An explanation of American distaste for some cars

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fishtailrook1 (?)
what does this have to do with cars? well, it IS one of the better explinations I've run into as to why americans don't like or get some vehicles. including one reason why the US has had three versions of the same Focus platform.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AmericansHateTingle

look under the section for cars.
 
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That's not really an explanation. It's more a description of what Americans seem to prefer. There are about a bazillion reasons why Americans might prefer larger vehicles more than Europeans - one of which is gas prices. That link doesn't go into any of those reasons.

One big reason is the desire to look like a rugged self-sufficient individualist who needs nothing from anyone. This is a particularly appealing look in the mid-west. It doesn't matter if you're a farmer or rancher, all you need to do is have the enormous pickup truck that makes it look like you're a wealthy ranch owner who has enough land, guns and supplies that he could survive a nuclear attack. The more practical your vehicle looks (and I'm not talking about gas mileage or kid hauling), the more your vehicle looks like it would help you cut down a tree and drag it from one end of your enormous ranch to the other... or help you drive through the mud, or help you carry a full load of rocks someplace, the more self-sufficient and tough you look. It doesn't matter if you pull that truck up to a duplex with a postage stamp yard. You still have the image when you're driving around.

Anyone who is interested in American buying habits or what a desirable image is in the midwest needs look no farther than truck commercials during football games.



Having lived in Texas, I can tell you this is a very desirable image in many parts of the country.
 
It's a fairly average article. It didn't really "explain" anything, just made some observations that we're already aware of.

For example, it didn't actually answer the question of why America dislikes small cars, it just said that they do. An explanation would be that they aren't as good for covering big distances, or the roads are wider which negates the small car's USP, and gas is cheap so economy doesn't matter as much.

EDIT: Tree'd by Danoff.
 
Seemingly meaningless article
Ford reportedly refused to sell the updated Focus in the States (where the current model is still based on the first-generation European spec) because it would require them to sedan-ize them as "hatchbacks don't sell in the US."
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Whassis then?

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Justin
It's sad but true.

I have met girls who will only go out with a guy who owns a truck.
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I love those kind of girls. You tell them to hop in the back and they jump right into the bed.

Danoff is right, although I find his remark more correct with horse owners and large ranch owners instead of the little family farmer (beef/smaller dairy/low acreage cash crop). My dad went owned his '87 Dodge Ram single cab long box since new, and when it finally stopped running (after running on 6 cylinders for almost 4 years) my dad went out and found another 2005 Dodge Ram single cab long box after almost a year of searching. A true farmer prefers function over form and will search to find what he wants before dropping down the money.
 
sorry it took so long to reply.

ah, Danoff, the epic arguer at GTP, now it'll get interesting.

Jondot: do I take it that's the New Mondeo?

re: Trucks
this is the kind of thing that has to be proven to some of the guys in Europe, who don't understand the american obsession with a pickup (Vans, on the other hand...). there will inevitably be Penis jokes involved. why do you think there's girls that'll only look at a guy with a big truck? XD

note, if someone hasn't created one allready, why don't you truck guys make a thread about it, or dig an old one up?

oh, and it's not just the midwest. here, where I'm at, there's plenty to go around. it's technically Chevy Country, but I've seen more Super Dutes lately...
 
Come on, it's been ten posts.... change the freakin' title of the thread!

EXPLANATION!

American! (though technically it would be Statesider distaste, since European cars are doing alright in the rest of the Americas)
 
Sniffs
re: Trucks
this is the kind of thing that has to be proven to some of the guys in Europe, who don't understand the american obsession with a pickup (Vans, on the other hand...).
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Vans are primarily for commercial use, and everything else comes after. All the flashy special editions that are appearing are more or less directly proportional to the "keeping up with the Joneses" effect in that a blingy van with alloys, a sports exhaust and a flashy paint job gives off a better image than your usual grubby white van.

Trucks in the States seem to be primarily designed with giving off the image that they're used for work, and only a small proportion of them actually seem to be. Mainly the diesel ones, which seem to always be pulling an entire house behind them.

I actually quite like pickups. I can see the appeal of a massive V8/V10 brute. I don't think I could ever bring myself to own one, but I'd love to have a go in one.
 
As a wagon/hatchback fan, I've never liked American taste for cars. I have friends here who will get mad at me for only looking at wagons if somebody needs something that can carry stuff.

