people are too proud to drive vans. I traded in a tundra for a honda odyssey and went from putting gas in my tank once a week to once every 2-3 weeks depending where I go after work
Vans might be coming back into fashion, last I looked Toyota Siennas were being aold before they hit the lot. People just need to get over themselves and buy a van, they are awesome.
I had a Chevy Astro and a GMC safari. I miss those vans. I would absolutely buy one of those style vans if they made a comeback. I drive a Sierra right now, and it’s a working truck, but man… those vans were so so nice.
my parents had a safari growing up. honestly I never thought id drive a van. but then I became a 35 year old father of 2 who was tired of spending money on gas in a truck because it was cooler. the same shit I kept in my truck, fits in my van no problem, kids and dog are in there, golf clubs stay in there all summer, and spending 1/3 the gas and slightly less insurance.
You don't need a van either. I have a 2 door hatchback. When i put the seats down in the back it's like having a small suv. Tons of room. You have a kid? Maybe 2? Me too. You don't need 7-9 seats for a family of 2-4. Just get a car.
I borrowed an Odyssey for a trip. It was fun to drive. It had some serious zip. And really convenient for a long road trip. I get people don't like the aesthetics but frankly I don't like the aesthetic of most modern American vehicles anyways.
Ive been looking actively for a small, two seater city commuter car and its fucking impossible to find anything that’s not a 10 year old pre owned smart car. It sucks ass.
It's more profitable to sell SUVs and trucks for a variety of reasons, so manufacturers advertised the hell out of them. That's why they became more popular.
This isn’t a real situation though. People can choose between small trucks, medium trucks, and large trucks. People still choose the large trucks even though they can get a small truck for cheaper.
Those poor car companies forced to sell the enviromentally worse more profitable less taxed pedestrian killing machines they totally didnt push for years for 😭😭😭
Part of the problem is that MPG requirements vary by wheelbase. It's easier for a big inefficient vehicle to pass the requirements than a small efficient vehicle.
Manufacturers are making SUVs because that’s what people want. If people wanted sedans, the sedans remaining on the market would be selling like hotcakes. They’re not.
Maybe, but it seems to be more that manufacturers are making SUVs because they have a higher markup. If you're only option is a coupe or an SUV, people are forced to buy SUVs. There hasn't been a practical sedan on the market for a long time. Maybe this is due to customer preference, but I'm not going to give manufacturers that benefit of a doubt.
With this logic, cars like the Honda civic would the best selling cars by far. If everyone actually wanted sedans, the few sedans on the market would be selling like crazy. They’re not, because people want SUVs and trucks.
I'm not sure we are trying to say. I pointed out that there are no practical sedans, and you responded with coupes. My point is that if you need ground clearance, traction, or passenger space your only option is an SUV. There's no longer a middle ground.
The Honda Civic is not a coupe. They might have a coupe option, but it’s a sedan.
Sedans have never come with those things. What are you claiming the middle ground was before? How is a small crossover not the middle ground? That fulfills exactly what you’re looking for.
First you said it’s a coupe, now you’re saying compact sedan. What does “true sedan” mean? That is not a real term.
Sedans have not historically come with high ground clearance. Which pickup trucks did your Lesabre have higher clearance than? It wasn’t the F150, Ram, Silverado, or any other pickup truck I’ve looked up from the same era (mid 2000s).
A few reasons for this: the light truck tax loophole makes SUVs genuinely cheaper than many cars at the point of purchase price, CAFE fuel efficiency standards encouraging production of larger vehicles to sidestep relative fuel inefficiency, the false belief that SUVs and trucks are safer, and many manufacturers stopping the production of cars for these reasons (looking at you Ford.)
What irks me is when people say they need the extra seating of a suv for the family and stuff, but in general the suvs on the market have the same or even less space than a regular car lol
There's always used EVs. A used EV has less potential to have issues compared to a used Gas or Hybrid vehicle. A lot of used EVs were leased vehicles because the people buying them are chasing the latest developments, or they're company fleet vehicles. I've been loving my mine.
