15. Mercury Topaz
The Topaz was a luxury upgrade over the standard Ford Escort. But in reality, all you were getting was a fancier grille. The car had no real upgrades. The buzzing engine and the lack of sound densening inside of the cabin makes the car a nightmare to drive. Lackluster acceleration and safety features relegated this car to the clearance racks early on. If you wonder why Mercury disappeared, the Topaz is the reason.
Cars like the Topaz managed to tarnish whatever reputation Mercury had left. To even slightly enjoy driving one of these things, you’d have to be in dire need of a vehicle. The Topaz is just a sad excuse for a car compared to other vehicles that were on the market at the time.