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if they cant build a sedan to compete with the foreign automakers, why would you even want to buy their Crossover vehicles, when they are pretty much based of the sedan platforms too? Wont that same issue of being unable to compete just apply to them as well, just at a much higher price?
Only if the sedans and crossovers are created by the same engineers and design teams.
Otherwise, each vehicle should be evaluated on its own merits, and compared against other makes in its class.
Marketing, as well as both overt and subliminal advertising.
Marketing is also an inbound process: deeply understanding customer's wants & desires and translating those into future product features, advantages & benefits that satisfy those wants & desires and resonate with those customers. Repeat for each market segment. Plan vehicles for those segments with a roadmap stretching 10 years into the future.
Marketing isn't a nefarious process as you seem to imply.
For me, I want a vehicle in which I can easily transport 4 pairs of skis, 2 pairs of ski boots, helmets, etc (on the inside, not on the roof), as I'm on the ski slopes 80+ days each winter. I want to get through un-plowed streets during major snowstorms (we regularly get 400-600 inches of snow each winter in Deer Valley). I want to tow a mid-sized trailer with snowmobiles. I want ample space to put a good-sized volume of stuff on a trip back from Costco or Home Depot. I want the payload to be sufficient to put a bunch of heavy things in the back (e.g., 1000 pounds of Ikea furniture or a toolchest from Home Depot or a rental concrete grinder and dust separator from a tool rental company). I want the propulsion system to be appropriate for high altitude steep incline travel (10K+feet). Ideally, I could fit a full sheet of plywood in the back. I want capacity for 7 or 8 adults, so that means a 3rd row. Etc, etc etc.
Of the products available, an AWD SUV seems like a reasonable solution. An AWD mini-van would if it had enough towing capacity and ground clearance, but they don't. Some 3rd party companies take 2WD utility vans from Ford & Nissan and convert them to 4WD (with sufficient ground clearance and towing capacity) as those vehicles are not available from their manufacturer in 4WD.
Yes, Marketing is also outbound - communicating the FABs of their products so I can evaluate them against my own wants and desires.
The various manufacturers don't meet my wants exactly - for example, I want various high-trim-level safety features & tech features, but they usually necessitate things I don't want such as 2nd row captains chairs (I want a bench because I toss in 4 pairs of skis) or a sunroof or a navigation system.
From my perspective, a vehicle is a tool, and I want a different tool for different jobs. Currently, I have a couple SUVs (one a beater and one relatively newer one) and a convertible sports car (summer only). I also restore 1950s era and older Jaguars for fun, but that's a different issue.
But that's just me.
Last edited by RationalExpectations; 05-04-2019 at 09:10 AM..
The domestics can make a competitive sedan if they chose, but they prefer to force you into CUV or SUV, because of the markup they make with those.
Ah yes, those evil domestic manufacturers send out Dirty Harry lookalikes with .44 magnums, and whenever a potential customer looks at a domestic sedan, they hear the gun being cocked & and a not-half-bad impression of "Go ahead. Make My Day."
They are not dropping sedans because they cannot compete, they are dropping sedans because the SUV/CUV is a better type of vehicle, at least for Americans. Among other reasons, we have an aging population. An SUV/CUV is much easier for an older person to get in an out of than a sedan.
I haven't found that to be the case. I used to take my now-departed elderly MIL to kidney dialysis. At the time, I could transport her in my Jaguar XJ8L, my Dodge Durango, or my convertible Smart ForTwo. There was no way to get her boosted into the SUV. She could get into the Jag, but it was very difficult for her to get out as she lacked leg strength to get out from its relatively low-to-the-ground seating profile. In contrast, the Smart ForTwo was ideal. The seat height was perfect for her to get in, and not so low that it was difficult to get out. Her foldable walker went behind the passenger seat.
he was talking about light trucks. Imports are not building light trucks domestically to avoid tariffs. You think they would, but they don't. Instead, they make full-size trucks that are not subject to tariffs. Tundra sells about 100,000 copies a year so it's not insignificant. Even Titan has been hanging around for decades.
Marketing is also an inbound process: deeply understanding customer's wants & desires and translating those into future product features, advantages & benefits that satisfy those wants & desires and resonate with those customers. Repeat for each market segment. Plan vehicles for those segments with a roadmap stretching 10 years into the future.
Marketing isn't a nefarious process as you seem to imply.
For me, I want a vehicle in which I can easily transport ...
You're quite right. And fortunately, your needs, preferences and expectations are sufficiently common, that there's a promising business-case in marketers aiming for your dollar, and manufacturers building accordingly.
In contrast, I want a vehicle that's a pure single-seater... that has no cargo capacity whatsoever. It would have manual-everything, (right down to manual starting of the engine), demanding full attention from its operator at all times, and a modicum of fitness and athleticism to be operated even in normal traffic - let alone anything specialized. It would emphasize performance (handling, acceleration and braking) while also offering good efficiency. In contrast, "utility" or comfort would be utterly excluded. It would be light and have a small footprint, making it easy to park, to store in confined spaces, and to manually push around. Its mechanical simplicity would render it easy to service, so that even major repairs, such as removal/reinstallation of the engine, would be straightforward for an amateur mechanic.
Does the US automotive market offer such a vehicle?
You're quite right. And fortunately, your needs, preferences and expectations are sufficiently common, that there's a promising business-case in marketers aiming for your dollar, and manufacturers building accordingly.
In contrast, I want a vehicle that's a pure single-seater... that has no cargo capacity whatsoever. It would have manual-everything, (right down to manual starting of the engine), demanding full attention from its operator at all times, and a modicum of fitness and athleticism to be operated even in normal traffic - let alone anything specialized. It would emphasize performance (handling, acceleration and braking) while also offering good efficiency. In contrast, "utility" or comfort would be utterly excluded. It would be light and have a small footprint, making it easy to park, to store in confined spaces, and to manually push around. Its mechanical simplicity would render it easy to service, so that even major repairs, such as removal/reinstallation of the engine, would be straightforward for an amateur mechanic.
Does the US automotive market offer such a vehicle?
This comes closer than anything I'm aware of. It does have an electric starter, but I suppose you could remove the starter and just bump-start it.
I’d be driving the new Explorer before I made any comment.... it’s a dynamically better car then ANY current crossover on the market.
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