Why can't cheaper cars be nicer looking?

Bland styling separates the sports car, exotic from a work car,luxury model. Plus we can't have everything looking as wild as a Countach or a Diablo. Form and function play a bigger part when it comes to the higher end. While form over function is the rule for entry level cars.

 

Call me an old fart, but I'm frequently left wondering why expensive cars aren't better looking. Compared to 20 years ago, everything nowadays seems to look the same to my tired eyes. Cut 12" off the nose and tail off of most cars, and I'd be hard pressed to identify the individual makes and models.

 

OLD Fart !
Seriously, you maybe on to something, I've noticed more so for Sedans and SUVs, they kind of have similar styling.
There's more of a gap in the high end sports car market. From McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, GM(Corvette) & Ford (GT), there hasn't been a better time to be in the market for an awesome sports car. So many to choose from and all with their own unique styling and performance.
Yes please, I'll take one of each!

C H E E R S

 

I remember reading a quote from Walter de Silva, regarding the Audi A5 design, where he talked about getting extra time to go back for another iteration because he wanted to get it to a higher degree of perfection (paraphrasing...)

That cost Audi money, but the company decided to spend it, and the result is a car that is better in its detail and proportion than its Asian rivals.

In this case, while the Subaru is a nice car, the proportions were constrained by practical considerations -- like the fact that a plain door is cheap to mass produce. Notice the rear quarter panel curve ends abruptly and the curve is almost "forced" down to avoid the door shut line. Compare that to a Ferrari 308 or Testarossa door, where the designers allowed a design element to run half the length of the car, break lines be damned.

 

I think some good points have been raised. Comparing modern cars to those made 20+ years ago is totally off because modern regulations would make it impossible to do some of the styling directions that were taken back then. Car design is a massive balance of competing desires and for sure increased regulation makes it harder and harder for designs to look distinctive.

In addition one point that has not been touched on is one of psychological perspective when evaluating a car design. Cars from expensive luxury brands are immediately given certain considerations that cheaper economy brands do not get. This is purely a function of long and deep rooted perceptions generated by marketing departments and have nothing to do with the initial styling impact a car generates in the vacuum of knowing its brand. Some lower priced brands like Hyundai and Kia have recently broken free a little from this stigma but there is no doubt that a Mercedes is not treated the same as a GM when evaluating its style.

 

I think GM (Chevy -Corvette) has finally got the idea after all these years. The iconic 50s/60s are magnificent! I'm okay with the 70s styling but it was all down hill in the 80s, 90s. One good thing though has been the evolution of the amazing LS engines.

Take for example the interior, use to be cheap hard plastic parts shared on every Chevy.
Now look at the 2014 interior corvette, more on par with its competitors: Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini for a lot less money.
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Honestly none of them are all that impressive. Yes, the plastics are better, but the new one looks like a video game. And yes the power is amazing -- but you still have to take a slushbox or stick.

 

I think Kia is definetly turning their brand around. When I was working at a car dealer these things were spot on looks and quality wise. I definetly plan on making it my DD after college.
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Can anyone explain why the MR2 , that had all the right things going for it chassis wise, never really lived up to its potential visually???
What were they thinking?

 

A little tweak and it can be fab...
Toyota is about to launch a hybrid version to come out with the new Supra... in the works.

But to answer your question of what went wrong, the MR2 design looked like a copy of a Boxster but yet the size of a Miata that didn't look unique enough and the performance was average. I remember test driving the last model MR2 when it first came out at the dealership and ended up buying a new S2000 instead. The Honda S2000 out sold the MR2 and just offered better value and performance.
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The upcoming Miata is a positive trend towards better styling and lighter weight.

 

The new Miata is very cool, but the headlights, I don't know, looks like small asian eyes or something! I think if it was bigger and extends to the front, it would be awesomeness!

The second photo shows what I would have done to improve it !
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Starting to look a bit like an S2000...

 

I really enjoyed reading this post and I think the insight here is very interesting. I cant imagine dealing with the amount of regulations that go into manufacturing something as complex as a modern automobile with so many parts that are expected to survive widely varying climates for years on end with little to no maintenance. The fact that recalls are so rare is actually quite impressive to me.

As several have said, I think there are bright spots in design for modern cars. The new Kias being a big one looks wise (I still cant believe I'm saying that).

I guess it depends on perspective also. I started driving in the 90s. On the whole I would say that cars in general, and American cars have come a long way since then. Am I the only one who ever drove a brand new Neon or Sunfire? The worst car on the market today is better than these and the list goes on and on.

Cars are heavier than ever, and new crash standards are sometimes hard to fold into an attractive package, but I'd say overall the car sold to John Q Public is better designed now that at any time in my lifetime.

 

Found a couple of pictures of what I'm referring to over the past 20 years. I really think that the cars regular people (read non car lovers) buy and use are better designed than at anytime in the recent past and maybe better than ever. Here are 2 sets of pictures for cars I see a TON of in Houston. Again, this is relating to regular cars for regular people. Most people I know don't even know how many cylinders their engine is and they wouldn't even know how to find out if their life depended on it.
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Box, Box, Box, Box with now required drifter nose.

 

Im going to vote 'all of the above'

Costs are a factor
Fear of market cannibalism is a factor
Fear of alienating the average consumer with too bold a design is a factor

 

5 Year Kia chart, I think it is because the cars look better, and they were a crazy cheap stock.
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That is why I prefer the BMW for dd. I really like their look and power.

 

or it could be because they are building a reputation ...
Pete