I really wish that this was not a list limited to just those design changes which got stranded on the crossing tracks of the good taste railroad as the bad taste express came looming by. How for instance can anyone exclude such masterpieces as that Gremlin or the Aztek?

Since I generally don't like retro designs, formulating this list is easy for me. While it might be desirable to rely on styling cues from earlier models or to pay homage to a particularly attractive automotive ancestor, most of the time it seems senseless to make a current design a reproduction of an earlier one, especially if the earlier one has been lucky enough to achieve an iconic status. This reminds me of what someone once said, "The first David by Micheangelo was a masterpiece, the first reproduction a lawn ornament."

With that said, here is my personal list of the worst:

(1) VW New Bug
(2) Current Ford Mustang
(3) The last generation of the Ford Thunderbird
(4) The Ford GT
(5) The first and second generation New Minis
(6) The Fiat 500...I really like this car now, but like all retro designs, in six months it will be well beyond its sell by date.
(7) The upcoming Chevy Camaro
(8) The upcoming Dodge Challenger
(9) The current Rolls Royce Phantom...this name has been in use for quite some time on various Rolls Royce models so I hope I get to count this one. There is actually so much to dislike about this car that it really is hard to figure out where to begin. It is gauche and pretentious, the sort of car that could only appeal to the most banal and self-absorbed hip-hop star. I could almost start an entirely new post about everything that is wrong with car (other than the overall proportions of the car...Rolls really got the positioning of the front and rear axels right on this car).
(10) Writing about Rolls Royce is a pretty good segway to writing about the next car on my list. How could any list of the top worst be complete without including something from BMW's current shop of horrors....there are so many choices to consider...Z4, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series....this will be hard... but I will have to say hands down it is the 7 Series. I have driven one, and it takes a remarkable company to build such a dynamically satisfying large luxo-barge while at the same time imbuing it with such a disfigured body that one has to cast his eyes aside.

There you have it, not necessarily in any order but my list of the top ten.

 

Disagree partially. I do agree that they could have updated the styling of the NSX more. But mechanically the car was relevant for quite a long time. The mechanical updates in '97 added 20 hp and the car's 0-60 time improved by an average of about half a second. That's pretty good I think.

The changes that didn't help performance were the addition of the T-top model, and then Acura for some reason deciding that the lighter fixed roof coupe should not be sold anymore. People were already questioning the performance for the money, so by only selling the T-top they helped put the nail in the coffin themselves towards the end.

 

Ferrari... as styled by Mazda.

 

I really want to like that 599. They raised the performance bar and that engine is just to die for. But yeah, they hit it too many times with the ugly-stick!

 

i wasn't really into cars much until i got my S. my first car was a gen1 eclipse. so my answer is:

gen3+ eclipses. damn those things are ugly now. the signature "hump" disappeared, nice lines became straight lines, got fat...bleh

 

I completely agree on the 3rd and 4th gen Eclipses. Mitsu got rid of what made those cars great - the style (the 3rd gen is absolutely painful on the eyes), the awd, and the turbo 4. Instead they replaced it with a big, heavy, unresponsive V6.

Subaru made some mistakes with the Impreza. Not having a coupe option really hurt, but I'll disagree with anyone who thinks the 2nd and 3rd facelift on the front was an improvement. Bugeyes FTW!

Finally, ANY Banglized BMW. Especially considering what they are putting into these vehicles nowadays, I really really want to be able to like these cars. But I can't get over the awful lines of them, and the fact that the side profile looks like the car has been T-Boned.

 

I had a 1998 accord ex. it weights more the 2888lbs. I think the dx did not have power windows, seats, locks. it was not a handler.

 

None of them were "handlers" in the ultimate sense but the Accord handled better than the Camry back then (still does). It was decently nimble, given its humble roots.

However, the DX was probably the best handling of them all, given comparable tires (which I added, along with larger, lighter wheels). It was the lightest, it didn't have VTEC so it was slightly slower, but it got great mileage. With the 5-spd, it was punchy enough for daily driving.

And yes, the EX weighs more than the DX because it has a bunch of power options the DX does not have (most of which you listed).

 

I think it looks a million times better with the oval pipese. And I don't know when they changed it, but the new nose is better also. 9k>8k tho =[

 

Current Civics, coupe, sedan, si. Even Mugen can't mask its ugliness.

Just my opinion peeps! you don't have to agree.