Would you buy any of the cars listed below? The original list is titled “The top 10 cars that Americans hate”. Hate is such a strong word. Do people really hate cars? So, to generate this list of the cars Americans dislike, Forbes looked at sales data for the 10 major vehicle segments. The vehicles with the lowest sales in their class made this list.

Kia Rio (Subcompact Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Acording to J.D. Power’s 2008 dependability study, it ranked miserably making it a risky quality purchase for some buyers.

Volkswagen Rabbit (Compact Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Americans are not fond of hatchbacks, which are widely popular in Europe. Figures!

Mazda Tribute (Compact Multi-activity Vehicle)
Why Americans Hate It: This SUV is an oddball in the Mazda mix, and most buyers don’t look to the brand for an SUV.

Saab 9-7X (Midsize Premium Multi-Activity Vehicle)
Why Americans Hate It: Saab’s quirky interior, like ignition starts located on the center console and not the dash, appeals to “a little different buyer with a little different personality.”

Saturn Sky (Compact Sporty Car)
Why Americans Hate It: This convertible top is cumbersome to maneuver in terms up getting it up and down and just doesn’t appeal to buyers who want a convertible.

Audi A3 (Entry Premium Vehicle)
Why Americans Hate It: Again… Americans are not fond of hatchbacks, which are widely popular in Europe.

Dodge Magnum (Large Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Americans lost their interest in wagons when the minivan came along (which later fell out of favor to SUVs). It’s an awkward looking wagon as well.

Mitsubishi Galant (Midsize Car)
Why Americans Hate It: The Galant suffers from a lack of brand recognition in the ultra-competitive midsize segment.

Jaguar XJ (Large Premium Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Buyers were willing to suffer through some quality issues when Jaguar was British-owned, but the brand lost luster when Ford bought, and then later sold, it to India-based Tata Motors last year. I completely understand.

Acura RL (Midsize Premium Car)
Why Americans Hate It: Acura’s bland, plain-vanilla exterior styling is a turnoff to buyers who don’t want to blend in in a crowded parking lot.

In the midst of all the bad economic news, this has almost gone unnoticed. Gas prices dropped more this week than in any week since AAA began recording prices. Currently, the national average price is $3.12, according to AAA.

With the price of oil below $80 a barrel, this price could come down even more over the next few weeks, bringing $3 gas back into sight. Woo Hoo!

In fact, the price of oil is declining much faster than the price of gas. Experts say gas prices climb like a rocket and slowly float downward like a feather because the industry can bolster its profit margins when oil costs less. Compounding this phenomenon was the recent shutdown of refineries in the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricanes Ike and Gustav struck, which squeezed gas supplies.

The word “lemon” probably will cross your lips long before the vehicle is actually a candidate for a manufacturer buyback

Strange rattles, a faulty interior light, a malfunctioning compact-disc player or a balky heater don’t add up to a lemon. If the brakes don’t work as they should, the car won’t start when the temperature dips, the accelerator pedal repeatedly sticks, the reverse gear malfunctions or the car has no power to reach highway speeds, you may have a case if the problem can’t be fixed.

What’s a Lemon?

• A persistent defect that substantially impairs a vehicle’s use, value or safety.

• A substantial defect cannot be fixed in four attempts or in two tries for a safety defect during the warranty period.

• The car has been in the shop for 30 days or more, and the dealer cannot fix it.

An estimated 100,000 cars, trucks and SUVs eventually are bought back by manufacturers every year, but the process isn’t quick or easy. Every state and the District of Columbia have lemon laws that establish standards for when vehicles should be repurchased or replaced by the manufacturer. (You’ll find a state-by-state list of lemon laws here.)

What To Do?   Experts advise you to send notice to the manufacturer by a certified, return-receipt letter. Make sure you document any problems and the attempts to get them fixed. Start taking notes as soon as you believe something is wrong, and hang on to the repair bills. Keep track of whom you talked to and the dates and times of those discussions. Put your complaints in writing and save copies of everything. How long could this take? Documenting the problems, going through repeated repairs and then engaging in negotiations or haggling through a lawyer could end up taking a year or more.

