Lamenting the decline of the car

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by theman23

A bit odd that VW group is the only major auto maker going headfirst into the EV market.

Compensation for Dieselgate and mis-predicting the course of the Chinese EV market.

[urbandreamer]

Anyone buying the new Bronco?

I want a base model 2 door painted army green.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Anyone buying the new Bronco?

I want a base model 2 door painted army green.

A Ford Bronco seems totally incompatible with your username.

[urbandreamer]

The first vehicle I drove as a teenager was a Jeep 4x4 I have been mucking about the countryside this COVID19/20 rather enjoying it but a true 4x4 would make it even more fun.

I checked out the new Land Rover Defender last week and think the Bronco is the better vehicle ... for half the price!

[urbandreamer]

I wasted 30 minutes of my life watching the Nissan Ariya unveiling - the lamest product intro since those Samsung "Unpacked" events. Ultra cringe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbo4-2tH3qk Design is uninspiring.

Today I was looking at RAM and Chevrolet pickup trucks. The new 2021 F150 exterior design is dull AF but the interior is fantastic.

[Rollerstud98]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Anyone buying the new Bronco?

I want a base model 2 door painted army green.

I’ve been waiting for so long for a new Bronco, I’m not a preorder buyer but hopefully within the next year to 1.5 I will be ordering a Badlands possibly Sasquatch but may not go that route. Haven’t decided yet. Cactus gray.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Anyone buying the new Bronco?

I want a base model 2 door painted army green.

You and I my friend. The green is not army green enough IMO.

[ssiguy]

I looked at the new Bronco to see what all the fuss was about and frankly I thought it was hideous.

[Architype]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I looked at the new Bronco to see what all the fuss was about and frankly I thought it was hideous.

Looks don't really matter as long as it gets you through the apocalypse.
Full camo would be the best colour choice.

[whatnext]

Nobody mentioned it but Lincoln is axing its last car, the Continental. It will be SUVs only and while they're OK, they all look like the same thing but in slightly different sizes...

[wave46]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Nobody mentioned it but Lincoln is axing its last car, the Continental. It will be SUVs only and while they're OK, they all look like the same thing but in slightly different sizes...

Given that Lincoln hasn't had a hit since the Navigator came out, I expect this will not be a blow to their image.

They're one of those brands that I forget exists until something like this happens. Then I promptly forget about them again.

I'm not sure they'll even be around in a decade or two.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I wasted 30 minutes of my life watching the Nissan Ariya unveiling - the lamest product intro since those Samsung "Unpacked" events. Ultra cringe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbo4-2tH3qk Design is uninspiring.

It's not aimed at you. It is perfect for soccer moms though.

[ssiguy]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Nobody mentioned it but Lincoln is axing its last car, the Continental. It will be SUVs only and while they're OK, they all look like the same thing but in slightly different sizes...

This is why I started this thread, the decline of the car to be replaced by SUVs.

Cadillac and Dodge will shortly follow suit leaving us with Chevy {which has greatly shrunk it's offerings} and the Ford Mustang domestically. This means nearly every car will be Japanese, Korean, or German and if you get rid of the front insignia they are EXACTLY the same. You really can't tell one from the other............ small 4 door sedans.

Back in the 70s & 80s you had a huge variety of cars from many more manufacturers. Big, small, 2 door, 4 door, hatchbacks, and station wagons all of vastly different designs. This is to say nothing of having the standard or automatic option or the monstrous V8 engines.

We have lost Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, nearly all Fords, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, soon to be Cadillac, and of course an entire company AMC which was known for it's wild and wacky designs to stand out from the Big 3. Most of you are too young to know that the Jeep was an AMC product until it's demise. This despite the fact that we had all the current import offerings save KIA. Of course we also had more imports such as the Mini, Austin Martin, Renault, Lada {aka "lada shit}, Saab, and Peugout........ the options in manufacturers, sizes, and shapes were truly endless. Now we are stuck with identical small sedans that only an engineer could tell the difference.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Anyone buying the new Bronco?

I want a base model 2 door painted army green.

Wish i could! Great offroad looking vehicle and so much great 4x4ing around here!

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

[...]This means nearly every car will be Japanese, Korean, or German [...]

Don't forget Tesla.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Back in the 70s & 80s you had a huge variety of cars from many more manufacturers. Big, small, 2 door, 4 door, hatchbacks, and station wagons all of vastly different designs. This is to say nothing of having the standard or automatic option or the monstrous V8 engines.

On the subject of station wagons, it's curious that no one really markets them anymore. You can get slightly elongated hatchbacks but a true station wagon is a really rare sight these days, at least in Manitoba.

