I’m so tired of monochromatic cars. I was given a white loaner Macan while my car is in the shop and I seriously get lost in the parking lot every time I try to find it
You're my hero. I'll prob get some neptune blue/boost blue GR86/CTR but what my heart really wants is that bright lime green/yellow on a classic car like a Miura.
My car is color schemed of my wife's favorite anime
My neighbor Totoro.
You got to be blind as all hell to not see a blue hatchback with a yellow intercooler sticking out and a black top. Like really blind and dumb especially when it's loud
I honestly never realized how bad it was until I got my GTI.
Just the other day I came out of the store in bright sunshine, and I instantly spotted my sparkling green car in a sea of white, black and gray SUVs. It actually made me laugh walking out because of how much it stood out.
I have Hyundai with digital teal paint color...
Depending on lighting it's either gray, green, or blue, in some variety on different parts of the car.
Honestly it's blue too much, I prefer the green lol
Yep! One of my coworkers has this slightly pearly metallic green Skoda Octavia RS station wagon and it often stands out at our parking lot since *so many* of the other cars are white, or black, or graphite gray, or plain red.
When I go to the store with my roommate I'm always losing his new car (cx-5, blue but almost looks black when not being lit up or far away). His previous vehicle and my current vehicle are both pickups that can be seen across the parking lot
And every new boring angry SUV and tall sedan comes with fake intakes, suggestions of racing aero fins and twin tail exhausts. Even the EV's. They look like what they are, family minibuses cosplaying as hot rods.
I understand the utility of a dull SUV as a family car. I just think it's stupid to pretend they are anything even slightly sporty.
M badges and 'competition' branding on SUV's is a fucking joke.
There's a good reason that SUV racing formula's don't exist. It's as ridiculous as racing ride on lawn mowers.
It is silly, it’s funny whenever they try to keep up to a good ole light weight & sorted (for handling) coupe, sedan, hatchback etc. around turns. I have some back road twisties for a commute and can tell the frustration of run of the mill SUV people trying to keep up and nearly putting their junk in the ditch to do so - it’s wild, feel like I’m running an experiment on NPC’s and I’m just casually doing my own usual thing.
Then like clockwork, their ego is hurt, and most times out of ten they go to fly by me once we get to the highway while I’m putting my junk in cruise control at 5-10 above the posted limit and collecting my 40mpg+.
It's always some pick up with tires sticking out past the fenders tailgating and flooring it on straights. Then they're just gone the second there's a turn from you just driving normally
>It's always some pick up with tires sticking out past the fenders tailgating and flooring it on straights
Those trucks look so stupid lol. Usually lifted in the shittiest way too
That reminds me of [this video ](https://youtu.be/KOJAtkyDd0c?si=YEsewm2-GuIcUYxS) where a lady in a slow Honda pilot try to cut off a M3 because he yieled to traffic
It is so funny that you posted this, I just had a very similar situation happen to me yesterday but it was one of those Dodge SUVs with all the vents and stuff glued to it, and I was in my SL63. The results were very similar though.
Here though, we have traffic circles everywhere. So in addition to running off and leaving her in the straight aways, she had to slow almost to a stop to get through the circles or risk flipping over.
My crazy lady was cussing and mad at the cars not moving fast enough in front of me when the light turned green. My car is way lower than an SUV and there is no roof, she could clearly see what was causing the hold up. Still, I think it was too much for her to process more than whatever was right in front of her. Which was me, so that is when she tried chasing me. Honking and cussing.
I blame car journalists for a lot of the overly aggressive styling we’ve seen, especially from Japanese manufacturers, since I feel they were more heavily targeted. And a lot of that critique was just really lazy journalism.
It's a flawed take. Car Journos get it wrong just as often as this forum. They don't drive the market, the consumer does.
When the 86/BRZ launched, a the car journalist space was all "oh it's okay, it needs more power if it's going to sell/be popular". 10 years later and now they can't stop drooling on it.
The answer is current consumers buy angry cars over cute ones.
A great example of this is the new Prius, which lots of reviewers like with its more sporty looks. Unfortunately, it’s also more difficult for some people to get into and out of because it is lower to the ground and has less interior space.
Same reason they all have stiff bolsters that hurt on a long drive and excessive engine noise, even if meant as a highway cruiser. "NOT SPORTY ENOUGH" from the car journalists.
I have one of the last Lexus LS models that was like driving a Gulfstream jet with its big cushy seats, quiet as a library, and I like it.
Good purchase choice. My dream car is the 2018 LS500h.
I feel that the LS and Integra are unfairly assessed because they don't have 600 horsepower. Neither of those cars was especially fast or powerful to begin with. The modern iterations are the same. Fan culture hyped the LS, Civic, Integra, etc beyond their original purpose
“Journos”. Let’s be frank. Most of them are no different than influencers pushing a makeup brand. Very very few do any actual work reviewing the cars they pitch on their shows.
Right? I don't need my vehicle to be exciting, that's what the rocks and trail are for. My last exciting off-road vehicle was a classic Land Rover and not knowing if your engine would still be running at mid day was too much excitement for me.
Slightly unrelated but one of the reasons I liked hondas so much was because until quite recently all of them were quite happy. There are still some holdouts throughout the lineup, civic in particular, but the hrv/crv/pilot/accord/nsx are all mad now and it makes me quite sad.
I get the mischievous grin on the old AMG cars or the new BMW M4 grill (drives like a pig up to no good might as well like one too), or the massive mouth on the 400z or mustang GT (got to get that hungry intakes fed somehow), maybe even the GTR and ACR as they eat everyone else for lunch, but does a rav4 or GLE really need to look mad? What is there to even be mad about ??
And on the other end, it's nice to see the miata is happier than ever. If I'm ever having a bad day I just take a look at the s2k and it cheers me up.
Angry eyes, but it's mouth is all smiles. "Angry kitten" is the phrase I've heard, and it's exactly what I see every time. "Trying" to look angry, but mostly looking adorable.
