Its absolutely preference. Sedans HORRIFICALLY inefficient when it comes to interior volume for a given vehicle length, and their trunk designs are extremely ineffective compared to a hatch with folding rear seats at ease of loading and size of items that can be loaded. For example, I owned a '95 Impala SS, its over 214 inches long. I could not load our generator into the trunk, because it was too hard to lift over the lip, and the trunk hinges and top of the trunk got in the way. Yet that sedan is more than a foot longer than a huge Toyota Grand Highlander, a three-row SUV that can easily swallow a large chest freezer for the garage. And regarding efficiency, my sedan was rated 18mpg, while my new SUV, my Nissan Rogue is rated 33mpg combined (37mpg highway).
@BoopSnoot that's odd, because my Honda Fit is probably one of the best cars of all time. Extremely good on gas. (As someone who was a car salesman like myself) Still tends to be better on gas than most new vehicles. (Also it's hard to compare anything pre-2010 to modern vehicles. My '99 Miata was horrific on gas competitively heh)
@ Honda Fit is not a sedan, its a hatchback. A crossover is basically a bigger hatchback. Hatchbacks are hugely practical and have very large and useful interiors for the space required to park them in your garage. A Honda Fit is 161" long, 16" shorter than a Nissan Versa, and yet you can fit SOOOO much more in a Fit than a Versa with the rear seats folded. Sedans are just obsolete designs.
@BoopSnoot great, so now you understand the conversation is more about the silly fuel regulations that are only about vehicle foot print and nothing else :) idk about you, but I would love a new Honda fit, yet the fuel regulations don't allow it and would force me to buy a bigger less fuel efficient vehicle
@@Dia1Up The argument is that people want smaller vehicles and sedans, they don't. People want the biggest vehicle they can fit in their garage at the lowest price that doesn't use too much gas. That's generally something like a Rav4 Hybrid, and that's why that is the top selling vehicle. Yes, trucks are also popular, but they abandon the attempt to fit in a garage and its still consumer demand that drives the market as they are practical in different ways. The only reason most people buy small cars is when they are less expensive than bigger cars. For fuel economy, after 30mpg it doesn't really matter, you get diminishing returns. The annual cost savings between 10mpg to 20mpg to 30mpg are huge. From 40mpg to 50mpg to 60mpg is insignificant cost savings.
What happens when manufacturers realized that they can exploit a loophole. I actually prefer the sedans and station wagons over a SUV any day of the week.
It is the letter of the law that is causing this. If politicians actually wanted people to drive small fuel efficient cars they would not penalize manufacturers for making them.
And the fact that news analysts, TH-camrs, etc. keep blindly repeating the lie "Americans just don't like small cars" shows a lack of critical thought and plays right into the manufacturers' loophole abuse.
@@A2nthopif manufacturers decided to not abuse that loophole they'd go bankrupt making tesla a global monopoly in cars (yes the Chinese cars would still exist, but they're on the brink of bankruptcy) the majority of people would either use public transport, which will eventually be overwhelmed, or use motorcycles, it will also force urbanization and make houses even more expensive!
I’m 33 and I’ve only owned sedans. Kia Spectra, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, and two Civics. I like how sedans look a lot more because growing up that was “a normal car”.
I like seeing an old crown vic but seeing a sedan without a massive trunk is just sad, though I also like the fast back and hatchback look(and to some extent the short trunk is ok).
Government: We need people to be in more fuel efficient vehicles People: so promote small fuel efficient cars? Government: No, Bigger vehicles but smaller engines
Those of us who want TRADITIONAL AMERICAN sedans and wagons back do so not just because they are more fuel efficient, we want them back because they were more comfortable, more practical, and more beautiful.
Traditional american sedans were not fuel efficient, nobody bought them for efficiency. They were big cars with V8s and a nice interior that now modern pickups fulfill. Today sedans are small and gutless.
I still drive a hatchback, Mazda3 awd hatch. I refuse to buy an SUV. It's easy to drive on New England's terrible tiny roads. It handles well, safe, practical, gets pretty good mpg on the highway, with AWD for the wet and snowy conditions. I feel like I'm driving a go kart compared to all the CUV, SUV, and pickups on the road.
Mazda 3 AWD hatch is damn near the perfect car, and probably all 75% of the population needs. I've got a Corolla hatch and, while small, is an absolute joy and will be more dependable than most cars on the road.
