10 most disappointing cars of 2011

Not just one car but a whole division, Edsels roamed the earth from 1957 until their extinction in 1960. A misguided attempt by Henry Ford II to attach some of the profits GM banked from Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, the Edsel was strangely named, poorly designed, badly engineered, and ill-timed. Launched into the teeth of a recession, it arrived on the market festooned with chrome just when buyers were developing a liking for more restrained European designs. The New Coke of an earlier generation, Edsel became a synonym for corporate blundering and cost Ford an estimated $350 million.

Aztek was launched with the tagline: "Quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet." Versatile but unloved. A classic example of disconnect among GM design, engineering, and manufacturing, the Aztek was considered one of the world's ugliest cars when it was launched in 2001 and still holds that distinction a decade later. GM forecast sales of up to 75,000 per year but never managed to move more than 27,322. GM pulled the plug after the 2005 model year.

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