• @jray4559
    link
    English
    2
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    There still exist cars in 2023. It’s not just SUV’s available on the lot.

    People just want them, because of grocery trips or a kid in school sports or whatever.

    Whether most of them actually need that SUV space is something up for debate, but it’s gonna be hard to convince the average American (already in love with full SUV’s) to just switch away.

    • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      71 year ago

      Bring back the hatchbacks. People want the utility of a CUV/SUV. Not the mileage or sheer size. It’s purely the screwed up CAFE standards pushing everything to get bigger. If we actually just taxed by the pound then vehicles would suddenly go back to normal size with normal approaches to cargo storage.

      • @Dayn@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        31 year ago

        I’ve driven smaller hatchbacks pretty much my.entire life, and agree completely. I have no issue hauling 4-5 adults + whatever stuff they happen to have in the trunk. Fully agree, hatchbacks are the way to go.

    • @grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      3
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      There still exist cars in 2023. It’s not just SUV’s available on the lot.

      You haven’t looked at a Ford dealer lately, have you? They literally don’t make cars anymore, except for the Mustang (and even then they’d probably rather sell you a “Mustang Mach-E,” which is an SUV).

      Industry analysts are praising Ford’s decision and other automakers are following in its footsteps.

    • @Asifall@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      31 year ago

      I don’t need the space but I’m beginning to think I need an suv due to the ridiculous visibility problems they cause and constantly being blinded at night.

    • @theangryseal@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      11 year ago

      I live in Appalachia and I have kids. I definitely love having my small SUVs because it’s almost impossible to get anywhere here in a sedan during the winter.

      I have been stuck on the side of a mountain a few times in cars. I haven’t been stuck once when I’m out in something capable of off-roading.

      I can’t imagine needing one living somewhere flat though.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        51 year ago

        Nah I lived in a mountain town with a Mazda 3 for ten years. Either you have some serious off roading going on and need an actual off roading vehicle or you just never learned to properly drive in the snow. In ten years I can count on my hand the number of times I didn’t make it up a grade. And that was because of ice, which an SUV wouldn’t help. Furthermore there are several off road capable cars available. SUVs are not off road vehicles by nature.

        • @grue@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          11 year ago

          SUVs are not off road vehicles by nature.

          They were supposed to be! The shit that’s happened to them over the last few decades because of all the non-off-roading folks who are too insecure to drive a minivan is a damn travesty. SUVs should be much more niche vehicles than they are, and the ones that aren’t capable off-road don’t deserve to exist.

          • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            21 year ago

            It was all marketing. It always was. They made more money selling pickups and evading CAFE standards. So how do they convince people to buy more pickups? Slap a shell on it. Then pay Hollywood to slander minivans and wagons. When wagons become moderately popular again in the 2000’s you just drop the chassis lower and sell the SUV as a wagon. (Looking at you Ford and Dodge)

            The SUV production line is the car companies’ swiss army knife. They can get 3 out of 4 form factors out of it. That’s all it ever was. And the entire off roading community is sitting on the biggest secret that the biggest weapons aren’t super special. AWD, a low gear, a moderate lift, and a manual transmission are enough to go most places. Once AWD was commonly available car companies needed something else to sell as off-roading. But the most common utility vehicle in poor infrastructure areas is still the Toyota series 70 after 30 years. But even Toyota doesn’t want to sell that in the US, because they can make a higher profit on larger vehicles.

        • @foo@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          English
          61 year ago

          In WWII the Willie’s jeep was basically unstoppable and it is about 1/4 the size of the monster trucks that Americans need to drive to get KFC

          • @SpeedLimit55@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            21 year ago

            I know, my car is a Subaru Crosstrek which is basically a lifted AWD hatchback. It comfortably holds 4 adults and bikes, kayaks, cargo basket with whatever thanks to a hitch and roof rack. Similar ground clearance to much larger vehicles.

          • @vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            21 year ago

            Its kinda sad that thr jeep cherokee sport was kinda the perfect size for what it did and was the size of a nisaan cube. Now compare a 2001 jeep cherokee sport to a fucking rubicon. Seriously why the hell are modern vehicles so fucking large compared to the first SUVs even.

            • @grue@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              11 year ago

              The old Cherokee was small, but I think calling it the same size as a Nissan Cube is a stretch squish.

              • @vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                English
                21 year ago

                Given the fact I parked next to one the other day, theyre about the same size. The Cube is a bit taller and the Cherokee is somewhat longer. Though most of the added length is due to the Engine compartment.

                • @grue@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  21 year ago

                  Well, TIL.

                  Still, I think the extra length of the Cherokee “counts” more than the extra height of the Cube, especially since a Cherokee actually intended to be used off-road (with 4x4, bigger tires, etc.) would be taller.