Taillights - the best and the worst

Mitsubishi Mirage

I saw an article on Autoblog yesterday reporting that Mitsubishi was considering bringing the new Mirage (pictured above) to the US to "reinvigorate" its ailing lineup. While I agree that Mitsubishi needs to inject some excitement into its lineup, this Mirage certainly isn't going to do it. There are a lot of things I don't like about this car, but most importantly its nondescript, blobby taillights, which make the car look 10 years old. The styling of the Mirage looks instantly dated compared to other subcompacts on the market, especially those from Hyundai and Kia. The Mirage inspired me to think of some other automakers who haven't paid enough attention to taillights, and some that did. Click through for some examples:




First some boring taillights:

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla's taillights could be on any car. There is nothing distinct about them that would allow me to instantly identify the car as a Corolla.

Mazda 5

The Mazda 5's taillights look like droopy, sad eyes. They're too low in proportion to the rest of the back end.

Subaru XV

The XV is a rare example of a Subaru that excites me. The boxy lines mixed with curves are actually pretty cool...so I was disappointed when I saw the taillights, which look like an afterthought. The taillights are so nondescript, that they almost ruin the rear end. The black body cladding on the lower corners of the car saves the day, fortunately.

Subaru BR-Z / Scion FR-S

I know the new Toyotaru RWD project has a lot of fans, but I haven't caught the wave. I'm sure it is a blast to drive and drift, but I don't think Toyota and Subaru pushed the boundaries enough when it came to styling, and the taillights epitomize this. They are too small and seem misplaced with regard to the rest of the design. It's almost like they were aiming to copy the BMW Z4's taillights but had to tweak them enough so as to avoid legal trouble...

VW Tiguan

I like the Tiguan overall, but think VW could have gone further with the taillights. On the next model, make them a little more expressive!

Now for some exciting taillights...

Dodge Charger

The Charger's taillights are easily the most engaging on the market today. Looks great in the daylight and even better at night!

Volvo XC60

I love the curviness of the XC60's taillights, which are easy to see at nighttime, but also look great (just like the rest of the SUV).

Mercedes CLS

Goes without saying, but the CLS' taillights look like a million bucks.

BMW 5-Series

The 5-Series has always embedded LED "stripes" in their taillights, which look awesome at night.

Ford Mustang

Check out the new Mustang's taillights. Against the black plastic, the red LEDs pop at night.

Kia Optima

The taillights are one of many reasons why I love the Kia Optima...one of the first exciting midsize cars available in awhile.

The Acura ILX ... and other examples of forced corporate design language

Acura ILX

In my opinion, there is something unnatural and forced-looking about the new Acura ILX. I would never pay $25-30k for this car. It is a Civic-based competitor to other sub-entry-level luxury cars like the Buick Verano and Audi A3, and I think Acura really missed a great opportunity here. The Acura family grille doesn't bother me (although I know some would disagree) as much as the ugly crease running along the side of the car and the fact that the door handles are IDENTICAL to those on the Civic. Yeah, Acura - don't think I didn't notice that! On its own, the door handle issue is unacceptable (see previous blog post). The rear end is marginally attractive but boring, and the interior is a watered down version of the TSX. The 150hp I-4 engine is probably no more interesting to drive than a Civic. The Integra and RSX were also Civic-based, but they somehow worked because they attempted to be sporty and scrappy, as opposed to luxurious, as the ILX does. I could imagine a Civic to be sporty, but not luxurious.

However, since I haven't driven or even sat in the ILX, I don't intend to review the car. Instead, I wish to point out a trend that the ILX exemplifies, that many car makers have failed when they try to push corporate design language downwards to the base model. Click through for some more examples.

Dodge Avenger

I don't dislike the Avenger, but I don't love it either. The Avenger is an obvious attempt to apply the Charger's aggressive lines on Chrysler's midsize platform. Chrysler showed a strong effort, but somehow they lost the Charger's edginess along the way. The crosshair grille, character lines on the rear doors, and distinctive taillights of the Charger are present, but toned down too much.

