Toyota has sold a Million of them.... Evidently some people don't think they are so ugly. I never have. They are Iconic. Even from Gen 2-Gen 3 Toyota saw the value in maintaining that link. That is one beautiful wedge of ugly.....
i have a honda civic 2010 - another ugly car! to be fair to toyota, most honda cars are uglier than toyota cars. in my humble opinion, european cars are beautiful, e.g., volkswagen, audi, bmw, etc. i'm thinking of getting the prius V because it is less ugly (because it is less shell like) but i think the nose at the front of the hood is ugly (where the toyota logo is). why can't they remove the nose?
I think the Gen III is styled nicely, especially the front end. I think the rear end is a bit frumpy. It could have been tightened up to make it more pleasing. No pun intended. Anyways, in this case, form follows function, not the other way around.
1. Some of the european cars are beautiful, not all. I find some very boring, including the germans you pointed. Italians were ahead, but somehow lost the way some years ago. Some French cars have awesome looks, other are dreadful. Japanese are different, and Prius has a shape with a function, and IMPOV, approved by the facts of low aerodynamic drag (record). Choose? Function, because looks change with time. 2. Prius v is a good option in the new Prius family. You will find much info in this forum. Congrats, if you go for it!
I do not like the Prius look from every view, but I like it a lot from most viewpoints. All in all, German makes do not elicit reaction from me one way or another, while most Detroit models I dislike. Outside of the Prius most Toyota cars leave me without a reaction, except for the Corolla which I dislike. In general I like Honda. The new Civics are quite pleasing to my eye.
Ya know, the OP's title asks why the Prius is so "Ulgy", which in his language may mean something like sexy and we've gotten it all wrong.
I used to think like you (OP). My h and I would be driving my mommycan odyssey and point and laugh at the silly oval car when they first came out. In fact, right up till I bought one we were still chuckling about how stupid they looked. But the truth (ok, more like my own opinion) is Toyota has always been at the forefront of designing cars that people dont realize they will like or want. You know all the bumpers that 99% of cars have today that look like they are part of the car rather than a chrome bar attached to the ends of the car? If I recall correctly, Toyota started that and people laughed and thought they were the most ridonkeylous things ever. Now, I dont think you could find a current car with a chrome bumper... Toyota's innovative way of thinking eventually ends up being what all the other manufacturers copy. There was once a time when the appeal was buying big and bulky. Now, the appeal is to be more aware of the environment. I think the prius does a great job with that and I am sure Toyota will continue to push out even better stuff as the newer prii comes out. I personally didnt buy a car for the looks. I bought it for the mileage. and I couldnt be happier. If I wanted a car for the looks, I would have gotten another Toyota Tundra double cab long bed truck. but I didnt want to risk prius drivers pointing and laughing at me for being so stupid driving a truck that only got 19 miles to the gallon at best. (ok, that was a joke in case no one got it. lol)
I thought that the front end of the Gen 1 was weak looking. The back of that car was pretty classy looking. From the back, the Gen 1 looked like a more expensive car than it was. I did like the fact that Gen 1 was a sedan, not a hatchback. In general, the Prius has gotten better looking with Gen 2 and even better with Gen 3. These cars are edgy and modern looking. I have never found them Ugly. While the milage is disappointing for a hybrid, I like the Lexus HS 250H. I like the fact that it has a real trunk, instead of a hatchback.
The one thing I never liked about the Prius design was the large black stripe on the rear underneath the window. Thought it was odd and ugly looking. Never realized it was actually an additional window until I finally test drove one. To remedy this eyesore I purchased a black Prius which truly looks like a different car when viewed from behind.
I agree about that black stripe taking away from the looks of the Prius. It makes the car look smaller from the back. I also didn't realize that it was a window till I drove one. While Black isn't a favorite color of mine, I can see where it works on the Prius to camouflage that window. The dark gray works pretty well in that regard too. I suppose it would not be consider safe, but, I would love to replace that window with a panel that matches the color of the car.
Can't you just hear the liability lawyers circling around his actions claiming Toyota is liable because he could not see the child?
It is a functional car that has lots of room for its size and has low drag. It is comfortable and gets you to your destination safely and inexpensively. My view is it looks like it should - functional. I can't say that there are many 4 door sedans I find that beautiful. Perhaps you should wait for the Prius C.
There is a reason there are so many different cars and trucks available- we are all just a bit different in our tastes. Some like brunettes, some like blondes. A friend of mine thinks his pug is the most beautiful dog in the world. I for one would take the Lexus 200h if it was given to me only so I could trade it in for almost any other vehicle on the planet. But I bought my Prius because I love the 53.8 lifetime average mpg. It could be as ugly as mud and I'd love it.
I remember John DeLorean saying that the formula for making a sexy car is low-wide-and-low with the last low meaning height. The Prius is low to the ground, so I give it at least one out of three on sex appeal. The DeLorean didn't make it too long. They are still making the Prius. It comes down to, do you like the 80's tissue box look or an aerodynamic look? Obviously you like the boxy look. Buy what you like. I'm betting the original poster has watched way too many commercials and have bought in to the marketing. Whatever.