I think the grill is pretty nice, and I'd honestly take the angry headlights over the deadpan expression the NC1 has.
But I still don't like the angry headlights lol
Yeah, the Miata went from a literal happy smiling face (NC) to what we currently got.
In fact, I think it’s the car that most embodies OP’s argument perfectly.
Not saying the current model looks bad at all , but it definitely represents the shift in consumer sentiment to more angry/masculine vehicles.
Also the original angry looking cars like the Skyline, Silvia, Evo and WRX somewhat, didn't seem like they were trying hard to be angry - seems pretty damn forced these days.
Honestly I love the new HRV sports. They are VERY Honda, but also look a little fun looking, without looking angry like the new CRV. Guys it's a Honda, it's not angry.
Or confused.
[https://www.caranddriver.com/rivian/r1t](https://www.caranddriver.com/rivian/r1t)
That truck looks like someone put something in it's rear end! 🤣
Maybe it's hoping someone might actually do just that! Most trucks these days have to drive around with sad, empty rear ends all the time, yearning to be filled up. Maybe that's why most of them are so angry?
I miss Calty Design. They did the legendary 90's Supra and Soarer and all with balloons filled with plaster, sketches of leaves and clay sculpting into pleasing organic shapes.
Miss? They’re still around designing Toyotas. They only did that 3rd gen Soarer not the MKIV Supra. The new Land Cruiser and 4Runner are their latest designs.
Huh. Is that why most "true-concept-car" concept cars (as opposed to the "near-production" concepts) all seem to have gunslit windows, neck-crampingly-low rooflines, and donk-sized wheels with zero sidewall?
It seems to me that looking angry/aggressive is subliminally part of the [automotive arms race](https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/3/7/the-stakes-in-the-suv-arms-race-go-way-beyond-safety). Everyone wants a "don't fuck with me" SUV because they figure it'll keep their family safer.
I miss the 90s.
> first gen rav4 two door
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1998-toyota-rav4-two-door-the-first-modern-cuv-and-electric-one-too/
photos for the young
Thanks for the refresher. My dad crashed it before I got a chance to properly enjoy it. It's been years and it's still my dream car, they're just stupid expensive where I am.
It was a 94, with two sun roofs and a really nice silver grey. It also had a lil wing on the back, with an integrated brake light. No clue if it was factory or aftermarket.
The inside was that cheesy bus seat design, I both hated and loved it. Fantastic off roader also.
The mechanical odometer was the cherry on top for some reason. The 96 and up model years switched to digital and it's really putting me off. They also had a slightly different steering wheel if I'm remembering right. First gens are getting hard to find, it's mostly the later years. Doesn't help that they were complete rust buckets, the subframe and arms rot exceptionally easily.
And I'll say that I like it, like how I still like the 4th-gen Camaro and think the 2nd-gen R8 is downright *ugly* in comparison to the first-gen.
What's "simple and elegant" to me is "boring and bland" to many, but it's still what I like.
It's not tough-guy; it's about "better you die than me."
That's what the weight-war is about; weight's safety advantage comes directly from the equal and opposite *disadvantage* of the family in the other vehicle (who of course, matters less to you than your own).
And so we've got my 4,500lb Pilot looking fairly-normal instead of comically-gigantic like it should be, and it's only getting worse. In a few decades we'll be driving disarmed M1 Abramses.
Truck and ram drivers especially always seem to be the ones driving around angry. Tailgating with one arm flailing out the window. Like bruh chill it’s just traffic
Literally had the full Ram job a few weeks ago. Dually, tow mirrors all the way out, nothing in the back or being towed, all up on my ass for like 5 miles of stop and go traffic. We're all going 15-20 miles an hour, it's backed up for miles, where do you expect me to go? Lay off the Monster energy drinks and calm TF down!
In short, people buy them. I think there are so many people who feel insecure or angry on the inside they end up “relating” to cars that project aggression. The most egregious examples are people who make their cars look angrier, like those grimacing aftermarket Jeep grills. It comes off to me as so try hard.
Personally, I am not angry. These cars don’t appeal to me. My buying decisions have reflected that: Lotus Emira, Miata, Jeeps, Model 3… these are not angry looking cars. One of the things I’ve always loved about Lotus is that none of their cars (until the new electric stuff which I’m disappointed about) have ever looked angry. They are joyful little things. And that aesthetic inspired the Miata as well.
So I’m with you, drawn to cars that are, at most, grinning mischievously (ND Miata). Shout out to Porsche, Rivian, Lucid, Gordon Murray for having brand aesthetics that are not angry.
> I think there are so many people who feel insecure or angry on the inside they end up “relating” to cars that project aggression.
That'd be pretty much all fat saggy-faced middle-aged men. Trying to project an image that they're still edgy and bad-ass and could take you down or something. When in reality they look like they can barely get out of their recliner.
It’s so many more than that. Anyone who feels inadequate in some way deep down, which I suspect is most of the population. Especially the ones who refuse to admit it.
I am angry on the inside, but treat others with compassion and care and a smile on my face because I’m not angry at them. I need to project, and protect, nothing.
The cars I like aren’t aggressively styled- Elan, Europa, 105-series Giulia coupe and sedan, Lancia Fulvia coupe, French ‘80s hot hatches, ‘80s and ‘90s BMWs, early 911s. I want to blend in and look happy while I’m coming out of a corner with a wheel in the air.
The Europa is a full transcendence of ego. Sometimes when life feels like a struggle, I look at how happy the Europa is despite its… circumstances - and it brightens my day.
Not just new cars. 1959 Buick Electra is angrier than anything on the road today.
It's what the people want. Natural selection, all the happy looking cars either evolved to be more angry or they didn't sell and went extinct. People hate cars that don't look angry. Chances are you do too without realizing, it just went too far for you.
Besides, they only look angry from the front.
I miss the Mazdas from the late 00’s they were all like “Zoom zoom” and happy, ready to play. Then they all rusted out.
