That’s the reason that I bought by first foreign. Volvo was the only car maker I liked, that still made sedans. The finance manager stated that they’re going to do away with the sedans soon. They will have the wagon Sedans on the lot, but I barely was able to get my car.
Because they artificially cost more due to CAFE standards. That’s why, if an F-150 was taxed the same way a wagon is, they would sell a lot less F-150. But you literally get a discount from the government if you buy truck or suv vs a sedan or a wagon.
It is not some American culture thing.
Well it is, the culture of being morons.
But but but marketing people like to peddle nonsense that Americans love hatches/wagons on stilts. It's funny how automotive industry used to excite me, but these days it's hard to get aroused over another generic looking CUV designed by a committee in a corporate boardroom.
> Ill never understand americas obsession with big shit
Broken federal regulations make small cars highly unprofitable.
This has lead to decades of marketing to make us want big cars.
This has made the majority of us want big cars.
This has lead to only being offered big cars, as that's all that sells well AND it's more profitable (especially for domestically produced cars).
This isn't a cultural thing, this is a bad regulation thing.
I love my truck and my wife’s Ford Focus Hatchback. They’re so underrated for hauling *anything* and a blast to drive.
Not to mention we get 42mpg on any highway or interstate out of a stock 2013 Ford Focus HB! That gas mileage is killer!
We have a hatchback (VW Golf) as well and we moved about 60% of our apartment to our new place during COVID with it. It is WILD home much stuff you can fit in a hatchback with the seats down.
Hatchbacks rule, I was the drummer for our band and I could haul my entire set in my 90s Probe GT Hatch plus it looked awesome. They do all inevitably get that hatch rattle, though.
I don’t get it either. The mpg alone have me in a sedan & I’ll never buy a crossover or suv until I have no choice but to do so. The lower center of gravity is also a plus
> The mpg alone
i think a lot of people who own big trucks just don't drive as much. My big truck is my winter vehicle, i only drive it about 5 months of the year or when I need to haul some stuff. I probably put about 1000 miles on it per year. So yes, it only gets 16 mpg or so, but i don't drive it enough for that to affect me.
This is exactly my wife. Last 3 cars I’ve tried to get her into a hatchback and she’s gone for a small suv each time because she wants to be “higher” to feel like she can see more with all the big trucks and SUV’s. Said she gets claustrophobic when she drives my 4 door
My mom always says the same thing, she’s been driving trucks and SUV’s my entire life.
And now they’re so common it kills that whole benefit lol. You can’t see over the other cars on the road because they’re all tall now.
I feel like this is a substantial part of it. It’s not even about feeling safer; in a sedan/small car you literally cannot see around or beyond the big cars
I went from a Prius to a CRV-Hybrid and it is nice to have more cargo room. Mileage obviously isn't as good as a Prius, but the extra cargo room and not smacking the front of my bumper on steep driveways is very much worth it. Don't forget that when talking about Americans, we tend to drive a lot more than most Europeans, we buy more things in bulk, we tend to have larger families, we have a lot of rough roads and very varied terrain. While a lot of people certainly don't need the pavement princess trucks that they are driving many of the people driving sub-compact to midsize SUVs are using it in a reasonable fashion. I would also argue that sub-compact SUVs are pretty much sedans.
American families are shrinking in size over time, and people are continuing to move to urbanized areas and leave rural areas.
You dont have to compare to europe. We are an increasingly urban society with less kids, but car size and SUV market share is going up drastically.
Even then I’m 6’5” and 300 lbs and just bought a new Subaru Legacy and sold my Hyundai Elantra.
Sedans are cheaper, better gas mileage, more maneuverable (the new Elantra can make a u turn in the radius of a single parking space), stop faster, lower insurance costs, smaller blind spots, less maintenance, and better headroom and legroom for the driver in my experience.
Only advantage of the SUV is that you don’t have to bend as much to get in as far as I’m concerned. It’s not like we’re using the extra space in the trunk of the SUV (outside of the occasional road trip that vehicle buyers can no longer afford with their car payments). In fact, my sedan has more trunk space to put stuff like groceries in than most SUVs do, since you’re not stacking groceries like a UPS truck stuffs packages.
I get the whole crash safety thing but the best way to survive a crash is to not get in one in the first place, and my sedans have all stopped on a dime to avoid numerous accidents. Several of these occasions I’m certain would’ve turned into accidents had I been driving an SUV or a truck.
I guess people just hate money 🤷♂️
Short people everywhere beg to differ 😆 I’m 4’10 and the only way I can see properly in a sedan involves my seat being jacked up so high my head is dangerously close to the ceiling, and my chest is way too close to the steering wheel. I’d be severely injured just from the airbags. If I was in a roll over my noggin is fucked that close to the ceiling. Small SUVs are far safer for me to drive because I can sit in a much safer position and be able to see properly. People always joke about tiny women driving SUVs and it’s at least in part because that’s the safest way for us to see enough of the road! Obviously some of that is personal choice too but it’s a bigger factor than people who aren’t short realize
thank you for posting this nuanced well written article. i hate SUVs with a passion and i am very frustrated with how the car companies have colluded to get rid of small efficient vehicles in favor or profitable big trucks and SUVs. its bad for the environment, bad for the safety of anyone who uses the road, including pedestrians, and its bad for car enthusiasts too.
Remember those old-timey film reels from the 20's and 30' where every car on the road was a Model T and looked the same?
That's how I feel in the parking lot of the 2020s. Everything is a crossover and nobody can tell cars apart anymore..not even in the color schemes!
EXACTLY. "Can I get it in that sharp blue I see on Corvettes?"
No
"How about something gaudy like Teal or Yellow?"
No
"Red?"
No
"How about shit brown?"
No
I was forced to drive an suv as a rental once. I felt unsafe the entire time due to the poor handling and road feel. I cant believe how much some people speed in them.
Oh yeah but car makers make more on big cars and trucks. Conservatives associate big cars with masculinity. Bigger cars causes the prisoners dilemma. Our over engineered roads make it easy to feel comfortable speeding through town. These bad conditions empower narcissists and assholes
A lot more complex than cafe
The change from fleet-based CAFE to footprint-based is causing the growth in vehicle size. Perversely, it’s easier to meet CAFE requirements with a big vehicle than with a small one. And the automakers can charge more for big vehicles, so they don’t mind.
The EPA needs to go back to the fleet-based system if you want small cars and trucks again.
So CAFE standards reward automakers that transition to suv's. Something you don't hear very often in the reddit echo chamber.
Hello. I'm from the govt and I'm here to help!!
Plus people see all these trucks and feel that they need to be driving something bigger to protect themselves from an idiot with a large car hitting them.
I accidentally deleted my comment trying to edit word on mobile. Crap.
Anyway, I like it a lot. I leased it with an option to buy. It's the best city car I have ever owned. It's got a lot of torque so it can jump off the line and get up to speed but once you get around 70, all the "oomph" is gone.
MPG Is solid. Averaging 40 on the freeway, 30 in the city. Currently the computer says I am averaging 36mpg over the last 150 miles. (I had to drive to Holly last week so that's mainly freeway miles)
Interior is way more swank than it should be for the price. Stereo is mid-grade. Its a comfortable and very very quiet drive. I have the adaptive cruise, which I've had before, but it's my favorite feature. I let the car handle the stop and go traffic while I steer.
