The Interiors Of These Vehicles Were Not Up To Standard
Every year, carmakers put more and more effort into car aesthetics. The majority of modern cars today come with amazing interiors that are all packed with detailed materials, high technology, and exotic features. However, every now and then, we tend to stumble upon specific details that ruin the entire cabin.
It’s crucial for automakers today to keep in mind that the interior of the car matters as much as the exterior. In fact, it is pointless to concentrate on the exterior and overlook the fact that as long as you are on the road, you will be spending most of your time inside the car and not outside. These are the worst car interiors we've ever seen!
1996 Mercedes-Benz F200 (Imagination)
The Mercedes F-Series introduced some stunning concept vehicles, but the F200 Imagination had one of the weirdest, and at the same time, the coolest interiors of all. The foremost thing you will notice about the car is that it had no pedals and steering wheel. Instead, there are joysticks mounted in the middle of the console and the door to control the vehicle.
Apart from the rev counter and speedometer, the car also features rear-view cameras on the right and left side of the display. The center console has the most impractical placement and looks a little weird, mostly because it has a sphere shape.
2008 Citroën Hypnos
The Citroën Hypnos is a midsize luxury crossover. This car has the most unusual and colorful interior of all time with blue-purplish rear seats, bright red gauge cluster, and orange-green-yellow front seats. The structure of seats is also quite strange, with slats along the base and triangles forming on the seating surface.
Another weird thing about this car is that the headrests hang from the ceiling. Not only that, from the steering wheel, gear shift to the pedals — there is nothing normal about this vehicle.
1998 Fiat Multipla
The Fiat Multipla is considered one of the ugliest cars of all time. It was produced from the year 1998 to 2010 by Italian automaker Fiat. It featured three abreast seating configurations that allowed the relocation and removal of the rear seats and adjustment of the front seats - this made the car very practical. However, the bug-eyed headlights and muffin-top bulge at the bottom of the A-pillars made the car look like an irradiated tadpole. Also, it had a bulky glass cabin at the back, and a weird protruded out front.
The second-generation Multipla was redesigned and launched in 2004. Fiat smoothed out the strange shape of the hood, bumper, and windshield, but there were no changes made to the backside of the car.
BMW 7 SERIES E 65
The name BMW carries a sense of class and elegance along — after all, it is a James Bond ride. Everything about the E65 is exquisite, apart from its interior, which had a serious issue. This car went from being simple yet elegant to ugly and a complex Luxo-barge.
The BMW Series E 65 was the first car to introduce the iDrive system, which was severely criticized worldwide. Thankfully, BMW fixed this issue within a few years. But Series E 65 will never be fondly recalled. All in all, it is unfortunate that BMW made it to the top with this car on the list.
Fiat 500
When it comes to interiors, the Fiat 500 lags behind. To start with, there is no trunk release button in the car, so you will have to make use of the key fob to open the hatchback. Besides, the fob button will only work when you take the key out of the ignition.
This subcompact car also does not have an interior door lock button, which makes it more frustrating. If you want to open the door, you will have to force it open using the handle. And to unlock the door on the passenger side, you will need to reach over and open it. These are enough reasons to avoid purchasing this car.
1985 Renault 5
Let us head back in time to when 1985 Renault was launched. This sub-compact car was cleverly packaged and became wildly popular within no time. Ever since its production began 24 years ago, 5.5 million units have been sold. The interior of the car was quirky, with uniquely French and intuitive features.
The most distinct interior feature was the pocket on the passenger side, which allowed access to maps, guidebooks, or other small objects. The 1985 Renault 5 interior came with different color options and a wide variety of upholstery. It was available in benign beige, somber black, and bright red.
Chevrolet Camaro (5th Generation)
The interior of the Fifth Generation Camaro is plastic-heavy and cheap. But what makes the car even more horrible is its poor visibility. According to Chevrolet, they were trying to make the car safe and make it look masculine, so they ended up reducing the size of the windows to letterboxes.
The Camaro has always been described as an American muscle car because of its unique design and distinctive rumble, but the strange interior choices of Chevrolet reduced all its value. While the exterior of the vehicle is all about masculinity, the inside needs a considerable makeover.
2006 Cadillac XLR
The Cadillac XLR was introduced in 2006 and is popular for its eye-catching design, standard features, hardtop convenience, and forgiving ride quality. However, looking at the exterior, the car’s interior deserved a much better and classier style. There is so much grey inside the vehicle that you can easily confuse it with the rough sheet metal.
Also, the interior doesn’t reflect the price and is not as sporty as other models. In addition, it has very little cargo space, which might not be convenient for taller drivers.
TVR Sagaris
The Sagaris is one of the most famous sports cars in Britain. It has plenty of features to offer, but sadly its interior is among the worst. The inside of the vehicle looks tiring, and the interior color does not go with the actual car color at all.
