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Sedans tend to be quieter. The hatch area tends to act as a road-noise resonator chamber, sometimes with the exhaust note too. That's been my experience having owned plenty of both.
SUVs, minivans and wagons would seem to have the same noise resonator chamber issues as hatchbacks, yet those were all the rage till the past year or so when gas prices finally put a lid on sales. I've owned hatchbacks before, and I knocked down most of the rear road noise by putting insulation fabric around all of the wheel wells, inside the spare tire compartment and any other bare metal in the rear storage area. RV stores sell stuff that works quite well. Also sprayed an extra undercoating layer in the wheel wells and where ever I could get to bare metal surface under the hatch area.
Ford Focus also used to be available in hatch and wagon versions, but I notice they dropped both of those for 2008. The Ford Fiesta is coming back in 2009 or 10, and it'll be interesting to see if they leave it as a hatch like most of the other global small cars that Ford sells.
With my Civic hatchbacks, the Si is a quieter car than the DX. Anyway, today I have a day off from work. So my boyfriend announces that he will be taking the DX hatch to work instead of his usual car, the Integra sedan. I ask why (knowing full well the answer) and make him tell me that it's because the hatch is more fuel efficient and only takes regular gas (the sedan takes premium). In about a week, because the gas prices are so high these days, the Si hatch will be back on the road and the sedan will be on vacation.
Anyway, these days, the Civic hatches are definitely superior to all other cars in our collection. The RX-7 may never be daily driven and just become a track car.
I prefer hatchbacks. Great for grocery shopping. I've had the hatchback model of a Mustang, an Accord, a Firebird and now a Subaru. Two other cars were wagons (Volvo and Datsun). I've never had any broken into. Actually pretty good for hauling stuff. They can be pretty roomy.
SUVs, minivans and wagons would seem to have the same noise resonator chamber issues as hatchbacks, yet those were all the rage till the past year or so when gas prices finally put a lid on sales.
That may be so, but it's not like there's an equivalent alternative in sedan form. With an SUV, the equivalent platform alternative is a pickup, and that's what plenty of people opt for. You don't have the option of an "SUV sedan" unless you count Subaru's goofy "Outback Sports Utility Sedan" (which I don't).
That may be so, but it's not like there's an equivalent alternative in sedan form. With an SUV, the equivalent platform alternative is a pickup, and that's what plenty of people opt for. You don't have the option of an "SUV sedan" unless you count Subaru's goofy "Outback Sports Utility Sedan" (which I don't).
Wouldnt that be the wagon? We do not have a lot of fuel efficient wagon choices here. They won't sell Americans like their sedans, trucks, and SUVs in black, biege and white that's it.
I went to a toyota dealership and the sale person tried to get me to buy the sedan. I'm like but I want the hb. She said we are all out and we get very few of those compared to the sedans because Americans do not like small cars since they are too big to fit in them.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Sorry to recycle this old thread, but I had been thinking about this lately. Some of my thoughts
1. In the USA market hatchbacks are often less fuel efficient because they are considered sport versions of the car and only come with a bigger engine. Also, any new car official website I've seen the hb version cost more, all base models are only in sedan form.
2. In high crime areas trunks are a good place to keep things.
3. Personally I'd really prefer a hatchback for my next car because anything beyond a couple bags of groceries and a sedan is useless for hauling things.
I see more Versa hatches than sedans. Same with the Yaris.
I think I read somewhere 80% of Versas sold were the hatch. The Versa sedan looks more like an economy car than the hatch does to me. Not saying the Versa hatch is all that great, but it's decent.
I love hatchbacks. In fact, I currently own several hatchbacks. They are like the Swiss Army knives of the car world! But we do have one sedan, and it's our social car. Having 4 doors is easier for hauling around three or more people. Then four doors and a hatch = a wagon. I was very sad when Honda discontinued their Civic wagons.
Hatchbacks are best for single people imo. Once there are kids or more people to carry, then more passenger doors is a plus. Because of air bags, babies and young children need to sit in the back. Again, having two extra doors is a plus for that.
Hmm, can't hatchbacks also have 4 doors? Just like sedan has 4 and coupe has 2, there are also hatchbacks with 4 or 2 doors. I don't think 4 doors and a hatch= wagon. Wagons have long overhangs at the back, hatchbacks don't.
I see more Versa hatches than sedans. Same with the Yaris.
I think I read somewhere 80% of Versas sold were the hatch. The Versa sedan looks more like an economy car than the hatch does to me. Not saying the Versa hatch is all that great, but it's decent.
I agree, I see Versa hatchbacks all the time, sedans not very often. Yaris sedans are very common though.
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