Hybrid Cars Are Ugly
Created July 5, 2005, at 11:54 am by Anonymous
I suggest you should make hybrid cars that are nice cars. for example sports cars, convertibles, and etc. This is the reason why people don't buy hybird cars because they are ugly. If you fallow my advice there will be a lot of people buy those cars. Because we the people want nice cars for example if you make a hummer into a hybird I will buy.
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Alberto you are right we the people don't buy hybird cars because they are ugly looking they should start makeing nice hybird cars so people could start buy them. Thats why I don't buy a hybird car because I don't want to drive an ugly car.
I agree. I love the Hybrid technology, but the cars?
Insight - uglier than sin
Prius - almost as ugly
Civic - too blah looking
Accord - nice, but not very hybrid
Escape - nice, if you want an SUV
Highlander - same as Escape
Lexus RX400 - nice, but $$$$$
Actually, my bigget gripe is they're too expensive! That's my addition to the suggestion list - bring down the price! I wanted an Escape Hybrid soooo bad, but I just couldn't justify the cost. So I bought a used Poniac Vibe AWD. Very cute. Good on gas too...
Yes - make them cheaper. My Civic (blah that it is - but I love the statement) is $2500 more than the top of the line pure gas Civic.
Why not add that $2500 to the $13,000 cheapest Civic? That, plus a tax break, may put a hybrid in a 20-something's reach. Get first time buyers hooked on hybrids, and in 10 years every car sold could be a hybrid.
the 1st time buyer hook must have been forgotten by everyone. it's a strong one! i drove a chevy for my 1st car to this honda civic hybrid. that's some 28 years of driving one manufacturers' car.
~ lost now that chevy-GM has nothing worthwhile to buy anymore.
see ya
>> Why not add that $2500 to the $13,000 cheapest Civic?
My thoughts exactly! In my case, the cheapest Escape is ~$20,000. Add the hybrid system would have been maybe $23,000. I could have swallowed that a lot easier than $28-32 grand they're asking right now. BTW, didn't mean to insult your Civic... don't take it personally... :)
And I agree on the first time buyer thing. This would have been my first new car (replacing my little Escort GT), and I really wanted to get into the Hybrids. Now I guess I have to wait a few years down the road...
Check out the new Civic 2006!!!
Of course you will pay a premium - but this thing is way cool!
http://automobiles.honda.com/info/news/article.asp?ArticleID=2005070636116&Category=currenthonda
DW
Ooops! Gave you the sexy spec's but you want the pictures too!!
Try this link:
http://automobiles.honda.com/civics/email.aspx
DW
They are all ugly. The General Motors hybrids, although not nearly as efficient as the Japanese hybrids (not yet), actually look like cars. Not to mention, they are American cars, from a company that pays US tax revenue. That is key, as the United States global trade imbalance is hurt significantly more due to the purchase of imported cars and lost manufacturing than imported oil.
hard to claim japanese cars as not paying US taxes. they are built in USA, so a good portion of the labor & labor taxes are pure USA cash.
true, the final profit goes overseas i suppose, but any more with global trade & very open borders it's not like the 70's.
see ya
Alrighty, I have to agree, that new 2006 Civic is a huge improvement over the current look! I wonder if the hybrid version will overtake the Prius in sales?
Asian manufacturers claim US assembly plants to be "international business centers", and thus pay minimal US taxes. US communities, already damaged by the loss of manufacturing and engineering to underpriced Asian countries, are more than willing to accept these "international business centers" to lower unemployment. It's time to wake up, America.
Well as they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" I for one don't mind the look of most of the hybrid cars and find the insight awesome. The shape is determined by drag coefficient to help with wind resistance and save on gas. The importance off looks is secondry as the main focus is a car that is better for the environment. But as comes up all too often is the American need for greed and flash as Alberto (July 05 2005) wrote "build a hybrid the look like a hummer then I will buy" one question Alberto what the hell for son! there is no need for a Hummer in the first place except for people who have small man syndrome! the Hummer is a military vehicle and should have been left as such, you want ugly get the hummer or a suburban. Try to think of the world around you a little more and your impact on you fellow humans rather than your need to impress. Try to think for youself Alberto and not be a mindless American consumer.