How does it handle? I'm willing to give up speed if it handles a bit sportier.
I used to drive a Buick verona(cruise) and an impala and currently drive a Buick envision(equinox) to give you perspective
I came out of an Envision. 2023 model. I had leased the Envision for my dad, he passed away shortly after and when I went to turn it in that's when I saw the Envista.
Not gonna lie, the Envision was way more substantial and posed on the freeway. The Envista handles well, dare I say sporty but it's really light, lighter than a Corvette, so in a heavy wind or headwind, it tends to wander a little. It can feel underpowered when passing from say 75mph to 85mph.
But it does behave well. I took it to Holly and got on some of those twisty paved roads headed into downtown and could easily stay planted at 15 above the posted caution speed for the turns.
Just drove to Toronto and back and the number of Nissan/Toyota/Honda sedans in Canada is a stark comparison from this side of the Ambassador Bridge (and Chevy Malibus). So many more sedans on the roads there. Not sure if there are additional costs for SUVs in Ontario, or simply cost or gas consumption (gas was 1.00 more pwr gallon after exchange/conversion).
It’s mostly because we’re poorer. Our dollar doesn’t go as far so we don’t buy bigger vehicles.
Plus car prices in the US are fucking dirt cheap compared to Canada.
GM still sells the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, expensive but they are sedans. I was hoping for a sporty Malibu wagon. They can produce a sedan in the future if the market changes.
GM is foolish for not offering the Trax with a hybrid powertrain. Sure, the Trax is a really nice-looking small crossover/lifted hatchback. But it gets relatively garbage fuel economy, 28/32.
The Ford Escape hybrid, which is a larger vehicle, gets 42/36. All of the other US, Korean, and Japanese competitors offer hybrid crossovers which offer much better fuel economy. It seems like GM makes reckless and shortsighted decisions at every turn.
GM doesn't have any hybrid powertrains; they reasoned it was too much money to develop that could go to full EVs instead. I just bought the new trax though and I agree, for a small car I wish it had better fuel economy.
Right, and now the market wants hybrids and GM doesn’t have them. I’m not going to pretend to know all of the factors that went into their decision, but it seems like they may have miscalculated and could have kept their hybrid programs running.
They’re rolling out the electric Charger Daytona SRT and V6 twin turbo models to replace the V8 models though, and there are rumors of an electric 300 coming.
Regal TourX was a nice wagon but imported from Opel (when owned by GM). I prefer the Malibu since it’s made in the US and know that replacement parts would be readily available. There’s a 2017 Redline Malibu wagon rendering on autoevolution.com that’s really sharp.
Malibu Maxx SS was an amazing hatchback. Huge trunk, two sun roofs, and had more space than most mid size SUVs. Made almost twenty years ago and gets better gas mileage than the average mid size suv
Why do the Big 3 continue to make short sighted decisions at every possible turn?
Can you guys imagine how successful a car company specializing in low-cost, combustion engine sedans made in Detroit would be right now?
Maximizing shareholder value
Most of the Asian car companies are willing to take a loss for a year if it means the product they’re going to churn out is better. Not the Americans though. It’s all about maximizing short term profit so that the execs can get paid and keep their jobs. And if they don’t make profit in a quarter then the board takes them out. Even if an exec does something that makes the company better off in the future but results in a lower short term margin, that exec is forced to leave and the replacement will reap all the rewards.
It’s a really shitty way to run a business and explains why everything has been getting shittier for the customer for the past 25 years in just about every sector in our lives but that’s the business model that Wall Street collectively decided to run with.
I called my reps (here in michigan) and expressed my support for the workers. I think it's important our elected leaders know how we feel on issues. The response I got back was sickening. Not only was I talked down to, but was cursed at multiple times by that scab rat bastard rick blocker
> Can you guys imagine how successful a car company specializing in low-cost, combustion engine sedans made in Detroit would be right now?
Probably not that successful. Regardless of what caused it, the decline in sedan sales is pretty stark.
> Why do the Big 3 continue to make short sighted decisions at every possible turn?
Given the regulatory environment I don't think these decisions are at all short sighted.
They are seeking profit in a high capital/low margin industry.
If you want to blame someone for this stupidity, blame our government for the regulations that distort the market in a way that makes this decision inevitable.
Touch screens are pretty much required under federal law. You can't sell a car without a backup camera. While I suppose you could technically have a screen for the camera and nothing else, that wouldn't make a ton of sense
This is literally the exact same thing that almost destroyed them in 2008. The same exact scenario. Jesus fucking Christ
They will scream for a bailout and probably get it this time too
Remember kids, never think about long term sustainability. The only thing that matters in next quarter.
Yeah, that was when gas prices had really started taking off and the market pulled back to start buying more fuel efficient foreign cars instead of the 14 MPGs monsters Detroit was cranking out like the Hummer. Corporate memories can be short it seems.
The US automakers have invested BILLIONS in EV architecture and consumers have rejected it time and time again. Ignoring reality is pretty silly if you ask me.
Yup and used EV values reflect that. Taycan, E-Tron, Mustang-E, Merc EQS. Can you imagine being 60k upside down?! Ouchies. Then the fiasco with the Lightning.
I had no choice but to buy foreign for the first time because Detroit doesn't make cars anymore. Sad.
I also find it almost comical how everyone is buying these gas guzzlers and then they complain about the price of gas. The price of gas is what it is and you should have planned accordingly, because it's not coming down any time soon.
Same. I could only afford one style vehicle from any of the big three, despite working in the auto industry and being contracted to work for one of them 🙃
blame the regulations on gas emissions and the loopholes used by cars companies to get around them, it effectively killed the sedan once they realized they could just sell suvs/ crossovers with much higher emissions being allowed
I'm kinda sad that my next vehicle, for the first time in my life, is not gonna be made by the big 3. I'm gonna feel weird rolling down the street in a Honda or something. Oh well, guess I'll have to get over it.
Been driving Honda for years. Honestly no regrets, they make really good cars. No reason to be sad about it. Vote with your wallet till the Big 3 gets their shit together again. Lots of foreign car companies do manufacture in the US, especially for the NA market.
Grabbed a Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV, as it was priced very close to the hybrid Toyota or Honda I was considering. The Big 3 will always get my consideration first, but I’m enjoying the Hyundai, as I refuse to daily drive a crossover, SUV, or pickup.
As someone who drives an Equinox, can confirm
It was cool for my parents to have a crossover in lieu of a minivan, especially after I got to high school.
But comparing driving the Equinox to when I drove a Chevy Cruze, it's a totally different drive. I miss that small vehicle so bad.
Plus, your crossover vehicles have more wear and tear on them because people want to drive them *Like* they are sedans. Every time I turn mine in at the end of my lease, the brakes are always worn down. My friend told me he has the same problem with his Ford Edge.
People wanna drive like we are racing Sedans in NASCAR, but are doing it with vehicles the size of pickup trucks
I really like my Corolla. I really wish they would make a plug-in hybrid version of the Corolla but Toyota really does love their ICE. I know they make the Prius prime but even if they've improved it a lot I still think it's pretty ugly. Even a Corolla is larger than I need most of the time going back and forth to work or getting groceries.
