parked next to a Nissan Juke yesterday...

Yeah, I looked at that picture and thought the same thing. Without the stupid headlights on the grille I really like that. From what I've heard they're pretty quick, nice interior quality-wise, etc. Pretty much summed it up as a great vehicle that hit a few too many branches falling out of the ugly tree.

93celicaGT2 wrote: Hasty photochop, but you get the idea. It's the damn healights. They've gotta go.

Id say move the headlights up to the crease on the hood, you could have a good looker IMO

I kinda dig where they are now... It's funky without being fugly.

i love it. its a quirky different car for quirky people like me

what about blacking out the center part of the grille?

I wonder... how hard would it realistically be to delete the headlights from one of these? I mean, if you're handy with an english wheel and didn't mind grinding on brand new sheetmetal on a brand new car and could work out a way to make the "fogs" function as the headlights and maybe add a dual-element type deal to them for the turn signals? either a separate amber bulb in the same light housing and dim that headlight a bit when the turn signal was on, or give the turn signal its own little slice of the light housing like older round-headlight cars did? then wire the little fogs near the ground to act like the current "fogs" do, and you might really be onto something

So how many of you have actually driven one?

irish44j wrote: meh....and the result being a car that kind of looks vaguely like a Subaru STi, but with a mediocre suspension, mediocre AWD, Pep Boys lights on the hood, and half the horsepower.... yep, still not working for me.

The AWD system is actually quite smart and effective. Yes, it's FWD based but the torque-vectoring works. The rear "diff" isn't a differential at all, it's just a ring and pinion, no spiders gears. On each side is a electrically controlled clutch pack. The 4WD controller varies amperage to each clutch pack using info from the steering angle sensor, wheel speed sensors and yaw. The outer rear wheel gets sent more torque than the inside, so it helps rotate the car.

I've driven a few, and was very pleasantly surprised by how nice it was to drive. The AWD system is really cool, but if I were to spend money on one it would be a FWD 6-speed because I just don't like the CVT. Personally, I find it looks better in person than in pictures.

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: what about blacking out the center part of the grille?

I'll get around to that tomorrow.

Wonder how it'd do at rallycross?

You could probably make money producing plastic body color panels to pop in place of the ugly headlights and refit them in the fog light housings. It might be more practical and cool sold as a sporty small 4 door hatch. Certainly the magazines and other posters think so.

Please stuff every one of those monstrosities inside of a Nissan Cube. Then crush both of the damn things together.

I'm still pondering recent trends in auto design. Am I just getting old, or does anyone younger than I also think that the world's auto manufacturers are competing in the "World's Ugliest Car Contest"?

That being said, I don't think the Juke is as bad as a lot of the other stuff out there..

SilverFleet wrote: Oh, and an added note: When two Subaru owners (Irish44j and I) call this thing ugly, then you know it's pretty bad!

I don't know, there are 3 Subarus parked in my driveway and I think the Juke is kind of cute :)

Morbid wrote: I don't know, there are 3 Subarus parked in my driveway and I think the Juke is kind of cute :)

If you add up the prices of all three of those lovely old Subarus you still won't reach 10% of the Jukes base MSRP.

So, for the money, I'll stick with haggard old Scoobs.

I'm not really a fan of the whole tiny car movement. An Impreza is small enough, no need to shrink further!

friedgreencorrado wrote: I'm still pondering recent trends in auto design. Am I just getting old, or does anyone younger than I also think that the world's auto manufacturers are competing in the "World's Ugliest Car Contest"?

You are getting old.

The_Jed said: I'm not really a fan of the whole tiny car movement. An Impreza is small enough, no need to shrink further!

I was never a fan of the huge car movement.

It's about time cars got small again.

It's 6" (wheelbase)-12" larger in every dimension than a Suzuki Swift, and 1000 lbs heavier. It's not that small.

Zomby woof wrote: I was never a fan of the huge car movement.

+1

The 2002 was about the perfect size car for a family of four. It had a roomier interior than our 70 Chevelle SS 396 and in tii form would clean its clock.

bluesideup wrote: You could probably make money producing plastic body color panels to pop in place of the ugly headlights and refit them in the fog light housings. It might be more practical and cool sold as a sporty small 4 door hatch. Certainly the magazines and other posters think so.

He could probably make more money producing restyling parts to get the chrome beak off of current Acura offerings...

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: I was never a fan of the huge car movement.

+1 The 2002 was about the perfect size car for a family of four. It had a roomier interior than our 70 Chevelle SS 396 and in tii form would clean its clock.

Exactly.

The previously mentioned Impreza would be a good family car for me, the Swift is a good sized personal/utility car.

Zomby woof wrote:

friedgreencorrado wrote: I'm still pondering recent trends in auto design. Am I just getting old, or does anyone younger than I also think that the world's auto manufacturers are competing in the "World's Ugliest Car Contest"?

You are getting old.

I was afraid of that...

Zomby woof wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: The_Jed said: I'm not really a fan of the whole tiny car movement. An Impreza is small enough, no need to shrink further!

I was never a fan of the huge car movement. It's about time cars got small again. It's 6" (wheelbase)-12" larger in every dimension than a Suzuki Swift, and 1000 lbs heavier. It's not that small.

On this, we agree. I don't know what I'd buy if I were buying something new. Maybe a Mini or Mazda 2. They're about the same size as my A2 Golf.

EDIT: "MINI", not "Mini".

I am obviously in the minority here but I would rather drive one of those than another generic aero blob like so many other car lines. Ya, it's weird looking and it seems Nissan is taking the crown for four wheeled oddities but I give them credit for being different. Unfortunately for them being different doesn't generally translate into big sales numbers. Oh and I really like the Cube too.

Oh wow GM brought back the Aztek?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: I was never a fan of the huge car movement.

+1 The 2002 was about the perfect size car for a family of four. It had a roomier interior than our 70 Chevelle SS 396 and in tii form would clean its clock.

I've owned examples of both. You are dreaming. The Chevelle is much quicker. I'm quite confident I could option a Chevelle in such a fashion as to handily turn quicker laps than the BMW as well-at least until the brakes went away. Remember Sam Posey tested a 454SS Chevelle against a Cobra at Lime Rock-the Cobra won, but not by much.,

ahutson03 wrote: Oh wow GM brought back the Aztek?

You should put an Aztek and a Prius side by side and say that again...

an ok aztek IMO...