And to Address Marks (july 12 2005) concerns, it always feels good to blame the other guy hey Mark! its never your fault it was the Asians, America decimated its own work force by sending work to Mexico and other places to save a buck, what you sow is what you reap. The US is forever messing with the world under the pretext of freedom but it is always to further their own economic interests. YOU are responsible for more pain and suffering than the Japanesse so just remember that. And get your facts right before bashing a company for doing what is right minmizing thier taxes which is what they all do yes American compaies included. Heres a fact the Japanesse where first to market with hybrid cars and lead the way for quality and innovation Detroit couldn't give a stuff Ford has managed the Escape Hybrid late in the piece and so far that is it. why I guess they are helping out thier oil buddies and George W. Don't forget Mark some of the worst corporate scams have happend by American companies on Americans, like GM they totally destroyed your light rail commuter system to force people to buy cars, what a great move. Go liberty Go freedom Go GREED.
Agreed. Mark, you need to really take an economics class. You seem to be very confused about the way an industrialized economy shifts. It's an incredibly complex matter that certainly cannot be pinned on one particular thing. Our economy is suffering at the moment because China, India, etc are devouring resources at a rate that we can't produce. If you work in the construction or manufacturing industries you already understand this. China is using massive amount of coal, steel, concrete, etc and therefor our prices rise. I don't think anyone really thought about what would happen if nations with 1.2 billion people started copying americas greed and wastefulness.
I have to admit that every car made since the 1970's has been ugly, so it probably doesn't matter! Cheap plastic painted bumpers, bland plastic interiors, peppered with a few electronic gadgets doesn't make something worth as much as they ask. They don't even use glass for headlights anymore! Even with all this lightweight crap, fuel economy isn't any better than some older cars. Sure the hybrids are efficient, but why not make one that stands out, and looks like a classic design! I agree that a classic sports car design would really add to the hybrid's appeal.
"Hybird Cars are Ugly" Agreed. But look whats coming out of Dodge. The ugliest thing I possiably have every seen is the newest Dodge Durango, Dokota, or the ugliest of them all... RAM... and what is even uglier is the price. Oh did I mention you can get 12 MPG with you're big HEMI!!?! Oh big man you can accelerate fast than me... you are the big man now! Anyways to counter the point. Its typical that you have to make cars look "good" in order to sell. Well don't put up with this crap GM, Dodge (Chrsitler Corp), Ford and the others are spitting out. Talk about ugly... christ! Have you SEEN what is on the road these days??? Big wheels! Its like hot wheels, and no the cool 1970's kind... but my GOD! The "rims" and the ugliness of it. If I am going to drop 19000.00 on a STANDARD american sedan, I don't mind paying 20,000.00 for a hybrid. With gas in my area 2.75 a gallon with NO, absolutely NO, mass transit system, not even a freak'n bus system. I don't mind driving what one could consider a "ugly" car. By the way anyone who says the civic is too "bland" can suck on my 1972 F-250's tail pipe... What the hell is happening to America these days? I will tell you what... idiocy has risen... and how much you my ask? 51%. Those are the dumb asses who actually voted for the man who is in control of the "free" world.
"Hybrids Are Butt Ugly" article:
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i8937
You are correct that Idiocy in America has risen. So many people think Toyota has "invented" hybrid tech, when in reality locomotives in 1920's where hybrids!!!!
The those how have an idocy problem with history please read this article:
Maybe my car is ugly, but at least it ain't bringing down the scenery at the gas station!
The only good Hybrid car that Looks extremly Incredible is the Toyota Volta I almost lost my eyes Its just as good as an lamborghini diablo, http://www.hybridcarguide.com/images/volta01.jpg
check it out! WOW!! :-0
Volkwagon missed the boat. When they reintroduced the bug, it should have been a hybrid.
