Looks aren’t everything, but in the automotive industry, they may as well be. Nobody wants to drive an ugly car, but that didn’t stop these vehicles from coming out the way they did. In spite of their looks, the cars featured here were nevertheless super fun to drive.
Pontiac Aztek
The Pontiac Aztek gets a bad rap for its “misinformed” and “misguided” design that makes the car look clunky and confused. However, despite its less-than-stellar appearance, the Aztek is a surprisingly great car to drive, thanks to its spaciousness and durability.
Fiat Multipla
We’re not exactly sure what line of thinking went into making the Fiat Multipla. It’s this weird, frog-like car with an odd profile, which - at the very least - makes it somewhat unforgettable. Still, it’s by no means a bad car to drive with its spacious interior and supreme road visibility. Its quirky charm is also undeniable.
Toyota Prius (2nd Gen)
The Toyota Prius is pretty much synonymous with soccer moms at this point. The second-gen Prius dialed up the quirk with its strange, wedge-like silhouette, but it was also incredibly fuel-efficient and able to handle urban driving with ease, not to mention its quiet performance.
BMW I3
BMW is synonymous with luxury and class, which makes the i3’s existence even more confusing. The style they went for here was “polarizing”, to say the least, but they compensated for the odd design choices with zippy acceleration and tight handling that made roaming the streets a dream.
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer is mostly remembered rather fondly these days, but there was no denying how controversial its asymmetrical, bubbly design was back in its day. Despite that, the Pacer was easy to handle and offered a surprisingly smooth ride to everyone who could look past its ugly exterior.
Subaru B9 Tribeca
The B9 Tribeca looks like what would happen if Subaru took a regular sedan and inflated it with a balloon pump. Needless to say, it’s not the most attractive of cars to ever grace the roads, but it was comfortable and durable enough to be worth the price - and the looks you’d get for driving it.
Chrysler PT Cruiser
The PT Cruiser from Chrysler was intended to be a throwback with its retro front end and grille, but something clearly went wrong during the design process, resulting in this awkward abomination. Still, it had plenty of cargo space and was relatively easy to modify (though you still had to live with its odd proportions).
Nissan Juke
The Juke looks surprisingly squished for a car so big, mostly due to its bug-eyed headlights and oddly shaped front end. However, we can’t deny that the Juke’s turbocharged versions were, at the very least, super fun to drive.
Citroen Ami
Where do we begin with the Citroen Ami, with its toyetic design and tiny, box-like proportions. You could probably fit at least three of them into a regular sedan. However, its diminutive size had its benefits, not least of which included its ability to zip around cramped cities like it was nothing. And parking it was a breeze.
Chevrolet HHR SS
The Chevrolet HHR took its design cues from the Chrysler PT Cruiser and features the same odd silhouette and “misguided” retro stylings. However, the SS version of the HHR was legitimately fun to drive with its sharp handling and turbocharged power.
Renault Avantime
The Avantime wanted you to believe that it was a coupe-minivan hybrid, but all it really was was weird, at least in terms of looks. However, even if its appearance didn’t match the price tag, it had a luxurious interior that almost made you feel like you were driving a completely different, better-looking car.
Saab 9-5
The 2010 Saab 9-5 is, admittedly, far from being the ugliest-looking car on this list. There was just something off about it, with its weird front end and bulky rear. Still, it could be a joy to drive, especially on the highway, and featured a comfy interior and strong engine.
Ford Scorpio
The original Ford Scorpio from 1990 was by no means the prettiest car ever designed, but it wasn’t the ugliest either. Why Ford decided to change it up for the 1995 version is beyond us. However, it should be said that - despite its appearance - the ‘95 Scorpio was comfortable to drive and had some pretty advanced features for its time.
SsangYong Rodius
SsangYong was never the biggest name in the automotive industry, to begin with, but the release of the Rodius, unfortunately, alienated people from the company even further. It was universally panned for its styling, which is a shame because it could have been one of the best family vehicles ever due to its spaciousness and practicality.
Lancia Thesis
In certain lights, the Lancia Thesis could almost be considered attractive - that is, if you can avoid being blinded by its excessive use of chrome. Still, it offered a smooth and luxurious ride and a bevy of advanced features to justify its price tag.
Toyota Mirai
The 1st-gen Toyota Mirai was a case of how too much “refinement” can actually be a bad thing. If you look at certain parts of the car alone, it’s almost attractive, but when you consider the entire picture, it all becomes a little too much. However, it offered a smooth ride and Lexus-like levels of comfort.
Buick Rendezvous
The Buick Rendezvous isn’t so much ugly as it is awkward, bulky, and kind of uninspired for an SUV crossover. However, it offered plenty of comfort to its occupants, practicality, and some strong V6 options.
