Posted on 04/07/2018 9:56:30 AM PDT by upchuck
After a century of ferrying millions of daily commuters and taking countless family road trips, simple passenger cars are disappearing from American life, and they may not come back.
Detroit's Big Three automakers — Chrysler, Ford and General Motors — pioneered the mass production of the car, but in just four years, all three may be known to Americans simply as truck and SUV makers, with only a stray sedan for sale.
The automotive industry in America is making what many observers think is an irrevocable shift toward pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers. While carmakers are producing sedans and sports cars that are safer, faster and more comfortable than ever, customers continue to flock to taller vehicles with features cars simply cannot offer.
"Since 2009 or 2010 it has been a truck story," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive, which tracks the auto industry. The exception was a slight pullback in 2012, when the midsize car segment underwent a major refresh, he said.
The trend shows no sign of abating, despite cries from car enthusiasts that crossovers lack the driving dynamics of sedans and complaints from environmentalists that SUVs and trucks are typically less fuel-efficient than cars.
By 2022, LMC Automotive estimates 84 percent of the vehicles General Motors sells in the U.S. market will be some kind of truck or SUV. Ford's ratio of domestic SUV and truck sales will hit 90 percent; Fiat Chrysler's will notch a whopping 97 percent.
"We have SUVs eventually crossing the 50 percent threshold by themselves in the near future," Schuster said.
Signs suggest SUVs and crossovers are also taking hold elsewhere in the world.
Automotive executives and industry watchers think there will be only a small space for sedans in the U.S., perhaps consisting mostly of sports cars or niche vehicles favored by enthusiasts.
A few factors that drove this unprecedented shift can be attributed to gas prices, a stronger economy and big improvements in the design of sport utility vehicles, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Cox Automotive.
"It was really a one-two-three punch," Brauer said. "Essentially every force lined up to help SUVs, and that has been hurting car sales."
More at the link.
The Ranger was built at St. Paul, MN.
It was a good idea to be driving a Ford when making a call...
The last American cars I bought was an old K car (Dodge Aries) (circa '83) and two Jeeps about the time it became Daimler/Chrysler.
Bought a few Toyotas since and 2 Mercedes - just traded my Rav4 for a new Mercedes GLC 300 because ever since I traded the first Mercedes for the Rav, I've been missing the feel....wife loves her Toyota Highlander and I love my Merc.
All because of these sadly Designed, Crappie Engineered, over Womanized, pieces of CRAP!!!
Just lost maps and I understand that instead of the normal software update, I am supposed to replace the whole system.
Maps on my phone work just fine—and they’re up to date.
K CAR!!!!
I bought one for TWO HUNDRED bucks 23 years ago and it lasted the ENTIRE summer back and forth to the Jersey shore from staten island. Figure 45 miles each way each weekend.
I’d get off from driving the cab at 5am and go sleep on the boardwalk for a few hours before heading to the house :)
Saying i had baloney skin tires is an insult to baloney skin tires lol
Last two weeks after the summer ended and i pulled over and took off the plates, scratched off inspection and that was that. Had friend pick me up.
Easier times to get rid of a car. Dont think one can do that anymore.
Sounds like a top notch crew of cars!
Mine was bought new and other than low power, mediocre gas mileage, lousy handling, and drooping headliner (after about 50K miles), it wasn’t too bad - until the cheap head gasket blew. I think I got a sympathy $200 as a trade-in when i bought a Honda Civic Hatchback SI as a replacement - that was sols after 185K miles, still had the original clutch and I ouldn’t have been afraid to take it on a cross country trip. I guess that’s why, other than the Jeeps, I have stuck with foreign cars - then got hooked on “the feel” of a Mercedes and will probably stick with them until the time I can’t drive any more.
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