It sounds like most of the people here think good looking cars are wannabee muscle cars.
Cars, by definition, are ugly. A box with 4 wheels and steal a lot of your resources just to go from A to B. Then they build whole communities that make the damn machines comfortable but entrap everything else in a web of asphalt and concrete pavement with fast moving large metal objects ... called cars.
Hybrids? Like the General Electric Diesel Hybrid Locomotive that you see pulling 200 rail cars loaded with about 8 Dodge Dakota's each? You mean the first Hybrid engine that was actually designed to run a mix between electricity and fuel... (diesel) was invented in the early 40s? I don't think anyone made the claim Toyota invented the engine... they have done the most with it, besides for GE and other industries... idiot. Why don't you read what you post... locomotives are NOT a hybrid if you are souly referring to electrical train engines? Because the power is directly coming from another source, such as coal. Hybrid uses both electricity and a gas in its power and switches back and forth. Remember EVERYONE is an expert when it comes to our little network I like to call the internet.
Len... learn how to spell "steel" before you try to make some dramatic point. Some hippy philosophy talk. Go back to your VW bus that gets 10 MPG.
Yeah, they are ugly... but they are not ugly on my wallet!
But, I am still a big fan of the Hydrogen and electric buses... Anyways... one more thing... HYDROELECTRIC power harnessing the water and the wild rivers is the OBVIOUS solution. If a few fish cannot figure out the water ladders... I guess I can eat em'!
I can't quite understand if this is meant to be sarcastic, or to be taken seriously. In terms of ugly, the hummer would have to be at the top of the list.
I actually think my Prius is the best looking car that can accommodate my family - anything any better does not have viable back seat. It is sleek, glamorous and distinctive. Not only that it is quite functional with great passenger and cargo space.
And with rising fuel prices - the initial cost is becomming more trivial.
First off, as another poster said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think many of the American model cars are fairly ugly at the moment. But the Prius is interesting and distinctive. Who really thinks the new Impala is better looking than Prius? My guess is that you feel as though the cars lack testosterone....which is true....for now. Give it time.
Make a Hummer into a hybrid?! Yes, that would be fantastic....then people could claim to be green while driving around in their enviro-nightmare mobile, scaring the bejeezus out of anyone who doesn't drive a tank, while getting 11mpg instead of 9. That is great.
As for making other vehicles into hybrids, you have to look at it from the perspective of the manufacturers. They aren't doing this for free (not saying this is right or wrong). So, they put out a minimum number of models and see how they do. Now, if nobody buys them b/c they are waiting for the cooler 2nd/3rd/4th gen models, then we the design will never make it to that point.
I for one would like to see the hybrids extend further into the market. A hybrid sports car would be GREAT. I saw a report that Toyota may be looking to make a Volta design into a hybrid sportscar that could be the next Supra! If the mpg is decent, count me in!
For now I'll just be saving up money to buy a Prius or hybrid Camry.
Sorry, I didn't know you had to spell here.
As for hippy talk. I proudly work in a wood consuming smoke stack behemoth, think global warming is a eurogreen conspiracy (read 'State of Fear' by Micheal Critchton), and bought my Prius because its good engineering and does what it advertises. Kind of like why I bought my NVidia AMD-64 motherboard ... a bit of cool factor ... a bit of this and that ... and it works!
But my favorite city in North America is Vancouver which is by nature vehicle unfriendly.
I absolutely detest urban developement in the SE which force your kids to ride the bus or drive to school which you can see across a field a mile away because of the risk of being run over by people rushing around streets with no side walks at 50 mph.
To give my municipality credit they are actually spending money on side walks lately and I hear there is actually some bike friendly areas around Atlanta where you won't get run over or 'doored' in 5 minutes.
So once again ... all cars are ugly by definition, but my Prius is a piece of work in form and function.
Do people really value the way that a car looks that much? I must be pretty un-hip because I could care less about what the car looks like if in the end it..
A) Is safe...
B) Get's killer mileage...
And C) Has a decent stereo...
Image is nothing....
Len said it better than I could.
