Esthetically speaking, CUVs are an abomination
Esthetically speaking, CUVs are an abomination
Strictly based on looks, CUVs are ugly, and yet I see so many of them. I don't get why people like how they look or why this body style is so popular.
Edit: CUV = Crossover Utility Vehcile
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I'm currently drafting a post for this community that touches on this.
What other options are there for consumers? "Luxury" sedans that need a monthly subscription for heated seats and pickup trucks. There's really no "economy" class of cars in the US market, anymore and CUVs hit just enough checkboxes for the average buyer to put up with the ugly styling.
Minivans do it better.
The humble minivan is the ultimate family/cargo vehicle and I will die on this hill.
Minivans are a fair bit larger than most CUVs though. I'd love if something like the Astro/Safari came back to the market, but it's not like they're a 1:1 replacement. The Dodge Caravan is neatly 2' longer than a Honda CRV, for example.
What we really need more of is station wagons IMO and to fix our infrastructure so that people aren't terrified to drive anything less than an WD turbo-charged car with 8" minimum of ground clearance
You had me a station wagon.
Yeah. I loved my H6 Subaru Outback (totaled by a drunk driver at about 350,000 miles) and both my Volvo wagons. It really is the best configuration nowadays, but the station wagon name has a bad reputation in the US for being for old people.
Have you priced minivans lately? A base model Toyota Sienna starts at $39,000. Most people donโt want to spend $50,000 on a minivan when they can get a more fashionable SUV for less.
That's why you don't buy new. You never buy new. A quick search of AutoTempest, and I can find several Siennas and Odysseys between $15-$25k. I found a 2015 Sienna Limited within a 30 minute drive of me for $20,950. 91,000 miles. It's got leather upholstery and a sunroof. It's got second row captains' chairs, automatic headlights, and phone connectivity (probably not car play but a so equipped aftermarket head unit is maybe 500-1,000 bucks). And Toyotas are great cars. 91,000 miles ain't nothing. All I'd be concerned with is when it last had a timing belt and water pump. That should really be all it needs. If it hasn't been done, I bet you could tell them you'll pay asking price if they throw that in.
And if you've got the extra money and want something newer, why would you pay $39k for a new base model when you can get a 3 year old Platinum for $44k? Because I found one. Has the tech in cars between 2021 and 2024 changed just that much?
As for being fashionable, that costs money. Being cool costs money. That's why trucks cost $100,000 these days. If price is your top concern, you'll save money buying a used minivan. And you can haul all your coworkers to lunch comfortably too because minivans have third rows that are meant to be used often.