Good for you. We need more pragamtic drivers such as yourself. Small cars actually handle the bumps with less drama than a lot of larger cars from my experience and handle better. I drive a Rav4 (plug in) and I even feel that I am one of the smaller cars on the road. I see the advantages and such of driving the smallest car that will do the trick for you rather than always aiming for the largest one you can deal with, but seems like most people in that latter camp.
I still see ford fusions everywhere i think out of any car ford stopped making that was the dumbest one to stop making. Not everyone wants a big suv or truck
The Fusion and Focus sold well with I believe 500k units sold annually. The problem was the rental companies buying the bulk of em, and Americans the other. The trans issues didn't help either. They had to sell at least a million of each model for them to keep it on the lots
@@michaelfoulkes9502how can’t they “compete”? Honda and Toyota build their sedans in America too. Are they losing money on popular models that sold a crap ton?
2 reasons - 1) small cars and sedans are less profitable then SUVs and all the care about is making higher profits and 2) the CAFE standards set by the US Goverment. This is why GM and Ford gave up on making cars and sedans to compete with the Japanese and other foreign automakers
@ Nice! I just bought a brand new gasoline 2025 Toyota Corolla LE sedan for $30,000 USD. This is including taxes and fee. I bet your Corolla will last another 20 years easy, Davin!
To blame the "incompetent" government is to miss 75% of the problem. Automakers lobby hard for "cafe" standards, instead of straight-up fuel efficiency requirements. this gave them the ability to continue making less efficient vehicles while offsetting those numbers with a few more efficient or smaller offerings. Once this system was in place, they continued to apply massive pressure, further mutating the rules into this size exemption gradation. Bigger cars mean higher profit per sale. Meanwhile, China went ahead and set straight emissions limits. And their manufacturers now essentially own the future of the vehicle industry. Good job, America!
A bigger car is more useful though so it should be somewhere in between current standards and a flat cap on efficiency numbers across the board. Lobbyists just have a lot more power so it’s skewed way too far in the direction of larger vehicles.
The problem is most manufacturers hire lawyers to fight the laws instead of engineers to meet the standards. In the 70s when emissions control systems became required by law, large V8 engines produced under 150 net horsepower but in around 20 years cars like the BMW M5 were making 400hp using a V8 without turbos or a supercharger. The trick manufacturers are using now is to use small displacement engines and slapping a high pressure turbo on it that constantly stresses the engine and kills durability. That is the cheapest solution as opposed to allowing engineers to develop technologies that run clean but do not sacrifice power or displacement. The shift to SUVs and trucks is just an arms race on the roadways. The mentality is that it is better if the other guy is killed or crippled for life in a collision instead of me, so most people buy the largest, heaviest, and most powerful truck or SUV they can afford to buy. The first gen Ford Explorer started it all. It was just a station wagon capacity body on a Ford Ranger frame but it convinced millions of families they absolutely needed an SUV. I myself had sports cars for years then a few sedans. After I bought my first half ton truck I could not imagine having to do without at least one truck in my fleet.
You started off by blaming SUV owners for being selfish and saying they only own these vehicles to cause more harm to the other vehicle. And you ended off by saying that you can’t imagine a future where you don’t own at least a 1/2 ton truck😂
@ Yep. I don’t want to get squashed like a bug driving some small car and getting hit by a 6,000 pound urban assault vehicle. My truck weighs a little over 4200 pounds so it is a good balance of weight, fuel economy, and crash risk protection based only on size/weight. In the 90s I daily drove a Toyota MR2. Try that today and you literally gamble with your life on every drive.
Classic case of incompetent government making things worse by "trying to help".... Government forces manufacturers to boost fuel economy, manufacturers create less efficient and larger vehicles to skirt the rule.
Yes, but when the laws were created SUV's didn't really exist and no one drove trucks outside a work situation. The problem is the government never adjusted to the new types of vehicle we have half a century later.
Total different markets, but give a sense of how incentives works. Here in Argentina, we love sedans and compact hatchs, but everyone is buying mid size pickup trucks that have tax exceptions as they are considered work vehicules. As consecuence a Golf, Jetta, Focus, Mondeo (Fussion) past owners are today driving Hilux, Ranger, S10 or even bigger RAM1500 or F150 as daily drive in Buenos Aires downtown...no sense at all.....there is moslty no compact hatchs or sedans offered except for the Corolla.