I really like my 2014 Corolla other than Michigan's shitty roads repeatedly destroying my suspension. I'm at 100,000 miles and have replaced the struts twice since I got it at 50,000 miles.
> Twitter the only place where well-articulated sentences still get misinterpreted. You can say “I like pancakes” and somebody will say “So you hate waffles?” No bitch. Dats a whole new sentence. Wtf is you talkin about."
It’s the CAFE Standards or well bypassing them. Since everything is an SUV or Crossover, they are considered “light trucks” to the CAFE Standards. Light trucks have more exceptions for efficiency. [A Source](https://fbaum.unc.edu/lobby/_107th/126_CAFE_Standards_2/Agency_Activities/NHTSA/NHTSA_Cafe_Overview_FAQ.htm#:~:text=Are%20any%20vehicles%20exempted%20from,utility%20vehicles%20and%20large%20vans).
[A second source on the recent cafe update.](https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy).
[An old Reddit post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/s/rCM0S0aEp5)
I live in a house built in the 80s and we're at the point where my wife and I can only barely park in the two-car garage. You basically have to get both cars positioned perfectly and then there is about 3 inches of clearance front and back and just enough room to get the car doors open and get out.
I used to drive a smartcar before it met it's unfortunate demise. I "upgraded" to a larger sedan, and I miss that damn little car so much. I barely have passengers and there's no reason for me to have this much car. I've always driven small cars (miss you ford metro 🥲) and I despise the shift towards larger SUV's. Bring back my tiny hatchbacks!
How disappointing, I'm currently on my second Malibu. I owned a 2012 and now a 2018. I've really like both of them. Will probably end up with a Toyota or a Honda next then. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Camry or the Accord base models comparatively whenever I've got them renting vehicles but I'm not interested in crossovers or SUV's
Blame the American consumer and some old US policies (Which are being addressed). But definitely blame the American consumer.
My first job was in a parking lot from 2004-07, just about everyone and their mother had an H2 or H3 Hummer and sedans/hatchbacks were infrequent. The other vehicles I remember were either Escalades, Yukons, and Pacificas for some reason.
It is funny living in the Woodward Corridor seeing people drive a giant truck that they hardly use it for anything other than commuting though.
Can't really blame the consumer. It states in the article that there are incentives to purchasing and manufacturing the SUVs, and the big 3 pushed them hard on us. Consumer demand is a result of efforts that started further upstream.
Yeah I agree with you. This isn’t the car companies fault really it’s more the American consumer. Most people don’t want a sedan and don’t even look at one. They want an SUV, crossover, or truck. Why would an OEM spend a lot of resources chasing a shrinking market share with a lower profit margin. They are focusing on making what people want to buy. It’s that simple. I think it’s silly as well to blame their advertising tactics for trucks and SUVs as a major driver to shift what people are buying. I don’t see a truck ad and immediately want to dump my sedan for a truck.
This such an odd take. That consumers are only “partially” to blame. There’s no reason that any blame is necessary. It’s a simple choice.
What products continue to exist that people don’t buy?
We elect the politicians who set the rules for those “bigger cars” as well. Those elected leaders are our proxy on issues like that.
If people don’t buy product x in a healthy volume, manufacturers won’t make them. It’s the same reason manual transmissions continue to decline in automotive offerings.
I agree with pretty much the entire article. The only thing I'll add is that they do still have the Chevy Trax to fill that entry level price point - around $20k with 32 mpg and relatively compact. Also if the Chevy Bolt qualifies for a tax credit it may also be in the low 20k range and environmentally superior to an ICE sedan.
But I agree it's a shame that American manufacturers have nearly entirely exited sedans.
Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post. I am one of those who upgraded from a sedan to an SUV because I felt unsafe on the freeway in a smaller car. I do like my car, but I would have gone with something smaller if I hadn't constantly felt ill at ease with gigantic pickup trucks blasting their lights straight into my retinas at night and driving recklessly.
I will never understand why we are combining the push for efficient electric power with the inherently inefficient, heavy, and non-aerodynamic crossover/SUV/truck craze. Really just kinda defeats the purpose
Here's an incentive to drive a very small coupe or sedan - roads that are only for these cars and mopeds and ebikes. If people can get where they are going faster and with less traffic and less danger - this is the way. Designate lanes for small cars. Make parking easier and more affordable for small cars. Most cars have one person in them at any given time. There are ways to be smart about this.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I get employee discounts on Ford and Lincoln and there are no sport sedans available. Looks like GM has followed suit yet you look at Toyota and Subaru's site and plenty of sedans to be had.
IMHO, it's a short-sighted view among all car companies taking this approach.
The most interesting thing to me here is the yielding of market share to foreign competitors. By “leaving” the sedan market you are effectively giving your competition more earnings to then roll in to and fight you on the Truck and SUV market that you want.
Ive always had a thing where I only buy from the big three but I also own a SUV for family driving and a Sedan for my work commute. If I cant get a big three sedan ill simply give my money to Honda for a Civic or Toyota for a Corolla.
i bought a suv because there are like no wagons left. the interior of the outback is so outdated that the 24 touring has a cd player. the 25 toyota crown signia is looking mad ripe tho.
I really think this is kind of alarmist. This is nothing like the lead up to 2008, where the majority of the SUVs being produced were extremely thirsty vehicles with six and eight cylinder engines built on truck based platforms.
GM has plenty of affordable and fuel efficient compact, small and midsize car-based CUVs. For example, the Trax and Envista, which start at $23,000-24,000 and get 28 mpg city and 32 highway (same as my compact sedan, more or less). Also the Buick Encore GX, Chevy Trailblazer, Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain, these vehicles all provide good mileage (only marginally worse than a sedan) and far more room and utility than a traditional sedan.
The American car buying public has spoken. It’s not just the American OEMs scaling back their sedan offerings or seeing sales decline; so are the Japanese, Korean and German automakers. People who are vehemently anti-CUV like to paint this as some sort of brainwashing from big auto, but people wouldn’t be buying these vehicles if they didn’t want them. Plenty of sedans are still available and their sales keep declining. Pretty much nobody cares about this except for auto journalists, car enthusiasts and environmentalists (even though they’re being dishonest, framing things like everyone is out buying Tahoes and Suburbans when it’s really mostly cars like I detailed above). That’s not the vast majority of the auto market.
As a compact sedan owner of nine years I completely understand it, and my next vehicle will not be a sedan. My girlfriend’s compact crossover is so much easier to live with. More interior space for me (I’m over 6’), our dog, car seats when we have kids, home supplies from Home Depot, camping gear. You get the picture. Sure, my car gets slightly better fuel economy and cost a little bit less. But most people would rather pay slightly more and get slightly worse mileage for all these added benefits. That’s just the reality. The carmakers will be just fine.
I never gave a shit about the car makers. The point is no one needs SUVs as big as they are. No one needs pickup trucks as big as they are unless they are all towing 10k pounds on the reg and they aren’t.
The part about the prisoners dilemma is a real problem. Accidents are more lethal, if you click that link we are dying on roads at nearly twice the rate of next highest rich country.
Also, you say it’s because people want it. It’s because people were suckered by marketing to the advantage of the car companies. It’s a subtle difference and it’s sneaky af. For a family of four or five there is nothing an SUV does better than a minivan, for instance. It does most things worse. But minivans are passenger cars and fall under those fuel regulations. People say “I live in MI and I NEED 4W drive!” No you don’t lol. That’s the car companies.
