What’s A Car You Thought Looked Ugly But Now You Like?

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and eyes change; tastes change. As a small child, I’d happily hoover an entire tray of raw oysters while going out of my way to avoid eating a raw tomato. Now I enjoy both. Also as a young person, I extremely disliked the early ’90s fourth-gen Chevrolet Caprice.

My whole family had this anti-Caprice bias. I used to call it the roachmobile because, to my pre-pubescent eyes at least, the pinched grille and narrow headlights, coupled with the rear fender skirts made it look like the giant insects that would occasionally sneak into our apartment. My disdain was strong.

Now I can’t get enough of them. Whether the car is in basic police-spec or luxurious faux-wood-paneled Buick Roadmaster Estate, I appreciate the design as a crisper aerodynamic alternative to Ford’s extremely ovalur language at the time.

Obviously, the best of these B-Body cars is the mid-’90s Chevy Impala SS. The hot rod aluminum five-spokes, body-color trim pieces, and deleted fender skirts make for one mean car. It didn’t hurt that the car was basically a hopped-up version of the 9C1 police car, complete with a Corvette-derived LT1 V8 good for about 260 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque.

I’ve gone from hating it to not-so-secretly desiring one.

[Ed Note: For me it’s the Audi A2 and the BMW i3; 

I used to find them stubby and hideous. Now I love them both. -DT]. 

What about you? What car did you not initially love that now you’re completely taken with?

 

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139 thoughts on “What’s A Car You Thought Looked Ugly But Now You Like?”

  1. The Nissan Juke. I hated those for a long time, but now I kind a like them. At least, I’m glad that they exist because they are weird, and we need more weird shit on the roads.

      1. I’m far too accepting of car aesthetics so I can’t answer this article except to say the Cube is one of very few cars I truly dislike by appearance. The asymmetry from the rear is unforgivable.

          1. I mean, the back opening sideways is novel and not a bad thing by my estimation…But the exterior glass wraparound on one side seems pointless if you can’t actually see through the structure.

    2. Totally agree on the Juke. People get stuck on the face, but I sort of overlook that for the profile. Very few cars in the last 20 years have such unique proportions/shape. It just looks fun, and if you can get one with a stick, actually is fun.

      1. I owned a Juke for around 7 years, and 110k miles. I purchased it because it was everything I was looking for in a car (used, 4 door, hatchback, manual transmission.) and it was a loooot cheaper than the competition I was looking at. I was reluctant at first, because it’s not a looker.. But it was a good deal. Besides, you don’t see what it looks like from the inside.

        I grew very attached to that car. The shape and styling is super unique. Especially the rear 3/4 view.

        It was also a super reliable vehicle. I owned mine from ~70k miles to ~180k miles and in that time I replaced three wheel bearings. Outside of that I only had to do the regular tires, brakes, oil changes, etc.

        I miss that thing.

        1. I, too, owned a Juke from new 2012 to 2019. Put maybe 70k on it. I loved it. The looks, the just-right size (for a single person), it was quick enough, and the AWD system with good tires worked very well. I probably should have kept it, as it got great gas mileage as well.

  2. My BMW x4, the last couple generations of Mustang, the BMW clownshoe, C1 corvette (I still don’t like C2-C6, though)… Also hard agree on V10omous’s take on 00’s trucks. I do have a weird grudge on the F150 tailgates of the mid-late 00’s, though. I dunno why, I just can’t stand how they look.

    I’m sure I could think of more if I gave it some time, but I should probably get back to work 😉

  3. Is that the SS I posted on Discord??? I absolutely love that car, and would qualify for me as an answer. I was not a huge fan of American muscle when I was younger. I was a fan, just not huge, and not sure I wanted one. BUT, the Impala SS is perhaps the perfect car for anyone over 40. I would love to daily one, but at this age, could not bring myself to. I could in the summer, but not all year.

    1. Yep, i fit that description of a SS owner, over 40 and daily mine on and off especially during the summer. I have only had mine for about 4 years, brought it not running (vats) at a now would be considered steal of a deal at on 97k miles. I have taken it on a road trip from Houston to South Carolina and back, great road car, plenty of thumbs up and asking was it for sale at fuel stops along the way there and back. My regular daily is a 08 Merc e350 4matic.

  5. The C4 ‘Vette. In 1984, it looked to me like they had watered it down- the fender bulges were gone, the rear fascia was now flat, and it seemed to me like it was just the wrong car to impose the “Shear Look” on.
    It’s grown on me, especially the convertibles.

    3. I was hoping to see this. When the 84 came out, I was like, damn. First the Camaro / firebird now this.as of today, I’ve owned a 1987 convertible in black with the 4+3 as a daily for four years and 40k miles. I still love walking up to it in its low, menacing glory.

  6. Station wagons. As a kid that was just what my grandparents and the Griswolds drove but at some point in my late 20s they started appealing to me and now I love them.

    1. I feel the same way about conversion Vans, they are still kind of ugly, but I still like them for some reason these days.