Plymouth Reliant K-Car
The Plymouth Reliant K-Car is by no means outright ugly, but its “economy” box-like design wasn't ever going to attract the big spenders. That being said, it didn’t need to, because the Reliant K-Car was exactly that - reliable.
Peugeot 1007
The 1007 looked like a big, awkwardly-shaped box from far away, but up close, it was surprisingly tall and narrow, which only made its overall aesthetic even more undesirable. Still, this worked in its favor when it came to actually driving the thing, and the 1007 can only be described as nimble and light on its feet.
Honda Element
The Element can only be described as a refrigerator on wheels. It’s boxy, awkward, and purely functional, favoring performance over style. It was still fun to drive, at least, and was plenty reliable to boot.
Daihatsu Materia
What is it with all these box-like designs? Does anyone truly love that style? The Materia was another box car with bland styling and an uninspired design. However, what it lacked in looks it made up for in functionality and was surprisingly light and responsive for a vehicle of its size.
Kia Soul
Would you believe it, it’s another box-y oddball! “Soulful” isn’t exactly the word we’d use to describe its design, but the Kia Soul made up for it with its fun, responsive handling and supreme visibility.
Mazda RX-8
If you squint enough, the RX-8 almost seems attractive. Even without squinting, it’s far from the ugliest car on this list, but it’s definitely a little over-designed for our liking. Still, you can’t beat its charm and handling.
Ford Edsel
The Edsel was the original black sheep of the motoring world, with its infamous horse-collar grille and awkward styling. However, it made up for its lack of conventional beauty with its smooth V8 and advanced features for its time.
Lincoln MKT
While this car was critiqued for its whale-like appearance of its nose (probably an unfortunate attempt to evoke a sense of style and luxury), its real luxury lay in its ultra-comfy cruising. What’s more, it has a strong EcoBoost performance, making it a powerful and efficient car with low emissions.
Nissan Cube
This car truly lives up to its name. Not only were people not a fan of its boxy shape, but the asymmetry of its wrap-around windows wasn’t the most eye-pleasing feature. However, despite its uncomfortable design, it proved to be quite a comfortable drive with its light steering and great urban handling.
Renault Twingo (1st Gen)
The external design was really a love-it-or-hate-it, depending on your personal vibe. It has a bit of a buggish look to it that is certainly endearing to some more so than others. Regardless of what you think, this car was reported to be a very fun drive with plenty of clever features.
Jeep Cherokee (2014 Facelift)
Call the plastic surgeon because people certainly weren’t pleased with this facelift. While the front split-light design left much to be desired, no one could doubt this car's amazing off-road capabilities while maintaining excellent interior comfort for its passengers. This car is a reminder that looks will only get you so far, and it's what's inside that counts.
Dodge Caliber SRT-4
Some found this external design to be lumpy and uninspired; we found it to be… well, let's just say uniquely influenced… It certainly has an unconventional appearance but proved to be a mini rocket with its turbo charge and great acceleration abilities.
Hyundai Veloster (1st Gen)
If there's one thing to take away from this article, it’s that asymmetry is not a favorable design choice when it comes to cars. The Hyundai Veloster was critiqued for its unusual three-door design; however, it received positive reviews for its sporty chassis and turbo variant option.
Subaru SVX
Perhaps the designers thought the glass-on-glass effect would inspire a futuristic style, but unfortunately, this design was not well received, with customers finding it awkward and offbeat. Despite this, its 3.3L flat-six engine and all-wheel drive turned this overlooked coupe into a hidden GT treasure.
Chevrolet SSR
Remember those old-school cartoon convertibles with an almost bubble-like shape? Well, those cartoon sketches were turned into a legitimate design, as seen with the Chevrolet SSR. Contrary to its design, this car packed a punch with its V8 power and fun driving feel… plus it's a convertible, who doesn't love a convertible?
Mercedes-Benz R-Class
While a multi-purpose vehicle, the minivan design was not a fan favorite when this car was released. Say what you want: too long, too square, too flat, but this car proved itself with its equally luxurious and powerful drive, truly showcasing its range of functionalities.
Smart ForTwo (1st Gen)
Often nicknamed a “keychain car” the toyish design of the Smart ForTwo proved to be an ideal choice for both young singles/couples as well as elderly individuals who have no need for a combasum vehicle. It's also just a great car for anyone living in a dense urban area!
Volvo 240 Wagon
Let’s face it: no station wagon is truly a particularly stylish vehicle, but the Volvo 240 Wagon’s design reached the bottom of the bar. However, as every station wagon should, it turned out to be incredibly durable, with unmatched reliability and comfortable rear-wheel-drive handling.
