Where do you stand on the gaping grille trend?
#16
Racer
Thread Starter
bmw's kidney grille has long been its trademark, evolving from long and tall, to short and wide. It will keep evolving, but you will never mistake a bmw for any other brand.
Sure it would be nice to see a thicker divider, but it's still way better looking than before...
#17
Lexus Test Driver
i think it's pretty stupid, i think cars in general are all far too aggressive looking with wheels that are too big, windows that are too small, and sides that come up too high. i know a lot of it is down to aerodynamics and crash regulations but something needs to change. eventually cars wont even have windows and there's just gonna be tv screens on the inside with cameras that put an image of the outside on them lol...
#18
Lexus Fanatic
I think it works well on most cars. Toyotas always have awkward styling so it comes as no surprise that they find ways to make their cars look ugly to some degree.
Lexus did a great job implementing it on their sedans but all of their SUVs look downright stupid. When I was at a auto show earlier this year even my friends who weren't that into cars felt that the Lexus SUV grilles looked cheap because there is so much visible plastic on them.
God bless the base model RX trims. What a horrendously ugly vehicle. Saw one of these in beige parked the other day, I would've loved to see a video of my facial expressions when I came across the thing.
Lexus did a great job implementing it on their sedans but all of their SUVs look downright stupid. When I was at a auto show earlier this year even my friends who weren't that into cars felt that the Lexus SUV grilles looked cheap because there is so much visible plastic on them.
God bless the base model RX trims. What a horrendously ugly vehicle. Saw one of these in beige parked the other day, I would've loved to see a video of my facial expressions when I came across the thing.
#19
Lexus Champion
I think it works well on most cars. Toyotas always have awkward styling so it comes as no surprise that they find ways to make their cars look ugly to some degree.
Lexus did a great job implementing it on their sedans but all of their SUVs look downright stupid. When I was at a auto show earlier this year even my friends who weren't that into cars felt that the Lexus SUV grilles looked cheap because there is so much visible plastic on them.
God bless the base model RX trims. What a horrendously ugly vehicle. Saw one of these in beige parked the other day, I would've loved to see a video of my facial expressions when I came across the thing.
Lexus did a great job implementing it on their sedans but all of their SUVs look downright stupid. When I was at a auto show earlier this year even my friends who weren't that into cars felt that the Lexus SUV grilles looked cheap because there is so much visible plastic on them.
God bless the base model RX trims. What a horrendously ugly vehicle. Saw one of these in beige parked the other day, I would've loved to see a video of my facial expressions when I came across the thing.
Before the Lexus spindle grille and Toyota's large grilles, the complaint was that Toyota and Lexus vehicles were too boring. So they added some different styling, and now, they look ugly.
#20
Lexus Fanatic
Toyota and Lexus are darned if they do and darned if they don't with you people. There is no satisfying you, is there?
Before the Lexus spindle grille and Toyota's large grilles, the complaint was that Toyota and Lexus vehicles were too boring. So they added some different styling, and now, they look ugly.
Before the Lexus spindle grille and Toyota's large grilles, the complaint was that Toyota and Lexus vehicles were too boring. So they added some different styling, and now, they look ugly.
#21
Lexus Fanatic
I generally hate it, hope it disappears soon. The updated Lexus GS grille looks bad, previous one, even F sport looked pretty good, new grille on the RX is hideous, same with the current LS. Ruins designs. The high blocky front ends look terrible too, was walking up on a new 7 series and thought it was a CUV/5 GT at first because of the high front end and wheel gap, not a good look. If someone were to show me in the 90's that new cars would look like what they are looking like now I would not believe it and would be disappointed. I envisioned sleek, lower sedans and coupes with small headlights and beautiful flowing designs that improved on designs from the 90's and early 2000's, not clunky, chunky, front ends with big ugly grills and odd proportions.
#22
Lexus Champion
Gaping grills are a styling trend and they won't stay around for too long (fingers crossed that they go away). It's an attempt to appeal to a younger buyer group that wants edgy, new and different styling. But that's not necessarily the same group that has a long term view of what's tasteful and what's not.
To me, this is a sort of mid-life crisis. You know when that old guy goes and buys the most ridiculous car he can afford and starts dating a lady half his age. Yeah, it gets looks and it turns heads. But it's not all positive is it? This is what's happened with Toyota/Lexus and the infamous oversized spindles.