It seems that the manufacturer of the car did not have the budget to make an outstanding cabin. This also explains details like why the button to open the vehicle door was placed right next to the stereo. It does not make any sense. The only thing that sets apart TVR Sagaris from the rivals is it’s sporty and sleek design; everything else is a complete failure.
1983 Citroën GSA
The 1983 Citroën GSA has the strangest automotive interiors. This car was bizarre in plenty of ways — it had a fastback style and sleek body, the rear wheels of the car were semi-covered for better aerodynamic efficiency. Additionally, the hydropneumatic suspension of the car enabled it to run down the road with more poise than its rivals.
The interior design of Citroën GSA was inspired by fighter jets, which made it difficult to understand the controls of the car. Its parts were flinging haphazardly anywhere; for instance, the radio was placed into the center console, and the speedometer looked like a drum that displayed speed in a tiny view window.
1976 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2
No other car cabin looked as odd as the Aston Martin Lagonda. The interior of this car did not make any sense from a design perspective and had questionable aesthetic choices. However, back in the day, the Martin Lagonda was quite ambitious — it had touch-screen buttons for lights, air conditioning, power locks, and seat controls, and it was the first vehicle to have a digital control panel with LED displays.
In the 1970s, the car's electronic system was considered complicated by many people. This is the reason why only 645 Aston Martin Lagondas were made between the years 1974 and 1990.
Honda Civic (9th Generation)
If you think more buttons are annoying, then you are wrong. More screens can also be equally annoying. When Honda introduced the 9th generation Civic, it took a step forward in the wrong direction with its packed interior. This car had so many digital screens that somebody would think it is a broadcast station. It also had two screens on the driver’s right side and one for the infotainment system.
If you are wondering what a compact interior looks like, then you should take a look at the Mazda 3 interior, which has a projected Heads-Up Display (HUD), a navigation screen fitted at the right place, and a simple gauge cluster.
Dodge Avenger
The Dodge Avenger was the car with the most horrible interior in the mid-2000s. Looking at the inferior interior, you would probably never want to sit in the car. While the manufacturers tried their best to add some gimmicks to the vehicle and make it look completely modern, they badly failed, and the car ended up looking more dull with its grey interior.
Also, the materials used in the car were made of cheap plastics. Nobody should consider buying this car, especially if you are looking for an attractive and comfortable ride.
Chevrolet Cavalier
You must have noticed by now that General Motors has the reputation of building unattractive interiors, and the Chevrolet Cavalier isn't an exception. First and foremost, there are too many ample heating, ventilation, and air conditioning buttons on the inside, which makes it confusing. Also, the unusual design of the car makes it difficult to adjust the heat or place a drink in the cupholder.
Additionally, GM did an exceptional job of adding the glowing gauges, but the color green was definitely not a good idea. The car also does not have comfortable seating, making the driving experience extremely unpleasant.
Ford Focus ST
The Focus ST is not the best creation of Ford. It has a low-quality interior with too many buttons fitted on the dash. These buttons in the car make the controlling process much more complicated. Also, despite ample space inside the car, it feels claustrophobic.
The button-laden design of the car is the worst so far. However, over the years of production, both the quality and technology of Ford ST have taken a big step forward. It has had several facelifts since, and today the interior looks way more appealing.
1990s Toyota Corolla
Toyota is a subcompact car manufactured by Toyota. The '90s model of the Toyota corolla was poorly designed, especially the interior. It has very little headroom, making it tough to enter and exit the car.
The Corolla is pretty neat and simple when it comes to driving. However, its size does not make the cut. So, if you are planning a long drive with an athletic friend, you should be prepared for the inconvenience it will create.
Toyota Prius
Once you get to see the inside of the Toyota Prius, you will find that almost everything is wrong with the interior. First, you will notice the gear shifter, which is not great. And then, if you try reversing the car, it will beep at you just like an eighteen-wheeler. The worst part is that hardly anyone can listen to the beep from the outside.
Lastly, the plastic used in the car is horrible. If you decide to speed up, it will make a loud sound, which will remind you of the noise you probably heard at the zoo.
Toyota Yaris
You make the first impression about a car by looking at its exterior, but its interior is something that makes or breaks the deal. Undoubtedly, the Toyota Yaris is a budget-friendly car, which might be the reason that it does not have a great looking interior.
Similar to other budget vehicles, the interior of Yaris is made using cheap materials, including the door and the dash. But what makes the interior worse is the placement of the speedometer — right in the middle of the console. Also, it has no visual entertainment system, which makes the car more dull from the inside.
Old VW Passat
If you purchase the old version of VW Passat, you will surely not relish the gear shifting. However, if you drive this car on the highway, you will notice that it is surprisingly fast.
