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Why are most cars so ugly?

username79

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Why do automakers make ugly cars? I've often thought about it. I've seen an Aston Martin parked next to a new Accord. The difference is very striking. Does the Aston have curves that are hard to make (costly) in mass production? I would think with the economies of scale of Honda/Toyota that they could make just about anything at a price far cheaper or equivalent to Aston's/Fords manufacture. Why then, does Toyota or Honda not come out with a car that is as beautiful as the Aston? Are there only a handful of designers in the world that can pen attractive designs, and are they all employed by the upscale automakers? Hyundai of recent has shown that inexpensive cars need not be bland and ugly, but they have stopped short of making anything expressive and lovely. I don't understand this. Why does Acura produce cars (TL) which are ungainly, garish, and hideous, and Lexus cars that are so immediately bland and dated? Are there really only a handful of companies in the world (BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Aston, Porsche, Ferrari) that can produce an attractive vehicle?
2006-Aston-Martin-V8-S-1280x960.jpg
Honda-Accord-Crosstour-2010-exteriorx1280x1024.jpg
WTF?
 

celery

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I have always been completely baffled by this as well. And even more recently, hybrids have managed to be uglier than normal cars. Why?
 

robin

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Because most people have bad tastes and revel in mediocrity.
 

LawrenceMD

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well most people aren't pretty and sleek looking. i guess cars are a reflection of society.

the great looking cars are few and far between, just like hot girls, so places like LA or Miami there are an abundance of nice cars and hot chikas.
 

JayJay

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Originally Posted by celery
I have always been completely baffled by this as well.
Same here, and I've thought about this often over the years. There are a few companies that consistently produce wonderful looking designs, and many others that always have cars that appear unattractive and cheap looking. Maybe it's just that my taste have developed for the style of a few makers, but not the others.
 

turboman808

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It's not the automakers fault it's the buyers fault.

I am gonna give you a fantastic example of consumer buying that happened just lat night.

Went with my girl to the mall to grab some food and see a movie. She wanted to get a new spring dress. She went to JC Pennies because she didn't want to spend much money. I don't normally condone such a store but I didn't want to be a snobbish dick.

So she grabbed a few dresses to try on and they all looked super cheap. Then she says "well I can wear the one you got me last year." Then it ******* dawned on me. I got her a beautiful dress for the spring to the tune of $400+ that she wore 2 times. Made of silk or satin and really looks amazing.

Then I say "well wtf are we doing here looking at this crap? You have this beautiful dress at home that nothing in this store even comes close to."

She is the sweetest girl in the world but has no sense of style and cannot tell the difference between a beautiful silk dress and cheap recycled cotton. She just wanted to get something new even if it was crap and that is your typical consumer mindset.
 

George

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It very much depends on the market that the manufacturer is targeting. There is always an element of compromise in car design. Take the Aston for example. The compromise you make here is in practicality, it's strictly a two seater, the designer has sacrificed cabin space to create more sweeping lines.

In a mass produced car, like a Honda Accord for example the designer has a different set of priorities, it's a family car, it has to sit 4+ in reasonable comfort, provide storage bins to store all those nik naks that are generally carried in such a vehicle. Therefore his priority is to create a large cabin space, this will require him to cleverly package the various mechanical and electrical systems.

You'll find that a lot of small to medium cars are actually very cleverly designed if not always beautiful.
 

Fuuma

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High end cars are as ugly if not uglier than the cheaper ones. As one of my friends who had to work in advertising for the auto industry once told me: "If you wonder why all cars are ugly it's because you haven't met car designers."...
 

Piobaire

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http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1...-u-s-increases

Americans may benefit from some of the lowest new car prices in the world but the average motorist in the U.S. is keeping their cars for longer a new study has found. According to the results the median age of cars on U.S. roads was 9.2 years in 2007, a new record, and a substantial 41.3% of all vehicles were 11 years or older compared to just 40.9% the year before.
Think this indicates most people think of cars as a long term purchase.

George made a good point. Just like you do not want to run a marathon in a pair of high end dress shoes, many people can only afford daily drivers and you the typical person does not want an A-M for that.
 

George

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Originally Posted by Fuuma
High end cars are as ugly if not uglier than the cheaper ones. As one of my friends who had to work in advertising for the auto industry once told me: "If you wonder why all cars are ugly it's because you haven't met car designers."...
There's some truth in that. Most of the best, most innovative design, here in Europe anyway is happening in the small car sectors.. Larger cars just seem to be getting crammed with more and more needless technology.
 

Big Pun

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Originally Posted by robin
Because most people have bad tastes and revel in mediocrity.
A pretentious +1. As with just about everything else in life.
 

Piobaire

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Originally Posted by nanopelican
The question isn't why do people not buy 100k cars, it's why do cheap cars look like ****.

George gave a good answer, which I pointed you to. My comments were twofold, and apparently too cryptic for your understanding.
 

Fuuma

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Originally Posted by Big Pun
A pretentious +1. As with just about everything else in life.

Most people here got awful yuppies-who-had-a-picture-of-luxury-car-in-their-little-boy-bedroom-and-now-want-to-purchase-it kinda taste, nothing to feel anything but nauseous about...
 

Fuuma

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Originally Posted by Piobaire
George gave a good answer, which I pointed you to. My comments were twofold, and apparently too cryptic for your understanding.

Nanopelican sounds like a future CE recruit...
 

Piobaire

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^
laugh.gif
 

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