Im a 26 dude and I’m pretty sure most automakers have forgotten about every young adult who are looking to buy vehicles. Most of my friends want a coupe or a low riding sedan, we live in the city and have an obsession with JDM cars etc. In my opinion it all comes down to profit, they don’t care about what they make. Listen automakers, please stop shoving SUVS at us
Those of us older do NOT want a low-riding sedan, we want something like a 49 - 52 Chrysler product; not gorgeous, but plenty of head room, plenty of leg room, wide enough, solid rugged construction, extreme reliability, and in the Chryslers, and after 51 the DeSotos as well, 8 cylinders.
Politicians and government bureaucrats who aren't experts in anything demanding companies adhere to standards that require technology that doesn't exist. Yep, that sounds about right.
@ShaiyanHossain. Except they did not WILLFULLY comply. How dishonest can you be? They were literally forced to comply by threat of heavy fines. That is exactly what govt regulations are. Force. Threatened force. You want so bad to blame greedy corporations in your mind, that you are ignoring the actual culprit. Just like in most cases...its actually the govt that is the real problem.
@@KG-kq9tk so why do toyota and Honda, and just about everyone else in the industry have no problem having 10 "different" crossovers all of similar sizes and functions but do jack for the existing cars they have? Toyota can kill the v6 camry on a whim but have the Highlander, Crown Signia, Rav4 etc, all exist in the same space. the automakers could easily put the RnD money into making even more fuel efficient cars (we had 50 mpg Civics in the 90s), but nooooo. Its much more profitable to make CRVs. the big three in the US abandoned cars altogether for this reason-look at the profit magins for SIlverados and Expeditions. Its not really the regulation- American regulations are actually very lenient for large cars vs the rest of the world. its rather corporations exploiting loopholes.
9:57 Nope they are not spacious. Nor that much higher than a regular car..... It's just regular cars with plastic around the wheels, sold for more money because "it's more spacious". At least that's what most crossovers in Europe look like....
@@MrOiram46 You wouldn’t be saying that if you actually had to sit in the back seat of a Crown Victoria. My little 07 CRV had far more legroom than one of those boats.
@@MrOiram46CRV is an SUV my ass😂 It’s a hatchback comparable to a Subaru Crown Vic weighs 3900lbs pounds to the CRV EX-L’s 3500lbs. I had a 2005 Outback wagon that had twice the storage space although the legroom was just as bad😂. CRV also has a shorter wheelbase, it’s only bigger on the inside.
The biggest run off problem of all of this too is that trucks are becoming ridiculously expensive. Body on frame vehicles just don't have any qualities that make them great passenger vehicles, but everyone is rushing to them as their daily. People start complaining that they're uncomfortable to drive daily. They have a lot of body roll, you feel every imperfection in the road, and they bounce after every big bump. The solution is really expensive suspension set ups, mostly talking about stuff like magna ride, that eliminate most of the problems of body on frame vehicles but absolutely skyrocket the price. Most of those trucks are $70k+ but ride exactly the same as $30k sedans. Most people just want a smooth driving experience, and body on frame vehicles just don't do that. I really wish people could just get it out of their heads that they couldn't possibly live with a sedan because of all the stuff they imagine they could do with a truck that they never actually will do. If they just drove a nice sedan, they would realize that they can save hundreds on their monthly car payment and have a much smoother ride. I've had family members spend more than $80k for their suburban, f150, or sequoia who have driven my Toyota Avalon and they've all said it rides better than their trucks. That car was originally $45k but you can find them used with pretty decent mileage for less than $35k.
I’m an American and I love sedans. I grew up in a Camry, learned to drive in a Jetta, and always loved sedans. Currently enjoy an E90 3 series. That said, I get why people love SUVs. They like sitting up high, having that visibility up front, that interior room, and more importantly, the cargo room because of the roofline extending the whole length of the car. Furthermore, trucks keep getting bigger and more common so people see SUVs as safer. Also, they aren’t that much more than sedans so they feel go SUV. That said, I really only like the compact SUVs like the CRVs, RAV4, Tucson, and what not. I feel the subcompact SUVs really don’t have much more room than the sedan counterparts and don’t drive nicely outside a few options, the mid-size 2 row SUVs aren’t much bigger than their compact counterparts, and the mid-size 3 rows are just worse than minivans at everything except AWD.
