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I'll choose a sedan over a CUV any day. Different tasks call for different vehicles. If/when I need to haul things and transport things, I'll get a truck/SUV. Until then, I love the low center of gravity, better mileage, and cooler looks of my sports sedan.
The jeep was not that popular, and didn't start the craziness. The Explorer started it. Jeep came up with a new Grand Cherokee, but the Explorer was the popular one. This is based on my memory of that time. I was part of the engineering team of a supplier that designed some parts for both the Explorer and the Grand Cherokee.
I know the Explorer was very popular when it first came out, but the Grand Cherokee of the late 80s were popular as well. I drove from coast to coast during that time, because I was in the navy at San Diego and was from the east coast, I remember seeing the Cherokee everywhere. Ford wanted a piece of that pie, so they came out with the Explorer in 1991, and it was a big hit for them. Similar to how Chrysler started the mini van, and other car companies copied it and made better versions of it.
There are people out there who a sedan works just fine for. It's like different strokes for different folks, or whatever works for them at the time. I had large SUVs and big pickups trucks for years, but I switched to a sedan a few years ago, my very first sedan ever and I loved it. A big powerful V8 with nearly 500hp, and lots of get up and go, it was a blast to drive. I traded it earlier this year on a Hellcat Challenger.
CUVs are basically minivans without sliding doors to me.
Now a Yukon or some other real BOF truck I might choose over a sedan.
Most SUV/CUV is driven by soccer moms. The proliferation of female buyers help the craze. Auto makers have admitted they design certain vehicles to the cater to the female buyers.
I wouldn't choose a sedan or a CUV, nor a pickup, SUV, etc. Two doors and two seats are plenty for me, always have been and always will be.
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For my father and step-mom, there's one very simple, silly reason. Their garage has a supporting / structural beam across it, which limited how far backward the opener could be mounted, which in turn limits how far up the door can furl up. At full open the door still hangs down below the brick. Idiotic design for sure, but as they always park in the garage, this limits the roof height of their vehicles. There's hardly any if any SUV/CUV that will fit under the bottom lip of the door. Father drives a 2001 Corvette with under 70K miles, step-mom has a 2017 Honda Accord sedan "sport" model.
While trucks and SUVs have certainly ballooned in size over the years, so have the family sedans. Nowadays the average sedan is ~ 192 inches long and 73 inches wide... that's both longer and wider than a 1990s Ford Explorer, the model that started the mainstream proliferation of SUVs. Back in those days driving an SUV meant driving a bigger, heavier vehicle, sacrificing fuel economy, comfort, and driveability, as they were all built on truck platforms. But with crossovers like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4, etc. none of those sacrifices have to be made. The crossovers are all roughly 181 inches long and 73 inches wide yet have much more useful space despite being shorter lenghwise, since like hatchbacks they lack a trunk. Most consumers aren't going to invest in snow tires, so it's better to have AWD and higher ground clearance of a CUV than a sedan with FWD and lower ground clearance. It's also advantageous because it's easier to see from a higher ride height, and let's face it with more people than ever before driving 4500+ lb. vehicles as daily drivers nowadays, and more people than ever before driving distracted, when you inevitably get t-boned by an idiot in such a vehicle who blew a stop sign or traffic signal because they were text messaging text messaging, you'll be much better protected in a CUV than you would in a sedan or even worse a compact car. While the statistics show that CUV/SUV sales have surpassed sedan sales as of late, why do so many people still choose the sedan over the more functional CUV?
Sedans drive better.
Price is usually lower. Camry is slightly cheaper than a RAV4. Passenger area is close enough to equivalent but the RAV4 has much more cargo room.
Better gas mileage with Camry.
The extra weight, which isn't much, isn't really going to help any in a t-bone collision.
Why do people choose inferior CUVs over superior sedans that drive better, are cheaper, and get better gas mileage? Image and cargo room. CUVs offer a lot of utility at a relatively low price in terms of mileage, driveability, and purchase price. Personally I drive hatchbacks. Not quite as practical as a CUV but drive more like a sedan. I like the practicality but 20 cubic feet of trunk space, 40 with seats folded flat is sufficient for my uses. If I could get away with Miata practicality, I'd drive a Miata. My dogs would not be happy with me though.