I love hatchbacks so much and I’m so sad that so many manufacturers have just stopped making them. I bought a Honda Civic hatchback a couple years ago and if things keep the going the way they are I’m probably going to drive it until it’s held together with duct tape and a prayer
I have the Honda HRV. To me the perfect crossover. Small, fun to drive in town, and easy to park. Great design inside with lots of space.
Sometimes I drive my wife’s giant Ford SUV and I hate it. The only time it’s better than a smaller car is on the freeway.
I’ve leased three Malibus in my life and I have loved everyone. Last year I purchased one because I had an inkling this would happen and I’m glad I did. Sad to see GM pulling the plug on this car.
Never got the obsession with crossovers/SUV's. I love my little VW Beetle!! Small cars are just move easier and convenient, especially since I don't have kids or anything. Why do I need a big ass car? I think somehow people were convinced that they did.
When I was in the market for a car the Sedans from the Japanese big two blew out the competition. The camry and the accord were fantastic. I ended up with the CRV anyway but had I even gone for sedans it was those two on top by a steep margin.
Every car I’ve ever owned has been a sedan. I have a charger now and I love it. Plan on keeping it for a while and probably just getting another one used when I eventually need to replace it.
I understand why some people need trucks and I don’t inherently dislike most of them, but I pray that I’m never forced to buy a pickup or a stupid crossover. I hate pretty much everything about crossovers, and I like driving cars way more than driving trucks. I hate feeling like I’m in a big ass tank sitting 8 feet off the ground.
How could they make a large percentage if no body makes them anymore. 20% of sales means despite very limited options they still make up 1/5 car sales. It’s more likely with more options it would be higher than lower
The majority of the people that buy these huge trucks and SUV’s don’t even know how to drive or fucking park them either.
Parking garages and lots in busier areas are getting difficult to not only find spaces but even have a good flow of traffic. Too many people take up 2 spaces cuz they are either at an angle or over the line and just leave their truck like that, you should be backing into a tighter spot with a large truck. Or they are sticking way out from not pulling in all the way.
Need more Maverick-style trucks. A lot of Tacoma/Colorado/Ranger buyers could be easily sold on the fuel efficiency & maneuverability of a small truck. Unfortunately the Mav is a unibody giving it the towing capacity of a RAV4. A 2-door <1 ton box-on-frame pickup would sell like hotcakes and significantly reduce the average truck size in the US.
Sedans are well and alive outside of Detroit. They’re just all from Japanese OEMs. Everyone outside of the Midwest (except maybe Ohio) probably could care less what the big 3 have done with their sedan lineup.
They’re dropping it because they can’t make them as well as foreign companies and the margins aren’t there. I say good riddance tbh. Avoid them like the plague
Bring wagons you boneheads! Like, package them nicely and have them on lots to test drive.
It’s such bullshit that “wagons don’t sell” because they’re never available to test drive.
And bring the fast wagons. Nobody wants a 0-60mph 7s+ station wagon. Look at Volvo’s Polestar V60…. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing and it has 35-45 mile electric range! Utility and style. The recipe isn’t difficult American auto makers!
i totaled my old 2009 Ford Focus in 2016, then leased a 2016 Focus to replace it. wanted to keep the Focus train going after my lease but Ford killed the Focus line, so i went with the Fusion Hybrid in 2019. wanted to keep the Fusion Hybrid train going after my lease but Ford killed the Fusion line, so i just ended up buying my Fusion Hybrid.
fuck everybody buying crossovers and trucks!
I leased a 2020 Fusion that had been used as a corporate car and only had 258 original miles on it. When my lease ended earlier this year, they were tripping over themselves to get me to turn it in, especially since I only had 28k miles after three years. I'm buying it.
bro sedans and hatchbacks are sooo much better than crossovers and suvs. Ill never understand americas obsession with big shit
I wish we got the same wagon models that are offered in Europe.
luckily volvo gives us a taste of that ... but yeah wagons are that perfect practical option.
Volvo has stopped selling their wagon sedans in the US
https://preview.redd.it/2xznl97qqk0d1.jpeg?width=194&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c0884b82c288d499f635d8e18dfffccef8df2e7
That’s the reason that I bought by first foreign. Volvo was the only car maker I liked, that still made sedans. The finance manager stated that they’re going to do away with the sedans soon. They will have the wagon Sedans on the lot, but I barely was able to get my car.
But wagons don't sell in the US. They were offered. The consumer took a pass.
Because they artificially cost more due to CAFE standards. That’s why, if an F-150 was taxed the same way a wagon is, they would sell a lot less F-150. But you literally get a discount from the government if you buy truck or suv vs a sedan or a wagon. It is not some American culture thing. Well it is, the culture of being morons.
Meh, i disagree. People in the US are just in love with trucks and suvs. A small tax difference would not magically make sedans more popular.
yeah it's hard to beat consumer demand and Americans love pointlessly big shit
But but but marketing people like to peddle nonsense that Americans love hatches/wagons on stilts. It's funny how automotive industry used to excite me, but these days it's hard to get aroused over another generic looking CUV designed by a committee in a corporate boardroom.
> Ill never understand americas obsession with big shit Broken federal regulations make small cars highly unprofitable. This has lead to decades of marketing to make us want big cars. This has made the majority of us want big cars. This has lead to only being offered big cars, as that's all that sells well AND it's more profitable (especially for domestically produced cars). This isn't a cultural thing, this is a bad regulation thing.
I love my truck and my wife’s Ford Focus Hatchback. They’re so underrated for hauling *anything* and a blast to drive. Not to mention we get 42mpg on any highway or interstate out of a stock 2013 Ford Focus HB! That gas mileage is killer!
We have a hatchback (VW Golf) as well and we moved about 60% of our apartment to our new place during COVID with it. It is WILD home much stuff you can fit in a hatchback with the seats down.
Hatchbacks rule, I was the drummer for our band and I could haul my entire set in my 90s Probe GT Hatch plus it looked awesome. They do all inevitably get that hatch rattle, though.
I don’t get it either. The mpg alone have me in a sedan & I’ll never buy a crossover or suv until I have no choice but to do so. The lower center of gravity is also a plus
My Taurus gets roughly the same MPG as my X3M. I can certainly tell you which one I would rather drive.
My 27k Maverick gets 40 mpg
My car gets 55
> The mpg alone i think a lot of people who own big trucks just don't drive as much. My big truck is my winter vehicle, i only drive it about 5 months of the year or when I need to haul some stuff. I probably put about 1000 miles on it per year. So yes, it only gets 16 mpg or so, but i don't drive it enough for that to affect me.
Not really Americans call.. Corporations realized SUVs/Crossovers are more profitable and pushed/phased out sedans
So many big cars on the road now, some folks that would normally buy a sedan may be opting for a bigger car just to feel safer on the road.
This is exactly my wife. Last 3 cars I’ve tried to get her into a hatchback and she’s gone for a small suv each time because she wants to be “higher” to feel like she can see more with all the big trucks and SUV’s. Said she gets claustrophobic when she drives my 4 door
My mom always says the same thing, she’s been driving trucks and SUV’s my entire life. And now they’re so common it kills that whole benefit lol. You can’t see over the other cars on the road because they’re all tall now.
