Top 10 great ( but ugly) 2015 car buys
A wise person once said you should never judge a book by its cover. That pearl of wisdom applies when shopping for a new vehicle.
Despite their wince- inducing looks, these 10 new 2015 models are worthy of your consideration. Trust me. And remember: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
BMW I3
With its carbon- fibre/ aluminum structure and all- electric or optional extended- range gas- electric powertrain, the all- new BMW i3 compact hatchback ($ 47,045, and price includes freight and predelivery inspection fees) may be the future of small city cars. It has a range of 160 to 200 kilometres, can be charged in three hours from a 220- volt outlet, and can go from zero to 100 km/ h in 7.2 seconds. But with its shopping cart proportions and terribly busy bodywork festooned with traditional BMW styling cues, the future of motoring doesn’t look pretty.
HONDA CROSS TOUR
The $ 39,240 Crosstour ( originally launched as the Accord Crosstour for 2011) appears to be the perfect mid- size vehicle. What buyer wouldn’t want a more practical, allwheel- drive version of the Japanese automaker’s stellar Accord sedan? But in Honda’s attempt to make the Crosstour appeal to crossover buyers, the demi- wagon- quasi- hatchback- slash- thingee was burdened with extra body cladding, raised ride height and CR- Vlike front styling. Needless to say, buyers have stayed away from this ugly Honda in droves.
INFINITI QX80
Last year’s Infiniti QX56 is being renamed for 2015 as the QX80. The all- wheel- drive, full- sized, bodyon- frame, luxury sport utility vehicle received some minor interior updates and the addition of a new, topline QX80 Limited model. Best described as a Japanese Escalade, the 400- horsepower vehicle with a V8- engine costs $ 75,645. The QX80 also received some minor exterior styling updates ( primarily headlights and tail lights and a restyled grille.) But, as you can see, the changes didn’t make the Infiniti SUV any more beautiful.
JEEP CHEROKEE
Based on the same widened, Fiatderived compact platform that also supports Fiat Chrysler’s Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans, the front- or all- wheel- drive, five- passenger, four- door Jeep Cherokee ($ 25,390) drives nothing like the Liberty it replaced last year. And it doesn’t look anything like blocky Jeeps from the past. The Cherokee is all soft and mushy looking, led by its duckbill nose that’s been forced to wear Jeep’s traditional slottedgrille motif.
LEXUS GX
As one of the few remaining truck- based SUVs, the Lexus GX 460 ($ 61,195) has a lot going for it. Combined with a rock- solid interior swathed in high- level Lexus luxury, and a rare all- wheel- drive system with a locking centre differential, the 310- hp V8 GX 460 isn’t afraid to leave the mall parking lot for a bit of off- roading. For 2014, Lexus designers applied the brand’s “spindle” grille to the SUV’s front end.
MERCEDES - BENZ CLA - CLASS COUPE
Starting at $ 36,375, the CLAClass Coupe is one of the more affordable offerings from the German automaker’s expensive showroom. Did you just read “Coupe”?
Yes, you did. Because while the CLA sports four doors, Mercedes markets it as the baby brother to the mid- size CLS - Class Coupe. Unfortunately, the CLA’s reardrive proportions don’t translate well to the CLA’s front- drive platform, resulting in massive overhangs and making the compact look like a 10- year- old boy wearing his father’s suit.
NISSAN JUKE
From its supportive driver’s seat, the Nissan Juke ($ 21,693) is among the most fun- to- drive urban machines you can buy. All Jukes come with a turbocharged 188- hp fourcylinder engine. We also like the way the Juke’s CVT fires off sharp ( albeit fake) gear changes, and the way it, well, jukes around city streets like a hot hatchback. But with its reptilian front styling and humpback whale rear end, stepping outside the compact Nissan crossover could make your eyes bleed.
PORSCHE PANAMERA
First seen in 2010, the Panamera ($ 90,615) four- door, 2+ 2 grand touring hatchback is like no other Porsche seen before. Available in two wheelbase lengths and an engine menu that’s almost as long, the Panamera is a polarizing concept. Even Porsche’s head of design, Michael Mauer, thinks so. “So, four seats, with enough headroom and enough space for the luggage, hatchback, and below five metres in length. A mixture of requirements that, I wouldn’t like to say it was a headache, but definitely a real design challenge,” Mauer said at the Panamera’s launch. We agree.
SCION IQ
As an urban runabout, we’ve liked this city car ($ 18,710) a lot, ever since it arrived for 2008. It’s apparent Toyota designed the IQ for customers looking for a better smart fortwo. And, unequivocally, the Japanese automaker has accomplished its goal. The tiny Toyota shares similar proportions with the Mercedes minicar. But the Scion is dimensionally larger, in- side and out. Still, the IQ’s bulldog front end and stumpy proportions will have owners having to answer the inevitable question: “Where’s the rest of the car?”
TOYOTA 4RUNNER
Sharing the same Toyota truckbased platform, the 4Runner ($ 40,005) — Toyota’s longestrunning SUV model — is the less luxurious version of the aforementioned GX 460, substituting a 270- hp V6 for a V8. Plus, the Toyota SUV is even more formidable offroad than the Lexus SUV. However, with its new schnoz, we think the 4Runner is even less attractive than the loathsome Lexus. When was the last time you saw a new vehicle that already looked like it’s been in a front- end collision?