# Just how bad was the Yugo, and why did anyone buy one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340 "2008-12-22T18:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/41 "2008-12-24T06:39:30Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > One of the Clinton Administration’s greatest actions was to bomb the factory in Belgrade, so the thing could never be made again. That Serbian-massacre stuff was just a cover story. We hit the plant _every day_ of the operations. I’m guessing whomever was in charge of target selection must have owned one of those cars. However, it was **not** our military forces which finally killed the Yugo, [it was the credit crunch.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=493959) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/42 "2008-12-24T08:36:05Z")
We had one. A 1988 GV. I was actually looking for a used car for a “second” car when I found it. Brand new, $3600. Had rear window defrost, rear window wiper, factory installed am/fm cassette stereo, even daytime running lights. It was a 4 speed that got adequate mileage and would go 80 on the highway. Thing went to 83k and the engine blew big time. That sucker was glowing orange! The only problem I had with it was that it didn’t want to start when it was wet out (rain, heavy snow). Had a poorly sealed distributor cap and the air scoop on the hood didn’t help. Under warranty the dealer did what they could with it, but ended up giving me some water disperser spray to spray on it when it was wet out. That helped a lot, but did not completely eliminate the problem. Overall I got $3600 worth of use out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/43 "2008-12-24T13:56:01Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I drove one for years. His name was Victor (Victor Yugo- never once got a chuckle or even recognition- welcome to Alabama). > > There were two reasons I bought him. The first and foremost was the price of course (the one I bought was about $4600 by the time you added tax and fees, this in 1987 [[roughly $8500](http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi)in 2007 USD]), which of course was far cheaper than any other new car. Only slightly less important was the fact that the Subaru dealership, which owned the Yugo franchise for the city, was eager to get rid of them and therefore approved me even though my credit rating was “Stop, thief!”, and nobody else in town would give me credit for any car new or used. > > (BIG snip) > > I actually miss Victor sometimes, mainly for some very fun memories. GOD STRIKE ME DEAD BEFORE I EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE TIMES AGAIN FINANCIALLY, but all in all, I have some nostalgia for them as well and Vic’s a part of that. And also the only car I ever traded for a used VCR, a gold necklace, and $40 in cash. This is the funniest thing I’ve read all year long. Can I subscribe to your newsletter? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/44 "2008-12-24T15:02:48Z")
> [@Nunavut\_Boy](#): > > Not sure if you still drive a standard, but it is possible to let the clutch out halfway and give it a little gas at the same time to stand still on an incline. Not good for the clutch, and not recommended on a daily basis, but if some jerk is right on my ass stopped on a hill this is what I do. You’re right about it not being good for the clutch, this is a good way to burn it out. Why not just hold in the clutch while pressing the brake pedal? Or if for a long period, put it in neutral and use your parking brake? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/45 "2008-12-24T23:50:38Z")
[quote=“Sampiro, post:15, topic:478340”] I drove one for years. His name was Victor (Victor Yugo- never once got a chuckle or even recognition- welcome to Alabama). There were two reasons I bought him. The first and foremost was the price of course (the one I bought was about $4600 by the time you added tax and fees, this in 1987 [[roughly $8500](http://www.westegg.com/inflation/infl.cgi)in 2007 USD]), which of course was far cheaper than any other new car. **Only slightly less important was the fact that the Subaru dealership, which owned the Yugo franchise for the city, was eager to get rid of them and therefore approved me even though my credit rating was “Stop, thief!”, and nobody else in town would give me credit for any car new or used.** Sampiro, maybe I’m being dense, but I get the distinct impression that the Subaru dealership didn’t like the Yugo and was looking for any way it could get rid of the ones it had. Why did they have Yugos in the first place? Were they coerced into taking them and had no choice? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/46 "2008-12-25T00:13:47Z")
As far as I know, the LADA is a Rusian-built Fiat-similar to the Yugo, but more rugged. LADA was sold in the UK and Canada-anybody own one? From what I read, LADAs were pretty turdy cars (if a bit primative in design). Were they ever sold in the USA? I’ve always thought that such a car would be a good idea-if you made the same car for years, you could remove all of the bugs.plus parts would be cheap and easy to find. So-did the Russians export a lot of these cars, and were they a success? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/47 "2008-12-25T00:18:16Z")
**Sampiro** , That picture looks a lot like the interior of a Tico. One member of my ward here in Busan drives a [Tico](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daewoo_Tico). Every Sunday after services, he and his family (a total of six people) get into the car and drive off. The rest of us in the ward pray. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/48 "2008-12-25T01:47:35Z")
I seem to remember that when sales got really bad, there were huge lots full of the things. IIRC, some enterprising guy bought about a jillion of them and set up huge demolition derbies; for a few bucks, you could rent a Yugo and drive it around smashing it into other rented Yugos. This may be an urban legend but it made for a good laugh way back then. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/49 "2008-12-25T11:31:38Z")
MPSIMS: This thread (and or the memories it brought) inspired [one of my Christmas cards](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/3135336874_138823b111.jpg?v=0) this year. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/50 "2008-12-25T22:07:09Z")
That’s beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340/51 "2008-12-25T22:34:16Z")
Q: How can you tell that picture is photoshopped? A: The Yugo’s moving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-bad-was-the-yugo-and-why-did-anyone-buy-one/478340.md?page=2)