QOTD: What Styling Quirk Gets Under Your Skin?

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

The other day, we talked up the things that annoy us about the cars we own; today, we delve into minor annoyances seen only in a few fleeting seconds. The model you don’t own, but are forced to live with on the roadway. Perhaps you’ve never even driven one.

While those other drivers may have a laundry list of gripes with their vehicle, it’s likely of no concern to you. You didn’t drop money on it. You’re just observing from afar — and not liking what you see.

Specifically, we’re talking styling gripes. Everyone’s a critic, and automotive design teams have provided each of us with a buffet of decisions worthy of criticism.

It doesn’t have to be big — just something that annoys you each and every time you see the offending car.

For the record, this writer takes no issue with the styling of Ford’s Ranger pickup. It’s quite attractive. No, in this case, a new addition to the crossover landscape is a prime candidate for scorn: the BMW X2. A number of drivers in the snooty neighborhood to the north have decided this subcompact CUV is just the thing to advertise their inclusion in the six-figure club.

And boy, does it advertise.

In addition to the usual propeller badges adorning the front fascia, liftgate, and each wheel, for some reason Bimmer decided to slap a couple more on the C-pillars. From afar, they look like the world’s smallest opera window. Up close, it’s an overload of badging. It seems the brand’s entry-level crossover is insecure, requiring it to loudly proclaim its German pedigree. How gauche.

All right, B&B, what model currently on the market is worthy of a little design denigration?

[Images: Ford, BMW]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • DweezilSFV DweezilSFV on May 26, 2019

    The universal tail light. Those horizontal strips that first appeared on the Edsel, then the mid 90s Contour, Cavalier,Corolla,Buick LeSabre, Sonata, Optima, Focus, Fusion, Lincolns, Acuras, Nissans, Mazdas. Continuing it's incomprehensible riot of lines, angles, curves, horrible roof line and DLO fail + and overall hideousness: the Hyundai Veloster. Add that new Toyota thing and the Prius. Eye sores, total eye sores.

  • HotPotato HotPotato on Jun 04, 2019

    1. Any car with red rear turn signals. STOP IT. It's garbage design that reduces safety. Germans, I'm looking at you...you actually KNOW better and you would never do this crap in your home market. 2. Even worse, any car with f-ing FAKE clear or amber rear turn signals that are NON FUNCTIONAL, with turns actually being indicated by the red stop lamp. STOP IT! It's garbage design that SERIOUSLY reduces safety and it should be illegal. GM, I am looking at you. Absolutely, completely, scandalously 100% inexcusable. 3. Any car with turn signals integrated into the headlight housings, such that the glare of the headlights or DRLs obscure the flashing turn signal. COME ON, MAN. It's garbage design and it reduces safety.

  • Jeff Self driving cars are not ready for prime time.
  • Lichtronamo Watch as the non-us based automakers shift more production to Mexico in the future.
  • 28-Cars-Later " Electrek recently dug around in Tesla’s online parts catalog and found that the windshield costs a whopping $1,900 to replace.To be fair, that’s around what a Mercedes S-Class or Rivian windshield costs, but the Tesla’s glass is unique because of its shape. It’s also worth noting that most insurance plans have glass replacement options that can make the repair a low- or zero-cost issue. "Now I understand why my insurance is so high despite no claims for years and about 7,500 annual miles between three cars.
  • AMcA My theory is that that when the Big 3 gave away the store to the UAW in the last contract, there was a side deal in which the UAW promised to go after the non-organized transplant plants. Even the UAW understands that if the wage differential gets too high it's gonna kill the golden goose.
  • MKizzy Why else does range matter? Because in the EV advocate's dream scenario of a post-ICE future, the average multi-car household will find itself with more EVs in their garages and driveways than places to plug them in or the capacity to charge then all at once without significant electrical upgrades. Unless each vehicle has enough range to allow for multiple days without plugging in, fighting over charging access in multi-EV households will be right up there with finances for causes of domestic strife.
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