Automakers are constantly churning out new and updated models, but not all of them are successful.

Quite the opposite, in fact, as some are downright hated by the public. The reasons vary, but sometimes it’s a questionable design while others it’s an iconic name being revived on a model that doesn’t seem up to snuff.

That brings us to our question of the day: what car was initially hated, but deserves a second look? There’s no shortage of answers, but one of the most obvious is Pontiac’s attempt to revive the GTO by rebadging the Holden Monaro.

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The effort felt half hearted as the GTO looked nothing like its predecessors and instead featured a generic design, which already seemed dated. It was the complete opposite of what Dodge would later do with the Challenger as that model was clearly inspired by the past and had the looks to prove it.

While it wasn’t a looker, the 2004 Pontiac GTO checked all the enthusiast boxes thanks to rear-wheel drive and a 5.7-liter V8 engine with 350 hp (261 kW / 355 PS) and 365 lb-ft (494 Nm) of torque. Moreover, customers could also replace the standard four-speed automatic with an optional six-speed manual for an additional $695. With the latter, the coupe could accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.3 seconds and run the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds.

Those numbers are still pretty good today, but the GTO stickered for $32,495 and couldn’t be equipped with popular options such as heated front seats, a sunroof, navigation or OnStar. While those features were MIA, the 2+2 coupe did have leather, alloy pedals, and a 10-speaker Blaupunkt audio system with a six-disc CD changer.

Unfortunately, reaction to the car ranged from lukewarm to accusations it wasn’t a true GTO. Sales were modest as 13,569 units were sold in 2004, but that fell short of the company’s projections of 16,000 to 18,000 units annually.

The 2005 GTO received a number of welcome upgrades, including a new 6.0-liter V8 pumping out 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS) and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) of torque. However, the changes didn’t bolster sales and the GTO was phased out in 2006, shortly before Pontiac was eliminated altogether.

The GTO is just one example and there are countless other vehicles that were hated at launch, but deserve a shot at redemption. One of them could be the Pontiac Aztek (did it really deserve all that hate?), but let us know which cars you think got a bad rap but seem not so bad with the passage of time in the comments below.