      That being said, the most attractive Wagons for me were all early 70’s GM. The 70 Olds Vista Cruiser with a Torque monster 455 was pretty much as good as it got for me.

      1. My parents had a Ford camper van with the big fiberglass top and fold out beds and kitchen and ugly orange and brown stripes down the side. I’m still not too keen on those but my uncle had a smaller green custom van with the oval windows in back and an airbrushed landscape on the side and green shag carpet inside with a potted plant hanging in the back. I thought that was the coolest thing on 4 wheels as a kid.

        So:
        airbrushed shaggin’ wagons = COOL
        dowdy bloated conversion/camper vans = meh
        Mr T’s A-Team van = OH HELL YEAH

    2. I felt the same way. I was a kid in the early 2000s and by then most parents were driving minivans. But my mom had a 2001 V70 T5 with a third row seat, because she hated minivans. So naturally, because my mom had one, wagons=uncool. It was, however, quick enough to outrun any of my classmates’ v6 Mustangs, which was fun.

      In college, I picked out a 2005 Passat wagon for my ex to drive. Yes, it did require a lot of maintenance…but we split over six years ago and he’s still driving it. Over 200k on it now apparently without any major issues thanks to my preventative maintenance. And that car is why I fell in love with wagons. Now, I’ve got a Sportwagen TDI and I can’t see myself having anything other than a wagon.

  7. Any 90s Toyota aside from the Supra and MR2. Grew up around Corollas and Previas and Camry’s, and at the time I thought they looked impossibly lame and featureless. However, 25-ish years on, I’m realizing that these old Yotas were quite cleanly-styled and have aged well.

  9. Trucks of the 00s that appeared “overstyled” at the time, but are now testaments to restraint vs current trucks. Thinking of especially:

    -Angry eyes Silverado GMT800 facelift & Avalanche

    -1st gen Titan

    -2007 Tundra

    -2005 Tacoma

    -2008 and 2011 Super Duty faces

    On the other hand, the 03 generation Rams (of “That thing got a Hemi?” fame) look worse than ever.

    1. What do think of the aero-roded F-150s of the early ’00s?

      Ram-wise, the mid-to-late ’90s styling looks really good to me these days. Purposeful but without the pointless aggression the characterizes truck styling these days.

      1. If you’re referring to the 97-03 “jellybean” F150 I’m not a fan. The style is fine on the Expedition, but the trucks end up looking super awkward to my eyes. I thought so at the time, and continue to think so now.

        The 04 F150 was a clean look and much improved to me.

        The 94 Ram was obviously one of the most influentially styled vehicles of all time, and I agree that it still looks great today. With the unfortunate exception of the ugly 2003-08 models, Ram has had the best looking trucks for the last 30 years, often by a long shot.

  12. The 10th generation F150. When it debuted in 1997, I thought it looked too much like the similar vintage Taurus – too rounded and lobby. Now I rather like them, though is still like the 9th generation more.

    1. I used one of these at a company I worked for back then. Everybody called it “The Lexus” because it was way quieter and more comfortable than any other pickup.

      1. One of my friend’s dad bought one new in ’97 and the first time I rode in it I had a similar take, but still couldn’t stand the exterior. Now I rather appreciate the design, given how overstyled trucks have become since then, and I am smitten with how the Lightning looks, especially the ’03-’04 trucks.

        Whoops, just noticed autocorrect made my comment say “lobby” instead of “blobby”.

      2. Can confirm. Recently drove an ’87 250 Super Duty 2wd with the 460., manual trans, and 4.10s.

        Loud, bumpy. Hard as hell clutch, notch shifter. 65 is asking a lot of the truck, but that crawler 1st gear was a godsend.

        My ’11 Tundra is a literal Lexus by comparison.

        1. Well yeah, it was an 87 f250 with 410s. An f150 rides much much nicer. Having driven 9th and 10th gen f150s side by side, the 10th is definitely quieter but didn’t notice much difference in ride.

    1. I always thought the Element had some strange, “function-over-form” charm, and think the SC models with the painted cladding were actually pretty good looking. Not everyone agreed at the time, but the market has held a lot of love for them since.

      1. They went to the painted cladding for all trims in later years. The SC was an additional body kit that was poorly named and at least in my area poorly received. Who thought it was a good idea to make it FWD only? I worked at a honda dealer at the time, and we got 2 of them, and they were the only FWD Elements we ever got. Managed to move the first relatively quickly, but the second sat there for more than a year because in the Rocky Mountain region no one wants a FWD SUV. And the SC implied a supercharger to me so I was all excited thinking they had made power upgrades. Nope. That car was such a crazy disappointment to me!

  14. Pretty much any hatchback. As a kid I hated the GTI, the Protege5, just any of them. The Mazda3 was the first one that started making me come around, and now I love hatches and have one in the garage.

    1. Also the MR2 Spyder, I hated that thing with a passion at first, and while I still hate the automated manual crap, with a manual it’s an awesome car, even if a bit underpowered. And while we’re at it, in high school I thought the Miata was awful, I was into muscle cars back then and didn’t appreciate handling cars outside of the Lotus Elise.