While shopping for CUVs, I was surprised that most have a choppy ride. I thought the worst ride was in the 2014 Honda CRV. However, it was redesigned after that and I think its ride has improved. If I was shopping for a new CUV, I'd first look at that one.
But for me, I still prefer a sedan. Different strokes for different folks!
I can't speak for a 2014 Honda CR-V, but my 2017 CR-V certainly rides as smoothly, or almost as smoothly as my old Camry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover
If you frequently need to transport bulky things, such as large pet crates or big boxes, a CUV makes more sense.
For someone that does a lot of highway driving, the sedan has an advantage with fuel economy due to better aerodynamics. Even though a Camry and a RAV4 have the same powertrain, the Camry will be more efficient at higher speeds.
Actually the Camry and the RAV4 don't have the same powertrain. The 2018 Camry has a new base 2.5L I4 and a new upmarket 3.5L V6, both coupled to an 8AT. The RAV4 powertrain is a generation behind with old 2.5/6AT with no upmarket engine option since 2013. The RAV4's powertrain is one of the many things that dissuaded me from replacing my Camry with a RAV4.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlobeGuy
CUV is a compromise, all else equal it needs a stiffer suspension to prevent roll overs and to attempt to match a sedan's maneuverability which means choppier ride. Often times even with these measure it still can't compete with sedan when it comes to maneuverability.
Also a compact CUV is going to be more expensive than a midsize sedan, and it's not going to have the same amenities that midsize sedan has and with cheaper interior materials. Manufacturers have spent lots of money marketing SUV/CUV, you are going to pay for that marketing whenever you buy one.
All of those things were true at one point, but CUVs have come along way since then. My CR-V rides as smoothly as most grocery-getter sedans. It was also cheaper (under $29,000) than a similarly equipped Accord or Camry and the interior is equally upscale i.e. heated leather seats with driver's seat memory, AC/heat vents in the back, leather wrapped steering wheel, dual zone automated climate control, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BostonMike7
I dislike CUV's, SUV's and prefer to be lower to the ground in a sedan/coupe.
I don't dispute their usefulness, but when it comes to a vehicle I want to drive every single day to/from work, i'll take a sedan/coupe over a SUV/SUV/truck any day
Fair enough.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffD
I split the difference and combined an SUV and a hatchback into an Outback. Sitting in it, it's a Legacy Sedan but lifted 3". If I blindfolded you and told you you were in a Japanese large appliance sedan like an Avalon, you'd have a tough time figuring out you were in an Outback. I couldn't pretend it's my girlfriend's Volvo S80 but it's not much different a high trim level large Toyota sedan.
You could probably say the same thing about my Honda CR-V.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ipaper
There are people out there who a sedan works just fine for. It's like different strokes for different folks, or whatever works for them at the time. I had large SUVs and big pickups trucks for years, but I switched to a sedan a few years ago, my very first sedan ever and I loved it. A big powerful V8 with nearly 500hp, and lots of get up and go, it was a blast to drive. I traded it earlier this year on a Hellcat Challenger.
That's a bit of an apples to oranges comparison. I don't think anyone would consider a Dodge Hellcat a sedan, that's a performance car so there's obviously a big difference in driving experience. When I say sedan I mean grocery-getters like a Camry, Accord, Sonata, etc. This class of automobiles obviously drives nothing like a performance car, so it offers very little advantage in driveability over a CUV.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirtiger
Most SUV/CUV is driven by soccer moms. The proliferation of female buyers help the craze. Auto makers have admitted they design certain vehicles to the cater to the female buyers.
Perhaps, but I don't choose my car based on image, I choose it based on function. I choose my firearms the same way. You won't see a 2 1/2 ton behemoth parked in my garage, and likewise you won't find a .500 magnum hand cannon in my gun safe.
then every station wagon we have ever had should be classed as a CUV then? or should they be classed as a sedan?
Certainty should be classed as station wagon, it's got a lot of space but certainly nothing compared to a station wagon. Back in the 80's my parents had a Caprice classic station wagon I got use after getting my license. Lot's of good times in that car. That was boat and half, even had the back seat in the rear.
Generally a sedan will offer better performance (acceleration, handling, braking) and a quieter vehicle for comparable cost.
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