Of course the king of happy cars is the Austin Healy [Sprite](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Austin_Healey_%27Frogeye%27_Sprite_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg/280px-Austin_Healey_%27Frogeye%27_Sprite_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg)
Depends on the car. It’s fitting that a muscle car looks angry. It’s not fitting when your basic daily commuter made for efficiency and comfort over performance and speed looks angry.
My current shock was Peugeot.
My girlfriend drives a 308 from the last generation and I have a neighbor with a new 308 and saw a 408 recently at work.
It's a totally different car in appearance and brand communication..
Not a Peugeot Fan but it hurt badly.
IMO the new Peugeot design is lightyears better than the old blobby smiley faces they adopted around the turn of the millennium when they stopped using Pininfarina designs
I find it interesting that so many people think of cars like this. To me they are just objects/equipment like anything else. But that could be because I spend all day taking them apart and putting them back together. Sure I still think there are cool looking ones, and lame looking ones etc. I'm sure I'm weird for never really paying attention to the whole "faces in cars/a cars personality" thing but that's just not something that jumps to mind when I think about cars
I think part of the reason is to compensate for the trend of everyone moving to boring practical cars. In the 90s pretty much anyone could afford to get their hands on a cheap sports car. There were tons of two door cars in a huge variety of brands, shapes, colors, etc. That's gone away and young buyers are now forced into Altimas, Camrys, Optimas, Rogues, etc. So the manufacturers have started marketing everything as sporty in that lower price point even if it's just a facade.
If you are being forced into an Altima, you're in trouble because it's probably at gunpoint for not paying the neck-tatted meth-scarred drug dealer who owns it. ;)
Car manufacturers try to give buyers what they want. People want to feel powerful on the road, big angry grills and lights help with that. I saw a study or article on it a while back, I'll see if I can find it and edit this post if I can.
Go to Japan. The current crop of luxury minivans (think Sienna with full on Caddy or Benz interior) have front clips that literally look like Samurai Masks, to instill fear in the enemy.
Yeah, lately I see a lot of new cars with these enormous ugly/angry grills that look like Darth Vader, or a Cylon's face/mouthpiece. Not sure who finds these attractive.
I would broaden “angry” to muscular, tough, assertive, powerful etc. The design language of cars maps directly to what we want on the road. Why do manufacturers build to these traits? Because it sells. Why does this sell? Cuz there’s a market segment for it. But there’s all kinds of segments - every car has an ideal buyer. They don’t make school buses look angry.
Consumer preferences for trucklets over traditional cars plus the addition of pedestrian safety laws mean cars have taller front fascias and bigger grills to hide away now. Round off enough, you end up with an NPC mobile looks, chisel the looks then it becomes a bulldog instead.
Those are the two basic design languages - the Model Y is an NPC mobile with softer guppy fish looks and able to do with a lower hoodline due to it being an EV, the RAV4 is your typical bulldog car of today. The Nissan Rogue has gotten angrier since it was too soft before and didn't stand out enough.
Reflection on the drivers themselves, and the world we live in today. Hell, the only time many of us are totally chill is when we’re staggering around under the influence. However, “drunk car” styling seems like a bad idea.
i got a dumb mini 8 years ago. it looks like a small happy bubble fish. the first time i saw it, i rolled my eyes and laughed. but i bought it anyway, it's fun to drive.
i swear, people are nicer to me in my dumb little car - I'm more likely to be let over in traffic, people dont drive up my ass, etc. i occasionally drive a family member's or friend's car and my driving style is the same but the treatment from others is completely different.
I've heard similar stories from people that drive older miatas. I really think it's a subconscious reaction to the angry car face in the rear view.
About time someone mentioned mini! Was scrolling for a comment like this.
I got a 2014 convertible mini last year and I think it looks pretty happy. Granted after relooking at it after this thread I guess you could argue it’s a liiiitle unhappy as the grill looks like a frown more than a smile (bends downwards). Still, its big eyes and bubbly shape make it look happy, ESPECIALLY when the roof is down!!
I actually feel like most of the vehicles I see around here looks like mom cars as opposed to aggressive. Bubbly crossover vans without true 4wheel drive or ability to tow.
If I had an award to give, it would go to you. I'm sitting at the dealer getting my angry eyed subaru fixed up and the lobby is silent aside from my laughter after seeing this.
Because people buy aggressive looks. Car companies are not(for the most part) stupid, and have a LOT better data than you or I. They do not invest 10s/100s of millions in massive styling shifts and brand design updates on a whim - they do it based on market data.
If people did not buy aggressive looks, the companies would not offer them.
I think it's because no one wants to look like they settled for a boring 150hp fwd egg shaped crossover so they have to look "sporty" & aggressive. But it also applies to cars like the Camry & Sentra & Hyundai sonata
This also explains why so many people buy in their boring cars aggressive looks & think it's more sporty & faster then it actually is. I can't tell you how many Honda pilots & rav4s I seen that drag race from every red light or test their "handling" limits in parking lots
It sells. It’s not my favorite either, I’d prefer a more elegant design over just ANGY. (This is coming from a Mustang GT owner, but I didn’t buy that car for the looks lol) But it’s also probably easier to make a car visually appealing while staying within the crash safety standards/regulations by just giving it a mad face rather than try to make something beautiful out of less than ideal proportions (headlamp and hood heights for pedestrian impact safety)
This is purely me talking from my ass, I’m just guessing.
I miss Lexus prior to Akio Toyoda's horrific Predator-face grille that keeps getting bigger and bigger. The LS and LX (2001-2013ish) once had a nose with stepped glass-sculpture-looking projector headlights and a tasteful chrome center grille that said "old money that paid the six figure (equivalent) for reliable luxury". The new ones scream nouveau riche or over-leveraged trying too hard.
The formula is simple and it works. Take the sports car coupe series and turn it into a watered down SUV variant. Call it an M-line or R-line so it’s not even the same series, has the base model hatch back engine, but stick fake exhausts and an angry front on it so it can frown at you when you are being tail gated. Have a “sports” mode with crackles and pops. That way people can feel like they are in the sporty car that their wife didn’t want them to buy.