But I still need a good stereo.
Civic hybrids look exactly like non-hybrids, except for the "Hybrid gasoline-electric" decal on the rear. they may be "blah", but Honda at least had the decency to avoid making their hybrids look llike something from a futuristic car show. I live with the blah look at 40mpg- ALONE- in the carpool lane!
LOL Sounds as if many posters are highly concerned with their "image" from people looking as they drive by, like perhaps their "macho" is related to the looks of their transportation. The Hybrid technology is fast finding its way into more conventional-looking cars if that's an issue for you. Some years back, I drove a VW Beetle and a VW Van - neither a "beauty" as car styles went at the time. My Prius reminds me a little of a StarTrek Shuttle Craft and I can't help but smile when I consider the fuel economy and enjoy all the technological "goodies."
What ever happened to the Buses that run on clean Hygrogen fuel cells? I remember the clear blue drinkable liquid being burst out into the air in a cloud of steam. We need mass transit... we need more sidewalks and friendly bike lines on roads!
Hybrids are ugly, well yes some are, the toyota in my opinion is odd looking and of course the Honda insight is just silly looking, but the civic and accord, look the same as the gas version, as does the escape and the lexus, so hopefully the days of the ugly hybrid are almost over.
THey can be ugly as hell. 81% less emissions from FORD vehicles is good enough for me!
Honestly people, now I understand why Americans are labeled as superficial. "Oh my God, i can't be seen in an ugly car!" Some people would love the chance to be able to drive that good of a car instead of a beat down peice of [&#@%!], not good on gas that barely makes it down the street. Be happy some of you actually have the option to buy something that good.
I'm with several previous posters. Candidly, I really don't care what someone else thinks about the "looks" of my transportation. I do not feel the need of "proving" my "status" or "wealth" by the car I drive. I drive a Prius, Camry and '85 Jaguar XJ6. I like the quality and low maintenance of the Toyotas, and particularly the efficiency and technology of the Prius. I don't need to haul soccor teams or building materials or pull horse trailers. The 2004 Prius is our default car and we welcome the economy and dependability. The "wind resistance" factor is part of the economy. "Damned clever, these Japanese!"
So it's superficial to not want an ugly car? I suppose it's also superficial to comb your hair and dress in something more attractive than a burlap bag.
Len's comment that "all cars are ugly by definition" strikes me about as informed as it would have if he had said "all buildings are ugy by definition" or "all paintings are ugly by definition."
These posts about ugly hybrid cars just don't make any sense. Considering that only 2 of the 8 "hybrids" have styling different than a conventional car, the Prius and the Insight. The other 6 look exactly the same as their conventional cars. If you don't like the styling of the 6 of the 8, it isn't because they are hybrids.
yeah, all that is superficial, if that's all you're worried about. when all people care about is the way they look or what other people think of them because of material objects, that's superficial. Although good hygiene, is another thing, that's for your own benefit.
Well all this liberal hippy talk has really gotten me angry. I think I will drive my "steel" hummer into a wildlife refugee and kill some fungi. Good lord Len get off your liberal soapbox... same goes AirAmerica Keri here.. go back to AM radio liberial pinko
Wow. Radd... wow.. .now I know why it happens... the ignorance... wow...
Michael: good point. Most current hybrid cars are virtually indistinguishable from their pure-IC brethren (e.g. the Accord, Lexus, Civic). Personally, I don't think the Prius is remotely attractive but I think there's a non-trivial population of hybrid car enthusiasts who enjoy having a car that looks different and says "hey, I'm a hybrid", so it's possible the odd looks work in its favor (at least for some).
Keri, people like attractive-looking objects for a variety of reasons not all remotely related to showing off to other people. Also, no one is saying that it's "all people are worried about"--I'm not sure where you got that. Humans--at least humans with souls--have a sense of aesthetics. Do you have any sort of art work in your house? What would you think of a guest who walked into your house, pointed to a painting on the wall, and announced that you're superficial because all you care about is what things look like?
