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Press Release

Ten cars to steer clear of

3 July 2007

Which? Car names ten Don’t Buy cars you’d be better off leaving on dealers’ forecourts and 20 Best Buys you can drive with confidence.

No other car magazine advises people which cars not to buy, but Which? Car names three new cars with such poor safety ratings they should be avoided and seven used cars which are just plain poor:

  • Chevrolet Matiz (new) is a creaky old design that hasn’t advanced since 1998 (when it was badged Daewoo) and poor safety means there’s a high risk of serious or fatal injury in a crash.
  • Chrysler Voyager (new) gained a shocking crash-test result, particularly for a family-orientated vehicle. It’s best to avoid voyages in this car.
  • Dodge Caliber (new).Which?’s detailed safety inspections have revealed a number of worrying problems. Not of a very high calibre.
  • Citroen Saxo (1996-2003) leaves owners feeling short-changed, despite the low prices. It also has outdated safety and security measures.
  • Fiat Punto (1999-2006). There are too many troublespots on a car that’s supposed to represent easy ownership. Just 40 per cent of owners in the survey definitely recommend it.
  • Peugeot 106 (1996-2003) is an old design with safety and security standards that are severely lacking. Steer clear.
  • Rover 200/25 (1995-2005) is dogged by poor reliability and falls well short of contemporary safety and security standards.
  • Citroen Xsara (1997-2004) can be troublesome and its dated safety and poor rating by owners means motorists should give it a miss.
  • Renault Megane (1996-2003) has too many reliability worries and is unpopular with owners.
  • Land Rover Freelander (1997-2006) has so many problems you’d be forgiven for thinking it went on sale before it was finished.

At the other end of the scale, Which? Car names 20 Best Buy cars which have performed well in its rigorous independent road and safety tests and also satisfied their owners.

Richard Headland, editor, Which? Car, said:

“Arthur Daley may have gone out of business, but there are still some pretty dodgy motors out there. We think motorists should steer well clear of these ten cars which are either unsafe by current standards, unreliable, or both.

“We’ve also named 20 excellent new cars, which you can drive off the forecourt with confidence. Well done to all these carmakers for producing cars which actually do live up to the hype and have been rewarded with the coveted Best Buy status.”



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