They say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Well, if you own any of these 10 cars, how good or bad it looks is entirely based on your judgment. Though one might argue, there’s a bit to their looks that is not entirely subjective.
Take the world of luxury SUVs for instance. It’s hard to find a petrolhead who would tell you that with the Bentley Bentayga, it was love at first sight. You’d have to first come to terms with the fact that the headlights look cross-eyed.
Switch over to the Tesla Model X, which competes in the same category as the Bentayga, thanks to the size and price, you’ll be lucky to get 9 enthusiasts out of 10 who were reeled in by how the car looks like an anime cat on four wheels.
But then, that doesn’t always matter. Both these cars are one of the best-selling in the segment. That is why, the beholder notwithstanding, these 5 “beautiful” cars are rarely wanted by buyers while these 5 ugly ones are selling faster than hotcake.
10 We Hate: Mazda 5
The Mazda 5 has received lots of praise from critics for being an appealing minivan that does almost everything you ask from it. However, the general public has not fallen in love with this elongated beast. That’s despite the Mazda 5 not only serving well as a minivan but also handling better than most vehicles in its category.
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The Mazda 5 offers large cargo space, decent fuel economy, and plenty of passenger space as well. The steering is sharp and the lively suspension makes it very easy to park the car and drive on the city streets.
9 HWe Hate: Jaguar XJ
The Jaguar XJ is by far a very sexy car. This athletic machine brags a distinct and elegantly flowing silhouette, swooping taillights, sleek headlights, and a full-length sunroof that extends to the rear. Moreover, the XJ’s interior features an all-LCD dashboard, genuine wood trim, good leather seats, and other amazing features.
The lightweight aluminum frame and excellent weight distribution give the Jaguar XJ amazing handling. But that’s where all the good news ends. Despite this British masterpiece being cheaper than its German alternatives, buyers just don’t want to spend their money on it.
8 We Hate: Chevrolet SS
The Chevrolet SS is a rocket ship of a sports sedan. This American masterpiece packs 416hp and a wild drivetrain that allows it to get from 0-60mph in just 4.7 seconds. The SS does not lack in styling, both in the interior and exterior. The exterior oozes vibes of a BMW 3 series with the SS’ interior being filled with luxury you can only get from a German sedan.
Sadly, Chevy never managed to convince buyers that this was the American Sports Sedan of their dreams. The company became so desperate that it started offering $10,000 cashback for the purchase of the SS.
7 We Hate: Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C was intended to be a limited-production vehicle from the onset. However, the small sales numbers were not what Alfa Romeo was expecting. In 2017, only 406 units of the 4C were sold. But the car deserved more than that minuscule performance in the market.
The Alfa Romeo 4C was a beautifully crafted marque. You could tell of the Italian design ethos that hallmarked the exterior coupled with performance that befitted the stature of the vehicle. The 4C packed a peppy turbocharged engine that developed 237hp. That engine was mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
6 We Hate: Maserati Quattroporte
Maserati and Alfa Romeo have a knack for coming up with names that only Italians can get out of their mouth correctly. The Quattroporte is one of Maserati’s cars with the hardest names to pronounce and one that has a reputation for breaking necks.
That’s because the car is nothing short of sexy. The Maserati Quattroporte dons an elegant Italian design with flowing lines and a top-notch interior. So why is it hated? Because it is very unreliable. Many buyers have complained of the DuoSelect transmission sourced from Ferrari. It is laden with electrical faults and other issues that make the car undrivable.
5 We Love: Morgan Aero 8
The Morgan Aero 8 is a car you have to fall in love with slowly. Its design carries a lot of love-and-hate vibes, with the automaker awkwardly trying to replicate a classic design in a modern context. That makes the marque look too muscular. Add the concave front and headlights that borrow the cross-eyed philosophy from the Bentayga, and you get to understand why people don’t want to look twice at it.
But then, they end up buying it. That’s because this odd-looking car has a unique combination of character and charm. Under the hood, the Morgan Aero 8 packs a 4.8L V8 engine with 367bhp. That powerful engine rockets the Aero 8 from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds before attaining a top speed of 170mph.
4 We Love: Citroen 2CV
The hideousness of this car is self-evident. It hangs in between being too sexy and too broody, given the era it was designed. However, the reliability, simplicity, and affordability of this French marque will make you quickly forget how closely it resembles an umbrella. In a way, it is the purest form of minimalist design.
The Citroen 2CV managed to be in production for an incredible 42 years. That is from 1948 to 1990. During this period, over 3.8 million units were produced and sold by Citroen. It thus became one of the few front-wheel-drive vehicles from the manufacturer to clock over a million units.
3 We Love: Ferrari 400i
Ferrari has always been associated with gorgeous cars such as the 250 GTO and the LaFerrari. That’s why it's hard to accept that this horrendous machine was a product from Maranello. The Ferrari 400i cannot even fit to be a poster car for a PT Cruiser fan. It looks horrific with boxy headlights that pop out like eyelashes from the hood. However, when you get behind the wheel, you forget that what you’re driving is a prancing frog.
Under the hood, the Ferrari 400i packs a fuel-injected 4.8L V12 engine that’s mated to either a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission. The 310hp developed by that massive engine rockets the 400i from 0-60mph in just 7.1 seconds before maxing the speedo at 149mph.
2 We Love: Daimler SP250 Dart
This odd-looking German machine debuted at the New York Motor Show in 1959 to a dumbstruck audience. The Daimler SP250 Dart was quickly labeled the ugliest vehicle in the show. Everything was going right at the top half of the vehicle until the designer plugged in a hideous drooping mouth at the bottom half in an attempt to presumably get done before the motor show’s submission deadline.
But that ugly frame hid a gem underneath. The SP250 Dart ran on a lightweight composite frame, packed a low curb weight, and hid a punchy V8 under the hood. That 2.5L iron-block engine provided 140hp which was more than enough for the SP250 Dart.
1 We Love: Nissan Juke
The Nissan Juke looks more of a frog with anime eyes and undersized limbs. The parking lights, headlights, and fog lights seem to have been an afterthought in this marque. To make matter worse, the front and rear look cramped giving the impression that the poor machine might have had an accident at the factory.
Despite such hideous looks, the Nissan Juke has a wild following and sales record to date. Sales of this crossover have surpassed Nissan’s monthly target, a testament to people’s love for weird things like pineapples on Pizza.