Posted on 05/01/2023 4:40:50 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
It isn’t quite a comeback yet, but things may actually be looking up for car sales. A new report from Automotive News shows that cars have held — and even won back — some market share in the U.S. that has been held by bigger vehicles. Before we go any further, when I say “cars,” I’m talking about sedans, coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks and sports cars, all of which tend to be cheaper than their SUV counterparts (that’s important).
The outlet says those types of vehicles have been dropping from brands’ lineups for years now in favor of crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks, but things are sort of looking up! In the first quarter of 2023, cars represented 21.4 percent of the 3.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. The Auto News Research & Data Center says that is up from a low of 19.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021.
That might not sound like too much… because it isn’t. But, it is still absolutely noteworthy. Cars’ share of the market has been on a steady decline in the U.S. since 2002, according to the outlet. That’s when cars were first outsold by light trucks. The pace has only been picking up since then as the Detroit Big Three began leaving the car segment altogether. All of this begs the question: will this incremental gain continue, or is it just a one time thing?
(Excerpt) Read more at jalopnik.com ...
And then there is the lack of outward visibility in a car. Ask anyone who owns a Camaro. If they're honest, they will tell you it's like driving a tank due to the inability to see out of the windows.
I never liked driving SUVs.
suvs/trucks are not cafe
I hear ya on the visibility thing. I once test-drove a GM coupe called the Pontiac G6. It was similar to the Camaro in that it had enormous C-pillars that made it impossible to do an over-the-shoulder look. I remember saying to the salesman, “Wow, I’ve been in this car like 2 minutes and I already hate it just backing up out of this parking space.” Sales guy literally said, “Think about though. We’re on a dealer lot. How often do you really need to back up out of parking spaces in your regular driving?” Uh, all the time, a-hole.
But it varies, though, based on styling. BMWs typically have good rear visibility, even in coupes due to their bubble-like shape (other than maybe something like the i8),
I always thought the truck SUV’s were more like the cars in the late 30’s.
I have always preferred cars too.
As someone who drives only 4 door sedans and hates SUVs the current cars also suck for visibility. The high belt lines make for poor right rear side visibility. Just another reason to not buy a new car.
I seem to see about as many four-door sedans on the road as anything else. Many different makes, but pretty similar in size and body style.
I’ve owned everything from pickup trucks, Yukon, even a Miata.
I prefer a car.
Exactly. I need to see whats going on around me.
In a perfect world I wouldn’t mimd a car for really good gas mileage. Plus they tend to be more zippy and responsive, lower center of gravity.
I can’t see traffic well anymore in a car, though, too low.
The Ford Bronco is one tough rig. Rides good and as hell off road.
I can’t drive(on the Autism Spectrum), but if I could drive, I would drive a big old Truck.
A couple percent increase could just be from a push for EVs, which are mostly small to medium sedans, or from people buying ICE sporty cars because they may not be available in a few years.
Big jump in Tesla Model 3s, for example.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2023-us-vehicle-sales-figures-by-model/
Having an SUV greatly limits one’s flexibility, particularly in regard to trying to keep windows intact, when in much of the country now.
Try driving a full size car. Most SUVs look alike. Ugly, dopey things with no personality. We have a Mecedes ML350 for transporting our dog. Otherwise we’d never own one.
The feds dictate the belt line to accommodate airbags. My favorite car growing up was a 1966 Chrysler New Yorker. Plenty of glass and no rear view cameras required to back up.
Of course you would. Thanks for sharing.
“..but pretty similar in size and body style...”
All generic and indistinguishable from others.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.