QOTD: What's the Ugliest Car?

by Tim Healey

Published: June 25th, 2025

Today we brought you some seriously ugly cars, using them as examples of design gone awry.

Matthew's choices were fine, but now it's your turn.

What is the ugliest mass-market (no weird one-offs, please. Let's keep this factory) vehicle you've laid eyes on, either in photos or in person?

As a bonus, you can also answer with examples of overdesign leading to bad style.

You know what to do -- sound off below.

[Image: Tesla]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#QOTD #QuestionOfTheDay #Tesla #Design #UglyCars #Pontiac

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 69 comments

BobinPgh on Jun 26, 2025

I will be different here and say a classic car: Mid 70s Oldsmobile Toronado. The neighbors across the street from us had one I think it was 1973 model and a dark green. The front was Ugly, looking like a giant punched it in the front. Fortunately we were teens at the time as it would have scared little kids. Fortunately, the neighbor usually pulled the car into the driveway so we usually saw the back of the car which was much better looking. This was one time I am glad dad always bought Chevrolets. This couple also had a Cordoba which was better looking, but we seldom saw both cars as one or other was in the shop, both were not very reliable. Later, I would read that the first Toronado was a good looking car but did not sell enough for GM and they sold more of the ugly ones. What happened there where people wanted the ugly cars?

Like Reply
- Jeff on Jun 27, 2025
  
  True from your example ugly vehicles are not just limited to today's vehicles. In automotive history from the beginning there have been ugly vehicles. I was not a fan of the 71 thru 76 Toronados but I did love the 67 it was a work of art.
  
  Like
Teddyc73 on Jun 27, 2025

The entire Lexus line up. Ugly from every angle. The front of the RX, with its tall blunt ungainly proportions, is especially hideous. And Toyota's insistence on the continued use of the pulled-down-to-the-corners look at the rear forming the ugly trapezoid shape around the license plate coupled with the angry taillights makes them all look like angry buck tooth chipmunks or Mr Yuk.

Like Reply
- Theflyersfan on Jun 27, 2025
  
  The LC? The one that is stunning is also the one that is six figures.
  
  Like
- FreedMike on Jun 27, 2025
  
  No argument on the RX, and the UX and whatever they call their version of the Toyota EV are even worse. But I like the ES, IS, LS, and NX.
  
  But the LC is a freakin' knockout. Make mine a coupe, in that gorgeous metallic red, with a tan interior. As a bonus, the NA V8 version has one of the sexiest exhaust notes in all of automobiledom as a bonus. Twenty bucks says this model becomes collectible.
  Chef's kiss.
  
  3

Recent Comments

Jeff S I rented a PT Cruiser for a week and although I would not have bought one it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Pontiac Aztek was a good vehicle but ugly. Pinto for its time was not as good as the Japanese cars but it was not the worst that honor would go to the Vega. If one bought a Pinto new it was much better with a 4 speed manual with no air it didn't have the power for those. Add air and an automatic to a Pinto and you could beat it on a bicycle. The few small cars available today or in the recent past are so much better than the Pinto, Vega, and Gremlin. A Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, and the former Chevy Spark are light years ahead of those small cars of the 70s.
JRED My dad has a 2005 F-150 with the dreaded 5.4 that he bought new. 320k miles on the original engine and trans and it's still not only driving, but driving well. He's just done basic maint, including spark plugs and ignition modules. Interior is pretty ratty now but who cares? Outlier I know, but that is a good truck.
MaintenanceCosts It is nearly 20 years later and this remains the most satisfying Hyundai product I've driven. It got a lot of middling reviews at the time but the 3.3 V6 was buttery, the transmission shifted well, and the ergonomics were fantastic.
Steverock PT Cruiser with the 2.4 turbo. I bought one new in 2004, and it was quick. It was kind of dorky, but it was fun to drive and had lots of room for stuff. My wife drove it to work one day with the parking brake on, and it was never the same after that. Traded it in on a 2005 Mazda6 wagon.
Normie 2001 Deville. Euro and J-car snob till then, I was bumped-up by a rental company when my reserved Sentra evaporated.By God, I'd never before felt so utterly suited to a car. If I weren't in late-onset grad school at the time I'd have joined the church.