It only makes sense. If you need to carry stuff, get a wagon. It'll drive like a car, go fast and carry as much stuff as your midsize SUV while being more economical. If you don't need to carry as much stuff, get a hatchback. You'll get all the advantages of a midsize car along with the advantages of something small.

I guess it's a styling thing too. For some reason the lack of a notchback on a wagon looks terrible, yet it's perfectly fine on an SUV.
 
I think the hatchbacks of the 80's-90's really did a lot of damage to the image they cast. Ford is really the only company to pull it off here, even than the Focus sedan outsold the Hatchback.
 
Servo: get over it with the title. besides, I don't know how to change it. and my spellchecker ignores the dang title box.

HFS: you were the one, I believe, mentioning in another thread that Europeans use vans like americans use pickups...till they disintegrate and have to be held together with Duct tape and a wish. any guy who's owned a truck around here can tell you that there are plenty of people over here that use their pickups for more than just hauling their girlfriend's ass around :P that's one of the reasons I couldn't find any, myself, in one of my vehicle searches. they're still being driven!

Philly: I've had Amish clients shudder at the thought of being stuffed into a station wagon. I've even had to remind them that there were wagons that would hold 10 passengers, at one point (they're all worth a bloody fortune now to collectors). they'd rather have the Headroom in an SUV. since I've now had one of every body style there is EXCEPT a coupe, I know what your talking about with room.
 
Sniffs
Servo: get over it with the title. besides, I don't know how to change it. and my spellchecker ignores the dang title box.
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Edit the 1st post. On the upper part of the post you can see Title:, there you change the thread's title.

Don't blame your spellchecker.
 
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Sniffs
Servo: get over it with the title. besides, I don't know how to change it. and my spellchecker ignores the dang title box.
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You started the thread so aside from the staff you are the only one who can change it.

You've had the spelling error pointed out to you and also had details of how to change it given to you. As you have still not done it (and displayed a fair attitude regarding it) I have done it for you on this occasion.

However the AUP does ask that you use good basic grammar and spelling when posting at GT Planet, failure (and in this case refusal) to do so can lead to infractions.

On that note please check you PM in-box and take more care in future.


Scaff
 
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Sniffs
Philly: I've had Amish clients shudder at the thought of being stuffed into a station wagon. I've even had to remind them that there were wagons that would hold 10 passengers, at one point (they're all worth a bloody fortune now to collectors). they'd rather have the Headroom in an SUV. since I've now had one of every body style there is EXCEPT a coupe, I know what your talking about with room.
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Headroom? The only wagon I've had headroom trouble in is the BMW 3-series. And I'm 6'4". I don't fit in the back of many sedans. Legroom is understandable, but I'm not very much less claustrophobic in the back of my friend's Explorer than our XC70. Even the Expedition I rode in had comparable leg room to a Camry Solara with the same size person driving.

The only times we've needed something more than the Cross Country is when we need to haul lots of people from the airport, epic trash runs and carrying a ton of rocks. The people part is understandable. But you need a pickup truck to do the others. And I know nobody is about to haul around a whole ton of rocks from the quarry in their clean, shiny, school-run SUV.

So unless you're towing, carrying tons of people or off-roading, the utility excuse of an SUV doesn't quite add up. So really people buy SUVs because they're big. CUVs especially.
 
Sniffs
Jondot: do I take it that's the New Mondeo?
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Nope, it's the Focus sedan that's on sale in Europe. Or seemed to be until this year anyway.

media


Painfully slow-selling over here though. Just to give you an idea, there are 9,200 post-2005 Focus hatches on Autotrader. There are 130 sedans.

Danny
Terrible?
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Unloved Danny. UNLOVED. BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT CAN'T APPRECIATE INCREASED BOOT PRACTICALITY.
 
I really do wonder how sedans are more popular than hatches and wagons...

A few reasons that I can maybe see are:
-less distance to the back window so you can see behind you better (drawback is the hatches and wagons have rear wipers)
-better security for the cargo area (physical protection yes, but you can also have a cargo cover in the hatches and wagons)
-looks better (really subjective though)
-cheaper? (sedan versions are cheaper than the hatches and wagons)

Personally I enjoy the looks of the hatches and wagons better, not to mention prefer the increased cargo space.
 
Notice received, Scaff. I'll pay a little more attention to those squiggly red lines.