Dude, if the car (Prius) is so ugly, why are all the fine ladies coming up to me and asking me about it, wanting to go for a ride and handing out phone numbers?
I don't care what the car looks like - if I cared what my car looked like and my image associated with what my car looked like, then I would hope someone would try to refocus what was important in this world.
What the Heck happened to Alberto that started this whole discussion ?!?!?!? To Funny !
OK.. We have our opinions.
- Some feel the Hybrids are ugly and refuse to buy
- Some feel the Hybrids are ugly and still buy
- Some are buying Hybrids to get the women
- Some are Liberal...some conservative
It is great to live in America where we all have the freedom of speech and fredom to beleive what WE CHOSE to beleive.
What the heck is wrong with you people.
If you think its an ugly car then modify the
looks to make it look "good". I think the
Prius looks good expecially with some modifications.
Add a body kit, a good paint job, drop the car some, add some nice rims and you got a great looking car. They aren't desing to look good so you go to do it yourself....
Forgot to mention that the Hummer is d**n ugly
I recently heard that there will be a tax break for people who buy hybrids in 2006. Does anyone have any information on this?
Jersey, Check out the Information on this site at:
http://www.hybridcars.com/tax-deductions.html
http://www.hybridcars.com/discussion/discussthread.php?thread_id=490&replies=3
A hybrid looks the way it does because it requires an Aerodynamics design to get better fuel economy. It's engineering that brings the car to look the way it does, and in my opinion, is very cool looking. I think Hummers are huge, overwhelming, and ugly - no matter what they run on. But as one Hummer owner said, "At least in Hummer, you can plow through a deer without any problems. Your car would be destroyed." Those who wish to own this kind of transportation have a will never be behind a hybrid or the design of one. But Hummers aren't as common either.
Beauty is clearly a matter of personal taste. I fell in love with the looks of the new Prius at first site. I am a mechanical engineer / industrial designer and find that the Prius II shape is an impressive integration of form and function. I have always been a fan of fastbacks and of smart "mold breaking" car design. I agree that the new HCH is much better looking than its predecessor and holds its own next to a Prius. The space and utility of the Prius still make it the clear winner in my books!
My god len, get off your high horse and hippy talk. Take a shower bitch.
Len, good god.
Good God ? ;)
Hey I'm now in Northern Alberta and own a bike that I can actually use much of the year. Usually doesn't snow much here.
And I don't have to worry too much about getting door'd or run over by 300 lb'ers stuck to the seat of their vehicle.
Although it is a small town and the bike trails although existant are a bit crude in places ... its great for a mountain bike.
And my Prius is getting lost among all the pickups! Talking about ugly ... what about some of the new models of SUV's. That new Nissan looks like ....
... anyway, have a great day.
i think hybrid cars look cool. If you think hybrid cars are ugly, go buy you a exxxxspensive electric car.
Hybrids help the enviorment. Don't worry about how they look.Electric cars are exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxpensive.when you are out of gas the give you a few extra miles. They even have a computer in it,just to tell you that the gas is low.
D'Amontae,
Where can I buy and electric car?
Hybrid Cars can be sold for a lot less. I'm not ready yet. I'll wait til the price drops and their mileage hit more 50 city and 75 to 100 on the freeway. Price should be 25% less and a big tax break. I am waiting for my 100.00 check to come from that guy that is trying to run this country, what ever his name may be. Maybe I'll use it for a down payment that if I have any of it after I put gas to go and buy a Hybrrid. But for today, take the Hybrids and the 100.00 and stick it up your ass. This country could do better, than that. They should hire people with brains. Design a car that good hot and gets 75 to 125 MPG and give it to for about 10,000. Rigth, if that happens the gas prices will go up to 20.00 per gal.