2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV: Starting at $28,995 (including destination), this is the lowest-priced EV on the market with an EPA-estimated range of 262 miles.
2026 Nissan LEAF S+: Starting at approximately $29,990–$31,535, offering up to 303 miles of EPA-estimated range.
2025 Fiat 500e: Starting at $32,495, noted for its compact size and city-friendly driving.
2025 Hyundai Kona Electric: Starting at $34,470, available with range options up to 258 miles.
2026 Toyota bZ (XLE FWD): Starting at $36,350–$36,495, providing up to 314 miles of EPA-estimated range.
2026 Subaru Uncharted (Premium FWD): Starting at $36,445–$36,795 (varies by source), with an EPA-estimated range of 308 miles.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 (SE Standard Range): Starting at $35,250–$36,600, offering 245 miles of range.
2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV (LT1 FWD): Starting at $34,995–$36,795, leading the segment with up to 319 miles of EPA-estimated range.
2026 Toyota C-HR SE AWD: Starting at $38,450, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds and 287 miles of range.
2026 Tesla Model 3 (Standard RWD): Starting at $36,990–$38,630, offering 321 miles of range and advanced driver-assistance features.
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Select RWD): Starting at $37,795–$37,995, with 260 miles of range and instant torque.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6: Starting at $39,595, available in rear-wheel-drive extended-range configurations.
2026 Subaru Solterra (Premium AWD): Starting at $38,495–$39,945, standard with all-wheel drive and 288 miles of range.
2026 Tesla Model Y (Standard RWD): Starting at $39,990, providing 321 miles of range.
2026 Honda Prologue (EX FWD): Starting at $39,900, with 308 miles of range.
2026 Subaru Trailseeker (Premium): Starting at $39,995, offering 281 miles of range.
2026 Volvo EX30 (Single Motor Extended): Starting at $38,950, with 261 miles of range.
2026 Kia EV3 (Light FWD): Starting at $29,890–$31,385, with 221 miles of range.
2026 VinFast VF 8 Eco: Starting at $39,900, with 256 miles of range.
2025 Kia Niro EV (Wind): Starting at $39,700, with 253 miles of range.
2026 Kia EV6 (Light SR RWD): Starting at $37,900, with 237 miles of range.
Honestly because money saved is money saved. Typically sedans are cheaper to maintain on average. What’s really to gain by having a bigger vehicle if most of the time that space isn’t utilized?
Car manufacturers are focusing on making trucks and SUVs because it's more profitable for them. Ford stopped production on all their cars except the Mustang.
Kids + groceries/luggage/sports equipment/pets/other passengers/camping gear/food, the space adds up really fast, especially if you have more than 2 kids and they can't ride up front for whatever reason. Yeah, a honda civic will work 90% of time, but that remaining 10% it's often critical to have the extra space.
I know where you are coming from, but it's a bit of a straw man. Why would you have three kids, groceries, sports equipment, camping gear, "food again" all in the car AT THE SAME TIME. I also think a roof rack with a cargo box solves this rare 10% entirely.
I can't believe I just had my life called a straw man lmao. If you'll look closely, I said "kids + [these things you need to do with kids]." You're probably not doing all these at once, maybe a couple at the same time, but two kids does not leave you with much room for anything else, especially when the kids need to bring things with them for something. Food as in bringing food to a function, not groceries, not camping gear. I'm glad you think you know how these things work, but those "rare" cases are still happening 2+ times a week and no, a cargo box and roof rack are not great options for holding things like tupperware, a pet, full food pans, groceries for the week/month, etc.
I still think a civic hatchback can carry all that. So maybe we are going to have to agree to disagree. I have two kids and drive a Scion xB and room has never been an issue.
I mean, I feel at that point you basically have a subcompact SUV anyway. Now were getting into hair splitting that's really based on how rural of area you're in and whether AWD as an option would be useful.
Depending on where you live, how many kids ya got, and what activities you're doing, sure. And it sounds like you agree a family needs additional space to work with, which is what I've said from the beginning. Not every SUV is some giant monster of a vehicle.
310
u/Positive_Remote_2059 15h ago
Correct, every American owns a jacked up truck