPV: Ford Freestar
Best Sports Car: TVR Typhon
Worst Sports Car: Peugeot 307CC
Best Concept: Fiat Trepiuno
Worst Concept: Suzuki Landbreeze
Designer of the Year:Italdesign, for the 8C alone
Head on Stick award: Bernie Ecclestone
Biggest Stuff-up: Peugeot for 307CC WRC (rally cars aren't convertibles for a reason) and confusing name changes
Lifetime Achievement: Rolls-Royce

[Matt]

So very Republican of you!

What? You're speaking in tongues. Can't understand. Say again?

[cp01ae]

Here are my pics:

-Best New Car Overall Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, Honourable mention to the Chrysler 300
-Worst New Car Overall BMW 1 Serries (I just don't get it)
-Best SUV/4WD Land Rover Discovery
-Worst SUV/4WD Hummer H3T (why do we need that ugly thing?)
-Best Family Car Honda Accord
-Worst Family Car Ford Taurus
-Best MPV/MiniVan Honda Odessy (the JDM car with this name, not the big American one)
-Worst MPV/Minivan Ford Freestar
-Best Sports Car Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge Stradale
-Worst Sports Car Ford Mustang ('04 not the new '05)
-Best Concept Car Fuore BlackJag, Honourable mention to the V10 in the M5 concept
-Worst Concept Car Lancia Thesis Stola S85
-Designer of the Year Fuore
-Head On A Stick Award Bernie Ecclestone (what are you thinking?!)
-Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up BMW styling, Mitsubishi bus Debacle here in Japan
-Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone) Nissan, for tunring their fortunes around and making some decent cars.

[jcp123]

Not sure if these all have to be NEW new cars or just cars that were in production for '04 even at the end of their design cycles. I just picked by everything that was in production.
Best New Car Overall: Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
-Worst New Car Overall: BMW 1 Serries (I just don't get it)
-Best SUV/4WD: Land Rover Discovery for being a true SUV.
-Worst SUV/4WD: Honda Element
-Best Family Car: VW Passat
-Worst Family Car: Hyundai Sonata
-Best MPV/MiniVan: Dodge Caravan/Chrysler T&C
-Worst MPV/Minivan: Chrysler PT Cruiser (hey, it's classified as a light truck just like the minivans)
-Best Sports Car: Vette (bang for the buck)
-Worst Sports Car: BMW Z4
-Best Concept Car:no freakin idea...
-Worst Concept Car:still no freakin idea...
-Designer of the Year: Whoever brought back the high beltline on the 300C
-Head On A Stick Award: The guy who designed the new BMW's
-Biggest Car Industry Stuff Up: BMW styling, honorable mention to the box cars (Honda Element and Scion in particular)
-Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone): Cadillac DeVille. Not completely sure, but I think the DeVille is the longest surviving nameplate in motordom.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Best New Car Overall - Vauxhall Astra
Worst New Car Overall - Ford Focus
Best SUV/4WD - BMW X5 4.8i (even though I hate it)
Worst SUV/4WD - Tie between Hummer, Excursion and Surburban
Best Family Car - Honda Accord Tourer Type S (with 17-in alloys :))
Worst Family Car - Alfa Romeo 147 (new facelift- what were Alfa thinking!)
Best MPV/MiniVan - N/A- contradiction in terms... :)
Worst MPV/Minivan - Any mini-MPV, because they're completely pointless.
Best Sports Car - Honda NSX Type-R
Worst Sports Car - BMW M5
Best Concept Car - Fiat Panda 4x4 (it climbed Everest...cool...)
Worst Concept Car - Yangtze River Sturgeon
Designer of the Year - Honda- getting better everyday
Head On A Stick Award - BMW, for hiring a desginer who has no sense of sight.
Lifetime Achievement Award - MG for making such great cars.

[cp01ae]

Not sure if these all have to be NEW new cars or just cars that were in production for '04 even at the end of their design cycles. I just picked by everything that was in production.
Best New Car Overall: Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
-Worst New Car Overall: BMW 1 Serries (I just don't get it)
-Best SUV/4WD: Land Rover Discovery for being a true SUV.
.


Hey, when you cut and paste my answers, you might want to change them just a bit

[Turbonutter55]

-Lifetime Achievement Award (For A Long Serving Car or Brand hitting a Milestone): Cadillac DeVille. Not completely sure, but I think the DeVille is the longest surviving nameplate in motordom.
Doubt it. RR Phantom for one...

[Egg Nog]

VW Beetle?