Editor's Note: This article first appeared atCarInsurance.com. Click here for the original post.

The Chevrolet Spark EV ignited the most reaction among driverswho were asked to rank the most unappealing redesigned or new 2014model cars. The Spark takes the No. 1 ranking for ugliest.

We asked Kelsey Mays, consumer affairs editor at Cars.com, toidentify the new and redesigned 2014 vehicles that seem to causethe most negative reaction. We then surveyed 2,000 drivers andasked them to rank the cars by ugliness.

[Click here to jump to therankings.]

Mays said he was a bit surprised the Spark EV, which is anelectric model sold only in a few states such as California andOregon, topped the list because it looks similar to the standardSpark model, which has sold well. “They did things like close upthe grill, because on electric vehicles that improves aerodynamics,which improves efficiency, so it makes sense it looks the way itdoes, but it didn't sit well with the eyes of survey respondents,”he said.

Respondents gave the following as reasons why people would buy aSpark EV:

They want to be “different”: 42%

That's all they could afford: 25%

They don't know it's ugly: 19%

Other: 13%

In car design, sometimes size matters. Mays noted that the topfive models are all small hatchbacks, which may be why driversfound them less desirable.

“People associate size with humbleness, so to speak, so theywill see a small hatchback as not so pretty, and also make acorrelation between a cheap car and an ugly car. For instance theMirage is one of the least expensive on the market,” said Mays. “Ifthe cars were bigger, but had the same nose, grill and headlights,I'm curious if it would change the perception because the design ison a larger vehicle that looks more expensive.”

When drivers wrote in their own reasons for why people buy uglycars, many blamed a car's fuel efficiency. The Spark EV, forinstance, is an electric car that is billed as getting a 119combined city/highway MPG fuel economy equivalent, according toChevrolet.

Thanks, but no thanks!

It appears beauty is in the eye of the beholder, even when itcomes to car design. “The Soul and the Cherokee are selling likecrazy,” said Mays, “so clearly a polarizing style is not impactingthe sales for those cars.”

Nine percent of respondents have declined a ride because thedriver's car was too ugly– and more men (14 percent) than women (5percent) have refused a ride in a grimace-mobile. But men are morelikely to buy an ewwww-evoking car if it means saving money.

Forty-one percent of drivers surveyed said they would buy anugly car if it was less expensive than others on their list, and 45percent of men, compared to 36 percent of women, said they'd doso.

All but the BMW i3 and i8 models in our survey cost well belowthe average new car price of $33,754 as reported by Kelley BlueBook analysts. For example, the Spark EV is $19,995, the Kia Soulis $15,495, the Fiat 500L is $19,900 and the Mirage is $12,995.

Among those who would buy an ugly car if it were cheaper thangood-looking cars, here's how much they'd have to save to close thedeal:

• $1,001-$5,000 – 47% (Women: 45%; Men: 49%)
• $5,001 or more – 26% (Women: 29%; Men: 23%)
• $501-$1,000 – 21% (Women: 17%; Men: 23%)
• $100-$500 – 7% (Women: 9%; Men 5%)

It's not what you say, it's how you sayit

When a friend or relative buys a frightful; car, the majority ofthose surveyed said they'd respond diplomatically, although twiceas many men as women said they'd be blunt about their opinion. Hereis how they'd respond:

• “Not my style, but good for you!” – 70% (Men:65%; Women: 74%)
• Lie and say you think the car is a terrific choice –19% (Men:19%; Women: 19%)
• “That is ugly and I can't believe you bought that” –12% (Men:16%; Women: 8%)

New car-purchase considerations

The cost of a car is the most important factor people considerwhen shopping for a new vehicle, while the cost to insure a car isthe least. However, it's wise to budget forcarinsurance as you shop for a new car. You don't want tofind out the cost of insuring a vehicle makes it unaffordable afteryou've already fallen in love it, or even worse, bought it. Inaddition to your driving record and where you live, car insurancecompanies consider the type of car you drive – how safe it is andhow costly it is to repair – among other variables when settingyour rates.

Here's how drivers ranked the importance of factors in a carpurchase:

• Purchase price – 36% said this is the most importantfactor; 10% said least important.
• Safety ratings – 28% said most important; 12% saidleast.
• Driving performance – 19% said most important factor; 12%said least.
• How the car looks – 10% said most important; 36% saidleast.
• Cost of insurance– 7% said most important; 32% said least.

Methodology: CarInsurance.com commissionedan online-panel survey of 2,000 drivers in September 2014.Respondents ranked 10 vehicles that were new or redesigned for2014.

Click through the following pages to see the ugliest cars of2014. (Average ugliness score in parenthesis.)

#10 – BMW i8 (3.59)

#9 – Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid (4.1)

#8 – Jeep Cherokee (4.82)

#7 – Mitsubishi Outlander (4.95)

#6 – Toyota 4Runner (5.13)

#5 – Mitsubishi Mirage (5.72)

#4 – BMW i3 (6.14)

#3 – Fiat 500L (6.48)

#2 – Kia Soul (6.74)

#1 – Chevrolet Spark EV (7.25)