Are Boring Cars Bad?

Just because the sheet metal looks ho-hum doesn't mean the machine is a dud. Here are 10 new vehicles that, on the surface, are as dull as dishwater but deliver where it counts.

By Lawrence Ulrich of MSN Autos

If you really want to get under a car buff's skin, all you have to do is call their vehicle "boring." It's the automotive equivalent of telling a woman she's "plain jane" or a guy "you're sweet," and will either send the gearhead into a fit of rage or reduce them to tears.

Yet some cars that catch flak for being dull are among the most popular, best-selling models in America. So what gives? At heart, the boring-car debate — which has raged for decades — spotlights the line that forever divides and defines two types of consumer: the car lover who lives to drive, and the car buyer who just wants dependable transportation. Take one guess to determine which group is larger.

"Boring typically equals a safe choice, and that's a driving factor for vehicle sales," says Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry analysis for TrueCar.com, a fledgling automotive pricing site. "Nobody is going to question why you bought a Toyota Camry." A Ferrari — well, that's another story entirely.

For perennial best-sellers like the Camry and Honda Accord, mass popularity feeds off itself, Toprak says. If people see a Camry in every other driveway, they reason, "It must be worth a look."

Certainly, many people — from sports-car fanatics to design aficionados — wouldn't be caught dead in a minivan or cookie-cutter family sedan, no matter who makes it. But many more people view those cars as akin to the perfect butler or accountant: unseen and unsung, but oh-so steady, reliable and accommodating that owners can take them for granted.

While most mass-market brands offer their share of wallflowers, it's Toyota that gets the most grief from enthusiasts, who view the Japanese brand as Public Enemy No. 1 for bland styling and sedate performance. To hear gearhead bloggers tell it, Toyota and its Lexus luxury division alone could field an impressive All-Boring Team. At minimum, it includes the Prius, Corolla, Camry and Avalon sedans for Toyota; and for Lexus, the ES 350 and LS 460 sedans and the RX 450h crossover. And while Toyota once churned out Celicas and MR2s, the carmaker today doesn't offer a single sports car in its lineup.

Ironically, Toyota's recent spate of public apologies included an admission that it was building too many boring cars, and a vow to do better. "They say that young people are moving away from cars," CEO Akio Toyoda said in October. "But surely it is us — the automakers — who have abandoned our passion for cars."

Yet Toyoda, and Toyota, might want to keep that opinion private. Consumers know full well that the Lexus RX 450h, for example, isn't designed to stop traffic or race BMWs. That hasn't stopped Americans from making the RX the nation's best-selling luxury crossover, by a wide margin. (And considering all the excitement raised by Toyota's unintended-acceleration recalls, one can imagine the company longing for a return to the days of dull, take-'em-for-granted Toyotas).

While some boring cars fly off the lots, others are widely overlooked. Those include the Mercury Milan sedan, which is always in the shadow of its popular sibling, the Ford Fusion.

To give those cars their 15 minutes of fame, we have compiled this list of the 10 most boring cars currently available at a dullership near you. Not every boring car made the list for the same reasons. Some models, like the Lexus RX or Honda Pilot, may be less than exciting, but we'd still recommended them to a friend or family member with no hesitation. For a few others, such as the Ford Focus, their dullness speaks not simply to a shortage of styling or driving fun, but a shortage of competitiveness against fresher rivals.

The list also avoids some too-easy targets, such as the Cadillac DTS or other ultraconservative sedans that are aimed almost exclusively at the retiree set. And we selected just one minivan, making the point without crowding the list with those notoriously square, sleepy family haulers.

One bit of advice before we begin: If you discover your own car on the boring list, don't start crying. As noted, a car enthusiast would find it an insult. But since you're obviously the practical sort, consider it a compliment.

Yet some cars that catch flak for being dull are among the most popular, best-selling models in America. So what gives?

1. Lexus RX
2. Volvo C70
3. Nissan Versa
4. Toyota Avalon
5. Chrysler Town & Country
6. Mercury Milan
7. Honda Pilot
8. Chevy Impala
9. Subaru Forester
10. Kia Sorento