The Ugly Cars That Found Their Way to Beauty
Ugliness in car design is often subjective, but there are some vehicles that have consistently been panned for their looks. These cars, once considered eyesores, have undergone transformations that turned them into stylish and appealing models. From the Pontiac Aztek to the Hyundai Tiburon, here are five examples of cars that went from being unattractive to stunning.
Toyota Prius: From Nerd-Mobile to Stylish Hybrid
Toyota has been building its hybrid Prius since 2001, and until 2023, it ranged from nerd-mobile to odd duck to outright ugly car. The first-generation Prius had a gawky stance with tiny 14-inch wheels, while the second-gen model introduced a liftback design that gave it a distinct lozenge shape. The third-gen Prius in 2010 was more efficient, but still fell into the oddball bucket of design.
In 2016, the Prius design took a turn for the worse with strange pointy headlights and an overwrought rear end. However, in 2023, Toyota completely revamped the design, leading to one of the most stunning glow-ups in automotive history. The fifth-gen Prius features 19-inch wheels, bold colors like Karashi yellow, and an athletic profile that belies its nerd-tastic roots. Winning a World Car Design of the Year award in 2024, the current Prius is a far cry from its earlier iterations.
Porsche Panamera: From Potato-Like to Sleek
Porsche has a reputation for building world-class sports cars, but its iconic 911 hasn’t always been lauded for its looks. The original Panamera, with its potato-like back end, was not an attractive car. A mild facelift in 2014 did little to help, but the 2017 second-generation Panamera improved upon the design with a revised rear fascia and a more dynamic tailgate light bar.
The current 2024 Porsche Panamera takes the design to another level. It features a more square-jawed front end, thin LED headlights, and a narrow full-width rear light bar that gives the car a slimming effect. This comprehensive glow-up makes the four-door Panamera feel more like its two-door sibling than ever before.
Mazda3: From Ugly to Elegant
Mazda’s compact 3, offered in sedan and hatchback formats since day one, landed in the ugly car department for just one of its four generations. The second-gen 3 had an oversized smiling cartoon front face, drooping taillights, and 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps for base models. Fortunately, Mazda applied its Kodo design language to the third-gen 3 in 2014, giving it a more planted look.
The 2019 Mazda3 was even nicer, with slim headlights and an evolution of the Kodo design that comes across as the definition of a glow-up. The 2025 Mazda3 features a curvaceous C-pillar on the hatch and a crisp rear-end that rivals the hatchback in style.
Acura TLX: From Ugly to Sharp
As the Acura TLX gets axed from the lineup, it’s a perfect time to look back at how this sports sedan evolved. The first-gen TL from 1996 replaced the Vigor with long, flat, inoffensive sheetmetal. The 2009 Acura TL marked the start of the fourth generation and landed in ugly land due to the big, chromed beak mounted front and center.
In 2015, Acura renamed the TL to the TLX and made improvements with classic sports sedan proportions and a muscular stance. The latest and final model of TLX looks sharp, with stretched axle-to-dash dimensions and added space between the wheels.
Hyundai Tiburon: From Awkward to Sporty
Technically, the Hyundai Tiburon and Genesis Coupe are unrelated, but the Genesis Coupe could be considered a spiritual successor. The original 1997 Tiburon had lots of body creases and an awkward C-pillar layout. A facelift in 2000 brought six individual light pods to the nose, making it even uglier.
Hyundai did a nice job on the glow-up front with second-gen Tiburons that dropped the overly complex and creased bodywork for a cleaner and sportier look. The 2010 Genesis Coupe completed the transformation, featuring an arching roofline, “Z” bodyside lines, and up to 19-inch wheels that filled out the wells nicely.
These cars show that even the most unattractive designs can be transformed into something beautiful with the right approach. From the Toyota Prius to the Hyundai Tiburon, these vehicles prove that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and sometimes, a little redesign can make all the difference.
