Why are Subcompact Crossovers so popular?

[Mainia]

The Unites States EPA defines a small, or compact, car as having between 100-109 cubic feet of combined passenger and cargo volume. According to them a compact car also needs to be between 161 and 187 inches long.


According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) car size class definition, the subcompact category sits between minicompact and compact categories. The EPA definition of a subcompact is a passenger car with a combined interior and cargo volume of between 85-99 cubic feet (2,410-2,800L)


No length specs for subcompact, just volume.

It appears the manufactures are pushing their cars down to the subcompact car segment when they clearly are compact cars according to US government specs. At least by length specs. It appears volume is what they may be going by.

.

 

[SZR48207]

Originally Posted by dareo
Originally Posted by Mr Nice


These smaller vehicles are for younger folks without kids.



They need to be old enough to buy a new vehicle, likely college graduate age at least. Do they not have friends? Do they not go on vacation, camping, move? You can fill every seat in Rav4/CRV size vehicle and people are reasonably comfortable still. Anything smaller seems like a big compromise for a small discount.
Why buy small when you can have a future proof size that is compatible with possible future needs.



People buy them because they can, and because marketing works. That's it. Don't try to analyze this any further or you'll give yourself an aneurysm.

 

[ediamiam]

I'm considering going back to a passenger car like the Honda accord for driving dynamics. Lower center of gravity, better handling and balance, and mileage. The kia Sorento i have is ok, good cruiser, but miss better handling and performance in the twisties and cornering

 

[Mainia]

Originally Posted by dareo
Mainia is that a Hyundai Kona lowered? Looks good! Shame they dont have sell a VW GTI with AWD. Golf R is very costly and Sportwagen AWD isnt everyones cup of tea.


Yep. A slow poorman's Golf R after throwing money into the suspension. But the Golf R is too rounded and homogenized for me. I like harder lines on a car. I own a caged/detuned Super-Vee race motored, Nitroused 79 Sirocco when younger, that had hard lines.

When I first saw the Kona 1.6T I said
"who the [censored] would buy that ugly car", can be Nissan Juke like for some. Quirky, in it's own way. It checked every check box for me at a good price. 6 months after I said "who the [censored] would buy that ugly car" it was in my garage.......

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by PimTac
That's your opinion though. Some people don't want a larger vehicle even if it's a compact. The sub-compact market has its fans.

I like the size of my CX5. It's perfect for the wife and I. We didn't need anything bigger. There are people that prefer smaller cars.

A good example is the Subaru Outback versus the Forester. Both are popular.

Your first few sentences nails it. A car mfg that has done their homework has tons of data to back up these designs. Focus groups consisting of current SUV/Cross overs tell the mfg what consumers like and dislike.. and what they wish they had.

It's not just one mfg putting out these designs, it's many. Which suggests to me this is what a segment of the car buying population wants. Is it for me, nope. I like a larger vehicle. But as was pointed out... there are fans of this design.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by PimTac
Perhaps but how are these vehicle sizes determined? Twenty or thirty years ago a compact car was pretty small.
Subcompact = Toyota Yaris, Mitz Mirage. Where the rear seat is mostly for looks.


Rear seats in the Mirage are quite usable. Unlike my last compact car.

 

[Mainia]

Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Originally Posted by PimTac
That's your opinion though. Some people don't want a larger vehicle even if it's a compact. The sub-compact market has its fans.

I like the size of my CX5. It's perfect for the wife and I. We didn't need anything bigger. There are people that prefer smaller cars.

A good example is the Subaru Outback versus the Forester. Both are popular.

Your first few sentences nails it. A car mfg that has done their homework has tons of data to back up these designs. Focus groups consisting of current SUV/Cross overs tell the mfg what consumers like and dislike.. and what they wish they had.

It's not just one mfg putting out these designs, it's many. Which suggests to me this is what a segment of the car buying population wants. Is it for me, nope. I like a larger vehicle. But as was pointed out... there are fans of this design.


Yes, I agree and you nailed it too. I am 57 years old and I want a car that is small and I can throw into a corners at 70 mph and sport drive, and not with a large car. I can also tow my boat and pull it out with AWD. Best of all worlds for me. Even though in Europe it can tow 2,800 lbs and in North America it "is not recommend". Part of the North American Small Car Conspiracy Towing Scheme plan of the manufactures that was implemented by all manufactures in 2014. Sorry guys, almost every manufacture makes "World Cars" now, so we know the tow specs on our small cars that the rest of the world can tow with. And "not recommended" legally is a discouraging word, it doesn't mean NO. But that discourage scares 95% of the people as planned.

 

[CourierDriver]

For us older folks, say 60 to 75-- remember when 20,000 bucks bought a Caddy???????????????//

 

[Eddie]

Adults don't need to crawl, to get in and out of them like most "large" cars. Ed

 

[bubbatime]

Better visibility, less likely for your head to go through someones grill if you get t-boned.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I laughed when suckers were scooping up the H-RV , a Jacked up, Mexican assembled, Honda Fit for 22+ grand.