@ people don’t see it that way. They see an accord getting trampled and driven over by a lifted F-150 that has a hood taller than most elementary school children, while a CRV will at least be hit head on and not driven over. That’s why people see big cars as safer since they look at holding up in a crash, and not avoiding it altogether or avoiding and holding up.
@@KNRS927 therein lies the problem. People's perception about safety vs actual safety. A new Accord is a pretty safe car with a gazillion safety systems+rigid body and yet people will still think its "too small"
The main problem is that larger vehicles have lower targets, which doesn't make any sense at all. The emissions target for all personal vehicles should be the same.
@@KG-kq9tk What is there not to understand? All personal vehicles should follow the same emission standards, "light trucks" shouldn't have a pass... specially since they became the norm in the US.
Negative. First, carbon fuel is finite. And second, we all need air to breath. Unless you want to live in a dome. Provided you're among those wealthy enough. Imagine a time when you could go swimming in the Mississippi? That's because those that came before us had that same attitude you're referring to and didn't care about their children and those that would come after them. The river became a natural toilet, and is the toxic river we know today.
@@VG-Motorspraying to politicians? 😂. Trump isn’t a politician, what he will do is greatly deregulate gasoline engines. The EPA will not be nearly as strict.
I'm a mechanical engineer with a BSME, and this is why, to be blunt, we can't be letting liberal arts graduates with walk in the park degrees like "Public administration and policy" make decisions that require a very rigorous understanding of advanced applied physics and chemistry, like thermodynamics, heat engines and carnot cycles, fluid mechanics, which you can't even begin to analyze without single and multivariable calculus and differential equations. You need that to optimize powertrain efficiency. So I'm not sure where these government entities think they are anywhere near qualified vs real scientists. The irony of course is they are actually causing everyone to buy larger, gas guzzling vehicles, the complete opposite of their goals.
Progressives, they're always doing the opposite of what they're aiming for. They ban plastic bags and straws, then decide to let LA county burn to a crisp. WEF, yea lets just hop in their private jets. I did the calculations on Taylor Swift's private jet flight logs for 2023, it's the equivalent of me driving my Mazda3 awd hatchback, 1.3 million miles. It's a 2019 with 29,600 miles on it, but I'm supposedly harming the planet driving because it's a gas burner that gets an average of 36-37 mpg, sometimes 39mpg. Meanwhile, all these CUV and SUV are all over the road. Make smaller cars if you want to save fuel.
This is opposite to their goals only on paper and by their words. Some people say this is just what big brands want, to sell you bigger, more expensive trucks, because that makes keeps you poor. Poorer, job-dependend people with many loans is what they really want. You, Americans have no idea how we live in Europe. That we drive small cars, because many cases, we don't need cars at all. Houses are close together so public transport make sense, shops are in walking distances, kids walk alone outside to school and after school. In my opinion - someone is playing a trick on you, for your own money, telling you that this is what freedom looks like. They use you in such a way that you thank them for it. It doesn't matter what they are saying to you, what matters is only what they are DOING, and they introduce laws to sell you bigger for more, that's all. Funny that under the guise of ecology, in some way amazing. BIG fat trucks with huge trunks which you never use for money you don't have, and if you can't repay your loans, you can shoot yourself in the head eh. Regards from Poland, where we still CAN buy cheap, small cars and not feel like a bug on a road. From Poland, where living on a budget IS possible, so IT IS allowed to be poor here, and where living poor doesn't mean living in a tent. Think about it.
It has less to do with liberal arts majors and more to do with the limits of CAFE standards that weren’t updated due to a stupid classification loophole. Being a scientist doesn’t matter if you’re paid off to say or do something.
I sell parts for a living. Too many "engineers" can't tell a left caliper from a right. Also 90% of politicians on either end have no clue what thermo efficiency is.
There are still a good handful of us that like Sedans. SUV's are overrated to me. I'm a Bachelor, but i find Mini-Vans( the ones still left) more functional.
I'm 43 and still drive a 2019 Mazda3 awd hatch. I was looking at the CX-5 and said, nope, it's not my style. I like practical nimble cars. The hatch offers a lot of cargo room with the seats folded down. AWD system on the Mazda is pretty responsive, the g vectoring kicks in on hard corners. It holds the gears, even in auto, and sends more power to the rear 50/50 split. Only wish the NA made a little bit more power. But I'll fix that with forged wheels this spring. Get rid of some unsprung weight. I will be driving small cars until I can't drive anymore. I rather have a minivan than an SUV if I want the room.
