How important is design of a modern car?

[stopcrazypp]

Well, compared to the original Prius I guess the Mirai could be considered a work of art.

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That design can be filed under boring or anonymous, but it's not offensively ugly. But the Mirai a vast majority of people find ugly.

 

[wws]

It is a credit to Tesla that the founders had an eye for style. I attended a talk a while back where Marc Tarpenning was discussing this very point. They wanted to build a car that people would actually want to buy if, say, they had won the lottery. Not some hack NEV that looked like an overgrown golf cart.

Japanese styling has always been, shall we say, controversial here in the western world. Which is why they now have design centers in the U.S. and Europe. Even then, they don't always get it right.

As for the Aztek, it certainly was polarizing. The much better looking Buick Rendezvous was built with the same platform and far outsold the Aztek. Even surprised Buick themselves at the time.

 

[Richard Benson]

I love the design of Audi A9 i guess white tinted

 

[voyager]

Thing is, you know full well that if/when that car makes it to market, it will not look even remotely like that concept. With the exception of Tesla, nobody else builds real cars that end up looking like the concepts. That was one of the points Elon has made a couple of times, about how frustrating it is to constantly see amazing concept cars unveiled, and then seeing the disappointing final result.

Lately, Audi tends to stay faithful to the concepts. TT was the first one as far as I can remember.

 

[Red Sage]

The original show car version of the Pontiac Aztek was far more attractive than the 'finished' (?) product design. It was more rugged, daring, and sporting. It was toned down though, before release, much the same way that comic book Superheroes used to be fairly gimped, 'for the sake of believability', in movies.

I rather like that Elon Musk has a mandate that any final product Tesla Motors offers must be awesome -- better than the show car. There's no benefit to constantly marketing a future of technological advances with no intent to ever build them. Hence, while Elon is in charge, there will be no 'concept cars' unveiled in the Tesla booth at car shows.

 

[sjd]

Design is very important to me. I'd take a Model S over something uglier but double the range. I'd say that the reason the Model S is so desired has a lot to do with its design. Its a beautiful car that holds its own with any of the German marques costing similar money.

 

[KD5MDK]

Design is very important to me. I'd take a Model S over something uglier but double the range. I'd say that the reason the Model S is so desired has a lot to do with its design. Its a beautiful car that holds its own with any of the German marques costing similar money.

Would you take something that looked like a Leaf with a 200 mile range over something that looked like a Model S with a 70 mile range?

 

[sjd]

Would you take something that looked like a Leaf with a 200 mile range over something that looked like a Model S with a 70 mile range?

If price were equal (or wasn't a factor) I'd take the Model S with less range. I don't want to drive a penalty box.

 

[Model 3]

Would you take something that looked like a Leaf with a 200 mile range over something that looked like a Model S with a 70 mile range?

Yes.

A 200 mile range is the minimum range that let me do my daily drives, so any car with less range is out of the question for me.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

If the car performs in all ways, but the looks aren't appealing - would you consider it anyway?

There is a segment of the car buying public, not a small one either, that feel that the Model S is too attention-grabbing. These are people whose worst nightmare is being the best-dressed person in the room. Personally, I love good design, especially when it works hand in hand with good function. So, to answer your question... No, I'd rather have a well sculpted car parked in my garage than an ugly duckling, even if their functionality is the same.

 

[tga]

Would you take something that looked like a Leaf with a 200 mile range over something that looked like a Model S with a 70 mile range?

I would not buy either. IMHO, the Leaf is, frankly, butt-ugly, so it's out of the running (and i-MiEV and i3, too). I think the "unconventional" design is intentional, to help the driver make an enviro-political statement, which I'm not interested in doing (I don't put bumper stickers on my car or political signs on my lawn for the same reason).

I'd buy a FFE, e-Golf, Rav4 EV, or Spark EV before a Leaf, iMiEV, or i3. Note the theme: conventional looking conversion > purpose built EV w/ weird design

The very fact that a Tesla doesn't look like other EV's (ie, weird) is one of the reasons it appeals to me.

