Driving the right car can help you enjoy the sunny days of summer. The wrong car, though, can have the opposite effect. When you’re driving one of the worst cars for summer and sunny climates, you’ll probably feel a cramp in your style. From tiny, comfortable cars to cars with infamous reputations, do your best to avoid these four worst cars for summer:

1. The Ford Tempo

image: cargurus.com

If you own a Ford Tempo, then you don’t need anyone to explain why it’s one of the worst cars for summer. Rumors of the Tempo’s unreliability have spread far and wide. There’s a good reason for that. The 1988 through ’93 models underwent a major recall because of faulty ignitions that would literally set the car on fire. Luckily, the ignition malfunction only occurred when the car was in park, so most people found that the cars caught themselves on fire after they had exited the vehicles. Woe to the precocious environmentalist who put her car in park at long red lights to save gas.

2. The GM Hummer

image: thisislondon.co.uk

The Hummer enjoyed a brief period of popularity amongst civilians, mostly because the U.S. government offered tax incentives for vehicles over 6000 pounds. Once gas prices started rising during the 2000s, though, anyone spotted driving a Hummer would receive dirty looks for using such a gas guzzler. This hefty vehicle only gets 9 miles per gallon. That means a lot of stops during your summer drives. Ask yourself, would you rather spend your summer on the road or standing next to a gas pump? With the Hummer, you’ll do more pumping than driving.

3. The Kandi COCO

image: softwaretimes.com

The Hummer is just too large for your summer drives. The Kandi COCO, however, has the opposite problem. This tiny two-seater is noted as one of the cheapest cars on the planet. That’s great for those who want a tiny vehicle for getting around congested cities without spending a lot of money. It’s not so great, though, for those who want to enjoy a drive in the country. The Kandi COCO gets great gas mileage (60 mpg), but it can’t top 40 miles per hour. You wouldn’t even want to try merging onto the freeway in this little guy.

4. The GM Nova

image: credit in watermark

Speed demons who are too lazy to push the gas pedal will love the GM Nova. Drivers with more sense, however, will want to avoid these cars, especially models made in the late 60s and early 70s. GM had a massive recall for these cars because the accelerators had minds of their own. Like a Stephen King story, the Nova would start going faster and faster even as drivers pumped the brakes. That’s not a very good idea for those who are interested in saving on car insurance or reaching their destinations alive.

From the newest models to the oldest clunkers, there are plenty of bad cars that could ruin your summer fun. Of all the cars that you have owned, which one has been the absolute worst? Has one ever ruined your whole summer?