Nothing "Mini" about mini-vans, either. I'd love to have a small van, like the old MP-V or Mazda5, but of course, they can't bring anything neat like that to the US market.
@@DroneStrike1776Modern CUVs and SUVs actually have better suspensions and handle better than most sedans. Even some modern pickups will out handle sedans. I remember back in the 90s when the Tahoe out handled the Cavalier in a test on TV. The gas mileage is very similar. No reason to ride around in a low slung which makes you vulnerable in a crash. My life is worth a lot more than 2 mpg.
I drive a Golf R Hatchback. It's spacious enough, pretty fast and fun, and has pretty decent mpg considering it's AWD and higher performance. Alot of people buy these big, expensive Pickups and SUVS not because they really need them, but because they want them as status symbol to park in their driveway.
I'm not complaining about my 2019 Honda CR-V. It's actually the last of its kind because (being the base LX model) mine has the tried and true 2.4L naturally-aspirated 4-banger. 116,000 miles, and it's yet to let me down. I've always had the CVT fluid changed every 30,000 miles. I drive it conservatively because I know this car was not built for speed/racing but rather practicality. Handles just as good as a sedan.
That’s actually the thing though I think part of the shift is due to SUVs improving a ton. A lot of the modern ones, especially the smaller crossovers like yours do inherently drive more like a sedan than 20 years ago when most SUVs felt like they were gonna tip over.
I’ve driven a 2019 CRV and my 2020 Accord and while I will say the CRV is one of the better handling crossovers it doesn’t handle anywhere near as well as the Accord.
It's not just fuel regulations. I drive a Corolla and was recently in Tahoe. They had an idiotic (in my opinion) chain ordinance because it was 35 degrees and it had snowed earlier in the day (though by noon all the snow has melted). The California DOT set up a checkpoint on the interstate and all sedans and hatchbacks had to put the chains on (a massive hassle), while they were letting all the SUV go through without chains, even if they were not 4x4. So then for 35 miles I had to drive 20 mph in chains while being passed by SUVs and crossovers driving 80 mph on the left lane. I've never wanted an SUV before but now I'm thinking, maybe I should get some small SUV so that it doesn't happen to me again. Super frustrating.
The fact is though, it's just the American brands that have stopped selling sedans in the US. Japanese, German, and Korean brands still sell them here, and they're not just coasting along with older gens like Dodge did for so long. Toyota just introduced a new Camry, Kia has just brought out the Forte replacement the K4. Honda just refreshed the Civic and added a very nice hybrid set up to it, and Toyota is expected to have a replacement for the current Corolla in the next year.
You forgot to mention that profit margins on large SUVs and trucks are just so much better. The margin on a f150 is anywhere between 30-50% depending on the trim. That’s why dealerships have platinums and king ranches but no xl trims. The margin on a ford fiesta 1%. Also, Don’t have to deal with “cheap” low paying, low margin costumers if you don’t have anything to sell them. Would you rather sell 1 60k dollar truck and make 18k or 180 10k dollar cars to make 18k? A lot easier to sell just one.
Yes i only briefly touched on profitability. If you think long term though, brand loyalty is an important metric and selling 180 cars at 10k would increase your odds of selling cars in the future. Especially to those who would possibly be upgrading or having a bigger budget later on. Affordable cars were how car brands got customers into the brand.
I love sedans, but I also enjoy SUVs/crossovers, and vans (my first vehicle when I was 16 was my family's old '91 Chevy G20). I just traded in my Sentra for a Trailblazer because I found the turbo engine to be much more responsive than what my 2014 Nissan had to offer. I also wanted to sit up higher and have a vehicle that had more ground clearance. Here's another reason, one not mentioned here, the rise of these obnoxiously bright, bluish-white LED headlamps made driving a sedan much more uncomfortable. On their standard setting these new lights look like traditional headlights with their brights switched on, and vehicles in the oncoming lane and ESPECIALLY those driving behind me would blind my vision. Even with the rearview mirror flipped compensate, the lights reflect into the car via the side mirrors and sometimes are so bright it's like a police officer is shining a flashlight into my car! Since switching to my Trailblazer, because I sit up higher and the vehicle itself is higher off the ground, I haven't had this issue nearly as much, even when larger vehicles are behind me.
