2012 Nissan Quest: Cars That Age Gracefully?

You call it dated, I call it clean. I just don't like the current trend of lines that come from nowhere and make no sense. For example, on the new Quest's front doors, why does the line from the front fender end while a diagonal swoop starts from low on the door? To me, those two lines just don't look right. I like the rest of the design, but if I had one, I'd always be tempted to "improve" the doors by opening them hard into poles. At least that would tie the lines together!

FD3S Mid 90's Mazda RX-7's. It's a design that never grows old.

Miatas and Wranglers are easy choices.

Integra
Protege5
Dodge Ram 94-2001
Subaru Outback from the 90's
Acura TL 1999- 03
Grand Cherokee 93 - 04

5th gen Nissan Maxima !
Nissan 300zx

Corvettes never age.

E39's, E46's, most Porsches

@spencerkatz
You got it. But I hope you meant most 911's.

@desmo - the 928 is a good one. Hard to believe it was first drawn in the 1970s. The 928 may be the last time in Porsche history where they let a designer work without saying "make it look as much like a 911 as possible, no matter what."

I think the BMW E38 7-series has aged very gracefully thanks to its clean lines and good proportions, though it's clearly an old design.

Another favorite is the Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, which soldiered on virtually unchanged from the 1960s (though it didn't get the name until the 70s) into the late 90s. Still looks great.

BMW E38 (1994-2001 7-Series): It looks less dated then the E60's.
Land Rover Range Rover
Audi A4
Infiniti QX4
1997-2003? Lexus GS
Mercedes SL
VW Jetta (1999-2004?)
Volvo C70 (Previous Gen)

Yep, I vote for the early 90 RX-7 too. With new regulations, we'll never see a design like that ever again.

The lines on the old Quest look much cleaner. The newer model looks like it got bloated and flabby as it ventured into middle age (on a side note, why does every purported family car now have to come with chrome window trim?). Then again, that seems to have afflicted the entire minivan class -- except for the Mazda5, which is the only minivan sold in the U.S. that's even close to the dimensions of the original Caravan/Voyager that created the whole minivan category in the first place.

The 90s era Quest also looks like it has much better outward visibility -- bigger greenhouse, lower cowl, and thinner pillars. Oh, but who needs to see out the windows nowadays when you can just pack on more electronic gadgets?

1990-1999 MR2
92+ RX-7
95-2003 e39
99 e46
90-94 e30
99 Miata
97-2001 Prelude
92-95 Civic Si
93+ Supra
91-2000 Lexus SC300/SC400
1990-1993 Acura Integra

Man that's easy. Way better looking cars 15 years ago than the stuff we have now. Hard-pressed to come up with 1 car under 50k I really think is good looking. Cayman is 52k. Hmmm. Have to ponder this for awhile but there may not be anything under 50k that's new I would call good looking. Certainly not as good looking as the cars mentioned above.

Thanks for the gratuitous Mya picture.

i agree about the 90's RX-7 and 300ZX... both still look great to me.

i would add the 90's MB S and SL classes too.

I would add the 2004-2008 Acura TSX, the 1994-2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (I have a personal soft spot for those), and the 1999-2004 Honda Odyssey.

Most folks have mentioned the RX7 and the 300ZX - awesome choices! I would like to add the 90's BMW 3 series - they are a bit boxy, but they still look pretty cool. I think that the Miata also looks pretty good. Here is my list:
Acura NSX
Nissan 300ZX
Mazda RX7 / Miata
Porsche 928
BMW 3 / 7 series
Cadillac Allante
Corvette

1988-1991 Civic hatchback, 1992-95 Civic hatch and sedan ... and my own '03 Odyssey in Slate Grey.

('01-'09) Volvo S60

Volvo XC90

(Last generations) 300ZX, RX-7, Supra

(Last generation) Mazda MX-6

Volkswagen Touareg

Subaru SVX

('92-'98) Mercedes-Benz S-Class

('96-'02) Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Jeep Grand Wagoneer

99-04 Grand Cherokee
04-09 Mazda3 still looks great (the duck face 2010-present Mazda3 already isn't aging well)

The windows on the old Quest are freakin' huge!

