What are the best-looking cars of the past decade?

[Don Vito Corleone]

There indeed is some horribad looking stuff out there. Most Lincolns, most Acura now, just so much fail out there. And all of the me-too SUVs. Toyota alone must make 50 different fucking suvs, and aside from the FJ, they basically look like carbon copies of varying sizes of bland boxiness.

One thing I find particularly disappointing is the way the Japanese carmakers have moved farther and farther from sporting aspirations and become increasingly entrenched in the world of the ugly, bloated family car. Each generation of the Accord in the past 20 years has gotten uglier and flabbier, and the Camry has, for the most part, gotten progressively worse since about 1995. Where are the Preludes and Supras? Even Subaru, has, since Toyota purchased a significant stake in it, become completely homogenized. It's interesting how they're letting Hyundai eat their lunch - the parallel to Samsung vs. Sony/Toshiba could hardly be more perfect.

 

[Arkaign]

The worst is the deliberately ugly stuff like the Pontiac Aztec (which may have put them out of business) Nissan Cube, PT Cruiser, Cooper Mini, Chevy SSR and more.

Hahaha yeah.

I drive a somewhat homely looking vehicle, but it's so forgettable that it's not really that offensive (08 Focus Coupe, no plastic fake vent on fender), unlike what you accurately describe as stuff so vile that it was obviously meant to look insane just to get attention.

 

[yhelothar]

One thing I find particularly disappointing is the way the Japanese carmakers have moved farther and farther from sporting aspirations and become increasingly entrenched in the world of the ugly, bloated family car. Each generation of the Accord in the past 20 years has gotten uglier and flabbier, and the Camry has, for the most part, gotten progressively worse since about 1995. Where are the Preludes and Supras? Even Subaru, has, since Toyota purchased a significant stake in it, become completely homogenized. It's interesting how they're letting Hyundai eat their lunch - the parallel to Samsung vs. Sony/Toshiba could hardly be more perfect.

I don't think there are too many people that would agree with you that a 1995 camry looks better than a 2004 or 2007 one.

But it has been curious to me why toyota/honda pulled out of the enthusiast sports car market.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I don't think there are too many people that would agree with you that a 1995 camry looks better than a 2004 or 2007 one.

But it has been curious to me why toyota/honda pulled out of the enthusiast sports car market.

I don't totally hate the 2001-2006 Camry, but I absolutely can't stand the current one. Front end is just hideous and the whole car looks lumpy. I literally do think the Accord has gotten uglier in its many generations since the late 1980s.

 

[KDKPSJ]

One thing I find particularly disappointing is the way the Japanese carmakers have moved farther and farther from sporting aspirations and become increasingly entrenched in the world of the ugly, bloated family car. Each generation of the Accord in the past 20 years has gotten uglier and flabbier, and the Camry has, for the most part, gotten progressively worse since about 1995. Where are the Preludes and Supras? Even Subaru, has, since Toyota purchased a significant stake in it, become completely homogenized. It's interesting how they're letting Hyundai eat their lunch - the parallel to Samsung vs. Sony/Toshiba could hardly be more perfect.

Actually, I find it quite interesting that many Korean (including myself) and Japanese think quite opposite.

Let me give you few examples. In Korea, we call Hyundai's recent design trend "Bug Look (Because it looks like bugs)" and think it's ugly, maybe an exception of Genesis Sedan. We agree that Camry and Accord are getting better and better. I know you guys hate Acura's recent design, but we think it's very futuristic and not bad at all. Newer BMW's are uglier than Bangle's and we want Bangle back to car design. Recent Subaru's and Mitsubishi's are now the cars that we may consider buying because they were just outdated and boring design before that only appeals to maniac. And last, Cadillac is too square and ugly.

Considering all these, we have quite different view when it comes to car design. (Just look at Japanese anime character and American character) With that being considered, I think Japanese is going back to its root - being Japanese. The design you liked before was a copycat, so they could sell - just like Hyundai does now. But now they are trying to become Japanese. Personally, I welcome the change because I love newer design trend.

Again, to each of his/her own.

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't totally hate the 2001-2006 Camry, but I absolutely can't stand the current one. Front end is just hideous and the whole car looks lumpy. I literally do think the Accord has gotten uglier in its many generations since the late 1980s.

The current Camry looks chunky and strong. I don't really like organic styling, but the current Toyotas pull it off.

 

[ElFenix]

I don't totally hate the 2001-2006 Camry, but I absolutely can't stand the current one. Front end is just hideous and the whole car looks lumpy. I literally do think the Accord has gotten uglier in its many generations since the late 1980s.

current camry is fuggo. camry has never been a styling leader (the one everyone really remembers and really put the camry on the map was a pretty blatant ripoff of the taurus). toyota styling as a whole has gotten more and more fugly since the mid 90s. the current suv/cuv lineup is just awful looking.

best looking accords were the 1998 to 2000 coupe, though the previous gen accord coupe was pretty nice looking as well.

best looking acura aside from the NSX was the 2nd generation legend coupe.

 

[Throckmorton]

current camry is fuggo. camry has never been a styling leader (the one everyone really remembers and really put the camry on the map was a pretty blatant ripoff of the taurus). toyota styling as a whole has gotten more and more fugly since the mid 90s. the current suv/cuv lineup is just awful looking.

best looking accords were the 1998 to 2000 coupe, though the previous gen accord coupe was pretty nice looking as well.

best looking acura aside from the NSX was the 2nd generation legend coupe.

Which Camry was a Taurus rip off?

 

[Monster_Munch]

Am I correct in understanding that in the UK the Elise/Exige are sort of a run-of-the-mill car you see daily? And that aren't particularly expensive? Over here they're incredibly rare, and cost quite a lot of money. I've also heard the reverse, that things which are dirt-cheap over here, such as the Mustang GT and Corvette, cost wild amounts over there, competing against cars in price points we would consider insane here.

A Lotus Elise is a pretty rare sight in the UK. I think you're much more likely to see a Porsche 911 or BMW M3. There is a guy I sometimes see driving around in a white Lotus Evora and that looks awesome though.

Mustangs and Corvettes aren't officially sold in the UK, you have to go to specialist import places, so that's probably why they're so expensive.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

current camry is fuggo. camry has never been a styling leader (the one everyone really remembers and really put the camry on the map was a pretty blatant ripoff of the taurus). toyota styling as a whole has gotten more and more fugly since the mid 90s. the current suv/cuv lineup is just awful looking.

best looking accords were the 1998 to 2000 coupe, though the previous gen accord coupe was pretty nice looking as well.

best looking acura aside from the NSX was the 2nd generation legend coupe.

I really like the second-gen CL coupe, and also like the 2004-2008 TL and the first-gen Legend sedan (I'm biased because my dad had one and I loved driving it as a kid). Personally I like the first-gen Legend coupe and sedan better than the second-gen cars.

 

[Doppel]

I know you guys hate Acura's recent design, but we think it's very futuristic and not bad at all.

Acura's are among the ugliest out there now. I assume their entire design department consists of one intern just randomly slapping straight lines together and in random angles, really completely aimless messes, hard to tell front from back. The ZDX and the Honda Crosstour are among the most revolting vehicles to come out in a long time.

 

[ElFenix]

Which Camry was a Taurus rip off?

1991

 

[Throckmorton]

1991

I'm not seeing it at all. It looks like almost every other car of the era... but it lacks the curves of the Taurus.