Why have cars gone so ugly

12gauge dave

Now maybe its just me but does anyone else think new cars are continuing to get really ugly?
I think 80s and 90s cars styling is alot more subtle and easier on the eye then after about 03 it all went tits up and everycar got bubbly looking and bulky?
Now i know cars are getting safer and more electrical equipment is being added which will add to weight and change design but to the extent it has??
What do you think have cars gone ugly since early 00's?

Anan1

Off the top of my head, crash safety demands bigger roof pillars, and presumably pedestrian safety more rounded fronts.

alchemist33

I think the rounded cars of today are far better looking than the boxes of twenty years ago.

moonship

I agree 100% that todays cars are bulky, they look like pumped baloons. They look much bigger from outside than actually are inside. Best example: Avensis, Kia Sportage .

coolisin

It's the pedestrian safety that is making the front end of cars very round and bubbly looking.

Still though normal cars have a nicer design element then cars from around 1990.

And interiors have alot more work put into them.

12gauge dave

In 20 years time i cant see cars from this era having the following that say ford cosworths had in 80s and 90s or the jdm scene do today cars made lately arent exciting or soul stirring like back then

biko

alchemist33 wrote: »

I think the rounded cars of today are far better looking than the boxes of twenty years ago.

This, today's cars are better looking but somehow the boxes from my youth hold a special appeal.

djimi

There are a handful of cars from each era, including this one, that stand out, but for the most part cars will eventually look dated and the majority will be quickly forgotten. Im no fan of modern cars, but there were an awful lot of butt ugly cars made 20-30 years ago that look really dated nowadays.

foxcoverteddy

stylists have gone mad, trying to repair today's cars is almost impossible, there is money in selling large chunks of bodywork.
What use are plastic or carbon fibre bumpers. Sorry the Volvo had the right idea back in the 70's, bumpers that absorbed knocks and protected the bodywork.
Some of today's cars sitting in the back is a definite no no, perhaps it is age related, I want running boards back

Pov06

12gauge dave wrote: »

Now maybe its just me but does anyone else think new cars are continuing to get really ugly?
I think 80s and 90s cars styling is alot more subtle and easier on the eye then after about 03 it all went tits up and everycar got bubbly looking and bulky?
Now i know cars are getting safer and more electrical equipment is being added which will add to weight and change design but to the extent it has??
What do you think have cars gone ugly since early 00's?

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking. I miss the old cars from the 80s and 90s, they just seem to look much better than all of these new round yokes :mad:

f140

there were a few nice cars in the 90s. always loved the mark 1 Renault laguna. the first Peugeot 306 and 406 were also stunners.

kirving

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

stylists have gone mad, trying to repair today's cars is almost impossible, there is money in selling large chunks of bodywork.
What use are plastic or carbon fibre bumpers. Sorry the Volvo had the right idea back in the 70's, bumpers that absorbed knocks and protected the bodywork.
Some of today's cars sitting in the back is a definite no no, perhaps it is age related, I want running boards back

Plastic and carbon fibre bumpers are designed to be lightweight to improve fuel economy, and actually work to reduce injuries to pedestrians. With the advance of extremely cheap auto braking systems(VW's version is something like €200) for slow speed driving, the bumper shouldn't be required for slow speed car on car impacts anyway.

I'd much rather be in a crash inside a new car with soft plastic bumpers.