I thought the reason why the Big Three switch to SUV is because they couldn't compete the sedan market that the Japanese and the Germans are really good at. And now that they switch to EVs, that's the one thing that the two giants are NOT good at.
@@awepossum1059 true but some buy used ones. As I said, EV is the one thing that Toyota says it's not the future but pffft, who's laughing now? Even Italian sports cars aren't getting the recognition they always deserve now that Tesla is making their cars going 0-60 in 4sec....on a cheap price.
2:22 The ironic thing is where I live the V6 option is actually more efficient and has a meaningful advantage as far as wear and tear because driving up a hill for 30 minutes while keeping up with traffic inherently uses some gas, it’s better to do it at low-mid RPM than at mid-high rpm, and the v6 sedan still weighs less than any SUV. Some say they have turbo I4’s and I’m not opposed to a turbo I4 but those are more efficient at low load and at higher load they lose more efficiency than the V6, which may or may not be offset by the weight. But their economy criteria is all for flat ground though so I can’t help out my planet by choosing the V8😢
I think a lot of ppl who are trying to step into the car market for the first time are looking for sedans. I know I did. I only didn't buy one because the major brands were phasing out their sedans. Since availability was low, dealers were jacking up the prices on the ones they had left. Sometimes you just need a normal car. No bells and whistles. I think manufacturers are forgetting this.
I own an 8 year old Camry and 8 year old Corolla. Barely 100K in mileage on each. Ill keep them both for a long time more. Itll be a while before i buy something new.
I really like fords Panther platforms(in fact I'm currently restoring a 97 Town Car), and I am just not a truck/SUV person. Guess I'll either just keep my old Thunderbird and Town Car running til I die, or hunt down another when they crap out beyond repair...hopefully anyway.
Nunca tinha observado por esse lado, é triste ver os sedans e carros menores acabando, aqui no Brasil ainda tem muitos, mas a tendência é de que SUV's aos poucos dominarão o mercado.
My observation is that people are just holding on to their older cars for as long as possible. A new trend here in the SF Bay area is for buyers looking for an older car, e.g. a 10 year old Civic, are leaving notes on the windshields offering to buy.
Thanks. The details in this certainly clarified a lot for me. I certainly did not know why some of the really great small cars had disappeared and why the last few have the end in sight.
I still love driving sedans. I love how they move. I hate how close to the ground current sedans are. I like 40 inches of headroom and 6.4 inches of ground clearence. No sedan has that.
I drive a sedan (Honda Accord Sport 2.0T) and to be honest I feel safer driving a sedan than driving an SUV and easier for me to park a sedan than an SUV especially on tighter roads
I am a sedan dude. Honda Accord all day. Unfortunately the options are getting slim in the midsize sector. No more Altima, no more Volvo. Not a huge fan of the new designs or computer cars.
I’m an American and I drive a b5.5 Passat in the land of 4x4s. I’m a big guy but I like to be small and narrow on the road if I can. I also enjoy being able to see things in front of me. (A wild concept)
When I went shopping for a new car, I originally wanted to get a sedan. They’re all pretty small now. The car I had before was a sedan from 17 years ago and I had no problems with space in it. All the new ones, I knew if I hit a bump, I would probably hit my head on the ceiling.
You forget to mention that the Automakers were instrumental in writing the standards the way that they are. They basically wrote the regulations, now they cite the regulations as the reason they can only build oversized, over priced vehicles. You know, the vehicles that they get their astronomical profits from. Convenient, isn't it?
Thank You - In 2019 my used Ford Focus was on it's last legs. I was working on construction projects over a hundred miles from my home. I needed reliable transportation. I was looking to buy a new Focus. I was very surprised when I was told by the Ford salesman that people no longer wanted cars. I found that idea bizarre and told him, "But, I'm people." I ended up buying the smallest SUV they made and took a terrific hit on the miles per gallon. I'm not anti government, but sometimes they try to have people do what's best for the environment and it backfires.
I’d also say lots of people like truly big sedans, which arguably you could say we haven’t had since the 1970s, while others would say big sedans died with the crown Victoria and town car in 2011. Fuel economy regulations have destroyed the ability to build truly big sedans that can fit a full family. So now families have to buy suvs because every sedan is tiny. I’d buy a new body on frame v8 20 foot sedan in a heartbeat if ford was allowed to build them.
