Modern car designs ugly?

[synchromesh]

A lot of people like the new Corolla. While I can see why, I don't really care that much for it, either.

For the Vios/Yaris/whateveritscalledinyourplace, the design actually works a bit better than the blobby tall Fiesta/Sonic/Almera(Versa) that it's sold against, though the front end certainly is love-it-or-hate-it.

I think the new Corolla in the US looks good, but it's too pretentious.

 

[TVR27]

Cars I Like

Cars I don't Like

 

[eight6er]

I quite like the F-type but I must have missed the memo on finding it absolutely stunning. The back end is great, but the front is too gaping and square-jawed to be truly attractive and the entire car is quite squat rather than elegant.

Like the AMG GT, it's definitely better in the metal, but I'd stop a long way short of saying it's the best-looking Jag ever. I'm not even sure it's in the top ten. I'm going off Ian Callum too. The XJ is neat (and still a bloody lovely thing to drive) but the impact of the XF has gone, the XE is bland, the new 4x4 thing not as interesting as it could be and I'm thoroughly bored of the long line of copycat Astons since the original Vanquish.

While I appreciate that he's dug Jaguar out of its retro hole he's also too quick to write off those designs these days. The S-type wasn't universally popular but I think he made a mess of its facelift when he joined the company and that reimagined MkII he built a year or two back was a dog's dinner.

And while I like the current XJ, I'm not sure it'll age as well as the previous models. The reason they endured so long is because it was a stunning shape for a saloon car. I saw one in the evening in London a few months back. XJR. Dark colour. Looked impossibly cool slinking along the Strand.

I personally find the F type coupe to be stunning. Though the concept pictures were a bit nicer than the real car turned out, when I saw the concept pictures of the coupe I was amazed at how good it looked. It has great proportions which is rare for a sporty jag, they usually look big and clumsy. Though it's highly possible it will look bad in a few years, for some reason a lot of British cars looks age terribly, like the DB7.

The AMG GT is a huge improvement over the old car, but that's not hard. The headlights on it look like they were designed by Picasso, it's hard to tell if they are on the side of the car or the front.

To be honest I had to look up some those models you mention, because I don't really keep up to date on new cars anymore, so maybe take my comment more as a lay mans opinion, I'm just going by what models I see on the road and what ever might appear on top gear. Of course I rarely see any jags on the road here so, when I do see a Jag they still look exciting and much better looking than any other saloon car around.

I would have to agree the old XJR was really nice and such a sleek looking car.

 

[homeforsummer]

I personally find the F type coupe to be stunning. Though the concept pictures were a bit nicer than the real car turned out, when I saw the concept pictures of the coupe I was amazed at how good it looked. It has great proportions which is rare for a sporty jag, they usually look big and clumsy. Though it's highly possible it will look bad in a few years, for some reason a lot of British cars looks age terribly, like the DB7.

I'd have to disagree on several of these points. The proportions of the F-type aren't bad, but from anything other than directly side-on I feel like there's too much metal and not enough glass. High waists are in vogue these days but that doesn't necessarily make them ideal styling-wise.

I'd certainly disagree that it's rare for a sporty Jag to have great proportions. For one, the outgoing XK isn't at all dissimilar in profile to the XF - it just has slightly longer overhangs, which some may not be keen on but I think lends an air of elegance*. The previous XK even more so - it's now quite an underrated design, I reckon, with a lot of E-type to it in the coke-bottle lines:

(Spoiled slightly, I'll admit, by the rear bumper - a necessary evil unfortunately). The DB7 is similarly proportioned. Current Astons have made it look a bit outdated, but I don't think it's aged terribly - it's still pretty and now looks simple and unadorned. Spotted this one in the car park at Donington towards the end of last year - looked great in the metal:

And of course, the old XJR had absolutely fantastic proportions. Long, very low. Cigar-like form with a sleek glasshouse. Did the overhang thing just right, I think - you want a much shorter overhang at the front than you do at the back. It makes the car look like it's moving when it's standing still:

* An essential Jaguar quality in my view. Jaguars should be graceful. Think tall, slim woman in a flowing dress, rather than a popstar in a short skirt.

 

[eight6er]

I'd have to disagree on several of these points. The proportions of the F-type aren't bad, but from anything other than directly side-on I feel like there's too much metal and not enough glass. High waists are in vogue these days but that doesn't necessarily make them ideal styling-wise.

