What’s the Worst Generation of Your Favorite Car?

A photo of two MKIV Ford Mustang muscle cars.

Is the MKIV the worst in the Mustang stable? Photo: Ford

Few cars come and go after a single generation, most earn updates, facelifts, and countless redesigns over the course of their lives. And mostly, these tweaks and changes can be for the best and improve performance and styling. But, not every generational change can be for the better.

So today, we want to look into the different generations of your favorite cars to uncover the outliers, the missed opportunities and the models that just don’t live up to the rest of the lineage. To put it simply, we want to hear all about the worst generation of your favorite car.

Some great cars have spawned a whole heap of generations over the years, like the impending Dodge Charger Daytona EV, which will be the eighth iteration of the iconic muscle car. Then there are hot hatchbacks like the VW Golf GTI, which is knocking on the door at its ninth incarnation.

But of all of these generation changes, which is your least favorite?

Maybe you love an old VW bus thanks to its kitschy styling, practicality, and never-ending charm. The original split-screen van from the 50s and 60s is obviously the icon, and the latest all-electric ID Buzz does a pretty good job at continuing the legacy. But in between, you’ll find the Vanagon of the 1980s and 90s, which didn’t have nearly the same appeal.

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Or perhaps, like me, you love the Ford Mustang and have so across almost all of its seven generations. But, while many bemoan the second-generation ‘Stang as the worst of the bunch thanks to its close ties to the Pinto, I could never get my head around the fourth generation from 1994.

But that’s just me, I’m sure you’ll all jump in the comments and tell me I’m wrong. And that’s exactly what we want you to do! Head down below to let us know what the worst generation of your favorite car is. We’ll round up some of the top answers in a slideshow tomorrow.