Japanese car makers have lost their touch regarding design, not that they ever really had one, sorry to say that. angry

Have you seen the last gen Prius or the new Mirai (hydrogen novelty)? I don't know who would want to be seen in those ugly cars but apparently they have done their market research or am I wrong? yes

The BMW i3 is another monstrosity I do not get but apparently people love it, especially in the US (in Germany, I barely see it and BMW was really hoping for a breakthrough in the cheaper electric car segment).

Tesla actually achieved something wonderful: They designed a timeless and actually design-less car. The Tesla S is amazingly unspectacular but in a good way because it actually fails to impress in both ways, positive and negative, which is good for such a car in my opinion.

Lexus? Infinity? I never understood how Americans can fall for this marketing trick. Both brands never really succeeded in Europe, simply because everyone knew and realized that we are talking Toyota and Nissan here. 
Same goes to Hyundai: Apparently a huge success in the US, you can barely see them in Germany.

I really have a hard time understanding the US market and I am surprised how US car makers are actually doing everything wrong they can do wrong. Take the new Escalade: Yes, I like how it looks. I think this SUV has street presence and it is nice looking for such a huge truck. The interior is a mixed bag though: Some stuff is nice and modern and some other stuff, like certain surface materials, only look cheap. Modern digital speedo (which I love) but some stupid touch buttons which don't even really work well, even if they deliver some sort of tactile feedback. A little advice to Cadillac: Sometimes a little bit less is actually more. Also could someone explain why the touch display of the Escalade has such a weirdly inclined angle? It looks bad and it works bad (angle, not the touch screen). The car, especially in the interior, feels as if different people were working on it with their own different personalities and results. Not good for such  (high end?) product. The engine is a treat and fuel consumption was surprisingly low.

Same goes to the new Corvette and Camaro: Nice exterior (really) but the interior, especially the steering wheels, is horrible. Too playful, too much, just not right for these cars. Do US customers really love that crap? I cannot imagine it.


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)