Current ugly trends

[grampi]

I always speculated bottom plastic was done to prevent road salt from rusting lower panels out over time, but I don't really know. I have never lived in rust belt states, and only travel there in the summer. It is plausable?

How would they prevent rusting? If anything I would think they would make those areas MORE susceptible to corrosion...

 

[grampi]

Both the new Hyundai Kona and Hyundai Santa Fe are SO ugly on the back. Truly disgusting. Not sure WHY they can't make the back end of their vehicles look good.

IMO, there is nothing uglier than the back end of the current model Civic hatchbacks...way too much going on there...

 

[grampi]

Someone once said that it costs no more to stamp out good looking panels than it does to make ugly ones.
There are so many aesthetically pleasing designs from the past you wonder why today's designers can't find some inspiration. Sometimes they do and get it completely wrong. The Camaro is a really good example of this. They took the subtle and attractive shape of the original car and made of it a cartoon caricature that no serious person would be seen in.
The overuse of trim is another downer and the absurdly aggressive looking front ends on so many vehicles are seriously unattractive.
My ideas of really nice looking cars?
How about the E-Type, the BMW 630i or the Lancia Beta coupe. Or maybe the C6, 5, or 4 Corvette (the current car is hideous). In common cars, the 1977 GM B-bodies were quite nice as was the Ford Fairmont. The Volvo and BMW bricks of the day were also praiseworthy. The early Miata was such a pretty little car and Mazda progressively screwed it up over the years. The first-gen Z-car was gorgeous, while the ZX was less so. Finally, if you must have a mid-engined car, is there anything prettier than a Ferrari 308 GTB?
Lots of styling idioms that today's designers could emulate.
Maybe I'm just getting old?

Your post is a classic example of how everyone's opinion of what looks good, and what doesn't can be vastly different. I personally think the current model Camaro is the absolute best looking car made right now. And one of the worst, the C8 Corvette. IMO Chevy ruined the C8's looks. It now looks NOTHING like a Corvette...

 

[Pew]

How would they prevent rusting? If anything I would think they would make those areas MORE susceptible to corrosion...

My understanding is that the plastic cladding we see soon often today comes from vehicles that were more off-road-ish so if there's damage to the bottom panels of a car from hitting a rock, plastic panels are easier to look at and replace vs a painted panel. Today, the use of the plastic has been exaggerated anywhere between lightly accentuating the curves of a body to "we'll just make the entire panel plastic" like on the Outbacks Wilderness trims.

 

[4WD]

There are people trashing vehicles here - and I look in their signature and think no way - that’s how taste and choice work …

 

[daves87rs]

Some fun choices here…

 

[ARCOgraphite]

IMO, there is nothing uglier than the back end of the current model Civic hatchbacks...way too much going on there...

They must read BITOG, they fixed it for you

... way back in 2022 for the '23 model year !

IS

Was

 

[edhackett]

It's gotten so bad that Toyota's new twin turbo v6 is committing suicide. They just can't live surrounded by that much ugliness.

Ed

 

[jkasch]

I’m biased, of course, but I think Dodge absolutely nailed retro on the now now discontinued Challenger. Must be why Stellantis killed it.

 

[gfh77665]

How would they prevent rusting? If anything I would think they would make those areas MORE susceptible to corrosion...

I never said they would. I "speculated" they would keep road salt off lower panels. I even said I really don't know, and I have no experience in the rust belt. If they don't, they don't.

 

[dubber09]

Kona

https://images.app.goo.gl/2MQfcHXg8hLhTuvZ6

 

[Wylie6G72]

IMO, there is nothing uglier than the back end of the current model Civic hatchbacks...way too much going on there...

Just curious, which one are you referring to? I thought the last generation was horrible and the current generation much improved. But again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Exhaustgases]

The press in the day called these grilles cow catchers - like on the old Steam Locomotives from the 19th century.

I have been calling it the Vader Respirator since I first saw it. Now you have taken it full alien organic, lol.

View attachment 225075

View attachment 225076

Wow great examples of the Lexus grill's.

 

[BLND1]

I generally dislike the direction Toyota has gone with styling. I was considering a new tundra until they were released. Hard no.

Lexus is Toyota on steroids styling wise.

 

[Big E]

Probably dating myself...

 

[JHZR2]

Volvo appears to have hired a tasteful designer for the S90. This car has quite the presence when seen on the highway.

View attachment 224865

I’ve seen quite a few around and I’d agree. One of the better looking vehicles on the market.

 

[JHZR2]

I generally dislike the direction Toyota has gone with styling. I was considering a new tundra until they were released. Hard no.

Lexus is Toyota on steroids styling wise.

Yeah, they really went in a hideous direction. They were handsomely designed vehicles in the early-mid 90s, then that horrible celica, the mini wagon, and on and down from there.

 

[burbguy82]

RAM pickups. Thought the front end was ugly, since they were brought out in the 1990's.
I would never own one due to that fact, no matter how good they may be as a truck.

I liked the mid 90s through maybe 2012

 

[JHZR2]

Oh, I long for the subtle styling of my youth, LOL!

View attachment 224875

View attachment 224883

View attachment 224884
View attachment 224885

View attachment 224886

View attachment 224887

It’s a good point. What’s old is new. I think some of the old car love is nostalgia or a love of Americana, but I do think there’s a little bit of “they really designed thst thinking it looks good?!?” Kind of an angle too…

 

[Jdeere562]

I liked the mid 90s through maybe 2012

They just look like a frowny face to me. Never appealed to my likes. To each their own.