10 Ugly-Looking Cars That Got A Lot Prettier

First impressions matter in all facets of life. That’s why, when designing a car, its looks can be as (if not more) important than what’s underneath the skin. The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe showed that sleek design can make a mostly carryover family crossover feel fresh and exciting. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Pontiac Aztek exhibited how poorly executed design can kill a vehicle that was otherwise ahead of its time.

Notably, ugly cars don’t always get a redemption arc. The fallout from a truly grisly-looking vehicle can wipe out a nameplate and even cause a manufacturer to reconsider the segment entirely. But a few nameplates received a second chance and ran with it, metamorphosing from ugly ducklings into some of the best-looking vehicles on the market.

Vehicle appearance is subjective. So this list was, naturally enough, curated from my personal opinions. Pricing and performance data for this post came from official manufacturer and media websites.

10

2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Best Interior Value On The Market

The WK generation Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005-10) was a nadir for the venerable SUV’s design. The body looked like a rebadged Dodge SUV; there’s a definite bit of Nitro in those side door panels. And the wonky, sloped-down hood molds to the shape of the round headlights. WK2 resolved the significant issues. But it was the WL generation where Jeep truly nailed it, integrating the three-row L version seamlessly and offering, in the top-level Summit Reserve trim, one of the nicest interiors found in any vehicle.

9

2022 Toyota Prius

Futuristic, But In A Cool Way

The Toyota Prius was the quintessential dorky eco car. Toyota’s hybrid technology was impressive, but the Prius’s looks seemed an almost intentional affront to people who enjoy cars. That changed with the fifth-generation model in 2022, with a nameplate-redefining revamp. The Prius kept its efficiency, became dramatically sportier, and now looks futuristic in a cool way, with a sleek, space-capsule-esque vibe.

8

2022 Toyota Sequoia

More Truck, Less Big Highlander

Is it possible for a Toyota off-roader to not be cool? The second-generation Toyota Sequoia somehow achieved that dubious honor. The first Sequoia looked like a cut-price Land Cruiser. The bloated second-generation looked like a Highlander that subsisted entirely on muscle-builder shakes and cheese for a year. I would bet it’s not a coincidence that Sequoia sales nearly halved when that generation debuted and almost doubled when Toyota finally debuted the handsome “Tundra but an SUV” third-gen model in 2022.

7

2021 Honda Civic

Clean Lines. Cheap Price. Can’t Lose.

The Honda Civic’s hallmarks have always been reliability and value, not sexiness. However, the brand lost its way with the design in the 2000s, leaning heavily into the tiny grille and ski-slope nose look. The 11th generation, which debuted in 2021, looked stately, sophisticated, and premium both inside and out, smoothing over some of the quirks that marred Honda’s style in the 2010s. Honda disseminated the Civic’s upgraded interior throughout the vehicle lineup. The exterior has also provided inspiration for other vehicles, including the Prologue EV.

6

2019 Mazda3

From Joker Face to Design Awards

The first and third-generation Mazda3s were nothing to write home about from an aesthetic perspective. The second-gen had an emphatic Joker-like grin on the front fascia, even if it did have the MazdaSpeed 3. The current fourth-gen Mazda 3 debuted in 2019 and provided one of the simplest and purest manifestations of Mazda’s “Kodo” design language. It also took home a World Car Design of the Year award.

5

2018 Lincoln Navigator

The Full-Size SUV Found Its Form

Early 2000s Lincoln Navigators were a product of their time, unfortunately. Every manufacturer was figuring out, through trial and error, what to do with newfangled family SUVs. Lincoln was still very much a sedan brand, trying to find its way. The result, particularly with the second generation, was a dumpy-looking SUV with a front end reminiscent of the Continental sedan. Lincoln improved matters with the third-generation model. But the brand-redefining fourth-generation Navigator looked stately, premium, and, dare we say it, better than the Cadillac Escalade.

4

2017 Honda Ridgeline

It Actually Looks Like A Truck Now

Honda recognized the need for a truck in America in the 2000s with the introduction of the Ridgeline. That truck needed to be different; Honda only had a unibody crossover platform to work with. The goal should have been to make it look as much like a conventional pickup as possible. Honda did not choose that route. The first-gen Ridgeline looked very much like Honda chopped out a bed from the back of a two-row crossover, tried to make that crossover look more boxy and butch, and opted for weird flying buttresses at the back. The second-generation looked like a simple midsize pickup, which was a major upgrade.

3

2017 Jeep Compass

From Jowls To Baby Grand Cherokee

We won’t sugar coat it. The first-generation Jeep Compass, before the facelift, is in the discussion for the ugliest SUV ever made. It’s probably the ugliest Jeep from the late 2000s, which is quite a feat. The Compass’s bug eyes and jowls at the front end are so distracting that you don’t notice the asymmetrical window door handles. The second-generation Compass arrived in 2017 looking like a Euro-sized Grand Cherokee. Looks and a reasonable starting price have gone a long way for an SUV that has never been particularly riveting to drive.

2

2016 Bugatti Chiron

More Drama. Less Overt Audi.

If timelessness is the enduring test of a car’s design, the Bugatti Veyron looked very much of its time in the early 2000s (and, if we’re being brutally honest, very much like an Audi from the early 2000s). Take off the Bugatti badge, and the Veyron, despite packing 1,000 horsepower, didn’t look that intricate or special. The Chiron replaced the Veyron for 2016. It was built on the same idea as the Veyron, but looked less Bauhaus and more sculpted and menacing, like a modern supercar priced at $3 million or more should.

1

2016 Porsche Panamera

Four-Door Porsches Feel More Natural Now

Porsche introduced the Panamera in 2009. What Porsche was going for was clear: a four-door version of the 911. However, designers may have taken that remit a bit too literally. The first-gen Panamera ended up with a wonky-looking roofline and a bubble butt. Even Porsche’s head of design later conceded that that car “could have been better.” The second-generation model, introduced in 2016, looked significantly more natural, mature, and purposeful. It now resembles a handsome four-door sedan that’s a Porsche, rather than Porsche trying to stretch a 911.