Mercedes GLK

As a Mercedes fan, it pains me to say it, but the GLK looks like a mess - a confluence of various design cues found on other Mercedes models that don't jive when mixed together. I see a little C, G, and M-Class in the GLK, but the mini-SUV is too boxy in places it shouldn't be, and too round in other places. The redesigned version (not shown here) is a little better but doesn't completely solve the problem.

Lincoln MKZ

Lincoln MKZ

The Lincoln MKZ is another example of wrongly forced corporate design language. Lincoln was obviously given the Ford Fusion platform and told to turn brass into gold. The designers must have thought they needed a "Lincoln-like" grille and taillights, so they slapped them on. The resulting design was an awkwardly edited Fusion clone. Lincoln did not fool anyone; there is a good reason why their sales have not been very good. I give Lincoln designers kudos for trying to substantially differentiate the dashboard, but unfortunately the result was terrible. The dashboard looked like a relic from the '60s or '70s and was oddly vertically oriented, and not very ergonomic. Fortunately, the interior was overhauled in the second-gen model.

Mazda 3

Mazda 3

The last example I'll provide is the Mazda 3. I know there are a lot of fans out there, but if I'm being honest, I think the first-gen Mazda 3 is much more attractive than the current version. I've always liked the styling on the Mazda 6 - including the latest version - but it somehow didn't translate gracefully on the smaller Mazda 3. The front fascia is a matter of taste, but I think it is way too big and cheesy. The rear end is too boxy in my opinion, and I don't like the shape of the taillights. Overall, I think Mazda tried way too hard to squeeze the attractive parts of the 6 on the 3, and it backfired.

Copycat cars: Haven't I seen that design somewhere else?

Toyota Camry

Subaru Legacy

Look at the similarity of the taillights on the Legacy vs. the Camry...coincidence? Sometimes it's hard to conclude who is the innovator and who is the thief - cars are planned and designed years before we consumers see them, and often shrouded in secrecy. I wanted to point out a few more examples of copycats: design features that look all too similar. Click through for more.

Audi A4

Saturns were always a bit boring, but their one interesting design feature was the upward "swoosh" on the body cladding on the side profile, which became a continuing motif on most of their cars since the original SL1 in the early-90s. It's a pretty unique feature, so it immediately caught my eye when the latest Audi A4 incorporated the same "swoosh". Coincidence that Audi began using the design cue when Saturn began to see the end of its existence?

Mazda 6

Tesla Roadster

Toyota Corolla

One could argue that there are only so many possible taillight designs that meet regulatory safety standards and also look reasonably good. The clustered circle design is one that is used quite often. Cars from the Mazda 6, Toyota Corolla, and Tesla Roadster have used an iteration of this design.

Peugeot 407

Chrysler Sebring

Chrysler used the "gaping mouth" grille in the 90s, well before Peugeot began using it. Given Chrysler's relatively low penetration in the European market (vs. Peugeot's large presence), this act of copycatism isn't as heinous in my books.

Jaguar XF

Chrysler 300M

Flip the Chrysler 300M grille upside down, and what do you get? A Jaguar XF!

Mitsubishi Galant

Lexus ES

Here's a fun one - the Mitsubishi Galant, a dreadfully boring Hertz-special based on the Chrysler Sebring, received a new rear fascia in 2009, 3 years after the Lexus ES released a stunningly similar design. Lexus isn't known for stirring designs, so I'm not sure this was a great move for Mitsu.

Lexus RX

Hyundai Veracruz

Squint long enough, and you will easily mistake the Hyundai Veracruz for the Lexus RX. Intentional? I would think so. The Hyundai looks just a little blander, a little vaguer, and a little less refined...but at a $10k savings, who cares?

Buick Regal

BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe

As I mentioned in a previous post, BMW designers oddly stole a page from Buick's book when they borrowed the upward swoosh on the side of the Regal for the new 6-Series Gran Coupe. The swoosh looks great on the Regal, but is lost on the already-busy design of the 6 GC.

