Sure, appearance is totally subjective, and what makes one person gag is another's masterpiece of form. However, judging by a cross section of reviews I've read the vast majority opinion is that the Mirai, Clarity and 4th gen. Prius' looks are considered polarizing, ugly or a weirdmobile, and that the Prime is an improvement on the Prius and the others (which is why Toyota is tweaking the Prius to look more like the Prime). Offhand, I can't recall a single professional review of any of the first three that called them attractive*. Is there any doubt that if any of the above looked like the Model S (or the Ford Fusion ftm) that they would appeal to more people? I personally find the Clarity looks reasonably normal from the side, but the front and rear are aesthetic disasters (although the front isn't as bad as the Mirai). It shares the rear-view ugliness with some of the Civic hatches I've seen recently.
*Here's the kindest I found about the Clarity:
But the Clarity wasn’t as ugly in person as I thought it might be, given the jarring funkiness of cars like the Toyota Prius Prime and Toyota Mirai. Aerodynamics shaped the Clarity, resulting in its Star Wars-ish face, but the unusual lines and angles are well integrated into the overall design and flow nicely. The result is an uncommon appearance that’s not entirely weird.
In the rear, you might be reminded of the short-lived Accord Crosstour, the car seemingly inspired by a certain Sir Mix-a-Lot song about bottoms. The Clarity looks like a hatchback, with its sloping rear roofline that blends into its bodacious booty, but it’s actually a sedan.
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/latest ... -1.3764564
I've got to wonder if that reviewer prefers the 4th Gen. Prius' looks to the Prime, which would put them in an extreme minority.