  15. Dodge Neon.

    It was just a cheap car when it came out, but they made some respectively quick ones over the years, so I’ve heard. I wouldn’t mind having one with a big ass turbo on it.

    1. I’ve recounted elsewhere that I rented lots of first gen Neons because they were a blast and looked good while having fun. Then again, I didn’t have to own one long term.

  17. I used to hate the mk1 MR2. All wedgey and sharp edges. I still bought one, because who else makes a great handling ultra-reliable mid-engined sport car, but I hated how it looked.

    I was about five years in to owning them (the first one was crashed by my brother: don’t lend him anything nice) before I started to like looking at it sat on the drive.

  18. Pontiac Aztec with the colored keyed bumpers. The black plastic ones are still hard to look at (as with the Honda Element), but I think this vehicle was just ahead of its time. A vehicle like this would sell like crazy today, especially with a competent modern AWD system.

    3. They were ugly and still are. But compared to some of the eye-searing atrocities that have debuted since (looking at you, BMW), it’s really not that bad.

      1. Haha, that could be a reason why I’ve softened on them too. Speaking of BMW, my gf and I had an X2 rental earlier this year and loved it, partly because of the sleek, understated style. I saw the new gen recently, and WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF were they thinking???

    4. Certainly the odd options like coolers and tents make them more interesting. You never hear about the less polarizing cousin, the Buick Rendezvous, but I also don’t know that many of the Aztek options would work on the Buick.

  19. E60 5-Series. Everyone hated them new, but as time has gone on, they’re really not that bad, or maybe BMW has gone so far downhill it makes the Bangle era cars look really nice.

    I think similar things can be said for a lot of cars from the Aughts that maybe seemed bland or boring when new, but in hindsight were really just clean and simple designs.

    1. I loved them right from the start, especially the pre-facelift 530i with the Sport package. I still consider them the best looking sedans of this century. Then again, apparently I’m thankful I don’t own one.

    2. > BMW has gone so far downhill it makes the Bangle era cars look really nice.

      Unpossible. Bangle is the worst thing to happen to BMW.

  20. SN-95 Mustang. When they first came out in 1994 I was underwhelmed with the styling. They seemed too bulbous and not muscular enough at the time. But over the years I’ve warmed up to them, and now find myself passively searching for a clean ’94-’95 GT (or GTS, but they’re impossible to find).

    1. Looking back on them, they’re very much a car of their time, high ’90s jellybean. But RWD never goes out of style, and at least relatively speaking, they’re positively tiny compared to what’s on the road these days. I own a new edge SN95, and it’s funny to me how small she looks in a parking lot surrounded by SUVs and pickups now.

      And I remember how back then when Ford was shoveling them out the door as fast as it could, it was nearly impossible to rent a car and NOT get one.

    2. I fell in love with the ’94 as a little kid and vowed I’d own one. ’95 GT sitting in the garage, waiting for time and money to bring it back to the street. My wife preferred the look (and the reliability) of my New Edge V6, but she has since come around on the styling of the earlier car.

      Yes, finding 94-95 5.0 cars is hard, but I see them going for $5k-15k all day. Higher end for legit ’95 GTS cars. Keep hunting, the right one will appear when the time is right.

  21. Face-lifted 1st gen Ford Fusion (2010 – 2013).

    When they first came out, I thought the styling looked bloated and overwrought compared with the original version’s more lithe profile. And b/c this is Torch’s house, the taillights really bugged me…honeycombs belong on grills, not taillights!

    But in the past few years, I’ve come to appreciate them more, and that the design is more harmonious that I perceived originally. It was also the start of the sport trim level.

    Sure, it’s not as wonderful as the near-perfect 2nd gen, but it’s not bad either.

    1. This is another car we rented regularly because it was so good at what it was intended to be. The facelifted first gen was MT’s car of the year. One could do worse…its sleek replacement had dreadful visibility.

    1. You’re not wrong! That front end looks like if Legos built a car. Compared to the absolutely hideous monstrosities BMW is spitting out these days, especially up front, this thankfully doesn’t resemble a naked mole rat. But there is not one flowing line up there. Like the rest of the current lineup (except the 3-series sedan), I don’t see this aging well at all.

    1. Not at all – it was and remains a good looking car…very nicely balanced design that Iacocca himself thought channeled the original nicely. In fact, I’d say it’s the mismatch between the looks and the performance that drew the anger of the faithful.

    2. I like the Mustang II, but here’s where I diverge from most people who have anything nice to say about them: only the notchback version. The hatchback just looks too much like the gussied up Pinto it is.

  25. E36 M3 was one of my first car crushes. When E46 was revealed I thought it looked soft, bubbly and luxo. Not sporty. I think that sentiment still held in some ways (a white E36 says touring car championship all over it, it’s the look. Meanwhile I could never do a white E46 M3.) But I warmed up to it pretty quick and it has gone down as one of my most obsessed over vehicles ever.

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