23K will buy a Forester which is so much better at everything .

The Nissan Rogue Sport is yet another a much better vehicle choice in the sCUV segment

If the price structure was more reasonable I would understand.

The H-RV is a sub 20K vehicle in mid level trim with AWD.


Wife used to buy Suzuki Trackers and Vitara AWD they were going around $14K. new discounted.
Very truck like full frame solid axle but tough and reasonably economical.
GM helped make the second generation fat and slow for the US/Canadian market and then dumped them.

So .... Suckers. Dealers love 'em.

You don't expect an educated consumer these days do you?

 

[c502cid]

I don't see why people pay extra for 6.2 motors when a 5.3 motor has more than enough power to handle everyday driving and towing needs, plus gets better gas mileage. I mean what are they thinking? How could they even want such a thing? What is coming next... bigger motors that people don't need? sarcasm off.

 

[supton]

Not sure what is going on but I sure feel like I'm dropping into my Camry these days. Maybe the seat cushion is going out or something. I usually don't mind the car but dang do I feel pretty low these days.

Oh wait, aren't full sized trucks like the biggest selling vehicle out there? I sure do love having their headlights at eye level.

is BITOG ever happy? I'm sure you guys complained about 2 door vs 4 door sedans. Then sedans vs wagons. Then wagons vs SUV. Now it's "those CUV's are too small".

 

[ARCOgraphite]

It just a bad value proposition for the Honda. And many are near compact pricing without AWD!

But not everyone is looking for "value" I guess.


They just think its "cute" and want it

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by supton
Not sure what is going on but I sure feel like I'm dropping into my Camry these days. Maybe the seat cushion is going out or something. ... .


Wen I went to the lease Jetta the seat is not at chair height, liek my Nissan Rogue Select, and you have to get "down in it"

Well I have bed knees so I found that if I

Turn my rear to the side of the seat, sit down, then rotate the hips clockwise bringing both legs into the footwell.

Try It !

It take tons of strain off of both knees.

You just look like Grampa doing that.

OH! I do look like Grampa now!

Tempus Fugit

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by supton
Not sure what is going on but I sure feel like I'm dropping into my Camry these days. Maybe the seat cushion is going out or something. ... .


Wen I went to the lease Jetta the seat is not at chair height, liek my Nissan Rogue Select, and you have to get "down in it"

Well I have bed knees so I found that if I

Turn my rear to the side of the seat, sit down, then rotate the hips clockwise bringing both legs into the footwell.

Try It !

It take tons of strain off of both knees.

You just look like Grampa doing that.

OH! I do look like Grampa now!

Tempus Fugit



My knees are still pretty good, they can feel sore after biking 20 miles but I'm still managing. I can still get in by tossing a foot in, then dropping onto the seat. But it sure feels like I'm sitting on the ground. I think it feels worst on Monday; I drive my Tundra on the weekends and I step to get into that vehicle, it's much different!

I still wonder what I'm missing out on, I just looked at mpg for my car and it's lifetime average (for the 3 I've had it for) is about 30 mpg. Maybe if I stopped driving I93 at rush hour it'd get better but I'm still jealous of all the people reporting 40+.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by supton
Not sure what is going on but I sure feel like I'm dropping into my Camry these days. Maybe the seat cushion is going out or something. ... .


Wen I went to the lease Jetta the seat is not at chair height, liek my Nissan Rogue Select, and you have to get "down in it"

Well I have bed knees so I found that if I

Turn my rear to the side of the seat, sit down, then rotate the hips clockwise bringing both legs into the footwell.

Try It !

It take tons of strain off of both knees.

You just look like Grampa doing that.

OH! I do look like Grampa now!

Tempus Fugit



In the 70's, GM had a factory installed, swivel bucket seat that helped with this.



I now return you to the original thread, already in progress...

 

[PimTac]

And that Chevelle was considered a mid size back in the day.

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
I laughed when suckers were scooping up the H-RV , a Jacked up, Mexican assembled, Honda Fit for 22+ grand.

23K will buy a Forester which is so much better at everything .

The Nissan Rogue Sport is yet another a much better vehicle choice in the sCUV segment

If the price structure was more reasonable I would understand.

The H-RV is a sub 20K vehicle in mid level trim with AWD.


Wife used to buy Suzuki Trackers and Vitara AWD they were going around $14K. new discounted.
Very truck like full frame solid axle but tough and reasonably economical.
GM helped make the second generation fat and slow for the US/Canadian market and then dumped them.

So .... Suckers. Dealers love 'em.

You don't expect an educated consumer these days do you?



I've sat in both, the HRV interior is miles better than both the Forester's and Rogue's. While the forester has the "off-road" pedigree that subarus assumingly come with, the rogue sport isn't anything special.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Because humans don't see/experience things through the same lens, "value" is somewhat of a nebulous term. In re cars it represents more than spec's, it represents "perception". What's a "value" to you might be an overpriced hunk of metal to another and vice versa.