Every generation has flawed cars. Such cars either feature quirky design elements, are complete ugly ducklings, or fail to deliver on their big promises. A few are too strange to belong in anyone’s garage. Yet, in this oddball parking lot, some cars end up redeeming themselves over time. Some of them were ahead of their time, others suddenly fit a new pop-culture aesthetic, and a few got to play a cameo on a popular TV show, becoming a cult classic.
Scroll through online forums or auction sites, and you’ll come across many such automotive weirdos. These cars, once considered flawed, are now celebrated by enthusiasts, and in some cases, have birthed full-blown enthusiast communities. Here are 10 such examples, from a super unreliable sports car to one of the most impractical SUVs ever made. These cars prove that sometimes, a bug can turn into a feature, and that desirability is in the eye of the enthusiast.
2007 Honda Fit
Average Used Price: $3,456
The 2007 Honda Fit (or any model year, really) is perhaps the most slept-on car today. By the looks of it, it’s easy to knock it down as an econobox or a grandma’s car, a car you’d buy for its fuel economy and practicality. Why not? It’s spacious and has plenty of cupholders and fantastic Magic rear seats. Not that its tall boy stance and cutesy looks help it, either. Still, it is considered by Honda enthusiasts as one of the most underrated cars the Japanese manufacturer has produced.
What makes the Fit special lies under its skin: it has good bones. It’s lightweight, with near-perfect weight distribution and has a low center of gravity, paired with a rev-happy inline-four engine. According to enthusiasts, the Fit also has one of the most well-engineered chassis, with some even calling it a modern-day AE86. While you may take these claims with a pinch of salt, this reputation for handling has made the Fit one of the best cars for young enthusiasts who have the passion but not necessarily the money for JDM legends.
2011 Nissan Juke
Average Used Price: $3,971
The 2011 Nissan Juke is an excellent crossover on paper, with enough space for a small family and a turbocharged inline-four engine that should be good for everyday driving needs. Plus, its taller stance should give passengers SUV-like visibility from the cabin. But let’s forget that it’s actually a comfortable, decent SUV, and you can’t deny that it’s one of the weirdest cars ever made. It’s wacky enough to give you a headache if you stare at it too long.
That’s why the Nissan Juke was dismissed as a Nissan Joke when it came out, but it seems like Nissan had the last laugh with this crossover. The same funky looks that people hated earlier have made the Juke a cult classic today. Enthusiasts even believe the Juke was a trailblazer for its authentic, refreshing design. It inspired a slew of cute, quirky crossover SUVs of modern times, like the Hyundai Kona.
1995 Suzuki X-90
Average Used Price: $5,177
The 1995 Suzuki X-90 is one of the quirkiest ‘90s cars that may make you yell, “What the hell is that thing?” It’s essentially an illegitimate child of an SUV and a roadster. Suzuki took the two-door Vitara’s underpinnings and crammed them under a two-door coupe body, giving birth to this weird little car. It even had a two-speed four-wheel drive transfer case. Whether you call it a body-on-frame roadster or an SUV-coupe, that’s up to you.
The X-90 combined the worst (or the best) of both worlds: SUV handling and roadster impracticality, and to no one’s surprise, it didn’t sell well. Fast-forward to today, though, and its rarity and unique character have earned it a second look from enthusiasts. It even demands a bit of a premium in the used market today. It may still be weird, but it’s aged into a charming car we’d absolutely rock as a daily driver.
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2003 Honda Element
Average Used Price: $5,289
The 2003 Honda Element was positioned as a do-it-all SUV alongside the CR-V, and with its unique design, it challenged how SUVs were designed. In some ways, the car is still brilliant, thanks to its clamshell tailgate, waterproof seats, suicide doors with no B-pillars, and an insane amount of interior space. You could drive your family around, haul gear for your weekend adventures, or take it for a cross-country road trip.
These benefits were largely lost on the buyers when the Element was launched, thanks to its oddball design. Today, it is the go-to car for some subcultures, like surfers and campers, thanks to its versatility. You’ll even find some decent examples going for near $10,000 on the used market. The Element is a brilliant, boxy SUV that was ahead of its time, offering more than buyers were looking for then.
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
Average Used Price: $7,807
Seems like there’s no dearth of ugly duckling crossovers before modern crossovers got too popular, and the 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser was one of them. It’s often considered a proto-crossover and one of the first cars to dip its toes into the retro trend. That still couldn’t save it from being ugly, though; it had a tall roof, cartoonish proportions, and retro-hot-rod elements that are still the subject of memes today.
