ManMachine
Member
Very well said indeed.
Even though I'd rather drive a wagon, when every other car on the highway is a SUV and blocks the view for assessing traffic ahead, it's tempting to get a SUV too.
2014 Mazda6 wagon
- Thread starter Jcanracer
- Start date
Very well said indeed.
Even though I'd rather drive a wagon, when every other car on the highway is a SUV and blocks the view for assessing traffic ahead, it's tempting to get a SUV too.
Yep, EPA certification as truck/SUV allows automakers some wiggle room in meeting CAFE requirements and dealing with certain safety regs too.
But separate from that is what US buyers demand, and that is the ride height/visibility, (trucky) look, (boxy) utility, clearance (for use in snow) of a SUV. I for 1 am one of those tens of thousands of Americans that uses my CX-5 crossover SUV for nearly all my heavy-traffic commuting on weekdays, leaving the sport sedans at home because of the attributes mentioned.
But separate from that is what US buyers demand, and that is the ride height/visibility, (trucky) look, (boxy) utility, clearance (for use in snow) of a SUV. I for 1 am one of those tens of thousands of Americans that uses my CX-5 crossover SUV for nearly all my heavy-traffic commuting on weekdays, leaving the sport sedans at home because of the attributes mentioned.
Unfortunately for us in Canada, the US market is dictating what we get, there are some rare exceptions to that rules but still.
The market is clearly different, but our market is so small that we don't have any weight in the balance. I also do not quite understand the logic behind the ride-height, truck look and clearance. I guess there are fundamental cultural differences, I think we are much closer to Europe way of thinking especially here in Quebec, they have tons of very nice estates or wagons there. For me a wagon will always be more pleasant to drive, lower to the ground is a big plus for me, not a minus (again not quite getting that clearance thing and hey I am living in Quebec and we have tons of snow)! A Wagon has the cargo space of a SUV if not more in some cases. Again it drives better, no matter how good a job Mazda did with the Cx-5, I am sure the 6 is better to drive. As for visibility, I can understand but it is really marginal if you weight in the lower centre of gravity of the wagon.
Anyway not here to argue with American choices, just wish Mazda had the guts to bring it in AWD form with a manual. I guess Subaru tried so many years without much success except here and in the northern states that it discourages all other manufacturers.
The market is clearly different, but our market is so small that we don't have any weight in the balance. I also do not quite understand the logic behind the ride-height, truck look and clearance. I guess there are fundamental cultural differences, I think we are much closer to Europe way of thinking especially here in Quebec, they have tons of very nice estates or wagons there. For me a wagon will always be more pleasant to drive, lower to the ground is a big plus for me, not a minus (again not quite getting that clearance thing and hey I am living in Quebec and we have tons of snow)! A Wagon has the cargo space of a SUV if not more in some cases. Again it drives better, no matter how good a job Mazda did with the Cx-5, I am sure the 6 is better to drive. As for visibility, I can understand but it is really marginal if you weight in the lower centre of gravity of the wagon.
Anyway not here to argue with American choices, just wish Mazda had the guts to bring it in AWD form with a manual. I guess Subaru tried so many years without much success except here and in the northern states that it discourages all other manufacturers.
ZuluCX - Having driven only in BC and Alberta, but I tend to agree with you that Canadian automotive tastes are more European.
To give you a US perspective, major portions of the large US population lives in urban areas that are very congested with lots of heavy/slow/miserable weekday traffic. So a more pleasant to drive wagon gives little pleasure in the garbage driving conditions of a typical commute here. Under those bad conditions the comfort/visibilty of urban assault vehicle/SUV is the preferred vehicle for me as well as thousand of Americans. Like you I do prefer the driving pleasure/power/lower center of gravity/handling of a good sport sedan and that's what I drive on weekends when the roads are clearer.
To give you a US perspective, major portions of the large US population lives in urban areas that are very congested with lots of heavy/slow/miserable weekday traffic. So a more pleasant to drive wagon gives little pleasure in the garbage driving conditions of a typical commute here. Under those bad conditions the comfort/visibilty of urban assault vehicle/SUV is the preferred vehicle for me as well as thousand of Americans. Like you I do prefer the driving pleasure/power/lower center of gravity/handling of a good sport sedan and that's what I drive on weekends when the roads are clearer.
just had a read in a local newspaper,
I have no idea if this is true or not, they were testing the new 6 sedan and said at the end that the Mazda will not bring the wagon here and in the US because it is not meeting the strict north american standards for side impact.
I have no idea if this is true or not, they were testing the new 6 sedan and said at the end that the Mazda will not bring the wagon here and in the US because it is not meeting the strict north american standards for side impact.
NuMazdaian
Member
- :
- Mazda CX-5 Sport MT
I totally agreed with you.
There's a saying... "If you cannot beat the system, be part of the system"
I originally was looking at the VW Passat Wagon, Jetta Sportswagen, Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester and finally I came across this 6-speed Sport CX-5.
Once I test drove this baby, I did not want to get out of the CUV and here I am.
The #1 selling car segment in the US is the family Sedan; same level to the ground as a wagon. Not sure where you are coming up with "US buyer demand" of "ride height/visibility" outside of your own personal preference. The data doesn't support it.
The data does support it easily. Where do I get my data, it's not hard to find, just look at published monthly sales numbers from Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, (even Porsche and Audi).
Just look at huge sales numbers of Escape, CRV, Rav4, Highlander, Pilot alone. Granted, Accord, Camry, and Altima sedans are #1 sellers, top of the charts, ( they are not station wagons btw ). But EVERY major automaker in US market wants a big chunk of the high growth compact-mid sized SUV market (like Mazda with its CX-5 thats greatly exceeding sales forecasts). And isn't the "tall ride height / visibility" vehicle still the top selling vehicle in US, the Ford F150. Yep in the US they demand it (crossover and SUVs) and buy it by the tens of thousands every single month. No small potatoes even if CamryAccordFusionCivicCorollaAltima SEDANS outsell them.
Notes: Over 25% of the 30 top-selling vehicles in US in 2011 were Crossovers and SUVs, a very significant #2 selling segment (not station wagons).
Speaking of VW, even the lowly Tiguan SUV outsold Sportwagon in US in 2011.
Plenty of data is available if you actually bother to look.
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ManMachine
Member
One big reason for SUV/CUV existence is the government regulation that puts them in the category of light trucks, so they can be less fuel efficient. They are of course really passenger cars, but the motive was to allow the Detroit Big 3 to prosper with their SUVs (while they lagged badly in regular cars).
At least with Mazda, you can still get a Mazda3 hatch, which doesn't hold as much stuff but good enough. The new one will come out reasonably soon.
At least with Mazda, you can still get a Mazda3 hatch, which doesn't hold as much stuff but good enough. The new one will come out reasonably soon.