What’s ironic is I have both a large overkill truck, and a subcompact sedan. And I actually love both of them, just for different things. If I had to pick only one to drive though I’d take the truck. But when it’s time to sell the sedan for another work truck. I will miss having a small nimble car
I prefer sedans over suv's, but just barely. I have a 2015 Impala LT V6. Best car I've ever owned at 55 years old. But, I really like driving my wife's 2022 Highlander Limited too.
I still think the Ford Fusion had one of the most stylish frond ends reminiscent of a Aston Martin. It had an audiophile Sony sound system and available all wheel drive. Ford should look at all the interest in the new Toyota Camry for inspiration. Not everyone wants a hulking, gas guzzling SUV that in many cases is just a useless status symbol.
😢 I believe you hit the nail on the head. I like having a small sedan for my daily commute. A SUV is great for a family ride, but when it is just me, I prefer the small car.
some of us still prefer sedans though its easier to get into an SUV/Truck as you get older the best selling Vehicle in the US for the last 43 years straight has been the F series pickup truck yeah that was the Opec Oil embargo of Oct 1973- April 1974 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards went into effect in 1978 there was another shortage starting February 1979
Those of us who are past our 20s don't want super-low cars, we want cars that we can sit in and easily get in and out of, and see out of. Something like a 1950 DeSoto or Chrysler.
I grew up in a world full of sedans, but now as an adult I feel like i’m FORCED to get an SUV. i don’t want one. never have. i don’t NEED anything like it. and now that they’ve been so popularized, unless i choose an older accord or camry, even then, overtime, my ownership value would be shit.
I'm in the boat that regulations ruin everything. Greed will always find a way. Red tape only screws over small businesses and the consumer in the end. Repeal all regulations. Just keep the basic laws: No stealing, No harming others. Go live life and pursue happiness, we will maintain the roads & public services. I can only dream. 💔
Yea love having 4 doors love the fact it’s not a big clunky suv. Low to ground you feel the road and if the backseats fold down into the trunk like most do you can still transport reasonable items.
We haven’t owned a sedan in over 10 years, for driving ability & efficiency you can’t beat a sedan although we (our family) prefer the comfort, ride height, and utility of Trucks & SUV’s!
Well this explains a lot. Thanks for this video! Ive always preferred sedans, sports sedans. Preferably a naturally aspirated 3 liter or larger V6 with a manual transmission. Last one I had was a 2000 Ford Contour SVT. And it was only 2.5 liters. Never understood why they didn't put the 3 liter version in there....I miss that car and cars like it tremendously. In my fantasy world, I'd like to be able to buy a new Camry with the V6 they put in SUVs and a manual transmission and AWD. That would be so much fun to drive. But I guess all that is over. Might as well just go out and buy an EV and get it over with. Sigh.
I don't buy it. Americans buy big crossovers and suv's because they think they are safer and easier to access, so manufacturers can charge accordingly. Many other countries have fuel economy standards, and sedans or small crossovers are still vehicles of choice. It has little to do with government regulations on fuel economy.
I'm looking for a mid-sized family sedan that has good MPG and I'm basically down to 3 options: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Hyundai Sonata. And I just got in the Camry 2025 for the first time and my hair was brushing against the ceiling in it (I'm not that tall, only 193cm) so that's gonna be a no.
We live in a bizaro world that does not make sense. Sedans are more fuel efficient but automakers are forced to manufacture crossovers that are less fuel efficient and worse to drive. Where’s the common sense??
Biger vehicles have more relaxed regulations and are way more expensive and easier to upsell. They're doing it to make more money while cheaping out and trying less. I want more sedans and wagons. I'm sick and tired of everything being a stupid crossover or giant SUV.
I learned to drive in a Lumina and a Camry. I owned Taurus, Lumina, Eighty Eight, Focus, and two Fusions. Today I drive a Pilot. Yeah I love it but I also love sedans. I’d love to downsize with my next car. We’ll see.
Even little FWD subcompacts cost 40 or 50 grand now, so since people are screwing themselves anyway when they buy a new vehicle they just figure they'll go whole-hog and buy a road locomotive that burns fuel like a battleship.
I had a car for the longest time, got a SUV and can't really see myself going back. Having the space and ground clearance is important. The larger wheels handle snow and potholes better aswell.
I love the VW passat, is a great sedan car, is sad to see the USA might go all only SUV and Trucks, my only worried is the future racing games related. I missed the sedan and coupes.
