Although enthusiasts know that there’s much more to a car than just the way it looks, there’s certainly something to be said for design. It’s the attribute of a vehicle that people spend the most time interacting with and it taps right into that part of the brain that decides whether we will favor or reject something.

The question, then, of what the most annoying modern design trend is an important one. What trend do curiously bespectacled and amply bescarved designers like that the rest of the world just doesn’t vibe with?

Two clear front-runners in the race for the title of worst design trend are the fake exhaust outlet and the faux scoop. Haters can be found from humble commenters to designers, such as Frank Stephenson.

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Offering no mechanical function, these back-bumper-mounted exhaust outlets and plastic-covered air scoops sit on thrones of lies and write checks the rest of the vehicle can’t cash, so it makes sense that people despise them. My hot take, though, is that they aren’t all that bad. This isn’t a hill I’m willing to die on, but I begrudge no one their aesthetic aspirations, be they genuine or not, so long as they aren’t egregious.

The modern move towards massive grilles, I suspect, may also show up as a popular answer. Although much maligned on BMWs, some cars wear their big grilles well. Can the trend truly be said to be at fault if it’s simply that some brands can’t manage it?

My suggestion is that the trend for giant wheels is actually the most annoying in modern design. Though undeniably attractive, big wheels mean low profile tires, and that results in a less comfortable ride, which I cannot abide in all but the sportiest of cars. They also scratch on curbs more easily and get ugly faster. If that’s not annoying, I don’t know what is.

What do you think, though? What’s the most annoying modern design trend?