The End of American Sedans

[trouttimes]

Electric is great in certain usage but here in Colorado, the range is not enough at this time. I also don't see anyone making a truck to haul my horses or cows at this time. With China being by far the largest source of pollution, I question how much we are helping. This is a big topic for another forum.

 

[mso489]

About U.S. sedans of the past, I always had a fixation on the Chevy Monte Carlo despite Consumer Reports always giving it a stinko rating on durability and reliability and everything else. It was the sheet metal that enchanted me, the simple coupe configuration with just sweeping touches of folds in the side panels, the understatement that made it among the most beautiful autos of all, simplicity and art. I think perhaps I am the only person in the world that feels this way other than the designer who sketched the metalwork on his or her drafting table thirty or so years ago.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Most my cars have been U.S made sedans starting with Rambler American and Plymouth Valiant in my youth,then it was Ford Mercury Grand marquise after came Cadillac Fleetwood brougham(that one was a real gas burner) and today my daily cruiser is Lincoln Town car of 98, all these were pretty dependable highway cruisers yet this latest Lincoln seems to offer pretty good gas mileage,but frankly I'd like to have the latest year incarnation of Ford Crown Victoria Police interceptor sedan,unfortunately these are pretty rare event yet quite expensive where I live.

 

[hoppes]

The EPA regs have changed the car industry and models that are available now. One has to search high and wide to find a vehicle now that is not 4 wheel drive. We live in a Western State that at the most has a week of snow on the ground so a 4 wheel drive car is completely useless, decreases gas mileage and increases maintenance more than double. Why is that ? The EPA considers 4wheel drive vehicles as trucks so the EPA fuel requirements are less---so the manufacturer can decrease their fuel requirement quotas by producing mostly 4 wheel drive vehicles. It actually increases pollution but don't tell anyone. They want you to buy electric anyway. I wonder if anyone has studied just where the electricity will be produced to power all these green cars--must take some form of energy to produce/store all the electricity that will be required when the EPA bans gasoline and diesel.Battery technology can't supply the storage capacity for much more mileage. How much energy is being spent to produce one electric car ?? And what happens to all of these when the batteries are worn? Sounds like no one is coming clean on so-called clean energy. Just some questions to contemplate. Hoppes

 

[ashdigger]

Don't get me started on what a joke the EPA is.

 

[trouttimes]

Watch it Ash, you're going to get us in trouble again. IBTL

 

[ashdigger]

That's why I kept it simple and didn't elaborate. I'm smarter than I look.

 

[mikethompson]

I've been hearing this for a while now, that sedan sales are on the decline. With Ford's recent announcement and GM recently saying that the Oshawa plant will close (the Impala is built there), going over to full CUV and SUV just makes sense for them.
I've never had a domestic (save for our current van) and between my wife and I (8 vehicles total), only one has had a trunk. The fact is that a wagon or van is the most practical vehicle for most people, but they don't want to be seen in a wagon (that's uncool) or a minivan (that's more so). The solution then are these crossovers, which are essentially tall wagons/vans. At least that's my two cents, which is worth nothing after the exchange.
It should be noted that I still see plenty of sedans being driven around, they just aren't domestic.

 

[scloyd]

My father-in-law was a new car salesman and when a customer came in with an older decent trade-in he would offer them more in cash on the side. My wife and I always owned two cars and sometimes we would purchase these cars from my father-in-law. We had some nice dependable used cars. I can't remember the exact years...we had a Chevy Biscayne, Ford Galaxie 500, Mercury Marquis, AMC Hornet, Plymouth Valiant and a few more. The funny thing is I can't remember the years of these cars but I can remember the colors.
The two things I miss most about the old sedans is the bench front seat and being able to work on it myself (no computers).

