Are Wagons/Hatchbacks the next hype?

[Kenji4861]

http://autoshow2002.carpoint.msn.com/photos/L_SuzukiAerio.jpg

Honda Civic SiR
Toyota Matrix
Mazda Protege5
Suzuki Aerio
VW Golf
Ford ZX3

Seems like every company is coming out with some kind of wagon / hatchback type of car.

 

[minendo]

Please no dont let it be so.

 

[junthin]

Yes it is...sad isn't it? It's like a little SUV. :Q

 

[Nefrodite]

don't mind at all. so much better and pratical then a giant suv.

 

[weeeplop]

but i love my SUV. I guess its the little girl big car syndrome

 

[Bigdude]

Give me a pickup with a gunrack!

 

[DCFife]

I guess cars are like clothing...cyclical trends. What came after the station wagon back in the '70's? The tiny little midget cars with doors made out of rice paper? Those will be the next big thing in about 5 years! Speaking of the clothing trend thing, I better dust off my courderoy (sp?) pants and my butterfly collar shirt...

Dave

 

[batgeek]

yup, cyclical...

57 Chevy Nomad

 

[Ornery]

I was talking to the wife of a friend. He's a UPS mechanic. Used to own his own garage and before that was a Cadillac mechanic. We were discussing replacing my old Lincoln with a Cadillac and I asked her what his favorite car was. He used to test drive the Cadillacs home to track down rattles etc., so I assumed one of those would be his favorite. To my surprise she said he would like to restore a CRX Coupe! I asked, why? She said he just thinks they're neat little cars. Now I see that his taste is in line with this current "Wagons/Hatchbacks" craze you're talking about. Does BMW's M Coupe fall into that market too?

The American consumer brought this on himself by forcing Detroit to switch to FWD, Japanese clones. The sturdy, easy to work on, voluminous, great American wagon has been replaced by the damn minivan. The closest you can get to the good old station wagon without buying a minivan is an Expedition or Suburban. Why people insist on calling those things SUVs is beyond me!

Now that the American auto market is flooded with tiny FWD, Japanese clones people are starting to realize there ain't any room in the damn things! DUH!!!! So, the next logical step is to turn them into small station wagons and hatchbacks. You better believe it's the next hype... you brought this on yourselves! :disgust:

 

[vegetation]

<< Yes it is...sad isn't it? It's like a little SUV. :Q >>



I hope you mean SUV as in the ability to haul larger amounts of cargo and not the piss poor performance of an SUV, especially in terms of handling. Hatchbacks are almost always built on a sedan frame, which means very little weight increase over a four door sedan, yet an enormous increase in cargo capacity. Driving a wagon from the drivers point of view is indistinguishable from a sedan of the same chassis.

 

[Emos]

Actually some hatchbacks look rather nice to me...the Audi S3, VW GTI and new Civic Si are prime examples.

 

[ElFenix]

all about the jetta wagon. and the volvo wagons. audi ones too. not the altezza wagon though. fugly.

 

[vi edit]

Bout damn time! I'll never buy another car with an even number of doors. Hatchbacks/wagons are too damn functional.

 

[Gunbuster]

Did you buy a freakin car yet?

 

[Kenji4861]

<< Did you buy a freakin car yet? >>



I'm sorry, I still haven't. But only because Toyota's announcing their Corolla 03 on 1/07/02. If I like it, I'll get it. If not, I gotta go with my first choice.

 

[Salvador]

Hatches and wagon's go out of style and then come back like Bell Bottoms, sideburns, goatee's and disco music..

I have an original hot hatch (1984 VW Rabbit GTi) and owned a couple of Civic CRX's. In the mid 90's, hatches were out and the Civic Coupe's were all the rage.. Now.. I see the hatches making a comeback.

Also the 2 seater or 2+2 GT coupes are out of style now and I think they will make a comeback. I'm talking about the 300ZX's, Mazda RX7's, Toyota Supra's, etc..

The sports wagon's were hot for a time in the early 90's (Volvo Turbo wagon) also and died out. I think they are making a comeback with the Audi Avante and BMW wagon.

Sal

 

[Rent]

I'd cream myself if Audi brought the S3 over here... :Q :Q :Q

 

[Chadder007]

I want the new MINI Cooper S myself.
Mini Cooper S

 

[Cooltech2k]

Oh Yea Lets All bag on a Car that is all wheel drive & 220 hp..... Because if I Remember Correctly thats what that little Ugly suzuki is....

 

[TuffGuy]

they're called station wagons.

SUVs are station wagons for those who need to compensate for a lack of something else.

 

[Kilgor]

<< Oh Yea Lets All bag on a Car that is all wheel drive & 220 hp..... Because if I Remember Correctly thats what that little Ugly suzuki is.... >>



A dropping turd dosen't look any better than a floating turd.

 

[Ornery]

I want to hear TuffGuy's definition of an SUV, and is an Expedition or Suburban an SUV?

Edit: Good Lord! I just clicked the link to see what that thing looked like :Q Jesus, are they trying to outdo GM's Aztec? I think they have almost succeded!

 

[TuffGuy]

<< I want to hear TuffGuy's definition of an SUV, and is an Expedition or Suburban an SUV? >>


worry less about the definition, and focus more on who is driving them, what they're being used for, and if their owners have ever even gone off-road in them.

 

[CocaCola5]

If you look at the Expedition and the Suburban drivelines you see that they don't have that much ground clearance for their respective size, in reality they're basically just 4 wheel drive minivans.

 

[ToBeMe]

<< If you look at the Expedition and the Suburban drivelines you see that they don't have that much ground clearance for their respective size, in reality they're basically just 4 wheel drive minivans. >>


Say what????? I know for a fact that the Excursion/Yukon are built off the same frame/drivetrain as the F250/K1500 4X4! I'm in Breckenridge CO right now and will soon be heading back home.........haven't seen many, if any "4X4 mini-vans" going up here where my Bro-in-law lives at 12,000' and quite frankly, I doubt they'd make it up his driveway! I also highly doubt they would make it through my private drive back home when there's anywhere past 5" of snow on the ground! To say that these SUV's you mentioned are built like, or on a mini-van base is quite frankly BS!
I also agree there are to many people whom drive these large SUV's whom don't need them, I'm the exception. I use mine for my family and to drive "off-road" and I'd love to see a "mini-van" try to follow! LOL!