QOTD: What Car Looks Better in Person Than in Pics?

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

The Acura Integra has been generating a lot of conversation since it launched. I finally scheduled one for a test loan, and I am excited to drive it, even though it will be a while before that date (we often schedule cars at least a month out, and two months out is not uncommon).

That said, I haven't been enamored with its looks, at least in pictures.


Nor has at least one other staffer, whose name rhymes with Morrie. But here's the thing -- I've also seen the Integra up close a couple of times now. Once at a local event back in December, and a few times on the street. I find it much, much better looking in person, especially in A-Spec guise with dark gray paint and blacked-out wheels. That's the color combo on the one I saw at the event -- and I think it's the exact car I will be testing.

This happens a lot in this business. Sometimes you see a new car for the first time in photos, not in person -- we can't make it to every shrimp-filled launch event -- and think it's an uggo. Then you get a chance to see it up close at an auto show or on a dealer lot, or one shows up at your door, and you realize it looks much better in person.

The opposite also happens, but not nearly as often. It sorta happened to me with the new Prius -- I dug it in photos but was a bit underwhelmed seeing it in person a couple of months ago.

Anyway, I am sure this has happened to you, too, as a consumer and/or car enthusiast. This phenomenon isn't limited to automotive journalists, though maybe we notice it more.

What car gave you the creeps in photos but turned your head in person?

Sound off below.

[Image: Acura]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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2 of 38 comments
  • L.Hutz L.Hutz on Feb 10, 2023

    Lexus LC500. In photos, it gave me SC430 vibes, which was an absolutely hideous car. When I saw the LC500 in person for the first time, I was stunned at how beautiful it was.

  • Allamericanred Allamericanred on Feb 15, 2023

    As a 2 time Acura owner I was disappointed when I saw the TLx pics but in person I love it every time I see it on the road.

  • Slavuta What's the yield from Biden's cancer fund? Or just anything Biden yielded?
  • Yuda Yeah with all the friggin problems these things have, last thing we need is more of these things messing up and clogging the roads
  • Wjtinfwb Nice car and looks well cared for. The accessories are mostly for vanity, their value is in the eye of the buyer. I see zero value in them but I like bone stock if buying used. The problem this seller has is his spec is not at all unique; not a manual, no Shaker hood, attractive, but conservative color. Today, AutoTrader has 130 used 2015-2018 Challenger Hemi's with automatics available. The average price is abut 27,200 and mileage is slightly lower than this example at about 40k miles. Almost all are at dealers where a decent negotiator should be able to knock $1500-2500 off the ask. This is a 25k car, the buyer may not believe it but stats would say otherwise.
  • FreedMike I don't need to know anything about this model per se, but I'd be very interested in knowing if Mazda is going to be using the tech from the PHEV CX-90/70 model - which is darned nice, by the way - on other Mazdas.
  • Turbo Is Black Magic Honestly at this point Elon is more of a liability than an asset. How much does the board have to pay to just get rid of him?
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