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Older fat Americans, with bad backs and bad knees (I speak as one) find getting in and out of low down sedans a physical problem. CUV, SUVs, trucks etc are far easier to fall in and out of.
CUV = crossover utility vehicle
I have friends in their 30's who won't ride in my Sonata, they claim they can't get in and out of it, and that the ride "beats them up". The only way they'll ride with me anywhere is if we take my Tundra.
They are basically a mini SUV built on a compact car platform. I think the term overlaps with a crossover vehicle, correct me if that's not the case. I think a crossover can be large as long as it's based on a car platform, CUV I think of vehicles like Chevy Trax and Honda HRV. Either / or CUV and crossovers lack the heavy frame of a truck or true SUV, recognizing most owners never go off road. Today they get only slightly worse fuel economy than a mid sized car.
I work for GM as an industry analyst, I forecast sales for a living. In general the industry considers any utility vehicle based on a unibody platform a crossover (CUV = crossover utility vehicle) and any utility on a truck frame an SUV. Size has nothing to do with the industry segmenting something as a CUV. For example, at GM we segment the Chevy Traverse as a Midsize CUV. Competing CUV's would include the current Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander etc. We segment the Equinox and Terrain as Compact CUVs and the Trax and Encore as Small CUVs. The only models in our current lineup we segment as SUVs are the K2 based models which are the Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade.
Prior to working at GM I worked for a supplier and this is the common way the industry segments models today. Not trying to be snarky or anything, just kind of an FYI for you and others.
And as far as the topic of the post goes, yes, sedan sales have absolutely been trending downward. It has been going on for several years now with no signs of stopping. It is most pronounced among midsize sedans. Large sedan sales haven't been very high for several years and are largely determined by fleet sales. The midsize sedan buyers generally go to a compact crossover, so think of a Malibu buyer trading in their car for an Equinox. Compact car sales have held on relatively well, but with more Small CUVs hitting he market those sales are also under pressure. For example, in Honda's showroom the HR-V is attractive to some Civic buyers.
As others have pointed out, there is virtually no fuel economy penalty for moving to crossovers anymore. Many people prefer the higher seating position for visibility as well as easier ingress and egress. The wide availability of AWD appeals to many in northern climates. These are just some of a myriad of reasons people are moving to CUV's.
In addition to that, midsize sedan design has changed over the last decade. Notice how the current generation Fusion or Malibu had a sloped roofline in the back and how the previous generations didn't. This makes getting in and out of the back a lot harder. This isn't the reason for the shift, just an observation.
the mid size sedan buyer really wants a full size, but dont want that v8 gas consumption. So that mid size v6 sedan would be attractive to that crowd, the 2 dr v6 crowd, usually step up to the sedan. So, that dark v6 sedan with leather and a sunroof offers sporty luxary.
I am a fan of small 4 dr wagons, protege5, 3 series wagons, but not so much mid size wagons, so the mid size wagon has died with the small SUV's popularity. And only the germans make a big body wagon now, I guess Europeans still like their estate wagons, I like them too, but they must be sporty.
On the outs are mid size wagons, smaller mini vans, Large suvs. Slowly sying along with the large V8 will soon be the Large Box Vans, as the Euro versions are already here.
I have friends in their 30's who won't ride in my Sonata, they claim they can't get in and out of it, and that the ride "beats them up". The only way they'll ride with me anywhere is if we take my Tundra.
We have a Sonata and it is a great car. We are retired and have no problems getting in or out. And the ride does not beat us up. And it get a lot better mileage than a CUV. If we need to haul anything, my pickup can handle it.
Lift the Honda Civic, add $5500 and call it the CR-V.
Lift the Toyota Corolla, add $5500 and call it RAV 4.
Lift the Subaru Impreza, add $5500 and call it Crosstrek.
Lift the Mazda 3, add $5500 and call it Mazda cx-5.
1. Take compact car.
2. Lift it up.
3. Add $5500
4. Market it to Ladies.
5. Profit$$$$$
Lift the Honda Civic, add $5500 and call it the CR-V.
Lift the Toyota Corolla, add $5500 and call it RAV 4.
Lift the Subaru Impreza, add $5500 and call it Crosstrek.
Lift the Mazda 3, add $5500 and call it Mazda cx-5.
1. Take compact car.
2. Lift it up.
3. Add $5500
4. Market it to Ladies.
5. Profit$$$$$
I had my Volkswagen GTI lifted and now call it a Tiguan, Guano for short.
What I appreciate in my CUV has already been noted, visibility, climbing in and out, etc. One point to add is cargo room in a small footprint. It takes up less space to park than the Benz, but has much more cubic ft to work with and easier to load/unload.
I'm a childless guy but if I had to fart around with children and their seats, I'd only consider SUV/CUV's too.
Yep same with trucks. It's a height war. Eventually everyone will be driving monster trucks if this keeps up heh.
I'm sticking with hatchbacks. The perfect vehicle imo. A crossover is usually just a lifted hatchback with worse handling and mpg.
The handiest hatchback I ever had was a Daytona with a 4-banger. It had excellent mileage, great handling, and plenty of cargo space. So of course, Dodge quit making them.
Mid-sized sedans may be less popular, but for a second car, they are a better value than another CUV.
My wife drives a Ford Escape because she loves the high seating position, the excellent forward visibility due to its sloping hood design, the small footprint for easy parking, the heated seats, the large display for the backup camera, and the automated hatch.
But I drive a Ford Fusion because it has more seating space, it fits my 6'4" body better, it has better handling, a better ride, better fuel economy, it's quieter and it cost much less than the Escape.
I think it has to do with AWD. People in the North are convinced that they need AWD in the snow, and aside from Subaru (who is doing well), there are very few choices for an AWD Sedan.
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