Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Ford has used a lot of British design cues on their vehicles over the last decade whether it be Aston or Range Rover.

In the end, British design is not the worst thing you can look to for inspiration. Better than whatever the hell Toyota and Honda have been inspired by for the last decade.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

it's an SUV and yes it looks like all other SUVs

[dammage79]

They need to bring pathfinder back to what it was intended for originally, head to head with the 4 runner. 4 runner you can still get a trim for soccer moms and then a rugged trim for proper off roading.

Not hard to do a NISMO off road trim package for pathfinder is you do the build correctly.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by dammage79

They need to bring pathfinder back to what it was intended for originally, head to head with the 4 runner.

I think that's more the Xterra, which they never should've canned. Although I hear rumours that they are going to be bringing it back.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by dammage79

They need to bring pathfinder back to what it was intended for originally, head to head with the 4 runner. 4 runner you can still get a trim for soccer moms and then a rugged trim for proper off roading.

Not hard to do a NISMO off road trim package for pathfinder is you do the build correctly.

I get the idea behind what you're saying and it's how I ended up with my '08 for about six months. The reality is the industry has moved beyond the body-on-frame SUV for the most part. They drive like garbage and 99.9% of people who buy them don't off road. The 4Runner is the exception, but it goes beyond off road prowess with that one. It's a great vehicle with a cult following, but the Pathfinder was never great and never had the following. I think Nissan is making the right call here for their business.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Table 5

In the end, British design is not the worst thing you can look to for inspiration. Better than whatever the hell Toyota and Honda have been inspired by for the last decade.

Give Toyota some credit here as the current Corolla is one of the better looking compacts and the Camry stands out as well. BMW may build the Supra but the exterior is all Toyota and love it or hate it the styling gets attention. Honda on the other hand has one of the blandest lineups in the industry. Not a single vehicle that stands out as good looking or different. Just generic bland.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Give Toyota some credit here as the current Corolla is one of the better looking compacts and the Camry stands out as well. BMW may build the Supra but the exterior is all Toyota and love it or hate it the styling gets attention. Honda on the other hand has one of the blandest lineups in the industry. Not a single vehicle that stands out as good looking or different. Just generic bland.

Agreed, Toyota has picked up the styling. I would never have considered the Camry before but the pearl white top of the line one stands out. Yes, Honda's are so bland and have been for awhile. Need a new S-2000 or something to shake them up.

[TorqueDog]

I will give it to Toyota on the new Camry design, it looks more Lexus than it does Toyota.

But the new Yaris looks like a Focus ST and a Mazda 3 had an ugly baby.

[nik-]

I think the new Camry design is awful. You guys are talking about the one with all the fake intakes?

[Bill Bumface]

The current Camry looks like I took a brand new family sedan, a time machine, $5,000 in Canadian Tire Money, my 16 year old self, and let fate take it's course.

[zamler]

Fake rear vents on the Camry look ridiculous.

[nik-]

"The design direction we're thinking of going with for our mid-size sedan is Civic Type R"

[TorqueDog]

Hold up, let me clarify my position since I feel I didn't qualify my statement above properly: it's still awful in that I think all Toyota's products look stupid. The whole range.

But they used to be look stupid and boring, so as far as I'm concerned not being boring is a move in the right direction.

[cam_wmh]

LOL, the TRD model is FWD, yet lesser trims across the model line have AWD.

[WCan_Kid]

Always get a kick out of the internet car chats..

Wow, Hyundai is KILLING IT on styling!!!!



OMG, what an overstyled mess!

[TorqueDog]

I'm sorry, those aren't even remotely comparable. The Hyundai has a cohesive design that looks like it wasn't "design by committee".

The Camry? Look at that stupid gigantic aluminum grill below the body-colored grill. Who the hell thought that made any sense?
"What should the grille be?"
"I like body coloured and angular."
"No way, straight slatted aluminum!"
"How about we do both?"
"Perfect! Aaand that's lunch, good job team."

[zamler]

I don't really like the styling of the Hyundai but I do agree it looks like it was designed by a single team. Toyota is desperately trying to shake the boring image, which it didn't need to do at all. No surprise though the current CEO is a buffoon.

[Fuzz]

Ya, it's the little details. Look at the width staying consistent on the Hyundai up the A pillar, and across the roof line. The same thing on the Toyota starts narrow, and expands, while the black glass matting tries to hide it a bit. It's just a mess.

[Table 5]

One looks like a catfish, the other a baleen whale.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by zamler

Toyota is desperately trying to shake the boring image, which it didn't need to do at all.

Yes it did.

Even now, the first thing that comes to mind when I think Toyota is this:

Spoiler!

That's all Toyota represents to me. Boring ass beige cars for people who are allergic to a heart rate above 85 BPM.

It takes real effort to try and shake that kind of reputation.