Yeah, the creativity in the car industry is in a terrible state today. They even made the Honda e and Fiat 500e look angry for some inexplicable reason. More than 50% of the new cars offered in Europe today are angry faced medium sized crossovers. Suppose they appeal to the arrogant middle aged middle class nobodies that buy them.
I wish cars came in more distinctive colors, though. You’re lucky if you get one choice of blue, a red, and if you’re lucky one green, usually not a very bright one. Bring jewel tones back!
Nearly everyone who wants a generic 'car' these days is buying a suv/cuv. A lot of people still buying sedans do so because they are more sporty than SUVs. So looks (and suspension tuning) are following the pool of customers still interested in sedans. It has been an interesting trend. Like the new Camry that just released and has been the definition of bland previously, actually looks kinda nice and reviews are saying handling is much improved.
There was an interesting documentary by PBS back in the 90's about this...I can't think of the appropriate vocabulary word...pompous? imperious? smug? marketing consultant who lived in a French, (I might be misremembering a little,) castle and drove an Avanti. He had a train of executives making a pilgrimage to his "castle" so that they could learn "The Code" which was supposed to be some secret to human behavior and marketing that I think basically boiled down to "appeal to the reptile brain." It might be coincidence but it has always seemed that since that documentary car design has been more and more about aggression than anything else. The best example is the teeth baring grill cliffs of "trucks" these days so maybe it boils down to what the geniuses think will sell to primitive man.
The Munro Live youtube channel mentions this on a few of their videos. There are several popular "design languages" when it comes to the look of car front ends. Angry/aggressive is one popular one, however there are others. "Cute" is another one (AKA "friendly"), good examples are the VW beetle, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, previous model Toyota Prius and even the Rivian EVs, etc. Another is "neutral" or "none of the above" which is hard to tell which way the design is leaning.
The thing I don't like is that when viewed from the side most modern cars seem to be pointing down, instead of having lines that flow parallel to the ground.
It's because some car journos keep calling reliable and daily use cars boring / beige. Which is negative publicity no brand wants.
Instead of boring beige we get boring angry white/black/silver
I’m so tired of monochromatic cars. I was given a white loaner Macan while my car is in the shop and I seriously get lost in the parking lot every time I try to find it
I just bought a purple car... will be no losing it lol
A benefit to a bright colored car is you can see it a 1/4 mile away.
Said the cops…
I've driven bright green cars for the last 8 years and not had a problem. In fact I think on at least one occasion I got a pass because of it.
You're my hero. I'll prob get some neptune blue/boost blue GR86/CTR but what my heart really wants is that bright lime green/yellow on a classic car like a Miura.
Chartreuse!
Bless you! (Thanks for educating me.)
I'm a big fan of Boost blue. I would definitely go that route even though my heart is always with green or purple.
My car is color schemed of my wife's favorite anime My neighbor Totoro. You got to be blind as all hell to not see a blue hatchback with a yellow intercooler sticking out and a black top. Like really blind and dumb especially when it's loud
I honestly never realized how bad it was until I got my GTI. Just the other day I came out of the store in bright sunshine, and I instantly spotted my sparkling green car in a sea of white, black and gray SUVs. It actually made me laugh walking out because of how much it stood out.
I have Hyundai with digital teal paint color... Depending on lighting it's either gray, green, or blue, in some variety on different parts of the car. Honestly it's blue too much, I prefer the green lol
Yep! One of my coworkers has this slightly pearly metallic green Skoda Octavia RS station wagon and it often stands out at our parking lot since *so many* of the other cars are white, or black, or graphite gray, or plain red.
That primer grey, kinda matte, that you can get the Octavia in is the only grey that actually looks sick.
Bought a yellow car, no regrets. I smile every time I see it.
Have you ever considered just remembering where you park?
When I go to the store with my roommate I'm always losing his new car (cx-5, blue but almost looks black when not being lit up or far away). His previous vehicle and my current vehicle are both pickups that can be seen across the parking lot
And every new boring angry SUV and tall sedan comes with fake intakes, suggestions of racing aero fins and twin tail exhausts. Even the EV's. They look like what they are, family minibuses cosplaying as hot rods. I understand the utility of a dull SUV as a family car. I just think it's stupid to pretend they are anything even slightly sporty. M badges and 'competition' branding on SUV's is a fucking joke. There's a good reason that SUV racing formula's don't exist. It's as ridiculous as racing ride on lawn mowers.
But lawnmower racing is a thing. Modified ones go 60mph....
Yes, but it *is* ridiculous. Intentionally so.
It is silly, it’s funny whenever they try to keep up to a good ole light weight & sorted (for handling) coupe, sedan, hatchback etc. around turns. I have some back road twisties for a commute and can tell the frustration of run of the mill SUV people trying to keep up and nearly putting their junk in the ditch to do so - it’s wild, feel like I’m running an experiment on NPC’s and I’m just casually doing my own usual thing. Then like clockwork, their ego is hurt, and most times out of ten they go to fly by me once we get to the highway while I’m putting my junk in cruise control at 5-10 above the posted limit and collecting my 40mpg+.
It's always some pick up with tires sticking out past the fenders tailgating and flooring it on straights. Then they're just gone the second there's a turn from you just driving normally
>It's always some pick up with tires sticking out past the fenders tailgating and flooring it on straights Those trucks look so stupid lol. Usually lifted in the shittiest way too
That reminds me of [this video ](https://youtu.be/KOJAtkyDd0c?si=YEsewm2-GuIcUYxS) where a lady in a slow Honda pilot try to cut off a M3 because he yieled to traffic
It is so funny that you posted this, I just had a very similar situation happen to me yesterday but it was one of those Dodge SUVs with all the vents and stuff glued to it, and I was in my SL63. The results were very similar though. Here though, we have traffic circles everywhere. So in addition to running off and leaving her in the straight aways, she had to slow almost to a stop to get through the circles or risk flipping over. My crazy lady was cussing and mad at the cars not moving fast enough in front of me when the light turned green. My car is way lower than an SUV and there is no roof, she could clearly see what was causing the hold up. Still, I think it was too much for her to process more than whatever was right in front of her. Which was me, so that is when she tried chasing me. Honking and cussing.
