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Top 10 Design Winners and Losers - READ ONLY

124 messages,  Last post on May 16, 2011 at 3:10 PM

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Messages Page 13 of 13

#115 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [andre1969] by lemko

Apr 08, 2011 (5:30 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 07, 2011 5:49 pm)
The front end of the Juke looks more like the face on this guy to me!
 

#116 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [steve_] by andre1969

Apr 08, 2011 (5:40 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Apr 07, 2011 6:26 pm)
Part of the problem might have been that the Atzek often came in loud colors, like that radioactive-pee you posted above, while the Rendezvous were more often done up in more sedated colors. On a cloudy, drizzly morning, that Rendezvous would almost disappear.
 
I knew someone who had a black Aztek as a company car awhile back. This was before they gave you the option of body-color cladding (or maybe they took the cladding off completely? I can't remember now). Anyway, in black, with that black cladding, it didn't look AS bad.
 
The Aztek also had a sort of a double-grille effect up front, like two different car front-ends were forced on, one above the other. And, even little details, like that exposed fuel filler on the Aztek, which draws attention to itself, gives it a haphazard, thrown-together look.
 
I think the Aztek actually looks better now than it did when it was new. What with the likes of the Nissan Juke and Cube, some of the goofy Scions, the cowcatcher Acuras of late, the current Honda CR-V, with a front-end that looks inspired by the '61 DeSoto, right down to the slanty headlights and double-grille effect. Ugly and awkward, jarring and disjointed, has become mainstream. When the Aztek came out, it was pretty unique in its ugliness, it's off-the-wall-edness (I know that's not a word!). The only other really oddball vehicle from that time I can recall was the Isuzu Vehicross. IIRC, it was a poor seller too, but part of that could have been that Isuzu was rapidly declining.

#117 of 124 Double-grille by lemko

Apr 08, 2011 (5:52 am)


 
Sort of like this? Without that top grille, the '61 DeSoto would've looked like a 1960 Lincoln.

#118 of 124 Re: Double-grille [lemko] by andre1969

Apr 08, 2011 (6:04 am)

Replying to: lemko (Apr 08, 2011 5:52 am)
I always thought that if they had just done away with that upper grille and lowered the front of the hood, it would've cleaned up the looks considerably on the '61 DeSoto. They probably had to do it that way though, so that it could use the same hood as the Chrysler Newport and Windsor. Plus, if you have a brand that's on its way out and you just want to hasten it, it helps to make it a bit extra ugly on purpose, so that people don't whine so much about having to buy a Chrysler instead!
 
That bulge at the top that houses the upper grille makes me think a bit of how modern cars started swelling up in that era, such as the 2007 Camry and 2008 Malibu. Supposedly nowadays it's for pedestrian safety, but back in '61 it was probably to keep the pedestrian stuck to the front of the car, out of your windshield!

#119 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [andre1969] by fezo

Apr 08, 2011 (8:30 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Apr 08, 2011 5:40 am)
One reason I think the Aztek got all the flack was because it came out before the Rendezvous by a fair amount of time.
 
I remember going to the NY Auto Show before the Rendezvous had started selling but the Aztek had been on the market for at least a couple of months.
 
It was very entertaining. The Pontiac and Buick displays were very near each other and the Pontiac folks had several Azteks on display including one with the tent option set up. It was kind of cool if you didn't look at the outside of it.
 
I went over to the Buick guy and asked him if you could get the tent on a Rendezvous and he had a long, rehearsed speech about how the Buick was an entirely different vehicle and had no parts in common with the Aztek. Um, yeah...

#120 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [fezo] by uplanderguy

Apr 08, 2011 (9:36 am)

Replying to: fezo (Apr 08, 2011 8:30 am)
I think the Aztec is ugly, but the Nissan Cube burns my eyes.
 
I was behind one today. It reminds me of the rear of a '98 Taurus with a box welded on top.
 
I can only imagine if one of the Big Three had come out with that design (although I'm glad they didn't).

#121 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [uplanderguy] by fezo

Apr 08, 2011 (9:51 am)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Apr 08, 2011 9:36 am)
I don't know why the Cube has been growing on me. It is mighty wacky looking - asymmetrical to boot.
 
Oh, if GM had made it you would have never heard the end of it! Heck, if Honda made it it would be another sign that the styling folks at Honda continue to have lost their minds.
 
With Nissan it's merely the latest in quirky designs....

#122 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [fezo] by lemko

Apr 08, 2011 (10:56 am)

Replying to: fezo (Apr 08, 2011 9:51 am)
The Cube reminds me of this cookie jar my Mom once had:
 

#123 of 124 Re: ugly cars... [lemko] by uplanderguy

Apr 08, 2011 (5:01 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Apr 08, 2011 10:56 am)
Very true, Lemko!

#124 of 124 vote for new styling by steve_ HOST

May 16, 2011 (3:10 pm)

New categories - "we have 12 mostly new categories like Most Wanted Car We Can't Have, Most Wanted Exotic, Most Wanted Cheap Car, Most Wanted Fuel Sipper, Most Wanted Hatchback, Most Wanted Hot Rod Division…things you actually care about."
 
2011 Edmunds' Inside Line Readers' Most Wanted Awards

Messages Page 13 of 13

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