# Ugly cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603 "2004-06-04T12:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/21 "2004-06-04T23:18:30Z")
[The Lotus Elise](http://www.autotudos.hu/kep_het_kep_03_15_lotus_elise_1_nagy.jpg) is coming to the US soon. There’s just way to many design elements going on here. Ditto [the Saleen S7](http://www.wheels.ca/jpg/4692.jpg). [BMW 530](http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/wheels/img/sep03/bmw530iside1.jpg) [Crossfire](http://www.avtobest.spb.ru/pub/photos/crossfire.jpg) - the ugliness of AMC returns to haunt Chrysler. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/22 "2004-06-05T00:43:13Z")
Heretic! The Elise is gorgeous, and you should thank the Brits on your bare knees to go throught the trouble of making it US-legal now! It’s the funnest car that kind of money can possibly buy. And I want one, so bad. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/23 "2004-06-05T00:44:27Z")
I think it was someone at Top Gear who said, “The new BMW 5-series looks like it just rolled out of a bad panel beaters shop”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Graycat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Graycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graycat)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/24 "2004-06-05T00:59:54Z")
I remember the first time I saw an Aztec I was wandering around a car dealer’s lot; one of the multiple dealerships. I’m saying to my husband “I can’t believe anyone would deliberately make a car that looks like this” - and then I saw an Element! Ugliness in stereo. I hated the PT Cruiser the first time I ever saw one, but I couldn’t figure out why till I saw a black one. It looks (to me at least) just like a WWII German Army staff car. Bad vibes. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/25 "2004-06-05T01:01:05Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > Heretic! The Elise is gorgeous, and you should thank the Brits on your bare knees to go throught the trouble of making it US-legal now! It’s the funnest car that kind of money can possibly buy. And I want one, so bad. 🙂 I’d rather have the [Vauxhall VX220](http://www.hoot-uk.com/content/launch_pad/archive/vauxhall/vx220/vauxhall_13092001_5.jpg). It’s a lot cleaner looking. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/26 "2004-06-05T01:27:15Z")
But… it’s a _Vauxhall_. 🙂 Eh, to each his own. The VX-220 (Opel Speedster in mainland Europe) is a great car - it’s an Elise underneath. It’s just that I’d rather have the original, presonally. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/27 "2004-06-05T01:30:11Z")
And I don’t care what anyone says about mixed style elements - [that’s the best ass I’ve seen in a long time](http://moto.trojmiasto.pl/tapety/lotus/lotus_elise_03_800x600.jpg). [sup]1[/sup] [sup]1[/sup] [sup][sub]Except for my wife’s, of course![/sub][/sup] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/28 "2004-06-05T01:43:38Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > And I don’t care what anyone says about mixed style elements - [that’s the best ass I’ve seen in a long time](http://moto.trojmiasto.pl/tapety/lotus/lotus_elise_03_800x600.jpg). Ah, so that’s what a young Ferrari’s ass would look like! But, I kid the Lotus ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/29 "2004-06-05T01:54:17Z")
> [@Tiggrkitty](#): > > Has anyone see the new Chrysler 300? To me, it looks like the kind of car that the evil Mr. Big would be driving in some old comic strip. Something out of _Dick Tracy_, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/30 "2004-06-05T03:36:45Z")
> [@](#): > > My upcoming weekend plans include buying a Honda Element. When I first saw it, I thought it was hideously ugly. It seems less ugly to me now, partially thanks to the Toyota Scion being out on the road. It might just be fatalism, since nothing else has the head room I need in a car. Also, it is perfect for camping and hauling the dog around, two activities which currently consume a fair amount of Mrs. Giraffe’s and my time. Once you drive it, you won’t care what others think. Besides, you won’t have much trouble identifying it in a parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/31 "2004-06-05T04:21:20Z")
> [@susan\_foster](#): > > The PT Cruiser is a little too close to a short hearse for my tastes. > > Susan Mom? Seriously, my mother thinks that the PT Cruiser looks like hearse for midgets. I think it’s OK. My vote goes for the Element. Talk about a box on wheels :dubious: > [@](#): > > Has anyone see the new Chrysler 300? Yikes. Maybe Daimler-Chrysler cut its designers’ pay, and this is how they’re getting even. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/32 "2004-06-05T04:40:27Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > You wanna talk hideous, talk about the Honda Elephant. I mean, [Element](http://www.automotive.com/Reviews/09/2003/honda/element/). Ugh. Hee. I used to think so too, but the more I see them around, the more I like them. Did you know you can open up both the doors, let loose a hosepipe on the interior, and wash that thing out? I call that progress! Yeah, they’re ugly…but they’re so ugly they’re cute. 