Why Do all Hybrids/EVs have such Weird Designs?

@hill please comment on your experience owning the Model X.

 

Sure! The S (see our avatar below) that we had short term was a dream for reliability regarding all the fit & finish / nickel & dime items ... things the X is still dealing with - growing pains. Now, of course, even the S is nowhere NEAR the reliability of the Prius ... but then again, toyota has had 4 decades to get their act together ... so of course all the small things are dialed in. The X, being less than 2 years old, still has a ways to go ... just like Tesla's REV2 autopilot. After driving both AP versions, AP1 is way more reliable than APII.
BUT
We sold the S for the X because it's the main driver of SWMBO (she who must be obeyed), and she wanted to sit up higher - SUV style, like her hybrid SUV Lexus we traded in ... the BEST car she says ever. It was PRFECT, even after 10 years! Compromise, we are only leasing the X, & it was a GREAT decision. If Tesla can't get the X (and AP2) dialed in prior to the end of lease, we can just walk away. We could even go "lemon" now w/ all the re-occurring minor things (it NEVER causes it to end up on the side of the road ... just annoyances) Even now it's in the shop, for repeat fixes ... collision sensors ... rear camera/wire harness ... headliner replacement ... can't detect fobs so it won't activate (w/out starting via the app) etc.
Oh, sure, tesla will come to your house for fixes... sure, they'll provide a Tesla loaner ... etc, but when you drop a bundle of $$$, owners expect a bit more. That said, SWMBO says, "I actually ENJOY driving anywhere now". Yes, it's big, powerful, AWD, killer warranty, ultra high tech, comfy ... you talk to it & it responds to phone dial people, gps drive to places, adjusts climate, plays any kind of music, automatically opens/closes the garage door, it sort of drives itself ... on the only national quick charge network, which continues to grow leaps & bounds. It easily tows 5,000Lbs, & it adds features over the air. Recently, over the air -for people who don't like to blast off like a dragster (those who STOMP the accelerator too hard accidentally) they added a 'chill' mode, for those who don't want passengers to drop their Pepsi in their lap. Over the air, they just added head rest manual memory, along w/ lumbar/mirrors/seat position ... Tesla just added an "exit" feature where automatically seats back up / steering wheel goes up & in, to make getting in/out extra easy. Doors that open automatically on approach, & close when you step on the brake to leave ... stuff like that. Lots of stuff. but it's still not dialed in perfectly.
Bottom line, if someone can afford it, and they can deal w/ the annoyances .... what with all the goodies and being electric ... it's light years ahead. They're only game in town, too, so that buys Tesla a lot of grace. If/when others (BMW/Porsche/Audi ... along with their interstate infrastructure) offer the same stuff? If Tesla doesn't have all the nickel & dime stuff dialed in - there will be a ton of buyers that jump ship. The other manufacturers already have fit & finish down to a science, so of course buyers will jump. So .... right now? the show is only half over.
.

 

I know what you mean. I went from a humble KIA RIO (2006) which was screwed together perfectly, when I washed it, I marvelled at how consistent the panel gaps were, and the paint was great (better than the VOLVO it replaced). Nothing ever fell off or rattled. But - the car was ordinary to drive, sort of like white supermarket sliced bread.


I replaced it with a FORD FOCUS DIESEL, 6sp Manual. Great car to drive, best handling car I've ever had, and the diesel engine had heaps of grunt. But, oh, dear, the panel gaps courtesy of South African manufacture - they were poor, the paint had several minor defects and orange peel on some panels and not others, the seats were hard to clean etc. Tho - nothing fell off or broke. But - driving pleasure!!! More like a good sour-dough loaf of bread.


PRIUS - in comparison - more like the KIA - much more ordinary to drive. But more environmentally friendly. Like wholemeal supermarket sliced bread.

 

Poetry!

 

From somebody obviously well bre(a)d.

 

generally true
Sadly - the Prime failed to follow that same up-tic. Instead - Toyota chose to 'out-do' their styling at the cost of drag cd. It's not as aero-slippery as its gen4 cousin. And let's not even get started on the giant mandibles of their hydrogen-mobile. (sigh) Its all subjective - but ... imo the original .... gen1 Insight? Its styling has stood the test of time.

it's good to be the only game in town. It means it doesn't have to be perfect as long as the others got something worse.
.

 

So as hybrid competition increases, the weird and wonderful styling exercises start coming out of the woodwork?

 

most people considered the 2004 prius a very weird looking car.

 

I honestly think quite a few non-hybrids look awfully weird too.

for instance...the front of the 2018 Corolla just looks...weird.

 

Just slap a front plate on that, perfect:



Form follows function personified...

 

Yeah, but the Yaris GRMN is kind of cute!

Toyota Yaris GRMN review: the best hot hatch you've never heard of earns a five-star rating

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

When I went back into the dealership a couple of days after I purchased my Prius another new car was sitting on the showroom floor right where mine was and I didn't study it but I believe it was a new Corolla and I remember thing how sharp the Corolla's look now, not so bland.
Oh well I guess I am just used to ugly anymore.

 

DO NOT LINK DIRECTLY TO JALOPNIK!!
Try this link instead.
The Ten Ugliest Cars Currently Sold In The United States

 

After reading that Jalopnik article, I don't know what it is about Chrysler, but they, Honda & Hyundai sure have heavy hands with the ugly brushes.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I thought when I saw the COROLLA Hybrid and PRIUS side by side, the PRIUS was better balanced overall - the protruding front rounded but messed up by sharp angles - and sharp rear lines were unbalanced:


Though the prototype Corolla was more interesting still:

 

I sorta thought that IONIQ wasn't too bad looking - at least in photos, hasn't been released here yet.