Contrast that with Europe where they are a pretty standard car category to this day. They seem like a pretty desirable type of vehicle for urban dwellers who can use some extra cargo room but don't really need a SUV or crossover. And having rented a couple of station wagons while overseas over the years, they drive nicely and not so much like a bulky minivan as is often the case with SUVs.

You'd think there would be a bit of an opportunity here...

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

Back in the 70s & 80s you had a huge variety of cars from many more manufacturers. Big, small, 2 door, 4 door, hatchbacks, and station wagons all of vastly different designs. This is to say nothing of having the standard or automatic option or the monstrous V8 engines.

We have lost Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, nearly all Fords, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, soon to be Cadillac, and of course an entire company AMC which was known for it's wild and wacky designs to stand out from the Big 3. Most of you are too young to know that the Jeep was an AMC product until it's demise. This despite the fact that we had all the current import offerings save KIA. Of course we also had more imports such as the Mini, Austin Martin, Renault, Lada {aka "lada shit}, Saab, and Peugout........ the options in manufacturers, sizes, and shapes were truly endless. Now we are stuck with identical small sedans that only an engineer could tell the difference.

I'm a huge believer that EVs will bring variety back largely because it's easy to bolt on a body to a skateboard. Look at Ford and Fisker licensing VW's MEB platform.

Originally Posted by esquire

On the subject of station wagons, it's curious that no one really markets them anymore. You can get slightly elongated hatchbacks but a true station wagon is a really rare sight these days, at least in Manitoba.

Contrast that with Europe where they are a pretty standard car category to this day. They seem like a pretty desirable type of vehicle for urban dwellers who can use some extra cargo room but don't really need a SUV or crossover. And having rented a couple of station wagons while overseas over the years, they drive nicely and not so much like a bulky minivan as is often the case with SUVs.

Europeans tax vehicles based on vehicle weight and fuel consumption. North American emission rules were often more lax on SUVs. There's also the smaller and tighter roads and more expensive gas prices that discourages SUVs.

[Mister F]

^I hope that happens. If we can't have the VW ID.3 in Canada, maybe we'll get similar cars from other companies based on the same platform. I really hope VW brings the ID.3 to Canada though, it looks way better than the likes of the Leaf and Bolt.

Originally Posted by ssiguy

This is why I started this thread, the decline of the car to be replaced by SUVs.

Cadillac and Dodge will shortly follow suit leaving us with Chevy {which has greatly shrunk it's offerings} and the Ford Mustang domestically. This means nearly every car will be Japanese, Korean, or German and if you get rid of the front insignia they are EXACTLY the same. You really can't tell one from the other............ small 4 door sedans.

Back in the 70s & 80s you had a huge variety of cars from many more manufacturers. Big, small, 2 door, 4 door, hatchbacks, and station wagons all of vastly different designs. This is to say nothing of having the standard or automatic option or the monstrous V8 engines.

We have lost Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler, Mercury, Lincoln, nearly all Fords, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, soon to be Cadillac, and of course an entire company AMC which was known for it's wild and wacky designs to stand out from the Big 3. Most of you are too young to know that the Jeep was an AMC product until it's demise. This despite the fact that we had all the current import offerings save KIA. Of course we also had more imports such as the Mini, Austin Martin, Renault, Lada {aka "lada shit}, Saab, and Peugout........ the options in manufacturers, sizes, and shapes were truly endless. Now we are stuck with identical small sedans that only an engineer could tell the difference.

We've had zero options domestically for decades. American cars are just as foreign as Japanese cars. So while I share your lament for the decline in cars and the rise of SUVs, I don't share your misplaced loyalty to the Detroit car industry.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by esquire

Contrast that with Europe where they are a pretty standard car category to this day. They seem like a pretty desirable type of vehicle for urban dwellers who can use some extra cargo room but don't really need a SUV or crossover. And having rented a couple of station wagons while overseas over the years, they drive nicely and not so much like a bulky minivan as is often the case with SUVs.

You'd think there would be a bit of an opportunity here...

Europe is following the global trend, in a decade station wagons will probably be rare there too.

The SUV segment experienced the seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2019 with 38% of the total market. Registrations totaled 6,030,481 units, up by 12% – this is the first time these registrations exceed the six-million-unit mark. But while the SUVs gained 3.6 points of share compared to 2018, the subcompacts, MPVs, compacts and executive cars lost a combined 3.6 points.

https://www.jato.com/canada/europe-o...-twelve-years/

[Truenorth00]

Variety will come. Just look at all the startups in the EV space. Tesla, Rivian, Bollinger, Lucid, Arrival and the whole pile of Chinese EV makers. There's been more EV startups in the last decade than there were auto startups in the half century prior. It's because manufacturing an EV is easier than manufacturing an ICE car.