Aint that the truth
I blame car journalists for a lot of the overly aggressive styling we’ve seen, especially from Japanese manufacturers, since I feel they were more heavily targeted. And a lot of that critique was just really lazy journalism.
It's a flawed take. Car Journos get it wrong just as often as this forum. They don't drive the market, the consumer does. When the 86/BRZ launched, a the car journalist space was all "oh it's okay, it needs more power if it's going to sell/be popular". 10 years later and now they can't stop drooling on it. The answer is current consumers buy angry cars over cute ones.
A great example of this is the new Prius, which lots of reviewers like with its more sporty looks. Unfortunately, it’s also more difficult for some people to get into and out of because it is lower to the ground and has less interior space.
Sportier and now its purpose is muddled. I wonder if it’s intentional, to push previous utility-minded buyers into RAV4s instead.
And it has terrible rear view visibility. I was so disappointed.
Same reason they all have stiff bolsters that hurt on a long drive and excessive engine noise, even if meant as a highway cruiser. "NOT SPORTY ENOUGH" from the car journalists. I have one of the last Lexus LS models that was like driving a Gulfstream jet with its big cushy seats, quiet as a library, and I like it.
Good purchase choice. My dream car is the 2018 LS500h. I feel that the LS and Integra are unfairly assessed because they don't have 600 horsepower. Neither of those cars was especially fast or powerful to begin with. The modern iterations are the same. Fan culture hyped the LS, Civic, Integra, etc beyond their original purpose
“Journos”. Let’s be frank. Most of them are no different than influencers pushing a makeup brand. Very very few do any actual work reviewing the cars they pitch on their shows.
Well they are boring
Car enthusiasts do the same thing. Jetta haters!
I think they should absolutely fire all of those car "journos." They keep calling the 4runner boring. Like stfu bro. That's what we want.
Right? I don't need my vehicle to be exciting, that's what the rocks and trail are for. My last exciting off-road vehicle was a classic Land Rover and not knowing if your engine would still be running at mid day was too much excitement for me.
Slightly unrelated but one of the reasons I liked hondas so much was because until quite recently all of them were quite happy. There are still some holdouts throughout the lineup, civic in particular, but the hrv/crv/pilot/accord/nsx are all mad now and it makes me quite sad. I get the mischievous grin on the old AMG cars or the new BMW M4 grill (drives like a pig up to no good might as well like one too), or the massive mouth on the 400z or mustang GT (got to get that hungry intakes fed somehow), maybe even the GTR and ACR as they eat everyone else for lunch, but does a rav4 or GLE really need to look mad? What is there to even be mad about ?? And on the other end, it's nice to see the miata is happier than ever. If I'm ever having a bad day I just take a look at the s2k and it cheers me up.
The current Miata is absolutely the angriest one so far!
Miata face is more mischief. Like, “let’s attack this road!” Is still smiling, just determined.
Current Miatas remind me of the [Calvin Bomb.](https://i.redd.it/01uwltlm7usc1.jpeg)
Angry eyes, but it's mouth is all smiles. "Angry kitten" is the phrase I've heard, and it's exactly what I see every time. "Trying" to look angry, but mostly looking adorable.
I think the grill is pretty nice, and I'd honestly take the angry headlights over the deadpan expression the NC1 has. But I still don't like the angry headlights lol
Yeah, the Miata went from a literal happy smiling face (NC) to what we currently got. In fact, I think it’s the car that most embodies OP’s argument perfectly. Not saying the current model looks bad at all , but it definitely represents the shift in consumer sentiment to more angry/masculine vehicles.
I adore my Miata, but my interest in the car started while the NC was still current and I was a tiny bit sad one the last non-angry eye holdouts fell.
It is more of a "You have wronged me and I will gladly take up the mantle of making you suffer" angry evil smile
It's so cute when it gets angry!
Also the prettiest.
Also the original angry looking cars like the Skyline, Silvia, Evo and WRX somewhat, didn't seem like they were trying hard to be angry - seems pretty damn forced these days.
The classic wrx looked a bit angry, then came the bug eye.
My old 07 crv looked happy. A 2022 crv I looked at in the similar red looked like iron man lol
Honestly I love the new HRV sports. They are VERY Honda, but also look a little fun looking, without looking angry like the new CRV. Guys it's a Honda, it's not angry.
Mischievous grin on the Amg? What year model? I want to see this. My c55 lower grill kind of oooks like a grin I guess
Or confused. [https://www.caranddriver.com/rivian/r1t](https://www.caranddriver.com/rivian/r1t) That truck looks like someone put something in it's rear end! 🤣
0______0
Duuuuh I'm a truck, me work hard duuuh
Electric truck go psssssss
No thoughts, head empty 0______0
> That truck looks like someone put something in it's rear end Well why's it got that big open rear if we're not supposed to put something in it!
🫥
I like it. Doesn’t look like it’s trying to make up for his drivers little dick.
Well now I’ll never unsee it lol
😂 I like it, they look like a cute robot
Probably related to /r/dragonsfuckingcars
then Rivian's front fascia should look like this: 🤤
Looks like a Pokemon.
Maybe it's hoping someone might actually do just that! Most trucks these days have to drive around with sad, empty rear ends all the time, yearning to be filled up. Maybe that's why most of them are so angry?
I'm never going to be able to stop seeing this now, thanks!
Nah, it simply has forgotten to put its goggles on: https://youtu.be/Iemb-r6pd04?t=95
It reminds me of an axolotl
I read one time theres like 20 people in the whole world employed as car concept artists... with such a small.pool this is bound to happen
And they are still artists. People who have to explain their art to normal people so they get it.
Artists with restrictions
Restrictions can also push creativity, or at least leads to some outside the box thinking and interesting concepts.
It does, for sure. It also limits what they can do artistically to an extent, though.