If you want a refund of your money, the manufacturer is not going to write you a check with just a phone call.  Some warn that an inexperienced consumer is not a good match against a big corporation or their seasoned lawyers. Rosemary Shahan, the president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety in Sacramento, Calif., says consumers do not necessarily need a lawyer if they have lemons. If a consumer decides legal help is necessary, there are “lemon lawyers” in every state who know the ins and outs of lemon laws.  Be sure to check out any lawyer you want to hire. 33 states require that manufacturers pay legal fees in successful cases. 15 states require arbitration, usually handled by the state attorney general’s office, before going to court. Be forewarned: If you get a settlement that you don’t like, you can’t appeal.

Where Do The Rotten Lemons Go?   Refurbished lemons go back on the market, often in a different state far from the location where the vehicle ran amok. Great!  An Experian Automotive study for The New York Times found that of 1,000 vehicles bought back as lemons in Florida, 555 were sold outside the state — and 80% of them had lost their buyback designation. Always Carfax what you might buy. Better safe than sorry.  

…while maintaining total and absolute control over the sales process.

1. Pick the exact make and model of car you want. Don’t let a salesman change your mind.

2. Call around first anonymously and get prices. Tell them you are calling everybody, and the best deal wins. Write down the prices you are given, and note any difference in packages.

3. Pick the dealership you think you want to do business with based on the results of this phone call. Price should not be the decider (demeanor and gut feel should).

4. Go to the dealership you absolutely NEVER want to do business with. Nail down the details on the options — go for “loaded,” then whittle it down to find the approximate prices for each option. Make a detailed list with prices. Mark the options you must have and those can do without.

5. Do your research online and compare your pricing research with others and experts. Set an “ideal price” and an “I can live with it” price for the car you want with all the options you want, and again for the car you want with the minimum options. You now have a low and high figure for the car.

6. Go get cash or a pre-approved car loan for something less than the upper amount. Put the cash or check in a blank sealed envelope. Find out ahead of time how to deal with the pre-approved loan if the negotiated amount is less than the amount on the bank check. You do not want to have to leave the dealership to get a new check for a smaller amount, so try to arrange something in advance for this contingency.

7. Call your insurance carrier and tell them you are buying a new car. Do as much of the paperwork ahead of time as possible and determine the hours they can service you so you can avoid delays or surprises at delivery time. (Any delays benefit the dealer.)

9. Find the exact car you want. Use your list…this shows you’ve done your homework. Don’t be surprised if your salesman suddenly has to handle an emergency and hands you off to someone else. This is a good sign that you have the upper hand already.

10. Show them the envelope. Tell them you have cash/a pre-approved loan check, and three chances to get it from you if you can drive out by an exact time (by 3 PM is usually good), all paperwork done, taxes paid, and every other fee under the sun taken care of for less than the amount in the envelope. Do not give any hints about the amount, make them name heir price. If it’s way out of sight, don’t say anything. Just laugh and head for the door. They’ll chase you down and give you a much better number. If they don’t, go elsewhere.

11. Read everything. Twice. Have your friend do the same. Line out anything you don’t agree to or doesn’t apply, initial and date this and have the dealer rep do the same. Do not leave any blank spaces. Count the papers and make sure you get copies of all of them. Ask if there are any programs you need to opt out of to avoid being automatically signed up for them. Do whatever is required to opt out.

12. If at any time they give you attitude or BS, walk out. They will chase you down. Tell them they have only one chance left because they gave you attitude. Now they will deal. If they don’t, go elsewhere.

13. Try another city if yours is full of slime balls.

Buying A USED Car: Stay civil, do not let any emotion in. The same technique works for buying a used car, but tell them that you will not talk price until YOUR mechanic looks over the vehicle and gives you a report on it. Watch how much the squirm. 90% of used cars have a defect. Have the mechanic lined up for the time you will be needing the car checked out. NEVER use a mechanic who is near the dealership.Tell your mechanic “check this car like you would if your 16 year old daughter was going to have to drive it to Alaska and back alone.” Go back to the dealer with a list of all defects and an estimate to fix them. Negotiate a price adjustment. In some cases, you may agree to let the dealer do the repairs, BUT specifically put in writing that these repairs will be accepted only after a re-inspection by your mechanic and no crappy used or after-market parts will be used. Figure on devoting at least a month and looking at 200+ cars to find a good used car. Never rush to buy a car. These things take time. Another awesome article from the Consumerist.

