Holy crap! Toyota does the unthinkable w/new Corolla!!!

[2o6]

Design cars that are going to age like pornstars?

I don't agree - most Kias look pretty fucking Germanic. Like VW, but far more imagination. They will age well. Optima is what the Passat wish it looked like. Forte Koup is like a budget A5 - or a Civic with better proportions.


Hyundai, on the other hand....

You make it sound as if bland and ugly are the only two choices Toyota had.  Here's a radical idea; how about Toyota making a beautiful car?  You know, something that actually looks good?  Does Toyota actually know how to design such a thing?  If not, they need to hire some people who do.  Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

- The Corolla is not bad looking, neither is most of Toyota's lineup. You guys see the goddamn badge and go apeshit. None of their lineup is stylistically very daring or exciting, IMO including the FR-S.

- Car styling is a delicate balancing act between engineering, focus groups, and many other factors. This Corolla doesn't look horrible, but the proportions are usable.

[CALL_911]

No, the CC is what the Passat wishes it looked like. The versions of the Optima with smaller rims look like shit.

[2o6]

No, the CC is what the Passat wishes it looked like. The versions of the Optima with smaller rims look like shit.

- CC doesn't have usable proportions (roofline too low, but that's the premise of the the whole car)

- The small wheels look OK. I think those chrome wheels on the SX limited look like shit.

[12,000 RPM]

CC, Golf, Tiguan are VWs only saving graces design wise. Jetta and Passat will age like the pre-Schuyer Kias (i.e. nobody will remember or care about them at all)

Kia's current designs are nice and might age a little quickly but not like Hyundais. Mainstream design has pretty much been killed by regulations anyway.

Toyota did what they had to do I guess but they were talking a big game and fell short on the exterior IMO. Camry + Avalon strike a way better balance.

[Raza]

But look how many CTS-V wagons they sold!

Bob Lutz is interesting, but ultimately, I think he was more a loud mouth in the right place at the right time than some visionary like some people like to make him out to be/

In the movie Hit and Run, there's a chase between a Grand Sport and a CTS-V wagon.  At one point the a guy in the CTS says "I know this is a fucking station wagon, but this shit is so fast" or words to that effect.  Had me cracking up. 

[Raza]

So. Usually everybody is mad at Toyota for having too bland-looking cars, correct?  Then as soon as they put something like this out there that isn't bland...everybody's mad at the lack of blandness?

I feel like some of you hate on Toyota just to hate on Toyota.

I don't hate on them for being bland.  They don't make cars I want to buy, that's fine.  No one does anymore, really.  But they were at least not offensive to look at before.  Now this is. 

[Raza]

I don't agree - most Kias look pretty fucking Germanic. Like VW, but far more imagination. They will age well. Optima is what the Passat wish it looked like. Forte Koup is like a budget A5 - or a Civic with better proportions.

The Optima?  That is exactly what VW set out NOT to look like.  The Optima will age horribly; as it is, it gets worse looking every time I see one.  So many fussy details, way too much unwarranted aggression for a family sedan, and a beltline higher than my roof.  The Passat is exactly what it meant to be; large, bland, and comfortable.  I'd never buy either, but at least the Passat doesn't feel like you're driving a neon sign that says LOOK AT ME!

[SJ_GTI]

Toyota doesn't really give a shit, these "enthusiasts" wouldn't buy the Corolla if the thing weighed 1500 lbs, was RWD+MT and had a built in ball scratcher.

I would definitely buy a Corolla under those circumstances...

[NomisR]

Car designs seems to either have very polarizing design or simply bland, or something that's dated really quickly.  There's no good middle ground. 

Have you the previous generation Civic that's really polarizing and current one seems to go too far the other way, and then you have the Fords and Kias being dated quickly.  But then again.. I thought cars like the current Accord and Mazda 6 seems to be a good compromise of everything.  Good looking but bland and non offensive and won't age rapidly... that makes for a good mainstream car design.

[2o6]

The Optima?  That is exactly what VW set out NOT to look like.  The Optima will age horribly; as it is, it gets worse looking every time I see one.  So many fussy details, way too much unwarranted aggression for a family sedan, and a beltline higher than my roof.  The Passat is exactly what it meant to be; large, bland, and comfortable.  I'd never buy either, but at least the Passat doesn't feel like you're driving a neon sign that says LOOK AT ME!

There isn't a single fussy line on the Optima at all. Its one of the most cleanly styled vehicles on the market. The greenhouse is fairly large for a car of this area....most other cars in the segment are smalker and higher. If anything the Fusion is more aggressive, and its really ugly as well.

The Passat is not just bland, but oddly proportioned.

[pendyman]

This:



is hideous. It looks like it got halfway down the assembly line and everyone just went home for the day.

However, the white one in this photo:



actually looks pretty good, and a definite improvement over the outgoing model.

That is the first one I saw a photo of, and I thought they were going in the right direction.



But the front of that blue one, ugh! Bury it.

[93JC]

I don't know why anyone is phased by this at all. It looks like a Kia. It has the same sort of styling cues that are exaggerated to make a milquetoast Kia Forte look 'aggressive'.

Big ol' 'meh' from me.

[2o6]

I don't know why anyone is phased by this at all. It looks like a Kia. It has the same sort of styling cues that are exaggerated to make a milquetoast Kia Forte look 'aggressive'.

Big ol' 'meh' from me.

Proportions are a bit awkward. And the ride height is off.



I don't mind it, but I don't like the new Forte, either.

[veeman]

it's hard to design a roomy 5 seat small car that also looks good.  in a larger sedan, you have more room for the hood and trunk to balance out the increased height of the cabin as well as the increased tire size and increased width of the vehicle.  one of the worst examples of style i can think of to accomodate a roomy cabin is the toyota echo.  This corolla looks good.  Also it doesn't look anything like a smaller camry which is what the old corolla looks like. 

toyota is clearly aiming for a younger demographic here.  have they strayed too far to turn off the 50 year old buyers who buy corolla because it's the most sensible car purchase out there.  i don't think so.  these 50 or 60 year old buyers, what else would they turn to.  A gm or ford?  no way, these buyers don't cross shop a japanese model with a domestic.  they probably shun domestics because they were burned by them 2-3 decades ago.  gm's small cars don't look that good anyways.  the korean models and civic look just as "young" as this model.  maybe a jetta will appeal more to them now.     

[93JC]

Proportions are a bit awkward. And the ride height is off.

Not to make too fine a point on it but... who cares? This looks like a refresh of the current one, which looked like a refresh of the one before that; they all have the same proportions and ride height.

[NomisR]

Not to make too fine a point on it but... who cares? This looks like a refresh of the current one, which looked like a refresh of the one before that; they all have the same proportions and ride height.

It's not a refresh of a Kia Forte though..

[TurboDan]

You make it sound as if bland and ugly are the only two choices Toyota had.  Here's a radical idea; how about Toyota making a beautiful car?  You know, something that actually looks good?  Does Toyota actually know how to design such a thing?  If not, they need to hire some people who do.  Look what Peter Schreyer did for Kia.

What mainstream midsizers or econoboxes are "beautiful?" They're basic transportation. Nothing more, nothing less. Cars for people who don't love cars. I spent a lot of time hating on Toyota, but at this point, I find it easier simply not to care. 

So what the damn Corolla is a little more polarizing. Let some 17 year old girl who gets a Corolla as her first car to think she's driving something sporty. Who cares.