Philly:with the Amish, it's a religious rule to keep your head covered. so they have to have a few more inches for the hats :P also, some of the guys are kinda gangly on top of that. they also get carsick in anything not sprung on the hard side, for some reason. since I've got a huge batch of guys this time, I had to get a minivan.

Jondot: funny, that's what our Taurus looks like at the moment. you should see what WE got for the focus update (if you haven't already)

GNX: I'd blame it on the likes of the terrible domestic hatchbacks, and things like Pacers, the version of the Renault 5 we got, etc, that look like they were beaten with an ugly stick. and I've had a couple sedans that were in severe need of a rear wiper in the rain (both of them Fords :P )

I think it may be a case of "once bit, twice shy". look at the current Toyota recall because someone used an outside supplier. Toyo's gonna have a time trying to get their reputation back in the states because of this.
 
Sniffs
GNX: I'd blame it on the likes of the terrible domestic hatchbacks, and things like Pacers, the version of the Renault 5 we got, etc, that look like they were beaten with an ugly stick. and I've had a couple sedans that were in severe need of a rear wiper in the rain (both of them Fords :P )
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I personally reckon the reason is along those lines. Hatchbacks are traditionally smaller, and smaller is traditionally cheaper, ergo my theory is that America associates hatchback with economy cars. Not hard to see why...

1995.ford.aspire.3638-396x249.jpg

1995-2001-Geo-Chevrolet-Metro-95125011990103.jpg
 
buickgnx88
I really do wonder how sedans are more popular than hatches and wagons...

A few reasons that I can maybe see are:
-less distance to the back window so you can see behind you better (drawback is the hatches and wagons have rear wipers)
-better security for the cargo area (physical protection yes, but you can also have a cargo cover in the hatches and wagons)
-looks better (really subjective though)
-cheaper? (sedan versions are cheaper than the hatches and wagons)

Personally I enjoy the looks of the hatches and wagons better, not to mention prefer the increased cargo space.
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For American cars, wagon versions seem to be few & far between. I can't really think of too many, brand new 2009 or 2010 wagons made by an American manufacturer besides the Magnum & CTS Wagon. Usually, the most American companies seem to offer are 4-door hatchbacks or small SUVs.

As to why there may not be many foreign station wagons, price plays a factor depending on the manufacturer. For the Germans, trying to buy a BMW Touring model or Audi Avant or a Mercedes wagon usually means paying a premium for a car that is not generally delivered in large numbers on this side of the pond.
For me, if I wanted a 5 Touring instead of my 528, I'd have been looking at a bigger deposit to ensure the company still made money if I walked away from a car being built specifically for me, as well as a bit later delivery time. These 3 Germans know Americans don't buy wagons, so they either don't offer them here or use the wagons to make more money on the order. I imagine Jaguar dealerships in the US followed similar practices with people who wanted a X-Type wagon.
 
Oh I know that they wouldn't be made if they weren't popular, but I was more wondering as to why the general public prefers sedans over wagons and hatches.
 
It's odd, because wagons are what a lot of the older population grew up in. I think the "Motherly," "Family" image wagons have hurts them, especially in the eyes of the male population, who find them "lame."
 
Yeah it's odd, the Magnum disappears (despite having the bad-ass SRT8), yet the Charger still sells. It could just be attributed to the name, but still, what's more awesome than a 425hp grocery getter! :drool:
 
Philly
As a wagon/hatchback fan, I've never liked American taste for cars. I have friends here who will get mad at me for only looking at wagons if somebody needs something that can carry stuff.

It only makes sense. If you need to carry stuff, get a wagon. It'll drive like a car, go fast and carry as much stuff as your midsize SUV while being more economical. If you don't need to carry as much stuff, get a hatchback. You'll get all the advantages of a midsize car along with the advantages of something small.

I guess it's a styling thing too. For some reason the lack of a notchback on a wagon looks terrible, yet it's perfectly fine on an SUV.
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+1 Brilliant post. I agree 1,000%.

Justin
I think the hatchbacks of the 80's-90's really did a lot of damage to the image they cast. Ford is really the only company to pull it off here, even than the Focus sedan outsold the Hatchback.
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Sickening isn't it? I hate the Focus saloons, the hatchbacks are the only ones that looked decent. Plus the saloon Focus just looks like any other boring econo-box where the hatch looks a bit rougher and a bit meaner. And this is precisely why I've owned 1 ZX3 3dr and 2 ZX5 5dr's Foci hatches.
 

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