While what’s under the hood is certainly integral in deciding which used car to buy, the aesthetics of a vehicle are also an important consideration. Many cars in the same class are very similar in terms of the parts inside, so how a car looks can be an important tiebreaker for car buyers.
With that in mind, MSN Auto recently listed some of the best cars at various price points in terms of aesthetics. According to one designer, there are various factors that go into making a car aesthetically appealing.
“A good-looking vehicle is a good-looking vehicle, whether it’s a $2,500 Tata Nano or a $220,000 Aston Martin Rapide,” Stewart Reed, chairman of the transportation design department at the Art Center College of Design, told the news source. “You may not consciously know why it looks so appealing, but a good design has a sense of surface refinement and authority. The light and reflections play over the surfaces, and that’s what people respond to.”
The winner for a cheap car with an appealing design was the Nissan Cube, priced around $15,000. The car’s boxy design makes it stand out from the pack of compact sedans and hatchbacks typically found in the price range. The car also features a sleek wraparound rear window. Inside, buyers can select from 20 different types of lighting colors in order to further customize the car.
Nissan had another winner a bit higher up in the price range, at $35,000. The unique design of the 370Z Coupe beat out strong contenders from Porsche and other luxury brands in the eyes of the news source.
“It’s not like other cars,” said Reed. “It has its own sense of sculpture inspired by a lot of things in popular culture, from stealth aircraft to motorcycles to Transformers.”
Both Nissans that were selected buck the classic trends of automobile aesthetics. Yet some drivers want a classic ride. In that sense, the BMW 335i convertible is the car that many buyers will gravitate toward in the $45,000 price range. Its sleek design is eye-catching while also calling back to sports cars of the past.
When a driver thinks aesthetics, station wagons don’t normally come to mind. But the Mercedes E350 wagon’s elegant design separates itself from the “woody” wagons of yesteryear – although it will set drivers back $60,000.
“It’s not the historic, stigmatized family wagon that was the precursor to the minivan,” said Reed. “It’s a sporty, sophisticated wagon.”
Although some of these cars are a bit on the expensive side, drivers can save a bundle by shopping on the used market. Those who want to look good while riding around may want to consider some used BMW, Mercedes and Nissan models while shopping for their next vehicle.