OT: Death Of The Large American Sedan-- WTF !!??
minnow
Any place that interests me.
Monday, January 14, 2019 9:03 PM
First it was the Ford Taurus. When I learned of Ford's decision several months ago to cease production of all their car lineup, save for the Mustang and Fusion, and concentrate more on pickup trucks, SUV's and crossovers, I thought Ford was nuts. Surely GM, Chrysler, and foreign manufacturers would pick up the slack.
But now I read where the Cadillac XTS, CT6, and Chevrolet Impala are being discontinued after the 2019 model year. WTF ??? OK, I get it that we're in the era of cheap gas now, However, SUV's /crossovers driven ~ 10K miles per year would burn 80 to 100 gallons of gas more per year than large sedans. Depending on your locale, that works out to $160 to $250 per year more fuel costs, more if one drives over 10K miles/year. I haven't priced insurance rates on SUV's, but I understand that they're a bit higher. IMO, SUV's are over hyped, but a lot of people fall for them, based on sales figures. I like my sedan trunk space without having to fold seats down (plus don't like hanging out baggage for all to see). I'm not fond of cramming baggage in a limited space in the back, ala a frigging hotel shuttle van. (Crossovers remind me too much of hotel shuttle van/minivan.)
I can see some rationalization for owning a SUV if you live in the snow belt, are a soccer mom (or married to one), or you carry large dogs around often. As for point #1, yeah AWD is nice, but if roads aren't plowed enough that a FWD can't negotiate it, you probably shouldn't be out on the road anyway. As for point #3, I saw a guy take his Great Dane along for a ride in the front seat of his classic 60's Jaguar convertible ! Those Tusclers who drive SUV's or crossovers, please explain what you find so appealing about it.
Car manufacturer rationale seems to be that people who have the $$ for a big sedan will end up splurging for a SUV. Um, no, not everyone. What I'll do is go over to a brand that still makes the kind of big sedan that I (and others) like. When gas prices spike, and tastes change, if production is resumed (both Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Impala had been discontinued in the past, and then rose again). Only this time, you (I'm talking at you GM, Ford) won't get the loyal customers back, because they've gone over to the likes of Toyota, Genesis (Hyundai), Nissan, etc who didn't just pull the plug on them. I left BMW and Mercedes out of the discussion because their price point eclipses that of discontinued (or soon to be) American brands. Your thoughts........
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