Volkswagen didnt miss the boat when they started making hybrids, its called TDI. You get better mileage than a hybrid and the engines can go upwards of 1 million miles before a rebuild. At least there was a volvo diesel car in the area that had over 1 million on the stock engine. Hybrids are ugly as all hell. My 96 metro gets the same if not better mileage and looks way cooler than an Insight or Prius (the only 2 "affordable" hybrids). I'm a BMW guy through and through, I would never not own one, my 323ci stick gets 31mpg average on the highway with maybe 1/4-2/5 city driving and its not ugly. When I'm in Europe at least 90% of all vehicles are diesel, our BMW 320d which had over 300 ft/lbs of torque averaged 59 mpg for us over the course of 2 weeks driving from frankfurt to munich, to venice, milan, paris, and back to munich for more oktoberfest fun. WHY CANT WE HAVE THAT HERE???
YOU GUYS R STUPID! AND MATERIALISTIC!
and the guy on who wrote the first comment cant even SPELL HYBRID RIGHT ITS HYBRID NOT HYBIRD!!!
A few friends and co-workers give me flack for my HCH and soon to own Prius being "ugly" cars. For one, I think both cars look very nice inside and out and I enjoy driving a "different" looking vehicle.
Secondly, who cares? Do I think the new Dodge Charger is a nice looking car? Yes. Do I want to get 15 MPG? Of course not!
I think I left the days of wanting to drive a "cool looking" car behind when I graduated from high school.
Other than that, Minerva hit the nail on the head.
Prius was first introduced in 2000/2001 and has since been selling faster than Toyota can make them. If the only bad thing anyone can say about it is that its "ugly" than Toyota has done an excellent job. Just like the only bad thing they can say about B Clinton is the BJs he got during his 8 years of presidency, than he was the most capable presidant in the recent history.
It has been 9 years since Prius was introduced in american, why has no American car maker even tried to meet the market's demand? Ford-Escort or Chevy-(what ever its called) hybrids don't even come close to meeting Prius' capabilities or its looks, let alone beating this 9-year old car.
The reason that all the hybrids are ugly is because the car companies and gas companies have contracts with each other. If all of a sudden every sexy looking car got 35+ miles per gallon, which is easily doable, the gas companies would be out of a whole lot of money. So as long as they restrict the car sales to the dorks and hippies of the US they can still make a profit on the rest of us morons :) who buy cars for sex appeal and to impress others :)
Now come on Andy, they don't actually have contracts with each other. That's just the stuff of conspiracy theorists. They do, however, tend to share the same gearhead, heavy iron mentality, however, and that archaic mind style clearly wants to preserve the 'Vette and similar legends as icons to the V8 and Internal combustion. The industry doesn't want to obsolete it's the technology it has invested in - Internal combustion and transmissions.
Do you know a internet site where I can see the price of cars in India, China, Corea, Japon, and differents contries?
thjanks bye
I love my Camry hybrid! I only have to 'er fill up about once per month, and it costs me only about $40.00ish per time, with gas at $3.89+ per gallon. I always drive Toyotas, and this is my third Camry. I drive my cars till they drop, and it is no longer feasable to fix them - usually that is well over 150,000 miles. My second Camry was used-certified and I recently sold it to my daughter. I chose the Camry hybrid over the Prius because, first: the Prius screams "HYBRID!" Second: the Prius has much less room: and finally: because the safety tests are not as good. Also, I like the fact that people don't know my Camry is a "hybrid" unless I tell them, or if they look hard enough for the nicely inconspicuous "Synergy" logo. I especially love it at the gas pump! The only thing not to like about the Camry hybrid is possibly the smaller trunk, but my kids are grown now, so I don't need a big fat trunk anymore. (The battery is back there and it takes nearly half the room of a regular Camry-sized trunk). I've had my hybrid over a year now, and no problems. Sometimes people ask me silly questions about owning a hybrid, like "Do you ever run out of battery?" or, "Do you plug it in at night?" ...things like that. I sometimes sarcastically/teasingly remark, "Well, if I crank it enough times, I usually don't have that problem, except that it usually won't start if it gets below 10 degrees... " (we live in a northern climate) just to see the look on their faces. ;)
yeah i remember that camry i think its similar with nissan altima! nice cars sites you posted right there imm check some new hybrid cars thanks.
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