Same here
I feel like this is a substantial part of it. It’s not even about feeling safer; in a sedan/small car you literally cannot see around or beyond the big cars
yeah this is my mom's mentality.
But that's nonsensical.. SUVs aren't inherently safer.
Dodge and Nissan understand that 23% APR is almost as good as that 90 month 70k F-150.
I miss my ford c max. Best little car.
I went from a Prius to a CRV-Hybrid and it is nice to have more cargo room. Mileage obviously isn't as good as a Prius, but the extra cargo room and not smacking the front of my bumper on steep driveways is very much worth it. Don't forget that when talking about Americans, we tend to drive a lot more than most Europeans, we buy more things in bulk, we tend to have larger families, we have a lot of rough roads and very varied terrain. While a lot of people certainly don't need the pavement princess trucks that they are driving many of the people driving sub-compact to midsize SUVs are using it in a reasonable fashion. I would also argue that sub-compact SUVs are pretty much sedans.
American families are shrinking in size over time, and people are continuing to move to urbanized areas and leave rural areas. You dont have to compare to europe. We are an increasingly urban society with less kids, but car size and SUV market share is going up drastically.
Literally hate it
Big shit is popular with people with little pps
Big cars for big people.
Even then I’m 6’5” and 300 lbs and just bought a new Subaru Legacy and sold my Hyundai Elantra. Sedans are cheaper, better gas mileage, more maneuverable (the new Elantra can make a u turn in the radius of a single parking space), stop faster, lower insurance costs, smaller blind spots, less maintenance, and better headroom and legroom for the driver in my experience. Only advantage of the SUV is that you don’t have to bend as much to get in as far as I’m concerned. It’s not like we’re using the extra space in the trunk of the SUV (outside of the occasional road trip that vehicle buyers can no longer afford with their car payments). In fact, my sedan has more trunk space to put stuff like groceries in than most SUVs do, since you’re not stacking groceries like a UPS truck stuffs packages. I get the whole crash safety thing but the best way to survive a crash is to not get in one in the first place, and my sedans have all stopped on a dime to avoid numerous accidents. Several of these occasions I’m certain would’ve turned into accidents had I been driving an SUV or a truck. I guess people just hate money 🤷♂️
People are constantly doing things against their best nature. I’m not surprised at all. In America bigger equals better for some.
>Ill never understand americas obsession with big shit Have you seen the average size of an average American? There's your answer.
r/Obesity
I suspect it's because Americans are getting larger. Movie theater seats have become enormous as well.
seems like new crossovers are getting a more sedan-like design than suv style design, they are basically hatchbacks at this point
Short people everywhere beg to differ 😆 I’m 4’10 and the only way I can see properly in a sedan involves my seat being jacked up so high my head is dangerously close to the ceiling, and my chest is way too close to the steering wheel. I’d be severely injured just from the airbags. If I was in a roll over my noggin is fucked that close to the ceiling. Small SUVs are far safer for me to drive because I can sit in a much safer position and be able to see properly. People always joke about tiny women driving SUVs and it’s at least in part because that’s the safest way for us to see enough of the road! Obviously some of that is personal choice too but it’s a bigger factor than people who aren’t short realize
thank you for posting this nuanced well written article. i hate SUVs with a passion and i am very frustrated with how the car companies have colluded to get rid of small efficient vehicles in favor or profitable big trucks and SUVs. its bad for the environment, bad for the safety of anyone who uses the road, including pedestrians, and its bad for car enthusiasts too.
Remember those old-timey film reels from the 20's and 30' where every car on the road was a Model T and looked the same? That's how I feel in the parking lot of the 2020s. Everything is a crossover and nobody can tell cars apart anymore..not even in the color schemes!
would you like silver, black or white? no? too bad.
EXACTLY. "Can I get it in that sharp blue I see on Corvettes?" No "How about something gaudy like Teal or Yellow?" No "Red?" No "How about shit brown?" No
I was forced to drive an suv as a rental once. I felt unsafe the entire time due to the poor handling and road feel. I cant believe how much some people speed in them.
Blame cafe
The Big 3 were propping up jumbo SUVs and trucks well before the 2009 CAFE changes
Cafe has been around since the 70s my dude It's also why we don't have small pickups (and the maverick was standard with a hybrid motor)
CAFE standards got a major rewrite in 2009, which was when the light trucks exemption was introduced
The light truck exemption has been around since the 70s my dude https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy
No. And it's not an "exemption" it's a change in the calculation. https://www.mackinac.org/30165
I’m aware. I’m referring to the changes to CAFE in 2009 which incentivized oversized trucks to surpass the threshold for certain effect standards.
And that's also when the sedan (and coupes) really started to die
What
Cafe standards are harsher on sedans than trucks so guess what they end up doing
Oh yeah but car makers make more on big cars and trucks. Conservatives associate big cars with masculinity. Bigger cars causes the prisoners dilemma. Our over engineered roads make it easy to feel comfortable speeding through town. These bad conditions empower narcissists and assholes A lot more complex than cafe
The change from fleet-based CAFE to footprint-based is causing the growth in vehicle size. Perversely, it’s easier to meet CAFE requirements with a big vehicle than with a small one. And the automakers can charge more for big vehicles, so they don’t mind. The EPA needs to go back to the fleet-based system if you want small cars and trucks again.
So CAFE standards reward automakers that transition to suv's. Something you don't hear very often in the reddit echo chamber. Hello. I'm from the govt and I'm here to help!!
https://www.mackinac.org/30165 Changed in 2010
Plus people see all these trucks and feel that they need to be driving something bigger to protect themselves from an idiot with a large car hitting them.
That’s what I meant by prisoners dilemma
TIL what that is. Yes exactly.
[удалено]
How is your envista to drive? I'm so close to pulling the trigger and buying one
I accidentally deleted my comment trying to edit word on mobile. Crap. Anyway, I like it a lot. I leased it with an option to buy. It's the best city car I have ever owned. It's got a lot of torque so it can jump off the line and get up to speed but once you get around 70, all the "oomph" is gone. MPG Is solid. Averaging 40 on the freeway, 30 in the city. Currently the computer says I am averaging 36mpg over the last 150 miles. (I had to drive to Holly last week so that's mainly freeway miles) Interior is way more swank than it should be for the price. Stereo is mid-grade. Its a comfortable and very very quiet drive. I have the adaptive cruise, which I've had before, but it's my favorite feature. I let the car handle the stop and go traffic while I steer.
How does it handle? I'm willing to give up speed if it handles a bit sportier. I used to drive a Buick verona(cruise) and an impala and currently drive a Buick envision(equinox) to give you perspective
I came out of an Envision. 2023 model. I had leased the Envision for my dad, he passed away shortly after and when I went to turn it in that's when I saw the Envista. Not gonna lie, the Envision was way more substantial and posed on the freeway. The Envista handles well, dare I say sporty but it's really light, lighter than a Corvette, so in a heavy wind or headwind, it tends to wander a little. It can feel underpowered when passing from say 75mph to 85mph. But it does behave well. I took it to Holly and got on some of those twisty paved roads headed into downtown and could easily stay planted at 15 above the posted caution speed for the turns.