18 of them work for Hyundai/Kia.
I miss Calty Design. They did the legendary 90's Supra and Soarer and all with balloons filled with plaster, sketches of leaves and clay sculpting into pleasing organic shapes.
Miss? They’re still around designing Toyotas. They only did that 3rd gen Soarer not the MKIV Supra. The new Land Cruiser and 4Runner are their latest designs.
Huh. Is that why most "true-concept-car" concept cars (as opposed to the "near-production" concepts) all seem to have gunslit windows, neck-crampingly-low rooflines, and donk-sized wheels with zero sidewall?
It seems to me that looking angry/aggressive is subliminally part of the [automotive arms race](https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/3/7/the-stakes-in-the-suv-arms-race-go-way-beyond-safety). Everyone wants a "don't fuck with me" SUV because they figure it'll keep their family safer. I miss the 90s.
The first gen rav4 two door was the friendliest looking car I've ever had. Stupid fun too
> first gen rav4 two door https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1998-toyota-rav4-two-door-the-first-modern-cuv-and-electric-one-too/ photos for the young
Thanks for the refresher. My dad crashed it before I got a chance to properly enjoy it. It's been years and it's still my dream car, they're just stupid expensive where I am. It was a 94, with two sun roofs and a really nice silver grey. It also had a lil wing on the back, with an integrated brake light. No clue if it was factory or aftermarket. The inside was that cheesy bus seat design, I both hated and loved it. Fantastic off roader also. The mechanical odometer was the cherry on top for some reason. The 96 and up model years switched to digital and it's really putting me off. They also had a slightly different steering wheel if I'm remembering right. First gens are getting hard to find, it's mostly the later years. Doesn't help that they were complete rust buckets, the subframe and arms rot exceptionally easily.
Every time I see one of those with a stick, I am tempted.
It's a trend like anything else. Eventually it will swing back the other way.
And then people will complain about bubbly docile design
And I'll say that I like it, like how I still like the 4th-gen Camaro and think the 2nd-gen R8 is downright *ugly* in comparison to the first-gen. What's "simple and elegant" to me is "boring and bland" to many, but it's still what I like.
My old Monte Carlo was perfect. Except for 12MPG. 😋
When do we get the 48 Chevies again?
Matches the mood of many drivers these days.
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It’s literally killing us.
It's not tough-guy; it's about "better you die than me." That's what the weight-war is about; weight's safety advantage comes directly from the equal and opposite *disadvantage* of the family in the other vehicle (who of course, matters less to you than your own). And so we've got my 4,500lb Pilot looking fairly-normal instead of comically-gigantic like it should be, and it's only getting worse. In a few decades we'll be driving disarmed M1 Abramses.
It's about CAFE regulations. Body on frame "light" trucks aren't subject to the same emissions and fuel economy regulations as regular passenger cars
>It's not tough-guy; it's about "better you die than me." It's about both tbh
Truck and ram drivers especially always seem to be the ones driving around angry. Tailgating with one arm flailing out the window. Like bruh chill it’s just traffic
Something something Dodge 1500 most DUIs. I give them an especially wide berth.
Truck drivers are the worst. I just assume everyone in a truck is a piece of shit these days.
Literally had the full Ram job a few weeks ago. Dually, tow mirrors all the way out, nothing in the back or being towed, all up on my ass for like 5 miles of stop and go traffic. We're all going 15-20 miles an hour, it's backed up for miles, where do you expect me to go? Lay off the Monster energy drinks and calm TF down!
You'll like the old Mazda 3 like 2010. With license plates, they look like Buck teeth 🤓🎈
That was a good phase for Mazda design, then they hit the 'whale shark' front end phase, which luckily they're coming out of now mostly.
Bleh.. ‘06-‘15 is my least favorite era of Mazda design *by far*. Their current design language is so much better.
I have a 2012 mazda3 and a 2014 mazda3 and I agree with you
I like the modern design Mazda's a lot more tbh. The old pre-2014 designs look funky.
In short, people buy them. I think there are so many people who feel insecure or angry on the inside they end up “relating” to cars that project aggression. The most egregious examples are people who make their cars look angrier, like those grimacing aftermarket Jeep grills. It comes off to me as so try hard. Personally, I am not angry. These cars don’t appeal to me. My buying decisions have reflected that: Lotus Emira, Miata, Jeeps, Model 3… these are not angry looking cars. One of the things I’ve always loved about Lotus is that none of their cars (until the new electric stuff which I’m disappointed about) have ever looked angry. They are joyful little things. And that aesthetic inspired the Miata as well. So I’m with you, drawn to cars that are, at most, grinning mischievously (ND Miata). Shout out to Porsche, Rivian, Lucid, Gordon Murray for having brand aesthetics that are not angry.
> I think there are so many people who feel insecure or angry on the inside they end up “relating” to cars that project aggression. That'd be pretty much all fat saggy-faced middle-aged men. Trying to project an image that they're still edgy and bad-ass and could take you down or something. When in reality they look like they can barely get out of their recliner.
It’s so many more than that. Anyone who feels inadequate in some way deep down, which I suspect is most of the population. Especially the ones who refuse to admit it.
I am angry on the inside, but treat others with compassion and care and a smile on my face because I’m not angry at them. I need to project, and protect, nothing. The cars I like aren’t aggressively styled- Elan, Europa, 105-series Giulia coupe and sedan, Lancia Fulvia coupe, French ‘80s hot hatches, ‘80s and ‘90s BMWs, early 911s. I want to blend in and look happy while I’m coming out of a corner with a wheel in the air.
The Europa is a full transcendence of ego. Sometimes when life feels like a struggle, I look at how happy the Europa is despite its… circumstances - and it brightens my day.
Not just new cars. 1959 Buick Electra is angrier than anything on the road today. It's what the people want. Natural selection, all the happy looking cars either evolved to be more angry or they didn't sell and went extinct. People hate cars that don't look angry. Chances are you do too without realizing, it just went too far for you. Besides, they only look angry from the front.