 

[lawdawg]

I drive a Ford F-150 pickup truck. That said, I wish vehicles in America were more like vehicles in Europe... small and gas-efficient. Americans drive huge vehicles we don't need, which make the road unsafe for smaller more efficient vehicles.
I do need my truck because I heat my house with wood, and I use the truck constantly for hauling various other things... gravel for my drive way, yard waste, lumber and materials for projects I'm constantly working on, fishing boats, canoes and gear, etc. I would be perfectly happy with a small truck like they used to make in the 90's and early 2000's, but none of them are in production anymore.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Lawdog, I think exactly like you do. I drive a Nissan Frontier, but I was excited that they were bringing back the Ford Ranger, because I have always wanted one of those small trucks, but then when I saw them on the lot, they are larger than my Frontier. I don't get it. Why isn't there a small truck on the market? It would be nice to be able to haul things, but still be able to negotiate my way into a tight parking spot without having to do a 22 point turn.

But, of course it is still easier to park than my old stepside that I use at the farm.

 

[lawdawg]

Cosmic, my dad has a six-speed manual Frontier with the off road package, and it's an awesome truck. I've considered getting one like it next time I'm in the market for another truck. Same thoughts as you regarding the new "Ranger" which is barely smaller than the current F-150s. I've read speculative opinions that nobody makes a small pickup any more for two reason: one is safety regulations, the other being low profit margins. The old Rangers were cheap and lasted forever. I don't buy the "safety" explanation because there are plenty of tiny vehicles on the market which I presume meet minimal safety standards. I also suppose people might have just started buying more large vehicles, including big trucks, and fewer smaller vehicles and little trucks.

 

[bradical]

In 20 years, all new cars will be electric vans. The writing is definitely on the wall, and these companies are adjusting sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see which large auto manufacturers go out of business because they didn't adjust soon enough.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My uncle in the car business explains to me, as gas goes up, smaller cars sell like crazy, and as gas goes down, everyone buys bigger engines. Yeh, I was tempted to buy one of the old Rangers for my daughter. Nothing seems to kill them, except rust.

 

[bradical]

Yeh, I was tempted to buy one of the old Rangers for my daughter. Nothing seems to kill them, except rust.

I wish someone still made a single cab pickup.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

I keep getting letters from car dealerships in this region that "want me" to come in and sell/trade in my 2010 Chevy Impala -- BUT, I haven't had that car since I traded it in a little over three years ago.
Driving a Grand Caravan nowadays, which at least I can set trash cans in the back of to take to the transfer station, whereas the Impala's trunk wouldn't let me do that even with the trunk lid open but strapped in place.

 

[dochudson]

The wife has driven a new Honda Accord every 3 years since '96. Kids and friends convinced her she needed a CR-V AWD. I stayed out of it as no good deed goes unpunished. Needless to say no way she will keep it 3 years before going back to the Accord.

 

[mso489]

When you have a need for a heavy duty vehicle, there's no replacement -- four kids, fire wood, trash to the dump, etc. But half or more of the heavy duty vehicles never see heavy duty. The lonely little head of the driver sticking up with two bags of groceries in the backseat. The eight year old pickup bed that doesn't have a scratch. I thought of a business to rub out pickup beds with concrete blocks to make them look used. To drive an 18 mpg vehicle for light duty seems really impractical. Though even I drive a little four-banger hatchback instead of a sedan for easy hauling of my wife's wheelchair when needed. Mostly she goes on crutches to avoid being treated badly and talked past, which is a problem.

 

[ashdigger]

I need a truck. If you want a small Fred Flintstone sled don't complain if my truck turns yours into a crushed beer can. Life is full of risks, the trick is mitigating it, not enhancing it.
Btw, I have avoided plenty of idiot drivers hitting me because I sit higher, pay attention use all of my mirrors.
I have driven approximately 60,000 miles a year for the last 15 years, in my 40 years total of driving I have accumulated zero tickets and zero accidents.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

don't complain if my truck turns yours into a crushed beer can.

and

Btw, I have avoided plenty of idiot drivers hitting me because I sit higher, pay attention use all of my mirrors.
I have driven approximately 60,000 miles a year for the last 15 years, in my 40 years total of driving I have accumulated zero tickets and zero accidents.

Which is it? Do I not complain when you run me over, or should I envy your lack of accidents?
Besides, you probably need a big truck for hauling around all of that toxic maleness. ::