Mk iv Jetta (current Mk vi will also)
Any 3 series up to and including E46
W123 W201 and R107 Mercedes Benz
1964 - 1970 Mustang
B5 Passat
Volvo 240
First gen Saab 900
Jaguar XJS
infiniti G35

99-04 Grand Cherokee.

And Cadillac Allante? Wow...all I see is cheap 90's GM with that car.

The 98-99Buick Riveria didn't look too bad as well, plus it was a nice sleeper car.

The lexus SC400 of the 90's still looks sharp as do Saabs. Clean designs seem to be winners.

The lexus SC400 of the 90's still looks sharp as do Saabs. Clean designs seem to be winners.

i dissagree about the SC300/400 as these cars age the body panels seem to sag and makes the cars look older then they actualy are.

199-2004 ford mustangs look great even now

A friend and I were just talking today about the first generation Oldsmobile Aurora, and we agreed that its looks really were ahead of its time.

caroline -

as i look at this again, what's mya staring at? is a squirrel about to meet its doom?

+1 on the old Quest looking pretty good.

I'm partial to:

- E39 5-series (the M5 is probably my all time favorite looking sedan - looks better than any 5-series since IMO)
- mid-90s A4s (not sure of the generation)
- S2000
- G35 Coupe (looks better than the G37 Coupe to me, didn't care for the early G35 sedans)
- 2nd gen Acura Legend Coupe
- 2nd gen CRX Si

And add me to the list on the FD3 and the 300ZXTT. I prefer the former to the latter if I had to choose.

I actually confronted this situation very recently. I'm was in the market for a new car and ultimately decided on a 328i coupe. Although the body style is outgoing, I feel BMW's design language is consistent enough to allow the car to seem relevant far into the future.

-Definitely the E46 3 series, as was already mentioned.
-The E39 5 series as well, but only post-refresh with the updated red/white tail lights. The M5 is as gorgeous today as when new.
-'90s 300ZX still looks great
-Acura NSX
-Lexus SC300/400 (I haven't seen the sagging body panels...just referring to the design).
-The last gene Prelude.
-C4 and later Corvettes
-1st gen Mazda3
-Dodge Viper
-Lamborghini Diablo
-BMW Z8
-Ferrari F360/F430
-Porsche Boxster

I disagree about the '99-2004 Mustangs.

A car that doesn't look "dated" is one that looks neither extremely boring, nor extremely silly when you look back at it a decade or two from now. It is a car that still looks modern and handsome.

It matters a lot, because having owned a dated looking car is the same as thinking back to you in your 80's and wondering what in the world you were thinking when you wore the things you did.

There are a couple of cars that are timeless, in your own fleet. The obvious being the Acura NSX, Jeep Wrangler and Porsche 911, all of which look modern (even with such old designs) and even badass in the age of goofy Hyundai designs and Mazda smiles.

There were a lot of other cars too. Most older 3 and 5 series BMWs, the last generation Honda Prelude, the S2000, a whole host of 60's European and Japanese sports cars, etc.

I always thought that the 1992-1995 Taurus (especially the SHO) aged well.

BMW E39 M5
BMW E46 M3
Honda S2000
VW Corrado
Ford Focus 2000 - 2004
Toyota Mister Two 1989 - 1999

It's easy to say some cars haven't aged, esp. the 928 or CRX, because they didn't have a sequel. There's no doubt the 2012 Nissan will look dated in 13 years. Even if they don't follow up with a sequel. It's a fate that most can never escape. There will always be something better, newer, more reliable.
People love to talk about how great Hyundais look. It will be interesting to see how great they look in 5 years. I think most people will think to themselves, God, how did I ever think that looked good.
I wish this website had more philosophical articles. Ones dealing with perception, desire, loyalty, age, selfishness, arrogance, all dealing with cars one way or another.

don't frget the current and original mustangs

In the 1999 Nissan Quest, you see a van that looks dated. I see simple, purposeful lines, wheels and paint that would look great for a vehicle half its age. The Ford plant that did these two-toned paint jobs did excellent work. Many Quests and Villagers still look great. I owned a 99 Quest. There was a lot that I liked about the car. I liked that it was shorter than a typical minivan so it fit in the garage better. I liked the two level hatch. My kids loved the videocassette player between the front seats. What I didn't love: the fuel economy was slightly worse than its replacement, a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, a larger, quicker and more powerful vehicle. The middle seat leg room was marginal. Changing lanes quickly at 60 mph was not a particularly good idea. The van punished speeding, because directional stability over 70 MPH was awful. For around town, though (and on the highway if you kept within its limits) it was a pleasant family vehicle.

