Ok, I think I should do a world summary as well...
1) American
A) General Motors
- Chevrolet: B+... Their styling has gotten progresively cleaner and although not as pronounced as DCX in the sedans, the look in clean and attactive. Still waiting for that must-have model in terms of looks, could be the Camaro.
-GMC: D... Throw a new grille and tail lights on a truck and call it a GMC? I like the Denali lineup, but that literally is all that GMC has going for it.
-Pontiac: B... Although they are still upmarket Chevrolets, Pontiac gets good marks for clean designs as well. Dropping the cladding and the Aztec helped out their lineup a great deal, and the new G6 Coupe and Solstice look great.
-Saturn B+...: It always has been the crazy cousin at GM. Going European by using Opel and Vauxhall models is the right way to go to keep costs down and interest high... But I still hate the looks of the updated VUE.
-Buick: C... Yeah, they are for old people, but that doesnt mean the cars cant atleast be attractive to everyone. The lines are good, and they are attractive, but they arent as good as what DCX has to offer.
- Saab: B-... They are still Saabs, but they arent the Saabs they used to be.
- Cadillac: A+... By far the best looking brand at GM, the "Art and Science" theme has worked out great for the entire line. Big props go to the CTS and STS for standing out in their respective markets.
- Vauxhall/Holden: A... Some designs are still a bit too quirky, but they are attractive overall. The pronounced grille is a good look, and when the cars are available in VXR trim, they are some of the best looking cars in their classes.
B) Ford Motor Company
-Ford: B... Designs are a breath of fresh air, but they are becoming more of a forign influenced design company that an outright American design company. Cars like the Mustang and GT are the crown jewels and are easily the best looking cars in their lineup.
- Mercury: F... As the rival to Buick, they suck. Thowing a watterfall grille on a car and expecting it to grab a few grand more is obsurd, but they sell well here.
- Linclon: C+... The designs are changing, but the majority of them are rebadged Ford designs or cars and trucks that havent changed a whole lot since 1999. Its getting better, but untill they replace the Towncar and LS, they arent going to get good marks.
- Jaguar: B+... I love British cars, and these continue to set pretty high marks overall. The new XK cars are sexy, and do a much better job recalling the old XKE and the previous XK models. The XJR is still my favorite super-sedan even with the performance shortcommings, and only the Maseratti Quattroporte comes close in good looks.
- Aston Martin: A+++... These are what cars should look like when they come from Britan. Any one of their models are drop-dead-gorgeous, and the V8-Vantage continues to be another one of my "most-wanted" cars. If the Raptide goes into production, it may surpass the XJR as my favorite super-sedan.
- Land Rover: B... Not a whole lot has changed, and yet a lot did. The Range Rover Sport is a looker, and I wouldnt mind having one. But at the same time, the new ML and GL SUVs from Mercedes look rather nice and perform just as well.
- Mazda: B+... The looks are good, and much better than Toyota. The "Zoom Zoom" style looks great on every model, but they are going to need to be refreshed soon. The 6 is still great, the 5 is outstanding, and the 3 continues to be a good predecessor to the Protoge... Oh, and the MX5 is damn near perfect.
- Volvo: B... They are somewhat better in the style department than their Sweedish compeditors, but at the same time they are rather boring. The new C70 is awesome, and a comparison to the VW Eos is in need.
C) DCX
- Chrysler: D(A+ for certain cars)... Other than the 300 and the Crossfire, they suck. The designs havent changed for several years, and it seems as though they dont plan to change them. The 300 and the Crossfire are great cars in terms of classic American style, and if they could make all of their cars look like that, they would sell much better.
- Dodge: B... The Charger, Magnum, and Caliber look great, and the new Ram looks much better than it's predecessor... But the same can be said with Chrysler, the other models need to be restyled or canceled all together.
- Mitsubish: D+... What is there other than the Evolution? The Eclipse? Thats what the + is for...
