Who makes these kind of decisions?

by "Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
Published 11/30/2017 at 16:08

Tags: We need to make this car uglier to sell more! ; Toyota ; Rav4
STARS: 3

First of all: pretty amazing I just took the perfect photo to illustrate this point. Okay moving on: today I learned that the facelifted Rav4 (red one) has an incredibly unsightly zit on its ass.

Looks absolutely bigly in person. Why, Toyota? Why?

Replies (24)

"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
11/30/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 0

Does it house anything functional?

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/30/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 1

Backup camera angle.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
11/30/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 1

Maybe a backup camera??

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
11/30/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 0

Couldn’t they have done something a little less boil-ish?

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
11/30/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 1

The same idiot that decided it looked good to have the taillights protruding out of the body.

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/30/2017 at 16:13, STARS: 1

Yes, it houses a Toyota badge that functions as a Toyota badge.

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/30/2017 at 16:17, STARS: 0

Nah, it’s way up under there .

"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
11/30/2017 at 16:24, STARS: 5

"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
11/30/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 1

Pop it. You know you want to.

"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
11/30/2017 at 16:27, STARS: 1

They’ve been doing this shit with headlights for years now too.

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
11/30/2017 at 16:33, STARS: 3

Speaking of Toyota zits, you reminded me of the front camera on the Camry.

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/30/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0

Eh, it’s pretty close to the outer edge. I think they may have done it for a more “down looking” view to assist with trailer hookups?

The thing that throws me off is the part shows to be the same from 2013-2018 for Canada mfg vehicles, and 16-18 for Japanese mfg vehicles. I swear that thing looks different than what I’m used to, and the good Doctor’s photo kind of confirms my thoughts (unless the gray vehicle in his image is non backup).

"BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind" (briangriffinsprius)
11/30/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 2

I love the way my VW’s camera pops out of the logo. It’s gonna break around 50,000 miles, but it’s so cool I don’t care. Plus it doesn’t get all water smudged when it rains.

"C62030" (c62030)
11/30/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 3

Wat.

They have about eight square miles of grille to work with and that’s where they put it?

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/30/2017 at 16:46, STARS: 2

Pre-facelift:

Facelift:

The backup camera pre-facelift is off to the left.

The curve of the taillights and trim panel between them is more of an arc out away from the surface of the hatch, whereas before it kinda comes back in the middle and blends with that surface.

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/30/2017 at 16:51, STARS: 0

I didn’t realize they’d moved the backup camera.

To be honest, from the angle you posted, it looks fine. From the angle Zoidberg posted, it looks like someone nailed a shelf on a bare wall.

(Went looking for a shelf on a wall photo, then saw this, thought it was great, and remembered you’re a cat person, and my ADD has now taken over this post)

"e36Jeff now drives a ZHP" (e36jeff)
11/30/2017 at 16:52, STARS: 0

yeah, but you could’ve put that under the spoiler rather than build a tumor on the back of the car.

"SCARPS22" (SCARPS222)
11/30/2017 at 16:56, STARS: 0

A lot of these weird bulges, you see them on headlights as well, have to do with the air flow over the car.

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/30/2017 at 17:05, STARS: 0

Spoiler is an option (or at least used to be), the finish molding (handle, tag lamp housing) is on every model.

I’m not sure if the distance/angle is an issue, but I’ve never seen a rear camera mounted any higher than the handle in a pickup tailgate. Usually they’re in the housing on the decklid/gate that holds the rear tag lamps on sedans/SUVs.

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/30/2017 at 17:05, STARS: 0

I mean, I only know they moved the backup camera because I went and found these photos and discovered the backup camera had moved. The precise location of Toyota RAV4 backup cameras is not generally something I concern myself with.

"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
11/30/2017 at 17:10, STARS: 0

I’m an oddball. I worked at an independent body shop that served as the local Toyota dealers collision repair shop for years, then for that Toyota dealer when they opened their own shop. I’ve helped disassemble and reassemble more RAV4s than I care to remember.

"benjrblant" (benjblant)
11/30/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 4

On the upside, the top of the tail light is big enough to function as a cupholder.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
11/30/2017 at 17:27, STARS: 3

"Svart Smart, traded in his Smart" (svartsmart)
11/30/2017 at 21:46, STARS: 0

This just seems like incredibly lazy design to me, making the taillights touch the backlight.