Man, some of the vehicles people pick as "aging well" are totally absurd. Subaru Outback? Jeep Grand Cherokee? Chevy Corvette? Ford Focus? Subaru SVX? Lexus SC400? Infiniti G35? We must have a lot of comedians on this site. Think about it. If Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee right now, would you say it's a modern design? What about a 1999 Focus? What about a 1997 Corvette? Even a 2003 G35 looks dated.

You've got a lot of opinions on cars that people think look good. And that's fine. But that's not the same as aging well. A design that ages well is one that looks like it would belong in a modern showroom. There are very few vehicles like that because automotive styling changes so frequently. Does ANY vehicle from, say, 1999 look like it belongs with vehicles from 2012? Maybe a Porsche 911, and maybe a Jeep Wrangler. Maybe.

@greenpony
One person mentioned the 93 Grand Cherokee, which I think looks very old and dated. Others, including myself mentioned the 99-04 gc that still looks very modern, and has aged exceptionally well. If jeep introduced that vehicle today (minus the laredo trim with dark grey body cladding) it could easily be considered a new Cherokee because it is essentially a smaller version of the current Grand Cherokee.

I don't think that Quest in the photo looks particularly dated. It's a mid-90's people mover that wasn't particularly stylish in its day and, hence, doesn't look too terribly dated now. IMO.

For something to look "not dated" now, it would have had to have been sporting circa 2010 design elements back in the day. Good look finding that car. All other cars look dated, but those that look less so tended to have the cleanest lines when produced.

Passat B5, as someone already mentioned, is as good as any. I think I prefer the pre-2001.5 models as they have less chrome, though less power.

The newer van is a big blog. I would much rather have the older one and 20K in the bank.

wow, I didn't see one person mention the second gen eclipse/talon (more specifically they nailed it in the 97-99 model years). I may be biased having previously owned one, but they have aged very well compared to some of the other vehicles of the 90's listed here IMO.

greenpony

I think you're misinterpreting Carolines question. She asked which cars are aging well, not which car match todays styling trends.

To me a car that has aged well is one that still looks good years later as opposed to looking like a dated beater.

Even if we go with your viewpoint I still defend the first gen Grand Cherokee and Outback. If they were offered today with modern equipment and hardware but the same bodies I think they would outsell their modern countparts. The 1st (and 2nd) gen Grand Cherokees are much better looking and show the Jeep style and image far better then the current one. The 2012 looks like a bunch of Jeep bits stuck on someone elses crossover (which is what it really is).

"If Jeep introduced the 1993 Grand Cherokee right now, would you say it's a modern design?"

No I would say it's a classic design.

All 90's vintage Subarus look better then the current versions. Subaru has lost it's direction lately and the original Outback is a much better design (both looks and size) then the current model. I saw a 96 the other day and it's still a great looking car.

Of course this is my opinion but you need to understand everything to do with style is just opinion. Dismissing someones opinion as absurd or a joke makes it hard to put to any value on your opinion.

I agree with dscain when he says "You call it dated, I call it clean."

1st gen RX-7; 2nd gen MR2; 2nd gen CRX; 1st gen U.S. Focus; MkIV Jetta; Lotus Esprit; 1st gen TSX; 2nd gen Acura Legend; SC300/SC400; 1st gen Mazda 6; 2nd gen Intrepid; 1st gen Aurora; MX-6; the Cloud Cars (Cirrus, Stratus, Breeze); Protege5, to name a few.

In recent days saw what at first looked like a Contour, but was actually a burgundy or maroon Mercury Mystique. I swear this one looked like it just rolled out of the showroom, or was no more than a couple years old. It was immaculate and had no obvious dings, dents, scrapes or any other defects. Pretty sure it was all original and it was highly detailed with an amazing shine that would rival a new car. Needless to say, no matter what you think of the Contour/Mystique twins of 1995-2000, this one was very impressive.