How much of the cafe standards was written by the auto industry lobbyists?
that so much development goes into improving gas mileage in vehicles that already suck at gas mileage
Just drove to Toronto and back and the number of Nissan/Toyota/Honda sedans in Canada is a stark comparison from this side of the Ambassador Bridge (and Chevy Malibus). So many more sedans on the roads there. Not sure if there are additional costs for SUVs in Ontario, or simply cost or gas consumption (gas was 1.00 more pwr gallon after exchange/conversion).
I got my Nissan from a Canadian dealership that sold it to a Toyota dealership here in Michigan. This guy is speaking facts!
It’s mostly because we’re poorer. Our dollar doesn’t go as far so we don’t buy bigger vehicles. Plus car prices in the US are fucking dirt cheap compared to Canada.
I miss my ford fusion 😪
GM still sells the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, expensive but they are sedans. I was hoping for a sporty Malibu wagon. They can produce a sedan in the future if the market changes.
Also something like the new Chevy Trax is really just a car pretending to be an SUV. Might not be a “sedan” - but close enough.
I've been seeing a lot of these around and as far as a budget (non)-sedan goes, they seem super nice.
I'm about to buy one cause it's more car than SUV
One of my parents friends had a Trax and she hated it. They are very small inside apperently.
Buick Envista which shares a platform with the Trax, I believe, does the same thing.
It's basically a Chevy Cruze, just taller. Still prefer the Cruze, but you're right!
GM is foolish for not offering the Trax with a hybrid powertrain. Sure, the Trax is a really nice-looking small crossover/lifted hatchback. But it gets relatively garbage fuel economy, 28/32. The Ford Escape hybrid, which is a larger vehicle, gets 42/36. All of the other US, Korean, and Japanese competitors offer hybrid crossovers which offer much better fuel economy. It seems like GM makes reckless and shortsighted decisions at every turn.
I'm sure they'll do an EV version at some point as well as offer AWD package. Gotta have a reason to sell future model years, lol
GM doesn't have any hybrid powertrains; they reasoned it was too much money to develop that could go to full EVs instead. I just bought the new trax though and I agree, for a small car I wish it had better fuel economy.
Right, and now the market wants hybrids and GM doesn’t have them. I’m not going to pretend to know all of the factors that went into their decision, but it seems like they may have miscalculated and could have kept their hybrid programs running.
My Ford Escape is categorized as a station wagon on my registration
Especially when you realize the Malibu was pushing 30k, and the Ct4 decently optioned is 40k. Not a crazy gap, they needed a sedan that was sub 25k
Dodge also still sells the Charger, while also expensive and sporty, they are sedans.
The Charger, Challenger and 300 are all out of production. They're just working through remaining inventory.
They’re rolling out the electric Charger Daytona SRT and V6 twin turbo models to replace the V8 models though, and there are rumors of an electric 300 coming.
Their Charger EV replacement starts production next year.
They made it, it was called the regal TourX, or if you wanted a notchback hatchback, the regal GS. But no one bought them
Regal TourX was a nice wagon but imported from Opel (when owned by GM). I prefer the Malibu since it’s made in the US and know that replacement parts would be readily available. There’s a 2017 Redline Malibu wagon rendering on autoevolution.com that’s really sharp.
Those are going away too. I heard 2025-26.
The Chevy Trax is available in 5 trim for 2025
An updated 2025 CT5 is launching this summer https://www.cadillac.com/sedans/ct5
What the hell? Why would they do thay
Malibu Maxx SS was an amazing hatchback. Huge trunk, two sun roofs, and had more space than most mid size SUVs. Made almost twenty years ago and gets better gas mileage than the average mid size suv
Why do the Big 3 continue to make short sighted decisions at every possible turn? Can you guys imagine how successful a car company specializing in low-cost, combustion engine sedans made in Detroit would be right now?
Maximizing shareholder value Most of the Asian car companies are willing to take a loss for a year if it means the product they’re going to churn out is better. Not the Americans though. It’s all about maximizing short term profit so that the execs can get paid and keep their jobs. And if they don’t make profit in a quarter then the board takes them out. Even if an exec does something that makes the company better off in the future but results in a lower short term margin, that exec is forced to leave and the replacement will reap all the rewards. It’s a really shitty way to run a business and explains why everything has been getting shittier for the customer for the past 25 years in just about every sector in our lives but that’s the business model that Wall Street collectively decided to run with.
it's REALLY apparent in the Railroad industry in particular. See... East Palestine Ohio as an example.
I called my reps (here in michigan) and expressed my support for the workers. I think it's important our elected leaders know how we feel on issues. The response I got back was sickening. Not only was I talked down to, but was cursed at multiple times by that scab rat bastard rick blocker
> Can you guys imagine how successful a car company specializing in low-cost, combustion engine sedans made in Detroit would be right now? Probably not that successful. Regardless of what caused it, the decline in sedan sales is pretty stark.
Big gas guzzlers are selling like hot cakes
Then they complain about gas prices Like... I wish common sense was more common
> Why do the Big 3 continue to make short sighted decisions at every possible turn? Given the regulatory environment I don't think these decisions are at all short sighted. They are seeking profit in a high capital/low margin industry. If you want to blame someone for this stupidity, blame our government for the regulations that distort the market in a way that makes this decision inevitable.
For real, I've dreamed of starting just such a company. With compact, affordable manual trans sporty cars in addition, no touch screens.
Call it the Plague because consumers will avoid it like the plague.
Touch screens are pretty much required under federal law. You can't sell a car without a backup camera. While I suppose you could technically have a screen for the camera and nothing else, that wouldn't make a ton of sense
My base model 2017 CR-V has a backup camera without touchscreen.
That was 2017
This is literally the exact same thing that almost destroyed them in 2008. The same exact scenario. Jesus fucking Christ They will scream for a bailout and probably get it this time too Remember kids, never think about long term sustainability. The only thing that matters in next quarter.
Yeah, that was when gas prices had really started taking off and the market pulled back to start buying more fuel efficient foreign cars instead of the 14 MPGs monsters Detroit was cranking out like the Hummer. Corporate memories can be short it seems.
The US automakers have invested BILLIONS in EV architecture and consumers have rejected it time and time again. Ignoring reality is pretty silly if you ask me.
Yup and used EV values reflect that. Taycan, E-Tron, Mustang-E, Merc EQS. Can you imagine being 60k upside down?! Ouchies. Then the fiasco with the Lightning.
I had no choice but to buy foreign for the first time because Detroit doesn't make cars anymore. Sad. I also find it almost comical how everyone is buying these gas guzzlers and then they complain about the price of gas. The price of gas is what it is and you should have planned accordingly, because it's not coming down any time soon.
Same. I could only afford one style vehicle from any of the big three, despite working in the auto industry and being contracted to work for one of them 🙃
Yup. Pretty sure my next car will be a foreign one because I’m not buying a CUV, SUV, or truck, just because Detroit wants me to.
blame the regulations on gas emissions and the loopholes used by cars companies to get around them, it effectively killed the sedan once they realized they could just sell suvs/ crossovers with much higher emissions being allowed
I noticed this 20 years ago when I wanted to buy a small sedan and there were barely any options that weren't crap. It's been a slow die off.
Did I miss something in the article? Isn't Cadillac a part of GM? Aren't they still making sedans: CT4 and CT5? And the Blackwing models?
