Going to add another Prius to the fleet -- boy...... the rear end of the new model is particularly ugly. They seem to be less offensive in darker colors --- Unfortunately, I like white cars. The whole car is over styled and not very attractive. I understand .. it's a Prius ... the 3rd was better looking . A few years ago I was going to buy a Mazda 3 as an extra car -- liked the car .. but the front end was so ugly .. looked like a smiling cat .... could not buy it.
I guess it depends on what we're used to. I remember when the VOLVO 244 came out with the slanted grille, people said it was ugly - within 15 years, just about every car had followed suit. The Gen2 Prius looked quite odd when I first saw it - but nowdays, it's quite normal. I don't think that PRIUS is the ugliest TOYOTA - check out the YARIS grille, the Corolla isn't much better, and the RAV4 has some quite odd angles - and their up-market LEXUS grille!!!
Lexus' maws are particularly horrible. No practicality either. And Toyota seems to be emulating some sorta Hyundai with the new Prius. Yeah, do not know what's going on, kinda stepping away from the auto party methinks.
It's the old Prius with star ship tail lights. I think the tail lights and head lights are cool looking. Like the dash. There have been a lot of ugly cars, but I don't think the 2016 Prius fits in with them. One ugly car was the AMC Gremlin. What's on your list of ugly cars?
It's all subjective and opinion, but the more I see the Gen 4 Prius....I have to agree. What's particularly frustrating is I like nearly every other aspect. The front, the sides, all look sharper and improved. But the accordion or fire place bellows look of the back end, well I keep waiting for it to grow on me...and waiting and waiting. It really just looks to me like Toyota wanted to make a significant change but just wasn't sure what it should be. The rear end looks like it was designed by picking divergent elements out of a hat. While the rest of the vehicle I think looks sharper, the back end looks like a mistake. Seriously? Maybe it really will grow on me, I like most of the rest of the vehicle. But it's now more than a 1st impression, I think I can safely say, I really don't like it. Specifically I wouldn't call the Gen 4 ugly, as I like it from nearly every other angle. It's only when I look at the fire place bellows, at the very rear end, that I shudder. The rest of the vehicle looks good IMO.
I suppose we react differently to what's ugly. For one, I avoid looking at mirrors unless I have a good reason. When I bought a 2015 Camry I thought the grill was ugly. I soon discovered that while driving I cannot see the grill and when washing it I don't spend more time than necessary looking at it. And when a casual observer comments that my car has an ugly grill, I agree. It's not like someone saying, "Hey, your daughter has crooked teeth."
I thought the Prius G3 was an attractive vehicle, aerodynamic, compact yet more than comfortable interior. I was excited about the G4, and saw several artist renditions that I thought were absolutely beautiful. When I first saw an actual pictures of the G4, I was overwhelmingly disappointed. Then I saw a G4 in person. It was worse than the pictures. It looks like "change for change sake." I cannot look at a G4 (fortunately I don't see many on the road) except that my eye goes to those hideous headlights. The side sculpture make absolutely no sense, then the rear (and the hideous tail lights). Then later, when I saw the car up close and observed the urinal white console .... well, I will not have a copy in my stable, and I doubt I will grow to appreciate it. However, the Prime completely solved the front end looks for me. I like it. Not so much the rear, but it is better than the standard hatchback. I keep reading the Prime thread, because there is still an interest. I am awaiting more details, and a test drive. It will come down to cost .... how much more for only 22 miles of EV? It's a shame because I am in the market and will purchase a hybrid this year, but I doubt it will be a Prius.
I think I am ugly. Me personally. But, I don't see myself, so it doesn't matter to me. And other people think I am cute. When you drive your Prius you can't see the outside, so if you think the styling is ugly, at least you can't see it. And others may think it's cute. I buy a car for its comfort and features, not looks.
Yeah, but I dare ya to take a picture from directly behind. Also..The Fiat Multipla? LOL! How did that ever happen? I have never seen that before. That's legendary ugly.
The only Gen 4 I have seen I drove by on the freeway, as I saw the rear I thought it was the nicest Honda Insight I had ever seen. When I got next to it , it was a Prius. There are many truly ugly cars, we tend to blot them out of our minds if we can.
I cannot help but smile when I read opinions expressing no care what their ride looks like. To each his own. Personally, I had never been one to NOT CARE. When I spend that much money, I want everything as close to my "ideal" as possible, and over the years, I had generally picked winners. That extends to color, cleanliness (I care when my ride gets dirty or bugs are splattered all over the front); I vacuum the interior, and enjoy walking up to it in the parking lot. My other car is a 1999 BMW Z3 Roadster ... bright red .... and is a thing of beauty. I like it when people pull up at a stop light and comment favorably about my car .... which happens often.
I believe they had two different teams -- each got 1/2 of the car and they did not see the others work until the car was in production. I see my grandmother eyeglasses circa 1965 in that side shot ... it's so bad.
Thought I was used to the look until I went out of town for a couple of weeks. Bit of a shock when I returned. But really, being pretty on the road never mattered to me. It's all about getting there and Prius excels at that purpose. That being said, I didn't like the squared off look of the 1980s or the curvy look of the 1990s, until I got used to it. Maybe more manufacturers will emulate the "Prius look" and desensitize our brains to its "uniqueness". Nah. Her butt may be ugly but I still love her. I have a sudden hankering to write a country song y'all.
My 1989 Toyota Corolla All-trac wagon was like that, the trim, top, bottom, and angle to the ground of the side windows do not match the rest of the car and the width is different and the roofline is a different height. I assume the designers first met after the car was in production.
yeldogt, Respect you opinion. I thought all the Prius looked ugly before I bought one. Having both Gen. 3 and Gen. 4, I like the 'edgy-look' of the Gen. 4! Gen. 4 has better handling, more comfortable, quieter, better mpg! I think it is the 'preview look' of their 2017 lineup of their high mpg cars; Mirai, Prime. Other recent cars that look worse in, my opinion is the Leaf, Fiat 500. Do a test drive. The added tech. and safety features are fantastic! You may end up buying one! stt