Why no more cars?

[SteveS]

We all know why Ford is quitting the car business. We all know what "they" say about why everybody wants CUVs and SUVs instead of cars. But I wonder if this is another example of the divide being created in our great country. With the end of the stay at home order last week, we made the trip to visit my elderly parents, something we'd not done since mid-March when we dropped by to say hi on our way to the ST Octane Academy. They live in a tiny town in the rural southern Ozarks. In a county which has yet to have recorded a single case of COVID-19. It's a three hour drive on rural state highway, hilly and winding, that finishes with 60 miles of dual lane US highway. We try to get down there once a month to check on them and help them with maintenance on the house. Usually we're driving at night since we leave after work and dinner to go down, and the same coming back. But this time we drove down on Saturday morning. And we took the Fiesta ST instead of the F150. Much faster on the curves and hills, without even feeling like you're hurrying. Trip took 20 minutes less than usual. But I digress.

What I noticed was that there were predominantly two types of vehicles we encountered on the road, excluding farm tractors and the like. Mostly pickup trucks, as you'd expect. Probably 60%, maybe more. But next most common were cars. Yes, a fair number of still-available performance coupes like Corvettes, Camaros, Challengers, Mustangs. But lots of sedans. Old Chevies. Buicks. A few Fords. Fair number of Hondas and Toyotas. Small cars like Chevy Aveos, a couple of vanilla Fiestas and one or two older Focuses. But almost no CUVs, and the only SUVs tended to be what I consider "real" SUVs--Tahoes, Suburbans, old Explorers.

It made me wonder why it is that people in a relatively poor rural area choose these vehicles. Are they just out of fashion? Or is it that they don't really care about what fashion influencers say and they buy what works, what they want, or what is cheap and reliable? Or is it that they don't need a vehicle to project a rugged, self-reliant, outdoorsy image for them because they are all those things.

At any rate it gave me something to muse upon while cruise controlling my way down the dual lane. It was dark when we came home, no traffic. I think I made the trip even 5 or 10 minutes faster.

 

[PunkST]

Crossovers and SUVs are for people who make over 50k in a large city as a status symbol imo

 

[PunkST]

I will also add that if you head north there are more crossovers and suvs than cars. Maybe due to the climate and snow? But cars are starting to get scarce around here even.

 

[scooter123]

Steve, as someone who drives an F150 you could be considered as the Enemy to a true automobile enthusiast. Just saying that complaining about SUV's from the seat of an F150 is a bit tenuous.

 

[SteveS]

I own a sign shop. The F150 is necessary for hauling signs, ladders, lumber, tools, paint, pulling the trailer boom lift, etc. It is also necessary for towing the ski boat trailer. It is not a fashion accessory. I believe pickup trucks and automotive enthusiasts are not far apart. Most pickup guys around here are very performance-minded and modification-minded, which seems to be the general vibe around here.

Pickup trucks have been the number one selling vehicle forever, even during the time before the terms SUV and CUV were invented. The drop in sales of cars has not gone to pickup trucks; it's gone to SUVs and CUVs. They are the reason Ford has quit selling cars to the US, not pickup trucks.

The whole CUV/SUV scene seems to be populated by people that might also prefer that their car do the driving for them while they worry about what's going on in the social media on their phone. The rise of this kind of drone driver may be the reason cars aren't bought any more. These people aren't actually interested in driving. As PunkST said, it may be some kind of status symbol.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

SUVs and CUVs have their purposes....But fuel economy isn't their high point usually.

 

[Ford ST]

I believe it is mostly about image.
Let's think about practicality I have been in four door sedans that have massive trunk space you can separate your cargo from the passengers. Most crossovers don't have the trunk space of a large sedan unless you fold the seats down. I had a Ford Explorer as a rental it had three rows we folded the third row down for room for the luggage. If I had a Ford Taurus with over 20 cubic feet of trunk space it would have gobbled it up no problem.

People who are lower-income or simply just broke buy what is available. They try to get one with the lowest mileage that typically is a car. In the inner-city areas at least where I live in the Southeast they love their used German maybe even a Lexus luxury car.

I live in the country most people have a truck and a car. Maybe a full-size SUV and a car. A real SUV not a crossover.

People who live in cookie-cutter homes in HOA developments tend to be followers they are not free thinkers. They buy the same thing as everybody else just as they live their life doing the same thing everybody else does for the exact same outcome. In my opinion that is why those areas are dominated by cookie-cutter crossovers everything is the same as everybody else.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[XR650R]

View: https://youtu.be/t3_ug-IGBJY

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3_ug-IGBJY

 

[Intuit]

I noticed an unusual number of smaller vehicles today. When the wallets get skinny, people tend to regain an appreciation for the smaller vehicles... albeit, for all the wrong reasons in my opinion.

What I've noticed in the past, those who are >50 minutes from a major highway, tend to keep their cars longer, and in better running condition. They tend to be kept stock, with less bling. Vehicles our size seem to be even less common. When it comes to large snow falls in areas that have late, little and/or no snow removal road crews; ground clearance is king.

 

[Business6]

Safety is why most people go for SUV/CUVs when I ask them. It's an understandable point when everyone around you is driving something larger and higher up. Only way to feel safe is to play that game, too.

I still think it's a status thing as well especially because the majority of people couldn't give a shit how something handles and they're still stupid enough to say "x handles great in the snow" with zero clue that the tires are doing the work. People don't want to admit it's a status thing, of course. At the same time, though, you put someone in a Miata or BRZ and it's akin to putting them on a bullet bike in terms of how exposed they feel. It certainly seems like that plays a role

 

[jmrtsus]

You have 3 types of buyers, those that have certain requirements for family or work use of the vehicle and those that have only one requirement of buying what you want. And then we have those that can afford to do both.
In my case I needed a performance car as a grocery getter, occasional grand kid hauler and my vacation/wandering car with great economy. For me this was my FiST Mountune. Does all the above and is really cheap to drive, the Stereo is OK, the features are great for a cheap car. Sync 3 with Android for navigation, comfy standard seats and a little extra HP. Economy has been very good in the first 3 years. And a wonderful canyon carver and long distance driver.
Ford walking away from the car market is a good business decision and when the market turns they will have cars developed in the UK/EU that will be adapted for the American market. We are a niche market that loved the ST pair that was probably an overall loser for Ford in North America. I don't believe Ford had a year with over 4k FiST units sold in the USA and almost all had big rebates. Be glad you have one, it will be a historic car to enthusiasts. I think that this time will be known as the second great muscle and sporty car period. And the last for the IC engine. Long live Dino juice!

 

[M-Sport fan]

Safety is why most people go for SUV/CUVs when I ask them. It's an understandable point when everyone around you is driving something larger and higher up. Only way to feel safe is to play that game, too.

Yeah, sadly it becomes an out of control 'arms race' a that point, until eventually the masses ARE driving literal tanks instead of just their proverbial 'road tanks'.

I'd rather be driving something very nimble, and responsive, to try and steer my way out of collisions, instead of closing my eyes, letting go of the wheel, and letting the tens of exploding whoopee cushions, and pigly mass of the vehicle 'save' me like the behemoth drivers do.

Of course, with all of the dolts driving these things also texting, eating, shaving, and doing everything BUT steering them when they are moving in them, that may not always be possible, but I will take my chances.