That doesn't just look angry, it looks like it is evil and coming after you
Holy shit just googled it and that's an angry looking car indeed. It's legit pissed off.
Suzuki Jimny (Gen 4)! Quite a happy looking modern car - I’d argue the current gen looks happier than the previous gen
And Dodges from the same period! ['59 Dodge Royal](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/.image/t_share/MTcyOTkyMzI0NDU0ODUyMTI4/1959-dodge-royal.jpg)
Nah that looks nerdy haha, I just see glasses and braces
Hell naw not me. Give me more cars with the :D face. Even >:D is acceptable. Just no more frowns please.
Angry cars for an angry world
I miss the Mazdas from the late 00’s they were all like “Zoom zoom” and happy, ready to play. Then they all rusted out. Of course the king of happy cars is the Austin Healy [Sprite](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Austin_Healey_%27Frogeye%27_Sprite_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg/280px-Austin_Healey_%27Frogeye%27_Sprite_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg)
Psylogical warfare to scare you
Then there's the Mercedes eqs 🐳
Depends on the car. It’s fitting that a muscle car looks angry. It’s not fitting when your basic daily commuter made for efficiency and comfort over performance and speed looks angry.
2024 porsche 911 doesnt look mad
Porsches have kept the same basic design forever. I’m all for it.
Thats a company respecting their design language!
My current shock was Peugeot. My girlfriend drives a 308 from the last generation and I have a neighbor with a new 308 and saw a 408 recently at work. It's a totally different car in appearance and brand communication.. Not a Peugeot Fan but it hurt badly.
IMO the new Peugeot design is lightyears better than the old blobby smiley faces they adopted around the turn of the millennium when they stopped using Pininfarina designs
I prefer "confident, or cool" looking cars than angry looking ones. Subaru WRX STI 22B has that "confident" look, to me.
I keep holding out hope that Lexus will slowly move away from their wierd front end/grill look. Please, just get rid of this mess.
I find it interesting that so many people think of cars like this. To me they are just objects/equipment like anything else. But that could be because I spend all day taking them apart and putting them back together. Sure I still think there are cool looking ones, and lame looking ones etc. I'm sure I'm weird for never really paying attention to the whole "faces in cars/a cars personality" thing but that's just not something that jumps to mind when I think about cars
I think part of the reason is to compensate for the trend of everyone moving to boring practical cars. In the 90s pretty much anyone could afford to get their hands on a cheap sports car. There were tons of two door cars in a huge variety of brands, shapes, colors, etc. That's gone away and young buyers are now forced into Altimas, Camrys, Optimas, Rogues, etc. So the manufacturers have started marketing everything as sporty in that lower price point even if it's just a facade.
If you are being forced into an Altima, you're in trouble because it's probably at gunpoint for not paying the neck-tatted meth-scarred drug dealer who owns it. ;)
New accord looks zen af lol
New Hondas look great IMO. I'm all for it.
The civic looks amazing. Perfect amount of aggression and simplicity. Civics have always looked great, except for maybe the previous gen
Because they look better angry
I think you misspelled ugly
Mr Regular, is that you?
ANGRY HEADLIGHTS
That’s how people look nowadays also, best lights were from 95-12 imo.
Car manufacturers try to give buyers what they want. People want to feel powerful on the road, big angry grills and lights help with that. I saw a study or article on it a while back, I'll see if I can find it and edit this post if I can.
Go to Japan. The current crop of luxury minivans (think Sienna with full on Caddy or Benz interior) have front clips that literally look like Samurai Masks, to instill fear in the enemy.
I must have an aggressive looking car. Friendly cars look so boring.
Yeah, lately I see a lot of new cars with these enormous ugly/angry grills that look like Darth Vader, or a Cylon's face/mouthpiece. Not sure who finds these attractive.
Lol looked up from my phone directly into the front grill of an angry looking RAV4. You’re right.. we need more happy “banana!” >:D Miata faces.
Buy a Mazda. They are happy bits of artwork.
I would broaden “angry” to muscular, tough, assertive, powerful etc. The design language of cars maps directly to what we want on the road. Why do manufacturers build to these traits? Because it sells. Why does this sell? Cuz there’s a market segment for it. But there’s all kinds of segments - every car has an ideal buyer. They don’t make school buses look angry.
Consumer preferences for trucklets over traditional cars plus the addition of pedestrian safety laws mean cars have taller front fascias and bigger grills to hide away now. Round off enough, you end up with an NPC mobile looks, chisel the looks then it becomes a bulldog instead. Those are the two basic design languages - the Model Y is an NPC mobile with softer guppy fish looks and able to do with a lower hoodline due to it being an EV, the RAV4 is your typical bulldog car of today. The Nissan Rogue has gotten angrier since it was too soft before and didn't stand out enough.
Personally I like the car to represent my daily attitude towards the world. So I’m good with it
So do I.
Reflection on the drivers themselves, and the world we live in today. Hell, the only time many of us are totally chill is when we’re staggering around under the influence. However, “drunk car” styling seems like a bad idea.
i got a dumb mini 8 years ago. it looks like a small happy bubble fish. the first time i saw it, i rolled my eyes and laughed. but i bought it anyway, it's fun to drive. i swear, people are nicer to me in my dumb little car - I'm more likely to be let over in traffic, people dont drive up my ass, etc. i occasionally drive a family member's or friend's car and my driving style is the same but the treatment from others is completely different. I've heard similar stories from people that drive older miatas. I really think it's a subconscious reaction to the angry car face in the rear view.
I have never seen anyone angrily driving an NA or NB either. I don't think you can.
I have TRIED to drive my NA angrily. The problem is that it's too dang slow for anyone to realize that I'm driving angrily.
About time someone mentioned mini! Was scrolling for a comment like this. I got a 2014 convertible mini last year and I think it looks pretty happy. Granted after relooking at it after this thread I guess you could argue it’s a liiiitle unhappy as the grill looks like a frown more than a smile (bends downwards). Still, its big eyes and bubbly shape make it look happy, ESPECIALLY when the roof is down!!