Ugly door handles can RUIN a car

BMW Z4

Door handles, while small and seemingly unnoticeable, are a crucial part of car design. In my opinion, European-style handles (think Mercedes) are most attractive, and have made their way onto most cars by now. However, quite a few car designs have been harmed by ugly door handles, like this BMW Z4. This awkward looking coupe/convertible could've been slightly improved with the handles seen on any other car in BMW's lineup. Click through to see some more examples:

#1: The dreaded 90s-00s GM door handle

Corvette C5 Z06

Look carefully at the door handle of this Corvette Z06, and compare to the pictures below. As mentioned in my previous post, this is a major reason why the C5 will lose appeal over time:

Buick LeSabre

Oldsmobile Intrigue

Pontiac Grand Prix

Chevy Malibu

There are even more (Impala, Aurora, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Bonneville, Century, Regal, etc.), but need I continue? The fact that this ubiquitous door handle made its way to the Corvette disgusts me.

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#2: The Toyota Camry door handle

1991-1996 Toyota Camry

1996-2001 Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is the world's most uninspiring car. It is popular because it has excellent reliability and build quality - not because it looks good, because it doesn't. Notice that Toyota carried over the same bland door handle across 2 generations of Camrys, as well on many other cars in its lineup, ruining them as well.

Toyota Celica

Toyota MR2

Lexus LS

Lexus ES

Toyota Avalon

Toyota Corolla

Toyota Solara

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota Supra

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 #3: Nissan's hideaway SUV rear door handles

Nissan X-Terra

A sporty 2-door SUV can be pretty cool (think Land Rover Defender, Evoque, Jeep Wrangler, Hummer H1, Isuzu Amigo, Ford Bronco), but lack the functionality and space that a 4-door SUV provides. In an attempt to achieve the best of both worlds, some car companies - especially Nissan - have moved the rear door handle to the C-pillar to achieve the look of a 2-door SUV. However, I think this is really ugly and impractical - I am not tricked by this trompe l'oeil at all. And, by the way, it must be difficult for children to reach that high, which is counterintuitive given that children typically sit in the backseat. Aside from the Nissan X-Terra pictured above, here are a few more examples:

Nissan Pathfinder / Infiniti QX4

Nissan Armada / Infiniti QX56

Nissan Juke

The designers must have thought...could we make this any uglier? Yes! Let's add weird door handles to the rear doors!

Jeep Compass

 What a disaster the Jeep Compass is. The Nissan-like rear door handles add to the car's confusing mess of a design.

Honda Element

The Element's rear door handles are not as bad given how small the back doors are.

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#4: Miscellaneous Examples:

Renault Twingo

If you travel to any European country, you are bound to see many Renault Twingos on the road. Unlike Americans, Europeans love small, economical hatchbacks, and the Twingo definitely fits the bill. However, the styling is too cutesy for my tastes, and the round door handles do not help.

Audi A3

Everyone knows I'm a HUGE Audi A3 fan. However, if I have 1 gripe, it is the outdated door handles: why hasn't Audi put the same handles on the A3 as on the rest of the lineup?

Ford Thunderbird

The Thunderbird remake had a lot going for it, but always fell short in my eyes. Imagine how much sleeker this car would look with the European-style handles seen on all of Ford's models today...

Mazda 626

The Mazda 626 actually gives the Toyota Camry a run for its money on the most boring car ever made. The 626 has absolutely no style, except for its ugly, overstyled door handles, which make me not want to get inside this car even more. There is an extra crease in the door handle that just should not be there. It is subtle, so you may need to enlarge this picture to see what I'm talking about...

Honda CR-Z

I understand that Honda wants to be edgy, but the CR-Z's door handles are weird looking and do not look easy to open. Traditional handles may have looked sleeker.

Nissan Micra

Fortunately not sold in the states, the last-gen Micra looked like it was frowning from the side-profile. This frumpy design actually may have been improved with a more traditional kind of door handle.

Pontiac Trans Sport / Chevy Lumina / Oldsmobile Silhouette

Yikes! In its day, this minivan looked futuristic, but its design certainly has not stood the test of time. The door handles are quite avant-garde, something the already bonkers design did not need.

Porsche 911 996

Why not end with a bombshell - for first time in Porsche's history, the Porsche 911 996 and first-gen Boxster moved away from traditional door handles to the ones pictured above. For that reason alone, I do not like either model when I see them on the road. Everything else about the 996 and Boxster is beautiful, but the door handles impair the designs to such an extent that I would never buy either car. Fortunately, Porsche reinstated its old traditional door handles in the 997, 991, and refreshed Boxster.