The gear is placed in a way that makes it very un-driver friendly. This gets very frustrating. The previous versions of Passat also had a seating system designed with seat bolsters that acted as a barrier, especially during aggressive gear-changes. Apart from this issue, everything about the interior was decent enough.
Jaguar XFR-S
It is a misconception that all luxury cars have a good interior. Jaguar XFR-S comes in the category of those luxury cars that have a completely annoying interior.
This car is flooded with chrome details on the inside. It looks classy, but when the sun hits a specific angle, the reflections appear from the surface, which might blind you when driving. This is certainly not an ideal feature for a supercar with 550 brake horsepower (bhp).
Skoda Octavia VRS
Skoda is popularly known for producing heavy and hardy vehicles that have stood the test of time — the Octavia VRS is one of them. This vehicle offers a smooth ride, but the interior has one major drawback that makes it a big fail — it consists of a fake carbon fiber trim.
Back in the day, the carbon fiber was used to hide tacky looking aisles. Nowadays, it is used to enhance the appearance of performance cars. To be honest, it looks cheap and makes the car less appealing.
Mercedes C Class
Without a doubt, Mercedes C Class is one of the luxurious cars that deliver exceptional performance. However, the interior of the vehicle is not up to the mark as it is fitted with piano-black plastic. It is tough to figure out what the German manufacturer was thinking when using the horribly nasty and cheap material for a high-end luxury vehicle.
The Mercedes C Class has a lot of this material mounted on the center console. This one big mistake ruined the whole interior of this magnificent car.
Buick Reatta
It is no wonder that Buick ended up on this list of cars with unattractive interiors. First, let us applaud the efforts of GM for introducing the touchscreen in the 1980s to control HVAC and radio. However, the Buick Reatta was a big failure because it’s touchscreen hardly worked and was largely criticized throughout the world.
The manufacturer of the vehicle was clearly trying to be futuristic, but the fact remains that the design was far ahead of its time.
Pontiac Grand Prix (5th Generation)
If you fall into the category of people who like buttons, then you should go for the Pontiac Grand Prix. This car was seriously a turnoff back in the 1990s because it had buttons for almost everything.
It came with four buttons for wipers and then another set of four buttons just for lights. It also had multiple buttons on the steering wheel, each for a different reason. In addition, there was nothing attractive about the radio — it was bland and boring!
2010 Subaru Outback
When it comes to the interior, the Subaru Outback is not a great choice. It is flooded with plastic (fake brushed metal), feels flimsy, and looks dull. We all know that Subarus are famous for being slightly Spartan and rugged, but considering the price, it is quite a letdown.
One of the biggest drawbacks of this car is the gear shifter, which is covered with ratty plastic and looks cheap. And then adding to that, the bland shift boot is not appealing at all. Overall, the Subaru, with its shiftless transmission, looks like some toy remote control car.
2001 Pontiac Aztek
The Pontiac Aztek was introduced back in the 2000s and always ends up getting the top spots in everyone’s list of the “Worst Cars Ever Made.” It not only had an ugly exterior but also its cabin was highly unattractive.
Everything inside the car seems fragile, including the temperature knobs that have a hollow-feeling. Additionally, if you drive over a pothole by mistake, you will hear the shiny black plastic squeak, which is extremely annoying. All in all, this car is full of flaws.
1979 AMC Pacer
It’s not surprising to see cars with both ugly interiors and exteriors - the Pacer also comes in of those categories. It was built by the U.S carmaker AMS and looked like an upside-down fishbowl on wheels.
On the inside of the car, you will find masses of shiny tan vinyl, uncomfortable-looking steering, and dull slabs of wood veneer. Not only that, the square-shaped instrument was casually fitted into a dark space in the dashboard, making it almost impossible to read. Also, the air conditioning and radio controls were just placed anywhere.
2004 Nissan Quest
The 2004 Nissan Quest was a three-row, full-size minivan. The car had an unusual interior with the dash on a supporting pillar that looked like a beheaded R2-D2.
Additionally, the black and red trim did not look good and gave uncomfortable vibes. Also, the speedometer was placed right in front of the passenger seat, which doesn’t make any sense. All in all, when it comes to interior quality, this car was an utter disappointment and did not serve the purpose well.
2011 Nissan Cube
The Nissan Cube had weird design details, both on the exterior as well as the interior. On the outside, it featured asymmetrical rear ends, oblong windows, tail-lights placed just above the back bumper, and an upright cube shape that ruined the entire appearance of the car.
It’s difficult to understand what the Japanese automaker was thinking when designing this car. The interior was as bizarre as the exterior with an unconventional color scheme and compact space. Also, you couldn’t help but notice a pile of shag carpeting in the center of the dashboard. This car was a complete nightmare.
1997 Ford Aspire
The 1997 Ford Aspire has a confusingly weird interior with blue plastic on the dashboard. It also had a basic steering wheel without any detail or stitching at all. In addition, the low-lying glove box and ribbed leather boot gave the interior a tacky look.
