For those who remember earlier eras, the cars on this "worst" list will seem laughable. They won't turn to rust at the first sign of rain, spontaneous combustion is improbable and plowing into another car at 40 mph isn't automatically a death sentence.

However, this is not the 1970s, '80s or even '90s. The bar has soared higher with progress, and with it, cars that are otherwise safe and reliable end up among the Worst Cars You Can Buy. If we declare "class leaders" and "best-in-segments," we must also conclude that with a finite number of possibilities, there are "class losers" and "worst-in-segments." It's simple logic.

In many cases, picking the cars was easy, as fellow segment ugly ducklings have transformed into swans in recent years. Ultimately, that's a good thing for car buyers since it means that a vast majority of cars are easily clearing the bar set for 2013.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/the-17-worst-cars-you-can-buy-215814229.html