The market for sport utility vehicles is starting to look a lot like the housing market, spreading pain to consumers, automakers and dealers. Just like hapless homeowners, countless car owners are now “underwater,” driving vehicles that are worth less than the balance on their car loans. And just like desperate homeowners, the sellers of S.U.V.’s are having to painfully cut asking prices.

Dealers normally spend this time of year raking in some of their biggest profits and breathlessly promoting Detroit’s newest models. Instead, they almost cannot give S.U.V.’s away.

Automakers are offering discounts of $10,000 or more on some S.U.V.’s just to get rid of them, so dealers have space to stock more of the fuel-efficient cars consumers are clamoring for. On average, new sport utility vehicles sold for 20% below sticker price in July.

Swedish car giant Volvo sets a target to eliminate death and injury in its vehicles by 2020.  The firm says it is claiming a first in setting a target date in the race to cut the world-wide crash toll of 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries each year.

Watch the Clip.

Gas-electric hybrid vehicles, the status symbol for the environmentally conscientious, are coming under attack from the blind. Because hybrids make virtually no noise at slower speeds when they run solely on electric power, blind people say they pose a hazard to those who rely on their ears to determine whether it’s safe to cross the street or walk through a parking lot. The tests (admittedly unscientific) involved people standing in parking lots or on sidewalks who were asked to signal when they heard several different hybrid models drive by. Results: People were making comments like, ‘When are they going to start the test?‘ And it would turn out that the vehicle had already done two or three laps around the parking lot.

A bill intended to protect blind people and other pedestrians from the dangers posed by quiet cars will be introduced to Congress. The measure would require the Transportation Department to establish safety standards for hybrids and other vehicles that make little discernible noise, including an audible means for alerting people that cars are nearby.

Preliminary results of an ongoing study at the University of California-Riverside have indicated the cars pose some risk. The study found that hybrids operating at slow speeds must be 40% closer to pedestrians than combustion-engine vehicles before they make enough noise for their location to be detected.

Honda Makes Stylish Attempt With Hybrid CR-Z

Hybrids can be muscular and stylish, too. That’s the message Honda hopes to send at this month’s Tokyo auto show with its new gas-electric hybrid sports car CR-Z.  The vehicle has maintained “the essence of the sports car” while still delivering good mileage and less pollution, he said.

Hybrid vehicles tend to be bulkier than sleek sports cars because of the size and complexity of the hybrid systems, which include a battery, motor, engine, converter and other parts. They’re usually not known for their torque, acceleration, handling and innovative design. The CR-Z comes with a new hybrid system developed by Honda whose breakthroughs allowed designers to get around such restrictions to achieve its lean cutting-edge look. The model will be on display at the biannual Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the public Oct. 27 in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba.

No Driver Needed

OshKosh Truck rolled out a prototype self-driving vehicle that may one day supply soldiers on the battlefield. The 12-ton TerraMax uses on-board computers, GPS, lasers and sophisticated cameras to steer itself around obstacles. It also can be controlled remotely. The Pentagon plans to deploy such vehicles in combat zones to bring supplies to troops without putting convoy drivers at risk. Congress has mandated that 1 in 3 ground combat vehicles be self-driving by 2015.

Activists Urge Toyota To Support a Senate Energy Bill

Never mind that the Toyota Prius is popular with environmentally conscious motorists — some environmentalists still wonder if Toyota is living up to its image as a green automaker. Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, are challenging Toyota Motor Corp.’s opposition to strict fuel economy standards pending in Congress, a position the Japanese company shares with General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.

About 8,300 NRDC activists sent e-mails and faxes to Toyota urging the company to support a Senate energy bill that would set a 35-mile-per-gallon requirement by 2020. Other environmental groups, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the National Environmental Trust, are mobilizing to challenge Toyota for supporting a more modest approach on so-called CAFE standards that would require 32 to 35 mpg by 2022.