As is the case with most oddball SUVs, the PT Cruiser was still cheap, practical, and not so bad to drive. It even won “car of the year” awards back in the day! While enthusiasts were busy hating the car, people who prioritized practicality or nostalgia appreciated it. The PT Cruiser community is still going strong today with regular meetups, and the car is also loved by ironic collectors looking for something unique.
2001 Pontiac Aztek
Average Used Price: $8,233
The 2001 Pontiac Aztek is the ultimate ugly duckling of the car world, so much so that its confusing design has made it an automotive icon today. Pontiac expected to sell 75,000 Aztecs a year, yet even in its best year, it barely sold 28,000, despite being a capable and practical crossover underneath. Unfortunately (or fortunately), its ugly design eclipsed anything good about the car, and it makes you wonder: how could a design team think this was good, who approved it, and why was it pushed into production?
Today, the Aztek has experienced a revival, and you can thank one man for it: Walter White of Breaking Bad. The highly rated TV show has turned the car into a pop culture icon and a member of the TV Hall of Fame. People today love it for its questionable design, and some are even willing to pay a premium in the used market for it. It’s like that bad movie that you know is bad, but still enjoy it anyway.
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1987 Jeep Wrangler YJ
Average Used price: $13,817
The 1987 Jeep Wrangler YJ represented the first big revolution in Jeep’s design since the mid-40s. It underwent drastic changes, with a fresh design and Cherokee-derived suspension and interior. These updates made it more composed and safer on the road while retaining the original CJ’s serious off-road chops. But it failed to impress the enthusiasts with its square headlights, which were seen as a departure from tradition.
There’s a good reason for this flack, though. At the time, square headlights represented one of the worst periods in American automotive history, when American cars were getting their rear ends handed to them by Japanese rivals. There was no nostalgic value. But as time has passed, enthusiasts have come to appreciate the YJ’s handsome, refined looks. For many, it now represents one of the best years of the Jeep Wrangler.
1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin
Average Used Price: $25,000
The multi-colored Harlequin concept was first showcased on a Polo, and it got enough attention that Volkswagen pushed it into production on the Polo and Golf. North America received just 264 Golf Harlequins. Each car was first painted a single color, then the factory swapped body panels according to a predefined chart, not randomly, in true German fashion. The roof identified the original base color, and the four-color upholstery matched the exterior paint scheme.
Despite only costing $150 more than the regular Golf, the Harlequin proved to be a flop. Some dealers even re-swapped panels back to a single color to move them. Who knew that the Harlequins would end up becoming a sought-after classic in 2025? Current tracking for the Golf Harlequin is at 107 units, and whenever one pops up for sale, expect to pay a collector’s tax on it.
1992 Mazda RX-7 FD
Average Used Price: $28,922
The third-generation 1992 Mazda RX-7 FD is a masterpiece and one of the hottest Japanese sports cars ever made. It’s lightweight and powered by a 1.3-liter twin-turbo twin-rotor Wankel engine that can rev up to 10,000 RPM, a combination that makes it one of the most revered sports cars of all time. Add to that its Fast & Furious fame, and it’s easy to see why the RX-7 is so well-regarded in the community.
The car has one major flaw: unreliability. The rotary engine’s apex seals keep failing, often requiring expensive engine rebuilds. The high-revving engine also requires high-octane fuel and burns a lot of oil, and the parts are costly, not cheap. It’s the kind of car that looks best in someone else’s garage. Still, for many, the unreliability only adds to the appeal of maintaining a demanding sports car.
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1970 Chevrolet Camaro (2nd Gen)
Average Used Price: $56,493
The second-generation Chevrolet Camaro completely broke away from the original model in terms of design. For the first time, the Camaro was built on its own platform, which gave designers complete freedom of expression. The new Camaro’s design was inspired by the ‘60s European grand tourers, like the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, while still packing American muscle underneath. There wasn’t anything like it at the time.
Traditional muscle car fans mocked the second-generation Camaro for its design, particularly the fastback rear end and curvy proportions. It was criticized for softening up a muscle car into a grand tourer. But this same design that was once mocked is now celebrated by enthusiasts. This car is considered by many as a pure Camaro, thanks to its dramatic proportions and muscular form.
Source: Bring A Trailer, Classic.com