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Over here, especially in more rural parts, estate cars (station wagons) are still popular though we are also going more and more for 4x4s, SUVs and crossovers.
Many saloons (sedans) have an estate version and are often perceived as having a better image.
I think that we do get a better choice of estate cars than you do, going from reasonably small vehicles through to expensive versions from BMW, Audi and MB.
The latter ones can be had with fantastic diesel engines, or if you want to go really ballistic some very hot versions.
This is a good point. As Americans get fatter and fatter, they need SUV's because they can't bend very well to get into a good car or wagon. You never see the fatties in BMW's and Audi's. The fat Americans are always driving big empty pickups and SUVs because they are so fat. Type 2 diabetes is the norm in the US, so we will always be driving SUVs around here and the automakers love it due to massive profit margins. Lets face it SUV's are boxes on wheels and really they don't need to make the sophisticated at all. Just big with cup holders.
Oh shut up. It's no more difficult to get into the sedan versions that most contemporary wagons are based on and yet Americans still buy those sedans by the millions. And no, you precious, oh-so-special German car drivers are not immune from being fatties. And you're certainly not above being other things I can't say here without earning an infraction.
The Toyota All-Trac was also available on the Celica, and it was just as good as getting around in the snow. It's also a vehicle that still enjoys a bit of a following today, with people rebuilding the dying ones to re-use.
It's crazy. My tiny Honda Fit had more room inside than a lot of the smaller SUVs. What's the point of getting one of those? To sit 3 inches higher?
No, thanks. I'll keep getting 38mpg in a cheaper, better handling car.
P.S. I fit a rear facing child car seat and a dog with no problem.
Actually, easier ingress and egress is important, As is outward visibility, and for some, not leaning over so much to put a kid in a car seat. What YOU may not have any problems with, others do (for example, I've camped out in tents in pouring raing and snow before. Doesn't mean I want to again, even though I can and some may have no problem with it). Add in the added ground clearance for poor road conditions like snow and lately the potholes that tend to make city streets look like bombed out third world countries, and yeah, the 4x4 styled SUV is more attractive to many.
I really find my full suze SUV handy in a lot of situations. Does it get the greatest fuel mileage? No. But I have a Volt for that use on a daily basis.
And really, do you use all that "better handling" in day to day traffic? Most people can't. BTW, I've driven pure race cars and pure sports cars for years. What you consider "better handling" I consider a soft, nose heavy, understeering FWD pig that's not much more involving than a typical SUV.
I don't know if this is true for other wealthier parts of the country, but here on the Westside of LA, wagons are HUGE, more so than SUV's, especially among Gen-X/Gen-Y hipsters with small kids and empty-nest boomers. Go to the parking structure by the beach in Santa Monica and every level has 2 or 3 wagons, and I'm not even counting the ubiquitous Tesla S (which is a wagon with a jumpseat!). I think SUV's and crossover's have that Middle-American suburban vibe to them and for a certain segment in cosmopolitan metro's like LA, they're seen as un-cool nowadays. But of course California's taste in vehicles is very different from the rest of the country. I think our top-selling SUV is Ford's Flex!
Actually, easier ingress and egress is important, As is outward visibility, and for some, not leaning over so much to put a kid in a car seat. What YOU may not have any problems with, others do (for example, I've camped out in tents in pouring raing and snow before. Doesn't mean I want to again, even though I can and some may have no problem with it). Add in the added ground clearance for poor road conditions like snow and lately the potholes that tend to make city streets look like bombed out third world countries, and yeah, the 4x4 styled SUV is more attractive to many.
I really find my full suze SUV handy in a lot of situations. Does it get the greatest fuel mileage? No. But I have a Volt for that use on a daily basis.
And really, do you use all that "better handling" in day to day traffic? Most people can't. BTW, I've driven pure race cars and pure sports cars for years. What you consider "better handling" I consider a soft, nose heavy, understeering FWD pig that's not much more involving than a typical SUV.
I can't speak for performance in heavy snow, but driving on New Orleans notoriously poorly maintained, and poorly drained streets has never been a problem for me in a normal car. It never fails though. There's always some person in a lifted SUV driving around in deep standing water just to show everyone they can.
A big SUV would come in handy 5 days out of the year. 4 of those days, I can still fit what I need to in the car, but a larger vehicle would make it somewhat easier. That last day? I'll spend $30 and rent a truck.
Cars have a lower center of gravity. They handle better, most ride better and are more fuel efficient than taller vehicles. Those attributes get tested on a regular basis. The ability to make a quick and stable evasive maneuver is invaluable.
Hey,
I am not the type of guy who asks for much but can this thread bedeleted asap? Thanks for your help. I am not sure if this thread was started as a joke but it is not funny anymore.
I've been from Porsche, to Honda Accord (baby seat didn't fit in the Porsche :-( ), to a mini-van -- to another mini-van -- to another mini-van -- to another mini-van, and finally to a Volvo station wagon. I hated SUV's -- poor gas mileage, tall kids and tall husband, so there was never enough leg room in the back seat, cramped on long trips, never enough luggage space, not practical for Girl Scout field trips or soccer team hauling. We rented several on trips, and I swore I'd never have one. When the last kid finished college, I switched to my Volvo, and I love it -- the dog crate fits nicely in the back, the dog can easily jump into the back of the car for trips to the park, hiking, etc. Lots of cargo space, especially if I lower the back seats, great gas mileage. Not fashionable, perhaps, but that's ok. :-)
How does 1 kid require more space than a wagon provides? I don't get that.
Car seats. In our case, even with just an infant carrier right now, the front seat has to be moved almost all the way forward to fit behind the passenger seat. Fortunately, my wife is short but it's not that comfortable for her to sit like that. We could put the seat in the center, but then no one would be able to ride comfortably in the back seat. I'm dreading trying to fit a rear facing convertible seat back there. Believe me, I used to think the same thing about SUVs. (Why does one think they need an SUV / minivan with one kid?) But now that I have one, I can see that it would work better for our purposes. And I love our wagon. I wish we had the same car seat options that the Europeans have. They are much more space efficient because they have to be. But 'Muricans are stuck with these huge car seats and it's recommended to rear face them to two years now. So...
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re: Toyota All-Trac