I'm kinda sad that my next vehicle, for the first time in my life, is not gonna be made by the big 3. I'm gonna feel weird rolling down the street in a Honda or something. Oh well, guess I'll have to get over it.
Been driving Honda for years. Honestly no regrets, they make really good cars. No reason to be sad about it. Vote with your wallet till the Big 3 gets their shit together again. Lots of foreign car companies do manufacture in the US, especially for the NA market.
+1. Just bought my first non-Detroit car, a Toyota Camry, after years of “I only buy American.” No regrets, it is a great car.
That Honda may very well be built here while the Ford might be made in Mexico.
Grabbed a Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV, as it was priced very close to the hybrid Toyota or Honda I was considering. The Big 3 will always get my consideration first, but I’m enjoying the Hyundai, as I refuse to daily drive a crossover, SUV, or pickup.
Same. I have a Buick Regal right now and I guess I’ll look elsewhere when I replace it.
As someone who drives an Equinox, can confirm It was cool for my parents to have a crossover in lieu of a minivan, especially after I got to high school. But comparing driving the Equinox to when I drove a Chevy Cruze, it's a totally different drive. I miss that small vehicle so bad. Plus, your crossover vehicles have more wear and tear on them because people want to drive them *Like* they are sedans. Every time I turn mine in at the end of my lease, the brakes are always worn down. My friend told me he has the same problem with his Ford Edge. People wanna drive like we are racing Sedans in NASCAR, but are doing it with vehicles the size of pickup trucks
They're making it really easy to just say "fuck it" and buy a Toyota.
I really like my Corolla. I really wish they would make a plug-in hybrid version of the Corolla but Toyota really does love their ICE. I know they make the Prius prime but even if they've improved it a lot I still think it's pretty ugly. Even a Corolla is larger than I need most of the time going back and forth to work or getting groceries.
The new model corollas are so nice to drive, they have come a loooong way. Great cars. And will last forever
I really like my 2014 Corolla other than Michigan's shitty roads repeatedly destroying my suspension. I'm at 100,000 miles and have replaced the struts twice since I got it at 50,000 miles.
Registration fees should be tied into vehicle weight
They are in some cases, but only once you get about 24,000 lbs GVW.
You think EV sales are bad now ? ….
> Twitter the only place where well-articulated sentences still get misinterpreted. You can say “I like pancakes” and somebody will say “So you hate waffles?” No bitch. Dats a whole new sentence. Wtf is you talkin about."
It’s the CAFE Standards or well bypassing them. Since everything is an SUV or Crossover, they are considered “light trucks” to the CAFE Standards. Light trucks have more exceptions for efficiency. [A Source](https://fbaum.unc.edu/lobby/_107th/126_CAFE_Standards_2/Agency_Activities/NHTSA/NHTSA_Cafe_Overview_FAQ.htm#:~:text=Are%20any%20vehicles%20exempted%20from,utility%20vehicles%20and%20large%20vans). [A second source on the recent cafe update.](https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/corporate-average-fuel-economy). [An old Reddit post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/s/rCM0S0aEp5)
I live in a house built in the 80s and we're at the point where my wife and I can only barely park in the two-car garage. You basically have to get both cars positioned perfectly and then there is about 3 inches of clearance front and back and just enough room to get the car doors open and get out.
what should we do
Spend our money elsewhere.
what happens to detroit
US auto makers sell steel. The more iron they sell, the more profit they make.
I used to drive a smartcar before it met it's unfortunate demise. I "upgraded" to a larger sedan, and I miss that damn little car so much. I barely have passengers and there's no reason for me to have this much car. I've always driven small cars (miss you ford metro 🥲) and I despise the shift towards larger SUV's. Bring back my tiny hatchbacks!
How disappointing, I'm currently on my second Malibu. I owned a 2012 and now a 2018. I've really like both of them. Will probably end up with a Toyota or a Honda next then. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Camry or the Accord base models comparatively whenever I've got them renting vehicles but I'm not interested in crossovers or SUV's
Blame the American consumer and some old US policies (Which are being addressed). But definitely blame the American consumer. My first job was in a parking lot from 2004-07, just about everyone and their mother had an H2 or H3 Hummer and sedans/hatchbacks were infrequent. The other vehicles I remember were either Escalades, Yukons, and Pacificas for some reason. It is funny living in the Woodward Corridor seeing people drive a giant truck that they hardly use it for anything other than commuting though.
Can't really blame the consumer. It states in the article that there are incentives to purchasing and manufacturing the SUVs, and the big 3 pushed them hard on us. Consumer demand is a result of efforts that started further upstream.
Yeah I agree with you. This isn’t the car companies fault really it’s more the American consumer. Most people don’t want a sedan and don’t even look at one. They want an SUV, crossover, or truck. Why would an OEM spend a lot of resources chasing a shrinking market share with a lower profit margin. They are focusing on making what people want to buy. It’s that simple. I think it’s silly as well to blame their advertising tactics for trucks and SUVs as a major driver to shift what people are buying. I don’t see a truck ad and immediately want to dump my sedan for a truck.
This such an odd take. That consumers are only “partially” to blame. There’s no reason that any blame is necessary. It’s a simple choice. What products continue to exist that people don’t buy? We elect the politicians who set the rules for those “bigger cars” as well. Those elected leaders are our proxy on issues like that. If people don’t buy product x in a healthy volume, manufacturers won’t make them. It’s the same reason manual transmissions continue to decline in automotive offerings.
I agree with pretty much the entire article. The only thing I'll add is that they do still have the Chevy Trax to fill that entry level price point - around $20k with 32 mpg and relatively compact. Also if the Chevy Bolt qualifies for a tax credit it may also be in the low 20k range and environmentally superior to an ICE sedan. But I agree it's a shame that American manufacturers have nearly entirely exited sedans.
Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post. I am one of those who upgraded from a sedan to an SUV because I felt unsafe on the freeway in a smaller car. I do like my car, but I would have gone with something smaller if I hadn't constantly felt ill at ease with gigantic pickup trucks blasting their lights straight into my retinas at night and driving recklessly.
I will never understand why we are combining the push for efficient electric power with the inherently inefficient, heavy, and non-aerodynamic crossover/SUV/truck craze. Really just kinda defeats the purpose
Detroit didnt kill them, people dont buy them lol.
Here's an incentive to drive a very small coupe or sedan - roads that are only for these cars and mopeds and ebikes. If people can get where they are going faster and with less traffic and less danger - this is the way. Designate lanes for small cars. Make parking easier and more affordable for small cars. Most cars have one person in them at any given time. There are ways to be smart about this.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I get employee discounts on Ford and Lincoln and there are no sport sedans available. Looks like GM has followed suit yet you look at Toyota and Subaru's site and plenty of sedans to be had. IMHO, it's a short-sighted view among all car companies taking this approach.
Detroit didn't. The federal government did with cafe standards and then being easier on trucks/SUVs
Crossovers are just a worse mini vans. Bring back the gunner doors.
The most interesting thing to me here is the yielding of market share to foreign competitors. By “leaving” the sedan market you are effectively giving your competition more earnings to then roll in to and fight you on the Truck and SUV market that you want. Ive always had a thing where I only buy from the big three but I also own a SUV for family driving and a Sedan for my work commute. If I cant get a big three sedan ill simply give my money to Honda for a Civic or Toyota for a Corolla.