I'd certainly disagree that it's rare for a sporty Jag to have great proportions. For one, the outgoing XK isn't at all dissimilar in profile to the XF - it just has slightly longer overhangs, which some may not be keen on but I think lends an air of elegance*. The previous XK even more so - it's now quite an underrated design, I reckon, with a lot of E-type to it in the coke-bottle lines:

(Spoiled slightly, I'll admit, by the rear bumper - a necessary evil unfortunately). The DB7 is similarly proportioned. Current Astons have made it look a bit outdated, but I don't think it's aged terribly - it's still pretty and now looks simple and unadorned. Spotted this one in the car park at Donington towards the end of last year - looked great in the metal:

And of course, the old XJR had absolutely fantastic proportions. Long, very low. Cigar-like form with a sleek glasshouse. Did the overhang thing just right, I think - you want a much shorter overhang at the front than you do at the back. It makes the car look like it's moving when it's standing still:

* An essential Jaguar quality in my view. Jaguars should be graceful. Think tall, slim woman in a flowing dress, rather than a popstar in a short skirt.

I have to disagree about the earlier XK, it was a clumsy awkward looking car and never looked good even when they were new, and most I saw had really tacky 20" wheels that made it look even worse. The center of the wheels is nearly inline with the floor of the car which makes it look like the body was just stuck on top of a chassis like a Range rover, then they had to make the roof too low so the car would look low, even though it's really high off the road. The rear bumper must have been an after thought too.

I had forgotten about the last XK, they weren't bad, but still looked bigger than it needed to be and a bit boring looking unless it's the XKR. I hate the new style of making tall cars with short windows (high waist as you say), but the F type is one of the first cars to pull it off. It's a bit pointless to argue about subjective things like this, where you see elegance I see bland, where you think about women, I just think about the shapes and proportions I like or don't like.

The DB7 for me was stunning when it came out first probably the best looking car at the time, but now it would be lucky to get a second look. They still look good, just not stunning anymore. It's probably to do with Astons keeping a very similar look through the years so the new shape makes the old car look dated. Other manufacturers would have more substantial change to their models looks which can let the old shape still stand as good or even better looking.

 

[05XR8]

The Lister Jag. One of my favorite cars of all time. 👍

The way I see cars today, with small windows and more door height, it comes back to this:

Most cars in the 1980s and 1990s was all about the greenhouse. Visibilty out was paramount. Now, its more about safety from impacts and covering up as much glass area as possible for curtain airbags(a bit of exaggeration on my part). Today, we don't need to look over our shoulders much while driving. The artistry in car design seems lost because of how these features need to be packaged. Plus, designers are all doing this jagged lego block squared-off design stuff. Im hard pressed to find rounded edge designs other than MINIS and Bentley Continentals.

 

[homeforsummer]

Today, we don't need to look over our shoulders much while driving.

It makes me very uneasy whenever I drive something with poor over-the-shoulder visibility. I habitually do a shoulder-check before changing lanes etc, and drive a worrying number of cars where you basically can't see a thing when you do so.

The artistry in car design seems lost because of how these features need to be packaged.

Disagree entirely. Regulations don't really stifle design; good designers find ways to get around it. While I'm not a fan of the small glass area of many modern cars, I don't think good car design has ever been so accessible as it is today.

 

[05XR8]

It makes me very uneasy whenever I drive something with poor over-the-shoulder visibility. I habitually do a shoulder-check before changing lanes etc, and drive a worrying number of cars where you basically can't see a thing when you do so.

Disagree entirely. Regulations don't really stifle design; good designers find ways to get around it. While I'm not a fan of the small glass area of many modern cars, I don't think good car design has ever been so accessible as it is today.

I constantly look at traffic around me. Being aware of cars im coming up on, passjng and those next to me. I see so many people that didnt see the car next to them until they decided to change lanes or turn or block intersections.

I mentioned packaging(and exaggerated that point). Designers must be following trends then, as the good ones are few and far between. Plus, engineers are usually the ones that bark when a design is proposed in all its aesthetic glory.

Like the pics of the LS400 above. Plenty of glass to see out and for other drivers to establish eye contact. A Jeep Nitro for instance. That's plain silly to have those gun-turret sized slits to see out. And when the glass is tinted, even worse. Ugly design as well.

I compared my old '05 Odyssey to the new one 10 years later

I had this same color (Ocean Mist)

What a difference in outward and inward visibility. Plus the '05 looks better(to me).

 

[TVR27]

Cars I Like

Cars I Don't Like

 

[TexRex]

I don't mean to play necromancer by bringing this back--it hasn't really been that long anyway--but I think the '15-on Nissan Murano is simply stunning.*

*Trying something new.

Edit: Somehow forgot the "ing" at the end of "bring," good grief.

 

[Lameonade]

I don't mean to play necromancer by bring this back--it hasn't really been that long anyway--but I think the '15-on Nissan Murano is simply stunning.*

*Trying something new.

I think it looks quite nice in person.

 

[TexRex]

I think it looks quite nice in person.

Agreed. It doesn't suffer from an issue that many seemingly attractive cars do, and that is being much more attractive from one special angle than all the rest. The stylists did a phenomenal job.

 

[homeforsummer]

Nissan certainly has some design mojo at the moment, though personally I was always a big fan of the first-gen Murano:

 

[niky]

The current one is fine. It's the second one that had issues.