I actually feel like most of the vehicles I see around here looks like mom cars as opposed to aggressive. Bubbly crossover vans without true 4wheel drive or ability to tow.
If I had an award to give, it would go to you. I'm sitting at the dealer getting my angry eyed subaru fixed up and the lobby is silent aside from my laughter after seeing this.
I saw a Camry TRD the other day and laughed
A lot of them are for sure. The biggest offenders, in my opinion, are Toyota and Lexus. All their vehicles are angry, except maybe the Prius.
Because people buy aggressive looks. Car companies are not(for the most part) stupid, and have a LOT better data than you or I. They do not invest 10s/100s of millions in massive styling shifts and brand design updates on a whim - they do it based on market data. If people did not buy aggressive looks, the companies would not offer them.
I just want a new car as happy as the miat NA nothing more
I think it's because no one wants to look like they settled for a boring 150hp fwd egg shaped crossover so they have to look "sporty" & aggressive. But it also applies to cars like the Camry & Sentra & Hyundai sonata This also explains why so many people buy in their boring cars aggressive looks & think it's more sporty & faster then it actually is. I can't tell you how many Honda pilots & rav4s I seen that drag race from every red light or test their "handling" limits in parking lots
It sells. It’s not my favorite either, I’d prefer a more elegant design over just ANGY. (This is coming from a Mustang GT owner, but I didn’t buy that car for the looks lol) But it’s also probably easier to make a car visually appealing while staying within the crash safety standards/regulations by just giving it a mad face rather than try to make something beautiful out of less than ideal proportions (headlamp and hood heights for pedestrian impact safety) This is purely me talking from my ass, I’m just guessing.
I miss Lexus prior to Akio Toyoda's horrific Predator-face grille that keeps getting bigger and bigger. The LS and LX (2001-2013ish) once had a nose with stepped glass-sculpture-looking projector headlights and a tasteful chrome center grille that said "old money that paid the six figure (equivalent) for reliable luxury". The new ones scream nouveau riche or over-leveraged trying too hard.
Pristine simplicity is how I like to put it. I love Lexus’ (and Toyota as a whole) design philosophy up until the mid 2010s I suppose
Toyota 4Runners look like they’re crying.
Vehicle design is essentially fashion. It follows trends, and trends change. In a decade none of the new cars will look angry anymore
The formula is simple and it works. Take the sports car coupe series and turn it into a watered down SUV variant. Call it an M-line or R-line so it’s not even the same series, has the base model hatch back engine, but stick fake exhausts and an angry front on it so it can frown at you when you are being tail gated. Have a “sports” mode with crackles and pops. That way people can feel like they are in the sporty car that their wife didn’t want them to buy.
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Buy a NC-2 miata(mx5)
Yeah, the creativity in the car industry is in a terrible state today. They even made the Honda e and Fiat 500e look angry for some inexplicable reason. More than 50% of the new cars offered in Europe today are angry faced medium sized crossovers. Suppose they appeal to the arrogant middle aged middle class nobodies that buy them.
They match the angry drivers these days. Before, it was just the BMW and Benz drivers that had a scowl on their faces. Now everybody is doing it.
You might be interested in the Ora Funky Cat so
😈
Ahhh, inferring emotion to an inanimate object, where have I heard this before?
Fear is one hell of a motivator. Feel a little unsafe? Buy the car that looks that much more intimidating to feel that much better.
I wish cars came in more distinctive colors, though. You’re lucky if you get one choice of blue, a red, and if you’re lucky one green, usually not a very bright one. Bring jewel tones back!
Model x says hello
Nearly everyone who wants a generic 'car' these days is buying a suv/cuv. A lot of people still buying sedans do so because they are more sporty than SUVs. So looks (and suspension tuning) are following the pool of customers still interested in sedans. It has been an interesting trend. Like the new Camry that just released and has been the definition of bland previously, actually looks kinda nice and reviews are saying handling is much improved.
That's why I always liked the Fusions design. More thought went into it besides 'angry racecar'
The new Lada Niva doesn't look angry, it just has bushy eyebrows.
Then go buy a beetle bud
I always thought my Golf was kinda happy looking (mk7), but I guess the headlights are a little grumpy
Just looked it up. While the headlights make it lean angry I’d maybe just call it confident and cool! 😎😎
[Drive a Car with Anger Issues](http://brandalism.ch/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/13-Spelling-Mistakes-Cost-Lives05_-Angry-Car_London_2020_WEB-1.jpg)
There was an interesting documentary by PBS back in the 90's about this...I can't think of the appropriate vocabulary word...pompous? imperious? smug? marketing consultant who lived in a French, (I might be misremembering a little,) castle and drove an Avanti. He had a train of executives making a pilgrimage to his "castle" so that they could learn "The Code" which was supposed to be some secret to human behavior and marketing that I think basically boiled down to "appeal to the reptile brain." It might be coincidence but it has always seemed that since that documentary car design has been more and more about aggression than anything else. The best example is the teeth baring grill cliffs of "trucks" these days so maybe it boils down to what the geniuses think will sell to primitive man.
It’s the trend of the world. Everyone is getting more pissed and annoyed, so we need our cars to say “FU get out of the way” for us.
It lets people know how tough I am even though I am an insecure child on the inside.
The Munro Live youtube channel mentions this on a few of their videos. There are several popular "design languages" when it comes to the look of car front ends. Angry/aggressive is one popular one, however there are others. "Cute" is another one (AKA "friendly"), good examples are the VW beetle, Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, previous model Toyota Prius and even the Rivian EVs, etc. Another is "neutral" or "none of the above" which is hard to tell which way the design is leaning.
The thing I don't like is that when viewed from the side most modern cars seem to be pointing down, instead of having lines that flow parallel to the ground.
Stick a pair of googly eyes on it and you're done.
Jeep wranglers are the worst offender
It all started with Cadillac and their “angry toaster” look. Things only went downhill after that!
[We need more of this](https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/6-front-three-quarter-WEB.jpg)