REDMOND, Wash. -

With turkey on the minds of many today as Thanksgiving is only a day away, MSN Autos decided to take this turkey concept in a new direction. The site unveiled a list of “turkeys” that is probably the last thing used-car managers want on their holiday dinner plate — or in their inventory.

The website compiled a file of 10 vehicles that don’t generally appeal to consumers, have major  design flaws or haven’t been refreshed in decades.

“There are turkeys among us. And we’re not talking about the large, gallinaceous bird that goes ‘gobble gobble,’ tastes good and is accompanied by mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce,” MSN Autos correspondent James Tate said, tongue in cheek.

“Lurking on every dealer’s lot are cars, trucks and SUVs that are downright duds,” Tate continued. “Some of these machines are dinosaurs that haven’t had a meaningful update in decades, while others are simply ill-conceived machines that are easily bested by their competition. Regardless, your money is better spent elsewhere."

Here are MSN Autos Turkey Picks in alphabetical order with additional commentary about each unit.

Chevrolet Aveo

“Until recently, American carmakers didn’t give small cars the attention they deserve,” the site surmised “In 2011, though, we will see a rash of new fuel-efficient models from the likes of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors that should impress even the most jaded car buyer. But until then we are stuck with subcompacts like the Chevrolet Aveo. The Aveo starts life as Daewoo in South Korea before getting a nose job and not much else for the American market. It simply doesn’t serve up the kind of power or planted road manners that U.S. drivers crave.”

Chrysler PT Cruiser

“Believe it or not, the PT Cruiser has survived a full decade without so much as a single significant engineering update, despite all of the impressive advancements in technology and manufacturing that have occurred over the past 10 years,” MSN declared. “And its list of problems is extensive, ranging from electrical-system issues to excessive transmission noise, according to experts. While the car managed to skip out on a date with the gallows last year, it does appear that Chrysler may soon finally send the retro-mobile to the great junkyard in the sky.”

Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Avenger

“Every generation has at least one model that serves as the butt of bad-car jokes,” the site reported. “These days, it’s the Chrysler Sebring and its twin brother, the Dodge Avenger. Maligned because of poor build quality and engines that are only good for 30 mpg highway, the Sebring/Avenger twins are also-rans in their segment, easily eclipsed by vehicles from Ford, Chevrolet, Honda and Toyota. Fortunately, Chrysler is replacing the Sebring with the 200 next year, and we’re hoping to see vast improvements.”

Dodge Caliber

“Sometimes there’s something to be said for leaving well enough alone,” MSN pointed out. “When Chrysler decided to replace the Dodge Neon with the Caliber, it effectively drove off throngs of the youthful buyers that manufacturers work so hard to attract. The Caliber is awkwardly styled, offers none of the performance of its predecessor, and can’t quite seem to match the fuel economy of its competitors. Rumor has it that this model is on Fiat’s short-list of things to fix at Dodge, which means we can expect a freshened replacement sooner rather than later.”

Ford Ranger

“Yet another automotive zombie, the Ford Ranger hasn’t been revised since it first hit the scene in 1993,” the site indicated. “This truck even uses a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine that can trace its roots all the way back to the 1974 Pinto — and we all know how good a machine that was. Talk about arcane. Despite being designed shortly after the first cavemen chiseled out the wheel, Ford still manages to sell a staggering 75,000 Rangers a year. It almost makes us sad that the company is finally killing the truck for good next year. Almost.”

Honda Accord Crosstour

“Honda sells a great-driving, gorgeous-looking Accord Wagon all over the world, but we don’t get to play with that long-roof family hauler in this part of the globe — at least not yet,” MSN explained. “Instead, we’re left to choke down the funky-looking Accord Crosstour. Along with the unsettled design language, the Crosstour delivers lackluster cargo capability, thanks to a pair of massive shock towers that jut into the interior. The crossover makes the company’s Odyssey minivan look even better than it did before. Maybe that was the plan all along.”

Lexus HS 250h

“There’s an ugly duckling in the Lexus flock,” the site interjected. “The company took a swipe at building a luxury vehicle with the efficiency of a small hybrid with the HS 250h, and managed to water down the best attributes of both types of vehicle in the process. While the HS 250h is a decent enough hybrid sedan, it was recently eclipsed by the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid in both interior room and fuel economy. The good news is that the HS 250h at least looks like a hybrid. The MKZ Hybrid just looks like a standard sedan with some fancy badge work. Then again, that may be its best attribute.”

Lincoln Town Car

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Chrysler is the only company guilty of keeping a model alive well past its prime,” the site emphasized. “Ford has pulled a similar stunt with its Lincoln Town Car. Despite riding on an architecture that debuted when Jimmy Carter was still president, Lincoln will still be happy to sell you a brand-new Town Car for the low, low price of $46,385. But don’t let the sheet metal fool you — this big Lincoln is a driving clone of the 1979 Ford LTD. The times may have changed, but the Lincoln Town Car sure hasn’t.”

Smart Fortwo

“Once upon a time, fuel prices shot through the roof and SUV owners began desperately searching for a more efficient way to get to and from work,” MSN recalled. “Smart arrived on the scene with the fortwo, a car that looks as if it should get 90 mpg. Unfortunately, it manages to squeeze a mere 37 mpg (combined) out of its diminutive 1.3-liter 3-cylinder engine. With more functional cars such as the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Cruze happy to come close to that EPA fuel-economy figure these days, the little fortwo looks downright foolish.”

Volkswagen Routan

“The Chrysler Town & Country minivan is an excellent way to transport kids and cargo,” the site began. “Wait, we’re talking about the Volkswagen Routan? Sorry, we got confused there for a second. That’s because the Routan is essentially a rebadged Town & Country. While Volkswagen makes and sells excellent, durable vans in Europe, American buyers are left to buy a Chrysler product with a German badge on the grille. It’s not entirely Volkswagen’s fault. America has some strange tax rules when it comes to importing trucks and vans, and it was just easier for the company to make a deal than to jump through our legislative hoops.”

For more details about this MSN Autos feature, visit this website.