We want a big truck, that has high performance, and get’s 70 mpg. 'Nuff said.
“a Hyundai Elantra has more rear seat legroom than a 2 door Cadillac Eldorado used to have”
That is an excellent point, Doc.
In so many cases, the large “roomy” cars of yesteryear actually had less legroom than many small cars today. The wasted space on most of the cars of the '60s, '70s, and early '80s was simply incredible in many cases.
Once you subtracted the ridiculously long hood, and the trunk that was huge beyond belief, the part of the car that was actually devoted to passenger space was actually pretty small. I will grant you that the cars of yesteryear had lots of hiproom, but far too many of them were very short on legroom.
And, please don’t tell me that all of that sheetmetal was protective of the passengers. While there was indeed a lot of sheetmetal, it was rarely designed with passenger protection in mind. A modern car, with scientifically-designed “crush” zones is almost always more protective of the passengers than the old behemoths were. I will grant you that a modern car will fold up like an accordian in a severe crash, but the idea is to protect the passengers, not to minimize damage to the body of the car.
What kind of cars does America Want? Excellent question. I think Homer Simpson already answered that, and the result was kind of the same thing that is happening now.
I posed this question to the Head of AADAM at the Milwaukee Auto show, and what I got was a sales pitch instead of an answer! The American Manufacturers refuse to listen to us consumers. They still think that “Shiney with new gadgets” will satisfy enough American buyers to keep them in business. Well we see now how well that worked out! They insist on selling us sizzle when we want steak. Bigger, fancier, more horsepower, yeah, right. Where ya gonna drive it like in the commercials and still keep your license? We wised up, GM and Chrysler didn’t
Now the foreign auto makers, they LISTEN! When Americans finally had to pony up for gas almost as much as the rest of the world, it was they who were ready and answered with smaller more fuel efficient cars. Proformance? Porsche, Nissan, Honda, etc…
So what do we want now? Well, I for one want a 35mpg 4WD SUV so that no matter what the weather or load (family, plywood, boat or trailer, moving a household) I can handle it without having to go hire or rent the appropriate vehicle. Escape Hybrid comes pretty close, but I"ll wait for a couple of years until hydrogen vehicles are available (and I can get refueled locally!). Oh yeah, and before I forget, I never have bought a car based on how it performs in an accident (we don’t have them!).
I want one that is economical but will comfortably hold a family of 5-6 with three kids in car seats, their luggage, and the dog. Until my 7 and 5 yr olds can drive, that’ll be my need (minus the car seats eventually).
I am afraid it is going to be more than a couple years before there is infrastructure for Hydrogen fuel use. If you want to be able to drive a Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle across the country, you will have to wait 10-20 years by my estimation.
Hydrogen fuel use is for those who presently value their relationship with oil companies who will be handling it’s distribution and price(gouging). The ultimate fuel is that you produce yourself or by any small venture capitalist with a highly competitive price structure.
The last thing I want is my wife operating a pump with liquid hydrogen whose spill is akin to handling battery acid. Blindness and severe burns when contacted…I don’t trust the leaks that NASA deals with that delay shuttle launches…how can I trust Exxon with thousands of these pumps ?
Thanks VDC. I recall on the 2 door hardtop versions of the 1961 full size GM cars the trunk lid was LONGER than the roof panel!!! These cars had the long pear-shaped look, but the crammed rear seat passengers had the sun shine directly on their necks!
GM’s priorities defy all reason.
"I posed this question to the Head of AADAM at the Milwaukee Auto show, and what I got was a sales pitch instead of an answer! The American Manufacturers refuse to listen to us consumers. They still think that “Shiney with new gadgets” will satisfy enough American buyers to keep them in business. Well we see now how well that worked out! They insist on selling us sizzle when we want steak. Bigger, fancier, more horsepower, yeah, right. Where ya gonna drive it like in the commercials and still keep your license? We wised up, GM and Chrysler didn’t
Now the foreign auto makers, they LISTEN! When Americans finally had to pony up for gas almost as much as the rest of the world, it was they who were ready and answered with smaller more fuel efficient cars. Proformance? Porsche, Nissan, Honda, etc… "
I agree that the Detroit 3 has produced bigger, more luxurious cars with more horsepower. [i]Exactly[/i] like Honda, Toyota, Porsche, and Nissan - as well as all the other Asian and European brands. The Asian powerhouses (Honda, Toyota) started out with a small car that grew. The original Honda Accord was the size of today’s Fit - maybe smaller. It’s grown so much that it’s considered a large car today. As they expanded their product lines, they produced trucks and luxury cars; whole new product lines of luxury cars. Nissan produces the Titan and Armada, Toyota builds the Land Cruiser, Sequoia, and Tundra. All are huge trucks. Aren’t those bigger, fancier vehicles with more horsepower? Besides the name plate how different are they from their Ford, Chrysler, and GM counterparts in that respect?
[i]All[/i] the manufacturers sell us what we want - bigger fancier and more horsepower.