Famine
My FWD Mazda leaves SUVs standing, even on Toyo Proxes T1-Rs, which are essentially a summer tyre. In fact it leaves ME standing, or, more accurately, sprawled on the floor. I drove to work in 8 inches of packed snow (which, given my ground clearance, was really rather amusing) without an incident of any kind, then fell over when I got out of the car.
Famine. Surely
you will understand this. You're not the sort who is buying SUVs. Those people are middle-aged women who
CAN'T drive in the snow and therefore
NEED all-wheel drive. Frankly, the pro-minivan crowd should simply concede the AWD point, for mostly two reasons. One, they can't understand it, and two, there are a lot of people who NEED all-wheel drive, and minivans simply cannot provide it.
Out of interest, does the US get the Jaguar X-Type 4WD Estate (Wagon)?
Since 2005, yes, and since 2004 in Canada, however it's the slowest-selling Jaguar, and that includes the XKR. With that said, there's a huge market here for premium AWD wagons. The E-class W4 is a huge success, as are Audi and BMW's new AWD entries. (by the way, Sage, if you've seen more Ferraris than BMW wagons, you need to open your eyes) The problem with Jaguar's entry is that it's a) prohibitively expensive and b) mostly trash.
We
do get AWD wagons, however NONE can match the price point of the majority of SUVs on the market. For example, the absolute cheapest all-wheel drive 3-series wagon, which is gutless and small, matches the most expensive Ford Explorer (the Limited 4WD model), with both going for around $35000. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather have heated leather and a sunroof than vinyl upholstery and 15" alloys. Ya know? (actually I'd rather have the BMW, if for no other reason than it'll hold its value better so I can sell it and buy a real car, but you can see why people would opt for the Explorer, which is larger, quicker, and better-equipped)
Doug, if you can't make it in the snow in a Volvo 850, you either:
- Don't have winter tires. (in that case, duh!)
- Don't know how to drive.
It's a combination of both. I slid into a pole, you know. In my defense, though, it was 12am and I was the first car along the road after it had an inch of snow. By the way it's an 850 Turbo and trust me that matters because 222 horsepower feels a lot different on the snow than 168.
Too many people get a false sense of security while driving their SUVs on snow.
I agree completely. However AWD
does help and again, I hate explaining a need for AWD to car enthusiasts because they just complain BITTERLY about how they don't need it. The truth of the matter is, the majority of SUV buyers DO need it, because the majority of SUV buyers are women who, like me, can't handle the snow. I can barely handle the snow with AWD cars.
Famine
I'd say it's a viable wagon alternative to an SUV - but why do you lot not like it?
As I mentioned above - it's pricing. In the U.S., we only get one engine on the X-Type: a 3-liter V6 worth a paltry 227hp. The 2.5 model was cancelled, and we get no 2.0 or diesel. Consequently, the price is high: $36300. For that, you can have your pick of small or midsize SUVs (truly - your pick - they're ALL available - even the BMW X3), all of which are cheaper, quicker, more reliable, better-looking, larger inside, etc. etc. etc. Hell the Nissan Murano, which is better than the X-Type wagon in every single regard, is also $5k cheaper in its absolutely highest spec. Some of the SUVs that I'm talking about even get better fuel economy, too. In fact, most do.
God the X-Type is crap.
In R/T AWD Trim it can tow 3800 Lbs properly equipped, has 71.6 Cubic Feet of cargo space behind the front seats, has a snorty, very fun, 345 Hp/390 Lb ft Hemi, and gets 17/24 Mpg City/Hwy depending on driving habits, with the Multi-Displacement system.
Fair suggestion, definitely. Kudos. I thought of another, the Passat wagon. The Magnum is quite large (still 20 inches longer than our SUV) though, which is a problem, and if you don't want that bitch 5.7-liter engine, you have to settle for the 3.5, which is slower than crap. It's also ugly (I don't think so - trust me - but for some reason I keep getting that feedback) and doesn't seat seven.
I'm not trying to knock down your suggestion though - the Magnum has problems, but so do the SUVs, and it's definitely a viable competitor. As is the Passat, though it's a bit on the expensive side.
Nevermind the excellent BMW 525Xi Wagon, the Subaru Outback, the apparently quite fun Ford Freestyle, even the Chevy HHR and Dodge Caliber could be classified as wagons.
And then you go and say something stupid. There's no 525xiT. There is, however, a 530xiT. It starts at $52100. Good try though. The Outback, yeah, I mentioned that. The Freestyle is an SUV, despite what Ford might try and feed you. HHR and Caliber are small cars. Come on now.
What I do care about is that many people think they need an SUV, when they really don't. That's just ignorance.
But you have given no reasons - ZERO REASONS - why people don't need an SUV.
You conceded FIVE of SIX points on this issue to me. Your arguments are completely without merit. Come
ON
The only wagons that do well at all in the U.S. are the Subaru twins (standard affair in mountainous areas) and the Dodge Magnum (since it’s burly enough to stave off the wagon stigma).