A 200 mile range is the minimum range that let me do my daily drives, so any car with less range is out of the question for me.

At least 50% of my driving is beyond the range of a compliance car, so a 70 mile Model S is out of the running, too (I'm not buying a car that I can only use for 50% of my driving. 95%, sure, I'll rent a car if need be for the other 5%, but not for 50%).

There is a segment of the car buying public, not a small one either, that feel that the Model S is too attention-grabbing. These are people whose worst nightmare is being the best-dressed person in the room..

I wonder what the issue is - too flashy/modern looking, perceived as too expensive, fear of being branded a "hippie EV driver", etc...

I supposed there are times when it's helpful to "blend in" and not draw attention to yourself. I volunteer at a couple of non-profits, and I'd be very self-conscious showing up at the door in a car that cost several times the average employee's salary.

Personally, I love good design, especially when it works hand in hand with good function. So, to answer your question... No, I'd rather have a well sculpted car parked in my garage than an ugly duckling, even if their functionality is the same.

Agree 100%

 

[sjd]

There is a segment of the car buying public, not a small one either, that feel that the Model S is too attention-grabbing. These are people whose worst nightmare is being the best-dressed person in the room.

Those buyers wouldn't buy something like a BMW 6-series Gran Coupe, Audi A7 or Mercedes CLS either. Cars which stand out just like the Model S does. Instead they'll buy a boring grey SUV to blend in with.

 

[Michiel vd Brink]

I'd rather have a well sculpted car parked in my garage than an ugly duckling, even if their functionality is the same.

And if the ugly duckling functions a bit or a lot better?

 

[tga]

And if the ugly duckling functions a bit or a lot better?

In the grand scheme of things, that doesn't matter. People place a high value on the (exterior) looks of their car. Ugly ducklings don't sell.

 

[sjd]

People are willing to forgive a lot of flaws in the functionality if the looks really appeal to them. That's why Jenny McCarthy is married.

 

[tonybelding]

The very fact that a Tesla doesn't look like other EV's (ie, weird) is one of the reasons it appeals to me.

So... Prius and Leaf owners want something that doesn't look like a normal ICE car. Tesla owners want something that doesn't look like a normal EV.

Actually, when I stumbled across this thread, the first thing I thought about was the Fisker Karma. Would you buy a car that's absolutely beautiful (aside from the Joker's grin grille) even if that car is also expensive, slow, noisy, unreliable and poorly assembled?

 

[sjd]

So... Prius and Leaf owners want something that doesn't look like a normal ICE car. Tesla owners want something that doesn't look like a normal EV.

Prius owners want an appliance and the Prius looks like one. Its boring for both an EV and ICE car. I'm not slamming anything else about the Prius other than its styling and driving dynamics. Its a fuel efficient, reliable appliance which is why people buy it.

 

[aronth5]

Prius owners want an appliance and the Prius looks like one. Its boring for both an EV and ICE car. I'm not slamming anything else about the Prius other than its styling and driving dynamics. Its a fuel efficient, reliable appliance which is why people buy it.

Which is why I have one and fully paid for. But I definitely don't want the Model 3 to look anything like my Prius V

 

[igotzzoom]

There is a segment of the car buying public, not a small one either, that feel that the Model S is too attention-grabbing. These are people whose worst nightmare is being the best-dressed person in the room. Personally, I love good design, especially when it works hand in hand with good function. So, to answer your question... No, I'd rather have a well sculpted car parked in my garage than an ugly duckling, even if their functionality is the same.

The Model S is certainly recognizable by now, but I don't think it's at all gaudy or ostentatious. I think it's actually quite tasteful and low-key.

 

[tonybelding]

The Roadster and Model S both look like real cars instead of electric weirdmobiles. Other car makers are still rolling out eccentric EVs. The Prius casts a long shadow, and it's still the success story that they're all eager to emulate. Of course here on this forum we'd like to imagine Tesla is showing the way forward -- but the rest of the car industry is looking at the numbers of around 50,000 Teslas sold versus over 3,000,000 Priuses, and are laying their own plans accordingly.