10 Ugly Cars That Have Grown Prettier With Age

Here’s the thing when it comes to automotive design: it’s totally, completely subjective. We can hook up various devices to measure performance metrics like lateral grip or horsepower, and we can use those metrics to make definitive conclusions on a vehicle’s capability. There is no such method to measure beauty; it’s either appealing or it’s not. That makes articles like this one a literary hand grenade, because even the ugliest cars have people who like them. Read on with caution, because some of you will be offended, or at the very least, really confused.

I spent an afternoon digging through hundreds of car photos on the interweb, including revisiting some machines I’d written off long ago as either unsightly or downright ugly, to see if I still felt that way about them. In short, yeah I still thought most were as disturbing as a dog humping a cactus, but here are a few that I feel did benefit from the passing of time. I don’t necessarily consider them all beautiful - at least a couple are still pretty horrid to me - but I think time has made them at the very least a bit more appealing. And that’s what this list is all about.

1. 2001-2003 Subaru Impreza

When it was announced that the United States would finally get the WRX in 2001, I was stoked. Then when I saw it, I was pissed. But the bug-eyed look has grown on me through the years to the point where it’s no longer the ugliest Impreza ever. It’s now just the least pretty. Yes, there is a difference.

2. 2004-2010 BMW 5-series

It’s not that the E60 was ever ugly. It just seemed like there was too much artistry in the design, when the design should’ve been the artistry. Perhaps Chris Bangle’s interpretation of the 5-series was just ahead of its time, because it doesn’t look nearly as distasteful to me now as it once did.

3. 1979-1993 Saab 900 hatchback

The classic Saab 900 convertibles are terrifically beautiful, but the fixed-roof variants looked as if the designers went for the convertible first, then decided to make a fixed-roof version as an afterthought. But now I find that sloped rear hatch and goofy tall windshield nearly as glorious as the ‘vert.

4. 1988-1993 Lancia Delta HF Integrale

Take it easy everyone; I’m not attacking the Delta’s performance cred. When I first saw the Delta HF with its chunky styling it didn’t strike me as a looker, but there is something oddly satisfying about its proportions. The phrase function over form springs to mind, which is why I think the Delta is more of an acquired taste than an instant knockout. That’s why it took me 20 years to become completely enamoured with this car.

5. 1984-1988 Pontiac Fiero

Americans who couldn’t afford a Corvette bought a Fiero. Then, some of those owners bought cheap body kits and turned them into fake Ferraris. Fieros became poser-mobiles, however time has allowed me to separate the car from all the drama that surrounded it. In doing so I find it’s simply a good looking little sports car that can actually be fun to drive.

6. 2000-2006 Audi TT

I’ll be honest in saying that I’m still not particularly fond of the first-generation TT. For a small sports car its design was far too bulky, as if they were trying to make it look like pint-sized A4 with the visual appeal of a bowling ball sticking out of a steel girder. Maybe the smooth lines have grown on me, or perhaps now I’m seeing the old TT through the windows of the new TT, which is just superb.

7. 2003-2007 Cadillac CTS

Compared to the smooth, sexy Mercs, Audis and BMWs Cadillac was aiming for, the CTS looked like chiseled granite. It was so off-putting that my obsessive-compulsive side wanted to turn the headlights sideways because they looked like they were installed wrong. Like the Delta, the CTS is an acquired taste and though I haven’t fully acquired it, I can at least appreciate the chiseled appeal.

8. 2003-2005 Dodge Neon SRT-4

The Neon started out neat enough, but it quickly became the joke of the American auto industry and the SRT-4 suffered because of it. Its huge front grille, hood scoop and Supra wing looked comical, but I was looking at it as another dumb Neon. Dodge actually dropped the Neon name in 2004, and though it didn’t change my opinion then, time helped me separate the dumb Neon from this aggressively awesome pocket rocket.

9. 2001-2003 Renault Avantime

This is a rather curious machine in that many magazine reviews of the time were positive, but the public hated it. When I first saw one I thought it was an odd looking minivan, only to discover it really wasn’t a minivan at all. In fact, I still don’t know entirely what it is, but I now find its odd styling and uncategorised role to be intriguing-in a good way.

10. 2002-2005 Pontiac Aztek

Hear me out on this. The Aztek isn’t pretty, never was and never will be. But in the years that have passed, I find the later versions of this crossover to be not so bad. Forget the first year with the ridiculous Pontiac ribbed body cladding; instead look to the Rally Edition that appeared in 2003. It was slightly lower with a body-coloured grille and decent 17-inch five-star wheels. It’s actually quite a rugged, reliable crossover and with the Rally Edition tweaks, I think I could live with one. For a little while anyway.