All in all, the 1997 Ford Aspire was a reliable and affordable car, but other vehicles offered a much better interior and go power. You can see where the automaker cut costs to keep the consumer price so low!
1992 Buick Skylark
The Buick Skylark is a type of car that a great-grandmother would drive. The slippery vinyl door panels, stiff red velvet seating, and over shiny wood paneling makes the vehicle a complete disaster. There is nothing inside the car that is visually pleasing, not even the steering wheel.
Also, the gaudy wood veneer looks cheap and gives the car a dull appearance. Buick was known for its old-school charm, but with the introduction of the Skylark, it lost all of its elegance.
1983 Nissan NRV-II
At first sight, you may feel that there is nothing weird about Nissan NRV-II. It has everything you can get in a modern-day car, including a digital gauge cluster, a satnav in the middle of the console, and a multi-functional steering wheel.
However, the one thing you need to remember about this car is that it belongs to the 1980s. So, too many features with randomly placed buttons made it hard for the drivers to learn the control process. Also, the most confusing thing about this car was its volume-up button, which was as big as the engine start button.
1982 Lancia Orca
Lancia Orca is an aerodynamic sedan, which looks cool from the outside but is a total mess on the inside. It features an impractical and extremely complex digital gauge cluster with glowing bars that display RPMs (Revolutions per Minute) and speed. Also, it’s steering wheel had plenty of buttons for air conditioning, lights, wipers, and turn signals, making it hard to learn the control process of the car.
On the left of the gauge cluster, you will find what shows the gear you are in, and on the right side, you will see a Sony radio unit. By far, this car has the most overwhelming interior.
2008 Renault Ondelios
The Renault Ondelios is a french car that was produced in the 2000s. It has a weird exterior structure, and the inside of the vehicle is crazier. The transparent gauge cluster of the car protrudes out and is placed right behind the steering wheel, which is also weird looking.
It also has a projector that displays information about the satnav on the dashboard. The most unusual thing about this car is the keyboard, which is used to control the vital features of the vehicle. This is a highly impractical feature for everyday use.
1971 Maserati Boomerang
The Maserati Boomerang was launched in 1971. This car is not that unusual from the outside as wedge-shaped vehicles were popular in the 1970s. What makes the car different from its competitors is the interior.
The steering wheel of the vehicle is placed vertically and revolves around an instrument cluster that consists of seven gauges, including a range of warning lights and several buttons. All in all, the Maserati Boomerang was a completely functional concept car, but the people who drove it realized that it was not very practical.
2004 Acura EL
The 2004 Acura EL was famous back in the day for its affordability, speed, and comfort. However, the worst part about this car was its interior, which was pathetically styled. It was dull and did not offer much.
The materials used inside the car were not up to the mark and lacked the panache and flair as compared to other competing luxury sedans. All in all, the Acura EL is functional, but the interior is not very opulent.
2005 Chevrolet Impala
As one of the few six-passenger cars on the market, the Chevrolet Impala is known for its efficient and robust V6 engines, standard safety features, and more. However, when it comes to the interior, it has a bland design, and cheap plastics are used.
In addition, it has vague steering and soggy suspension on LS and base models. As compared to its rivals Chrysler and Toyota, Impala has nothing special to offer. Even the SS version of the car has no styling upgrades, apart from a few “SS” logos and a new set of gauges. Overall, the 2005 Chevrolet Impala has a low-buck interior.
2002 KIA Sportage
The KIA Sportage is an affordable car that comes with a high fun factor and lotus-tuned suspension. With the name “Sportage”, we expect an edgy and sportier look. However, this car doesn’t offer anything of that sort. The main motive of KIA was to produce low-priced vehicles with the appearance of an expensive car, but it failed to do that.
The interior of the Sportage is made from cheap materials, and it also has limited rear-seat space, making it extremely inconvenient to sit in the car, especially during long rides.
1999 Ford Contour
Most owners of the Ford Contour believe that they did an excellent job of placing controls and buttons in the car. To be honest, apart from buttons and controls, everything in the car looks flat. The manual thermostat gauges leave a lot to be desired, and there is too much plastic on the dashboard.
The cup holders fitted into the car are not capable of holding any drink, especially while driving. Besides, the radio is placed right above the cup holder, which means you cannot put anything too large in it. Also, the seats are unappealing and basic in every way.
1994 Mini Cooper
The earlier models of the Mini Cooper had several internal issues, especially the 1994 version. There was too much going on in there — the red carpet, hideous steering wheel, the beige and red door were not at all a good idea. The designers were trying to make it cute and retro but ended up creating a disaster. Also, the placement of the speedometer in the center turned out to be a big turnoff.
Over the years of production, Mini Cooper fixed all their interior issues. Today, Mini Cooper is one of the finest cars and one the most fun to drive.