🙂 The durn [Avalanches](http://www.autoweb.com/content/research/vir/index.cfm/action/quicklook/make_vch/Chevrolet/make_id_int/8/model_vch/Avalanche/newUsed/new/series_id_int/32339/breadcrumbs/HP%2CResearch%2CMakeSearch) are hideous, though. Those are nothing but trucks on steroids. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/33 "2004-06-05T04:52:55Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > And I don’t care what anyone says about mixed style elements - [that’s the best ass I’ve seen in a long time](http://moto.trojmiasto.pl/tapety/lotus/lotus_elise_03_800x600.jpg). Ok, I just got a huge flashback of the Opal GT when I saw that ass. No, not your wife’s! Really! I forgot to mention the [new Chevy truck](http://www.chevrolet.com/ssr/index.html) rag top. While I love convertibles, this is just not my cup o’ tea. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/34 "2004-06-05T05:21:06Z")
I didn’t like the **Element** at first, but it’s grown on me. I’m a sucker for clever engineering, and the Element is about as clever as they come. The **Aztek** is pretty clever itself in a lot of ways, but I’m afraid it’s been beaten just a little too hard with the ugly stick. It is irredeemable. I kind of like the new **300 C**. It’s a hell of a lot better than that endless parade of semicircles Chrysler’s been pumping out for most the past decade. It’s got serious attitude. I saw one today at lunch, all white with tinted windowss. I figure there was probably a supervillain inside. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/35 "2004-06-05T05:52:33Z")
A local radio station is promoting a contest; whoever can ride Wild Thing (a rollercoaster at Valleyfair) the longest wins a 2005 Toyota Scion. Woo, yay. I’d still like to win it, if only to sell it off so I can get siding for my house, or trade it in for a different car. I’m going to add a vote for the PT Cruiser, _especially_ the ones with wood paneling. Ick! :looks at **BiblioCat** funny: ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/36 "2004-06-05T05:57:29Z")
> [@Tiggrkitty](#): > > What is up with the front grill on that thing? They bill it as a luxury car with a hemi in it, but good lord who would want to drive that ugly piece of metal. It’s tradition; the 300 has [always](http://www.lhmopars.com/images/C-1961_Chrysler_300G_LeftFront.jpg) been like that. I kinda like the new one. I don’t like that new Chevy car/pickup thing. They attempted a retro look, but didn’t quite make it work. I get the urge to stick my fingers in my ears and yell “LALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU” whenever I see one of the Buick ads with the ghost of Harley Earl. I’ll admit, the man designed some ugly-ass cars in his day, but at least _his_ were creative. The new ones Buick’s associating with his name are the same crap everybody else is making, but with holes in the fenders. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/37 "2004-06-05T06:05:00Z")
My grandmother HATES the PT Cruiser for some reason. Whenever she sees one on the road, she gets angry. Naturally, this means I like it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/38 "2004-06-05T06:47:50Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I really hate any car that’s Taxi Cab Yellow or School Bus Yellow. That seems to be all the rage around here, but I hate it. Why would you want your car to be the same color as a cab or a school bus? Such as the Chevy Tahoe…errr, ahh… Hummer H2? (Tahoe bones in an ugly skin) I get a little giggle out of that Jeep commercial that says those “other” SUVs are bright yellow so they’re easier to find when they get stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/39 "2004-06-05T07:00:37Z")
I like the 300 C. Last February at the Toronto car show I saw the latest Rolls-Royce. Its front end looks a lot like the 300C’s, except with the Rolls grille of course–and these incredibly ugly _small rectangular [headlights](http://www.fantasycars.com/sedans/misc/roller_phantom3.jpg)_. I was very surprised when I saw a 300C and discovered that somehow Daimler-Chrysler had pulled off a better [front-end look](http://1.im.cz/n/photo/01/52/94vsfhb-topsirka.jpg) than Rolls! That Seat Toledo would look okay if it lost that ghastly two-tone paint job and was grey all over. It would look even better if it lost the hunchback, but the paint job has got to go. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603/40 "2004-06-05T08:08:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I really hate any car that’s Taxi Cab Yellow or School Bus Yellow. That seems to be all the rage around here, but I hate it. Why would you want your car to be the same color as a cab or a school bus? I remember from a bunch of years ago a study that said yellow is one of the more attention grabbing colors. The idea was that a yellow vehicle was safer than other colors, because of the high visibility factor. Back in my hippie days, I painted an old VW microbus an actual day-glo yellow—it might not have been any safer, but it did get a lot of attention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugly-cars/248603.md?page=3)