They replaced that rather architectural front end with a less-defined shape and smooth, lightly curved and pressed panels that suggest they cheaped out on stamping equipment (sharper lines and complex panels require higher pressure presses).

The light-under-grille design... don't like it. And that's despite thinking the Juke's arrangement:

...is pretty interesting. With the Juke... and with the first generation and third generation Murano, the arrangement was structural. The design is shaped by the way the lines flow around the car. With the Second Gen Murano, you could swap out grille and lights and completely change the character of the car. There are no hard-pressed lines that depend on the grille for definition. And it's just so... bland. Not entirely un-handsome. But bland.

This is unusual, but I like it. Exciting shapes. Sharp and assertive character and shoulder lines. (And sharp lines suggest a car is "expensive"... again... stamping costs!) A large grille that uses contrast properly, so as not to look as overbearing as those similarly big fixtures on new Lexii. And the way the black lines of the upper and lower grille pinch together creates the illusion of a sharp and sporty nose.

Good job.

 

[Tornado]

That's the first car I've seen with the current invisible D/C Pillar gimmick that actually manages to make it look somewhat plausible.

 

[CyborgGT]

The Challenger is possibly the most annoying current car design to me. They had it going sooo right, and then f'd up by making the body too tall. There's way too much height under the door windows, and in the front and rear bumpers. These look laughable from directly behind.

For the most part, I'm not a fan of bulky modern design. The current Lexus IS, however, really gets me going. I love it. The split headlights are cool, imo, as one thing I don't like about modern cars is how big every little part is getting. The grille is the only thing letting the car down.

A bit better, not sure if it's factory or not:

 

[McLaren]

It is factory. It's on non-F-Sport models.

 

[el fayce]

A bit late to the party, But what is thread is addressing exactly ?

 

[niky]

A bit late to the party, But what is thread is addressing exactly ?

"Modern Car Design: (is it) Ugly?"

Defend your answer in the reply box below.

 

[homeforsummer]

A bit late to the party, But what is thread is addressing exactly ?

Not a great deal. The OP leaves a fairly open-ended question but then goes on to generalise about designs from different regions without being entirely specific. It's since become a thread where people post pictures of cars they like and find ugly, and to debate such things.

 

[CyborgGT]

My only grip about modern car design is scale. Everything's gotten too big for my taste. I think if cars were still on the scale they were in the '90s, we'd see some better designs. Maybe like computer technology, safety equipment can some day be made smaller while remaining at least as effective? Supposedly lightness is going to be the new thing (it's cool that the Ford F-series pickups are using aluminum bodies now), but it's not enough for me.

 

[el fayce]

Welp, In my honest opinion, Toyota's recent designs are my least favorite (including their sub brands), Unless they are working with other manufacturers, Their cars looks atrocious, Probably the bulky front ends, And I find the other vehicles in the same segment better looking, Maybe I'm biased against Toyota, But I find Toyota the only major company that has a fleet of godawful designs.
But in recent design in general, I don't think its bad at all, these are my favorite,

Spoiler

 

[TexRex]

The 6 would be high on the list if I were to shop a midsize in the near future. As would the new Maxima for the same reasons I find the new Murano appealing--assuming they offered a proper manual or even a conventional *gasp* auto.

And I've thought all previous generations to be absolutely atrocious.

 

[20832]

Most japanese and korean companies nowadays are on a roll in terms of design.

Here are a few examples of improved design, in my opinion of course, from the korean manufactuers

Kia Sorento:

to

Hyundai Tuscon:

to

 

[LivingWithGames]

As for others cars, the more I see the cars made by Mini, th e most recent ones that is, makes me not buy one.

Especially the Clubman. Look at those tail lights, I seriously don't like them, I miss the vertical tailights that always were in previous minis, those were best.

Ofcourse granted with a bit of searching, I found a picture which had an old Mini Countryman BMC, which I never knew ever since.

Nowadays Mini used to be a good small british car, which I always wished to have once the 2000's kicked in. Now times changed.

 

[Fastcarguy]

I hate the new Ford F 150s. The headlights just kill it for me.

 

[EvanJamesLee]

I like some of the more expensive cars today but most of the average cars just look strange to me.

I'm also not really a fan of the bigger rim trend.

 

[Cowboy]

Ford has the best looking trucks right now in my opinion, but good god RAM and Chevy, what happened?

 

[The87Dodge]

@Cowboy, the problem with American trucks today is that their just so massive, so over styled, and this causes them to get really expensive. A loaded Ram 2500 Power Wagon Laramie will get you way over $60,000, and that's more than it should be. The grilles of the Ram and the Silverado are both hideous (what the hell was Ram thinking when they put a big fat logo right on the grille). Full-sized 'Murican trucks today seem real complicated and overdone, and IMO would look better if they were more simple.

 

[Cowboy]

@Cowboy, the problem with American trucks today is that their just so massive, so over styled, and this causes them to get really expensive.

The addition of technology features spikes the price up too.