Car reviews & car talk - today's cars

Strolled thru the NADA site to see what my car is currently valued at, since my current insurance uses NADA values in case of a complete loss. NADA says $45k retail. I'll be switching to Grundy this month, with an agreed-to value of almost double that, and at less of an annual cost than what I'm paying currently. But I noticed on the NADA site a JD Powers poll for judging today's car designs, it was a fun little exercise to participate in. You'll find it 1/2 way down the page here (look for "VEHICLE DESIGN STUDY":

http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars

As car designers seem to be stretching increasingly more each year when trying to create a something that's new, unique, rather timeless/classy-looking, and with pretty much universal appeal (few seem to be able to pull off all 4!), I'm still confused by the floating roof fad that's making its way across more and more of the <strike>lemmings</strike> automotive makers (as all design fads seem to do nowadays).

To me it's just more spaghetti on the wall, where not only is nobody is being fooled that the roof is actually floating above the chassis, but: even if you could pull off the illusion, why is a having a floating roof-look even considered a good idea other than maybe to make a particular designer's job more interesting that afternoon?

Ironically, the two cars I noticed it first on are by the two makes whose designs seem to be the most random & cluttered nowadays to me: Nissan & Lexus.





Even Honda's jumping on the floating design cliche bandwagon, tacking a floating roof onto the Odyssey (with questionable success IMHO).



This guy's taste is right up my alley: https://www.cars.com/articles/the-floating-roof-is-sinking-1420693208910/


Even the Gen-2 has floating design element, where the side mirrors couldn't be left all-black or all-body color and are 1/2 blackened along with the bottom of the A-pillar so as to suggest they're attached only to the A-pillar and floating above the bottom car half.



To me, cramming all these unique details into every nook & cranny too often just seems to result in a distractingly cluttered batch of cliché's and design pollution.

Am I just cantankerously picky about car design (could be) or does anyone really like this floating roof idea? It's ok if you do!

Obviously it doesn't bother a lot of people or else we wouldn't see them on the roads.

Personally, I think the old NSX is an ugly car from most angles. But, I didn't buy it as a daily beater for its looks 13 years ago. Function over form for me.

^^^^

I like the cut-pillar illusion. I especially like the half-black side view mirror on the NSX. I don't see it as any worse than adding creases and lines to surfaces. There are also the contrasting black surfaces on cars like the BMW i3/i8. It can look good or it can be ugly depending on how it's used. It's just another tool in the designer's toolbox.

Gansan said:

I like the cut-pillar illusion. I especially like the half-black side view mirror on the NSX. I don't see it as any worse than adding creases and lines to surfaces. There are also the contrasting black surfaces on cars like the BMW i3/i8. It can look good or it can be ugly depending on how it's used. It's just another tool in the designer's toolbox.

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It's a good thing then for the auto market to have customers like you.

I thought Lexus's spindle grille was a stretch...Wow Toyota with the 2019 Avalon...

Just when you think it can't get any worse! Toyota should stop using preschoolers in their design departments.

You may as well make the hood out of abs honeycomb at this point while they are at it.

Yinzer said:

It's a good thing then for the auto market to have customers like you.

I thought Lexus's spindle grille was a stretch...Wow Toyota with the 2019 Avalon...

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Wow! Talk about fake grille. Looking at the sealed parts, those are like 2-3X the surface area of the Civic's fake bumper grilles!

Remember when ACURA made its version of the Aztec?







Besides the new NSX, Acura needs to fire the entire design team and start over....they haven't made anything that looks good in years imo.


Imo, BMW makes th best looking (non-exotic) cars on the road these days ...

Been lusting over the f32 lately (4 series coupe)



Even stock they look amazing with the M-sport pkg

I just dunno what the boomerang is for on the fender.

Jinks said:

I just dunno what the boomerang is for on the fender.

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they actually add 20hp and 50 pounds of downforce:wink:

I'm seriously obsessing over this car lately as a fun project that would make a very nice daily.

Well then mate, let’s grab a Fosters.:biggrin:

Nice to see BMWs trend back towards attractive, curvaceous and non-trendy design last seen in the E46 era. I’m still having a hard time looking past the seeing the exposed sides of the kidney beans with the unnecessary effect of protruding through the grille, reminds me too much of two front teeth with badly receding gums.

wow I thought we lost our favorite steel town primer...:wink:

docjohn said:

wow I thought we lost our favorite steel town primer...:wink:

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Never. NSX owner (hopefully) for life, contributing Primer (hopefully) for life, awaiting Facebook to lose its charm and go thru the cycles all things do, sending more traffic (including myself) back to Prime on a daily basis. And rediscovering what it's like again having a girlfriend who really likes to spend time together makes for less Primetime. Here's to more Prime interaction in '18. Now excuse me while I'm already late to get up to her place 45 mins away.

HaHa I don't feel bad for you ,back in my college days (Gettysburg) I dated a gal who lived in Bethel park....

docjohn said:

wow I thought we lost our favorite steel town primer...:wink:

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Same here. I wonder if he's going to drive it at all this year.

Hass said:

Same here. I wonder if he's going to drive it at all this year.

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Funny. Have been missing your instagram posts for a while now.

Drove the Yeti this weekend. Zooming was fun after a winter off.