When Acura introduced the "beak" it got a lot of attention and it wasn't all positive. Now years later, Acuras sport a very muted version of that failed attempt to get attention. And they actually look good. Lincoln went with the "wing" grills and on the MKZ, and it looked good. But on other models it was absurd. The minute they put that nonsense on the Navigator, you knew it was doomed. Now the wings have gone and it's a step down to Ford's impersonation of the Jag/Aston grills.
So it's the same with Toyota/Lexus. Midlife crisis. Akio Toyoda said he wanted edgy and he got it. But it's not well received in some quarters. Looks good on the RC, LC and IS models. Looks horrible on anything else. What was wrong with the previous grills on Camrys and Corollas? The buyers never complained. The RX's spindle looks absurd. The previous Highlander had a great grill. This new one looks okay, but it didn't need to be tampered with IMO.
I see a walk-back coming at some point in Toyota/Lexus vehicles with gape-grills. The spindle will possibly stay on halo vehicles and that's where it belongs.
To me, this is a sort of mid-life crisis. You know when that old guy goes and buys the most ridiculous car he can afford and starts dating a lady half his age. Yeah, it gets looks and it turns heads. But it's not all positive is it? This is what's happened with Toyota/Lexus and the infamous oversized spindles.
When Acura introduced the "beak" it got a lot of attention and it wasn't all positive. Now years later, Acuras sport a very muted version of that failed attempt to get attention. And they actually look good. Lincoln went with the "wing" grills and on the MKZ, and it looked good. But on other models it was absurd. The minute they put that nonsense on the Navigator, you knew it was doomed. Now the wings have gone and it's a step down to Ford's impersonation of the Jag/Aston grills.
So it's the same with Toyota/Lexus. Midlife crisis. Akio Toyoda said he wanted edgy and he got it. But it's not well received in some quarters. Looks good on the RC, LC and IS models. Looks horrible on anything else. What was wrong with the previous grills on Camrys and Corollas? The buyers never complained. The RX's spindle looks absurd. The previous Highlander had a great grill. This new one looks okay, but it didn't need to be tampered with IMO.
I see a walk-back coming at some point in Toyota/Lexus vehicles with gape-grills. The spindle will possibly stay on halo vehicles and that's where it belongs.
#23
Lexus Fanatic
Gaping grills are a styling trend and they won't stay around for too long (fingers crossed that they go away). It's an attempt to appeal to a younger buyer group that wants edgy, new and different styling. But that's not necessarily the same group that has a long term view of what's tasteful and what's not.
To me, this is a sort of mid-life crisis. You know when that old guy goes and buys the most ridiculous car he can afford and starts dating a lady half his age. Yeah, it gets looks and it turns heads. But it's not all positive is it? This is what's happened with Toyota/Lexus and the infamous oversized spindles.
To me, this is a sort of mid-life crisis. You know when that old guy goes and buys the most ridiculous car he can afford and starts dating a lady half his age. Yeah, it gets looks and it turns heads. But it's not all positive is it? This is what's happened with Toyota/Lexus and the infamous oversized spindles.
When Acura introduced the "beak" it got a lot of attention and it wasn't all positive. Now years later, Acuras sport a very muted version of that failed attempt to get attention. And they actually look good.
Lincoln went with the "wing" grills and on the MKZ, and it looked good. But on other models it was absurd. The minute they put that nonsense on the Navigator, you knew it was doomed. Now the wings have gone and it's a step down to Ford's impersonation of the Jag/Aston grills.
#24
I'm ready to see all the cars go though a huge styling change. Gosh in the 70's and 80's it was a box, now its a blob. They need to look at styles like the GT40, Mercedes SLS gullwing etc.
#25
If there is anything positive to be said about the "gaping grille" trend, it is that you get fewer rock chips on the front bumper because so much of the front end is taken up by the grille.
#26
Lexus Fanatic
Yes, but, at the same time, you don't want rocks or other road debris going through the grille (or holes in the grille) and possibly damaging the small radiator fins behind it. Those fins can be easily deformed or damaged because they are so small and thin.
#30
Lexus Champion
Originally Posted by mmarshall
What if that lady doesn't like spindle-grilles...or doesn't care for expensive cars? Then, he will have spent a whole lot of money for nothing LOL.
You think the new Jag-style grilles are a step-down? I think they are a huge improvement...they (and the new dash) transformed the MKZ from a borderline-eyesore, with awkward controls inside, to a handsome mid-sized luxury car with much better controls to boot.
Originally Posted by flashvdub
i don't mind the look that's one of the reasons i bought the is250 its aggressive but yet sexy