As Nilay Patel aptly puts it, “yep, looks like a shoe.”
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Actually I think it looks like a four or five year old Saturn ION. So yeah, in other words like a shoe.
It’s hard for a well-streamlined box *not* to look like other rounded objects — though I think it looks more like a mouse than a shoe.
Unfortunately it’s hard to hit that kind of fuel efficiency without going egg-shaped. I love the technology, but I really want the cargo capacity of my old Honda hatchback, which could carry a coffee table (or a full 12-channel sound reinforcement system including mains and monitors and cables and stands) when necessary… and that’s before mounting the roof rack. A slope-backed hatchback handles airflow better, but losing that wedge of space frustrates me.
Of course, considering how few miles I drive a year, efficiency doesn’t have to be my primary concern… and currently I’m trying the experiment of renting at need rather than buying… but I still sorta want to see someone make a car that I actually find tempting as more than a good compromise.
The Heart of Gold looked like a shoe, too.
I want it to look like a spaceship, or a train.
If you want a car that looks like a spaceship-train, look at American luxury sedans from the 1940s-1960s, because Japan, Europe, and, ironically, modern America will most likely never learn the art of automobile design again. The worst part is that in 50 years, this hideous ‘car’ will probably be considered a masterpiece in comparison to what they will have by then.
Also, pertaining to the forgivability of designing a vehicle that looks like a shoe, the S. S. Heart of Gold had an Infinite Improbability Drive, where as this thing’s only redeeming value is gas mileage that isn’t even as good as a 1957 Fiat 500. The Prius gets 46mpg while the 500, a car from the late 1950s, got 50mpg.
In closing, Toyotas are crap.
Obi, I love American cars from the 40′s-60′s, but what you say about automobile design is very closed-minded. There are many absolutely stunning vehicles from every decade. The Prius is not one. For a modern one, how about the Alfa 8c competizione?
Give me my Mini Cooper Hybrid or give me death!
This is the before picture?
@5 Per your comparison to 500, I say “Exactly!”
I don’t give a damn how ugly anyone thinks my vehicle might be. I am firmly function over form (when they actually do come into direct conflict). There are compacts on the market – hell from a decade ago – that get as good or better mileage than most hybrids at a substantially lower price.
@5 I used to own an 81 Datsun wagon that got over 40mpg. and it was square! they tell us that streamlining cars makes them more economic, but it seems to be the exact opposite!
@ DCULBERSON -
Good call, I admit that was a closed-minded statement, sometimes I don’t think things through before I post them. You are right about there being great designs from every decade, but I think anyone will agree that the number of good designs seem to be decreasing every year. Aside from a few select American cars, the best modern designs are European, but the thing that bothers me is that all of the good designs aren’t released in the US. For instance, there are several hardtops in Europe but the only ones in the US are from companies like Mercedes and Bentley.
At least they start in the cold, don’t stall out, last well past 200,000 miles, and isn’t a total bitch to work on / repair.
People in the United States generally have some fucked up priorities about what cars are for.
Though the last two generations of Toyotas have erred on the side of being a bit overcomplicated electrically and a bit cheaper/flimsy materially.
And while I’m glad cars are long since manufactured from stainless steal and rust is no longer the bane of every car owner’s existence, it wasn’t long after that Japanese cars started being manufactured in the United States (or Canada), and seemingly consequently from that started being designed as “fat American” cars, rather than the smaller older Toyotas.
#12:
Hyundai, Kia, and Suzuki are today what Toyota was in the 80s/90s. Over the last 10 years or so Toyota has started to cash out on the reliability/cost of ownership rep they had built up. The quality has declined and the price as gone up. All that remains is to wait until people with old Toyotas buy new ones and notice.
A lot of the mileage/complexity/reliability/cost issues are due to US Federal requirements:
Smog equipment
side crash beams
airbags (LOTS of air bags in many cases)
Anti lock brakes
roll-over protection
brake assistance
traction control
All of these add weight and reduce mileage. Then you add in American tastes for Nav systems, multiple LED screens, desire for acceleration better than a 500 pound slug, etc. and you end up with a less-than-nimble vehicle.
Dont get me started about Hummers…
@5- my family currently own 2 cars- a Toyota Prius and a FIAT 500. Some things you haven’t noticed:
The 500 is effectively a 2-seater. The Prius fits 5 people plus luggage in comfort.
The 500 is so noisy and shaky that long journeys (more than an hour) are unbearable. The Prius has a smooth ride and is practically silent.
The (stock) 500 tops out at 59 mph, by which time it’s impossible to hear someone over the engine unless the shout at the top of their lungs. We have gone over 100 in the Prius without noticing, and it’s just as quiet as it is at 30.
The Prius gets far better highway mileage than the 500.
Oh, and if you crash the 500, you die. The Prius got 5 stars in crash tests./
So, in conclusion, you’re comparing apples and oranges. It’s like saying that Toyotas are crap because a Toyota Sienna gets worse mileage than an Aveo.
P.S. I definitely agree with you on design- but cars now look better than they did in the 90s, and those look better than 80s cars- so there is hope!