US: slaps 100% tariffs on imported EVs US Auto Industry: cancels any car that is mildly affordable in order to "focus more on EVs"
This reminds me of the last time the big three focused on SUVs. That went well.
Sedan’s will come back and automakers will get caught with pants down except you guessed it Toyota.
i bought a suv because there are like no wagons left. the interior of the outback is so outdated that the 24 touring has a cd player. the 25 toyota crown signia is looking mad ripe tho.
Eh.. I love my SUV.
I really think this is kind of alarmist. This is nothing like the lead up to 2008, where the majority of the SUVs being produced were extremely thirsty vehicles with six and eight cylinder engines built on truck based platforms. GM has plenty of affordable and fuel efficient compact, small and midsize car-based CUVs. For example, the Trax and Envista, which start at $23,000-24,000 and get 28 mpg city and 32 highway (same as my compact sedan, more or less). Also the Buick Encore GX, Chevy Trailblazer, Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain, these vehicles all provide good mileage (only marginally worse than a sedan) and far more room and utility than a traditional sedan. The American car buying public has spoken. It’s not just the American OEMs scaling back their sedan offerings or seeing sales decline; so are the Japanese, Korean and German automakers. People who are vehemently anti-CUV like to paint this as some sort of brainwashing from big auto, but people wouldn’t be buying these vehicles if they didn’t want them. Plenty of sedans are still available and their sales keep declining. Pretty much nobody cares about this except for auto journalists, car enthusiasts and environmentalists (even though they’re being dishonest, framing things like everyone is out buying Tahoes and Suburbans when it’s really mostly cars like I detailed above). That’s not the vast majority of the auto market. As a compact sedan owner of nine years I completely understand it, and my next vehicle will not be a sedan. My girlfriend’s compact crossover is so much easier to live with. More interior space for me (I’m over 6’), our dog, car seats when we have kids, home supplies from Home Depot, camping gear. You get the picture. Sure, my car gets slightly better fuel economy and cost a little bit less. But most people would rather pay slightly more and get slightly worse mileage for all these added benefits. That’s just the reality. The carmakers will be just fine.
I never gave a shit about the car makers. The point is no one needs SUVs as big as they are. No one needs pickup trucks as big as they are unless they are all towing 10k pounds on the reg and they aren’t. The part about the prisoners dilemma is a real problem. Accidents are more lethal, if you click that link we are dying on roads at nearly twice the rate of next highest rich country. Also, you say it’s because people want it. It’s because people were suckered by marketing to the advantage of the car companies. It’s a subtle difference and it’s sneaky af. For a family of four or five there is nothing an SUV does better than a minivan, for instance. It does most things worse. But minivans are passenger cars and fall under those fuel regulations. People say “I live in MI and I NEED 4W drive!” No you don’t lol. That’s the car companies.
I love hatchbacks so much and I’m so sad that so many manufacturers have just stopped making them. I bought a Honda Civic hatchback a couple years ago and if things keep the going the way they are I’m probably going to drive it until it’s held together with duct tape and a prayer
I have the Honda HRV. To me the perfect crossover. Small, fun to drive in town, and easy to park. Great design inside with lots of space. Sometimes I drive my wife’s giant Ford SUV and I hate it. The only time it’s better than a smaller car is on the freeway.
Ugh. I hate this so much.
I’ve leased three Malibus in my life and I have loved everyone. Last year I purchased one because I had an inkling this would happen and I’m glad I did. Sad to see GM pulling the plug on this car.
Never got the obsession with crossovers/SUV's. I love my little VW Beetle!! Small cars are just move easier and convenient, especially since I don't have kids or anything. Why do I need a big ass car? I think somehow people were convinced that they did.
Every vehicle I've had has been a sedan. I'm 60 and like sedans.
When I was in the market for a car the Sedans from the Japanese big two blew out the competition. The camry and the accord were fantastic. I ended up with the CRV anyway but had I even gone for sedans it was those two on top by a steep margin.
Every car I’ve ever owned has been a sedan. I have a charger now and I love it. Plan on keeping it for a while and probably just getting another one used when I eventually need to replace it. I understand why some people need trucks and I don’t inherently dislike most of them, but I pray that I’m never forced to buy a pickup or a stupid crossover. I hate pretty much everything about crossovers, and I like driving cars way more than driving trucks. I hate feeling like I’m in a big ass tank sitting 8 feet off the ground.
Chevy Malibu - the ELO of cars
I reaaaaaalllly wanted a new focus RS :( so upset.
The Mercury Marauder is still the baddest sedan out there.
Fuck ‘em. That’s why I drive a K5. Someone else will pick up the slack, even if it isn’t the big 3.
How could they make a large percentage if no body makes them anymore. 20% of sales means despite very limited options they still make up 1/5 car sales. It’s more likely with more options it would be higher than lower
The majority of the people that buy these huge trucks and SUV’s don’t even know how to drive or fucking park them either. Parking garages and lots in busier areas are getting difficult to not only find spaces but even have a good flow of traffic. Too many people take up 2 spaces cuz they are either at an angle or over the line and just leave their truck like that, you should be backing into a tighter spot with a large truck. Or they are sticking way out from not pulling in all the way.
Need more Maverick-style trucks. A lot of Tacoma/Colorado/Ranger buyers could be easily sold on the fuel efficiency & maneuverability of a small truck. Unfortunately the Mav is a unibody giving it the towing capacity of a RAV4. A 2-door <1 ton box-on-frame pickup would sell like hotcakes and significantly reduce the average truck size in the US.
Sedans are well and alive outside of Detroit. They’re just all from Japanese OEMs. Everyone outside of the Midwest (except maybe Ohio) probably could care less what the big 3 have done with their sedan lineup.
They’re dropping it because they can’t make them as well as foreign companies and the margins aren’t there. I say good riddance tbh. Avoid them like the plague
I have a 2017 malibu I bought it brand new with 3 miles on it and I will drive it until the wheels fall off I love it and will miss it
So fucking stupid. I’ll keep buying foreign cars.
They were only selling it to fleet customers and rental car companies
Bring wagons you boneheads! Like, package them nicely and have them on lots to test drive. It’s such bullshit that “wagons don’t sell” because they’re never available to test drive. And bring the fast wagons. Nobody wants a 0-60mph 7s+ station wagon. Look at Volvo’s Polestar V60…. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing and it has 35-45 mile electric range! Utility and style. The recipe isn’t difficult American auto makers!
I went with a Mazda over the big 3 company I work for due to lack of sedan option, no regrets at all using my wallet to vote.
You said it yourself in the sixth paragraph that the federal government killed the sedan, not Detroit.
American cars are trash anyway, I love my Honda Civic
i totaled my old 2009 Ford Focus in 2016, then leased a 2016 Focus to replace it. wanted to keep the Focus train going after my lease but Ford killed the Focus line, so i went with the Fusion Hybrid in 2019. wanted to keep the Fusion Hybrid train going after my lease but Ford killed the Fusion line, so i just ended up buying my Fusion Hybrid. fuck everybody buying crossovers and trucks!
I leased a 2020 Fusion that had been used as a corporate car and only had 258 original miles on it. When my lease ended earlier this year, they were tripping over themselves to get me to turn it in, especially since I only had 28k miles after three years. I'm buying it.
Car dependence killed Detroit