Cars.com selects Smart ForTwo, Chevrolet Malibu as worst, most improved cars of the decade

Best and worst cars lists are subjective, which make perfect sense since they’re compiled from a subjective industry. Who makes the best cars? Who makes the worst cars? Who knows?

But approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st century, editors at Cars.com have decided publish lists of the top-10 most improved and top-10 worst cars of the decade.

The much-maligned Pontiac Aztec is on the list of the top-10 worst cars of the decade, but it isn’t worst. And the Chevrolet Malibu is the most improved car of the last decade? Really. Suffice is to say the lists are surprising.

In reserve order, here are the top-10 worst cars of the decade and the top-10 most improved with a comments on the No. 1 worst and No. 1 most improved from each list.

The 10 Worst Cars of the 2000s:

10. Pontiac Aztek (2001-05);

9. Daewoo Anything (1999-2002)

8. Isuzu VehiCROSS (1999-2002)

7. Jaguar X-Type (2002-08)

6. Pontiac Sunfire (1995-2005)

5. Cadillac Catera (1997-2001)

4. Toyota Echo (2000-05)

3. Jeep Compass (2007-present)

2. Chrysler Sebring (1995-present)

1. Smart ForTwo (2008-present): We don’t have a problem with small cars in general (we’re big fans of the Mini Cooper), just with ones that don’t deliver on the benefits of going small. The pint-sized ForTwo sacrifices a lot of passenger space for a relatively unimpressive 41 mpg on the highway, has an SUV-like propensity to roll over, and is equipped with an aggravating sequential manual transmission. Sure, the ForTwo looks cute, but after you drive it you won’t be smiling anymore.

The 10 Most-Improved Cars of the 2000s:

10. Saturn Vue

9. Cadillac Escalade

8. Mercedes-Benz C-Class

7. Cadillac CTS

6. Kia Sportage

5. Nissan Altima

4. Hyundai Sonata

3. Toyota Prius

2. Ford Mustang

1. Chevrolet Malibu: The Malibu has been a critical and sales success since its redesign for 2008, especially in terms of its interior quality and refinement. It’s not only competitive with leading midsize sedans, it surpasses a few in some respects, including mileage. Its spot atop our most-improved list, though, has more to do with its poor showing in its prior two generations. It was a rental-car staple through 2003, followed by an overly hyped redesign in 2004 whose peculiar styling, vague steering and interior quality didn’t deliver.