USA Woodie

[Andy Bennett]

Hi Erich
Yes I agree. It seems to be a general thing that we will all see value in larger cars. I did once ask for a discount when offered an upgrade to a large family car when landing in Exeter in UK. My argument was that it was going to cost me more in fuel than I had budgeted and was going to be more difficult to drive around in St Ives (small traditional seaside town with very narrow roads and few places to park even a small car). The hire car man was perplexed and ultimately gave me the Fiesta I wanted.
I was also overtaken by a new Golf the other day and I swear it was larger than the Passat, it was a huge estate car.
It feels that American cars are generally coming down a bit in size and Europe is going up. I guess we will meet at a global car average, which will be 'large' on anyones scale.

[jpsmit]

Not sure that the American cars are coming down at all - with Ford stopping making cars and GM moving away from even making cars (only 3 options now I think) in favour of SUVs and Trucks (and vettes and mustangs)

and gas prices don't seem to affect those decisions

[Erich]

Andy, I think American cars are going up in size, rather than the opposite. Five years ago, we bought a low mileage Subaru Forester, a 2005. I wanted that generation because it is a small car with good visibility. The current Foresters are half again larger, with no more interior room and poorer visibility, the latter being one of my complaints about new cars.
I vow never to buy a new car again. Our moderns are the 2005 Subaru and a 1998 Toyota pick up(one of the small ones).

Erich in Mukilteo

[Reckless Rat]

You could always buy a Chevvy Suburban and then put the Forester (and the Toyo) in the back....

[Andy Bennett]

Yes but Erik, that's sort of what i mean, the Subaru isn't American but is coming up in size to meet that need for a global car platform.
And jps, fair point yes I stand corrected I see your point on the SUVs that you need a ladder to get into.

I just don't understand the desire for ever larger cars. Houses are smaller, car parking spaces are smaller, suburban roads are tighter and fuel/electricity is more expensive and the apparent appreciation of environmental impact says smaller everything for all sorts of reasons.

If you did a survey on the future of cars it would be a drive to ever smaller vehicles, but apparently desire and the need to demonstrate buying power (even if borrowed) throws all logic out of the window when a significant proportion of the public sees something big and shiny and decide it must sit and block the road and pavement outside their new house because it won't fit in the drive let alone the garage.

I was looking forward to seeing the new Defender until I saw how big it was, just another overblown motorway SUV when it could have actually followed in its predecessors footsteps as a proper country 4WD capable of being driven down tight lanes without running up both verges at the same time.

Funny old world.

[Hedd_Jones]

Yes but Erik, that's sort of what i mean, the Subaru isn't American but is coming up in size to meet that need for a global car platform.
And jps, fair point yes I stand corrected I see your point on the SUVs that you need a ladder to get into.

I just don't understand the desire for ever larger cars. Houses are smaller, car parking spaces are smaller, suburban roads are tighter and fuel/electricity is more expensive and the apparent appreciation of environmental impact says smaller everything for all sorts of reasons.

If you did a survey on the future of cars it would be a drive to ever smaller vehicles, but apparently desire and the need to demonstrate buying power (even if borrowed) throws all logic out of the window when a significant proportion of the public sees something big and shiny and decide it must sit and block the road and pavement outside their new house because it won't fit in the drive let alone the garage.

I was looking forward to seeing the new Defender until I saw how big it was, just another overblown motorway SUV when it could have actually followed in its predecessors footsteps as a proper country 4WD capable of being driven down tight lanes without running up both verges at the same time.

Funny old world.

Land Rover basically lost all market share as a working vehicle when it discontinued the Defender without a replacement. Not that it had much anyway. The jap pickups being the favoured farmer conveyance for many years now. Mostly in crewcab form.

So the new defender was always going to be aimed at the Chelsey tractor market, for which it is ideally suited.

[Tony Griffiths]

If you did a survey on the future of cars it would be a drive to ever smaller vehicles, but apparently desire and the need to demonstrate buying power (even if borrowed) throws all logic out of the window...

 Just 9% of new (not used) cars are bought outright by private buyers - 91% are on finance of some sort. In other words, when that sleek new Audi/BMW/Merc/etc powers past, there's only a one in ten chance that the driver owns it.

[Erich]

Yes, Andy, Subaru isn't essentially an American car, but most are and have been made here for the American market in factories here. And the Forester, as I recall, was developed exclusively for the American market. Interestingly, here in the Seattle area, I am seeing more and more Kei cars here in the area. So there are those of us who want extra small, rather than super size. There seems to be two schools. Those who drive Kei cars and Smart cars, and those who consider the "new" Mini a true small car. The latter being as big as a land crab.


Erich in Mukilteo

[Howard Wright]

Hi Eric

Subaru Forrester…..One of the best cars I have ever owned.  It’s only fault was slightly high petrol consumption!

Enjoy it  .

Cheers

Howard

[jpsmit]

Yes but Erik, that's sort of what i mean, the Subaru isn't American but is coming up in size to meet that need for a global car platform.
And jps, fair point yes I stand corrected I see your point on the SUVs that you need a ladder to get into.

I just don't understand the desire for ever larger cars. Houses are smaller, car parking spaces are smaller, suburban roads are tighter and fuel/electricity is more expensive and the apparent appreciation of environmental impact says smaller everything for all sorts of reasons.

Funny old world.

Couldn't agree more - so much has to do with marketting and the perception of safety - SUVs in particular are heavily marketted to mothers as the safest to protect their children even though, ironically, they aren't due to them being trucks and therefore exempt from ceratin safety requirements.

Ford sells 5 trucks for each car - but, at least here in the colonies, you also never see North American ads for cars (only SUV's and trucks)

In Japan 80% of SUV's will be sold having literally never been put into 4 wheel drive.

a couple of years ago I read a 'we have seen the enemy and it is us' type article that made the point that not only do trucks/suv's use more gas and cost more to make and buy but that fewer fit on the road - so fewer can get through an intersection during a green light slowing down traffic and other drivers have to hang back further to see past - etc. etc.

Funny old world indeed