- Mercedes-Benz: C+/B-... Its hard to decide because it seems like every model is going in a different direction. While the new S-Class looks like it is trying to look like the BMW 7-series, the SLK and CLS look like they were heavily influenced by their Italian compeditors. I still like the MB look overall, but they need to find a style niche like BMW and Audi to capture those of us who dont have brand preferences.
- SMART: ?... Hmm, Ive never seen one up close, so I really cant talk too much about it.
2) Europe
A) BMW
- BMW: B... They are some of the better looking German sedans, but overall Bangle has messed up some of the models. The 1-series and 3-series are the lookers, but the 7-series and Z4 are just a bit too "lumpy" to be as good looking as the Audi and MB products they compete with.
- MINI: A+... I still love 'em, and I still want one. I cant wait to see what the updated models will look like...
- Rolls-Royce: D... They arent as beautiful as they used to be, and if they go the way of the 1000X, God save the Queen.
B) Volkswagen
- VW: A+... These cars are awesome, and set the standard in their respective classes both inside and out. The Eos is what the Wolfsburg-based company needs, and it will be interesting hearing about the new Passat "coupe" and possible Corrado follow-up that should add some spice to the respectable German brand.
- Audi: A+... All I have to say is R8, S8, S6, and S4...
- Skoda/Seat: ?... I cant give a full rating, but the cars appear to be attractive.
- Bentley: A+... Much better than their former partners Rolls-Royce, Bentley is a British Marque backed up with German engineering. I love the Continental Flying Spur, but the GT leaves much to be desired.
- Bugatti: A+... Beautiful, elegant, and really f'ing fast. Sweet...
- Lamborghini: B+... They are still great looking cars, but after Audi turned the amp down from 11 to 9, they just arent the same Lambos anymore... I miss the Countach...
C) FIAT SpA
- FIAT: C-... They are good looking on a level with Renault, but I can see why the company has problems.
- Lancia: ?... Are they still making these cars?
- Alfa-Romeo: B... They are still great cars that capture the look and feel of Italia, and it is a great dissapointment that they arent sold in the US. Cross your fingers for 2008!
- Maseratti: A+... Next to Aston Martin, they are some of the best looking European cars available in the US. Although some of their mechanicals leave much to be desired, the style makes up for it ten-fold.
- Ferrari: B... I love the F430 and 612 Scalagetti, but I'm still not sure about the 599 (Imola?)...
D) Renault/Nissan
- Renault: B...I like their cars, a lot. Even if I have a vendetta against France, the Clio and Megane are good looking cars available at an "affordable" price. Although Renault may not come to the US, a few models may get rebadged as Nissan products... I'm waiting on a Clio Sport...
- Nissan: B-... I still dont like the looks of the current Maxima, Sentra, and Murano. Their saving grace will be the GTR, assuming the 350Z doesnt pick up the slack.
- Infiniti: A... They fair better than their Nissan sisters because of the good styling of the G35, M, F, and Q class vehicles. They are edgy and yet subtle enough to have even my parents looking at them and saying "Wow, that looks better than a Mercedes..."
E) Peugot/Citroen
- Both: A+/F... I really dont know what to give them. While the 207 and the Citroen variant (C3?) are cool looking cars, I dont think I would ever be caught dead in one. And what the hell is the 607 Coupe? They get an A+ for execution, but an F- on overall performance.
3) Japan
A) Honda: B... I like the looks of the Fit and the slight upgrade on the American-market Accord, but they missed the mark on the Civic... Its too edgy. The S2000 is still awesome.
B) Acura: B... They arent that different from Honda, I guess. The TSX (European Accord) is a great car in the looks department, but I dont like the new RL and RDX. Some of their cars look like they took Saabs and folded them up like Oragami, but they still dont look that bad I guess.
C) Toyota: D-/F... Their cars are UGLY. There isnt any way around it other than the new FJ. The FJ looks great, but it wont save an entire company.
D) Lexus: C+... They are trying to hard to be the Japanese BMW, and it shows. Their designs are too swoopy, and yet too tonned down at the same time... Crazy Japanese designers...