Its a tough pill for me to swallow. On one hand as someone who works on a lot of construction/terrible work locations, I appreciate a commuters SUVs ability to handle light offroad conditions. I see a lot of sedans get damaged trying to get through these conditions due to clearance/traction issues. I went from a sentra to a rav4 and especially in canadian winters its a world of difference to me (both were using winter tires). That being said... 90% of people do not work/live the life I do and do not need these massive SUVs/trucks. I often make fun of my coworkers who buy these 100k+ trucks when an small/mid sized SUV would fit their jobs all the same.
I haven’t bought a new car in 19 years. All this tech now scares me. I always had small cars but then I got older, settled down and had a sedan but I needed an suv. The thing is all of vehicles had manual transmissions. My current suv is a six speed manual with a naturally aspirated v6. There’s no way I can replace that or any sedan out now. I don’t need a midlife crisis sports car either. Any sedan with a manual transmission now either comes in lowest trim or a luxury car out of my price range. Very sad.
Oh it's Okey everyone because ford has confirmed that they might go back building sedans and i think general motors is teaser with the car and driver about the return of pontiac either in 2025 or in 2026 and I think they should bring back pontiac, oldsmobile, mercury, Plymouth, and Saturn, and maybe american motors company amc for short and i think we Americans should take a break from driving suvs, crossovers, and vehicles from foreign countries such as South Korea, Germany, and mostly Japan, and go back driving actual american cars , such as muscle cars, american sedans, american station wagons, american hatchbacks , american convertibles, 2 door american coupes, or even american minivans just like the good olds days such as the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or even the early 2000s.
Or at least sharply curtail it's power. I don't want to go back to flammable rivers and such, but this belief that you can make a zero emissions gasoline or diesel car is taking things too far.
I love my Civic and my Prelude. And if I sell my Civic, I'm buying a stick Accord. I want to daily a manual sedan, I'd love a bigger sedan that can actually hold people, and a stick Accord is such a weird combo that Honda did _not_ have to make for as long as they did, but I love that they did.
This is probably why Chinese manufacturers are not pushing to get their cheaper (better for the average American) cars into the USA. We don't have very good public transit in the USA so how are us lower income folks supposed to get around? Now it's used cars, but they are getting more expensive to buy and more expensive to maintain. In the future I guess we'll be walking or biking......
Ah yes, chinese cars are so good that the tesla model Y which is double the price outsells them in their own country and has been top 3 for a few years! Speaks alot about them.
I drive a new civic hatchback (non hybrid, non turbo 2.0L NA, I didn’t want all that extra tech, battery or turbo/head gasket issues in the future). I love the fun driving experience, attractiveness, practicality and good quality. Driving it alone on back roads is fun, but when in traffic it’s all SUVs and trucks. This is annoying visibility wise, but also you feel like a small mouse in a large cat race. I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, but accident wise I’m more screwed than the next guy in a truck/suv. Won’t catch me buying a generic “blob” crossover/suv anytime soon though. Sedans are a better driving experience overall and I have plenty of room if you fold the seats down. It’s ridiculous manufacturers have to deal with this crap of unrealistic goals which either makes consumers go in the buy a crossover “loophole”, or get priced out of the sedan market bc they are not affordable like they once were.
I love my Mazda 6 manual. I live in Massachusetts too, so we get plenty of snow. My front wheel drive does just fine, and I'll take the good gas mileage any day. My fellow American's are stupid and just like to consume and stuff they can barely afford.
Not true. The manufacturers are not allowed to sell the kind of sedans that people want to buy. The Ford Crown Victoria would have sold well had Ford updated the styling and offered more body styles besides 4 door sedans, such as full-size V8 station wagons, convertibles, hardtops, maybe even 2 door sedans.
The irony of fuel regulations forcing people to by less fuel efficient cars
Its absolutely preference. Sedans HORRIFICALLY inefficient when it comes to interior volume for a given vehicle length, and their trunk designs are extremely ineffective compared to a hatch with folding rear seats at ease of loading and size of items that can be loaded. For example, I owned a '95 Impala SS, its over 214 inches long. I could not load our generator into the trunk, because it was too hard to lift over the lip, and the trunk hinges and top of the trunk got in the way. Yet that sedan is more than a foot longer than a huge Toyota Grand Highlander, a three-row SUV that can easily swallow a large chest freezer for the garage. And regarding efficiency, my sedan was rated 18mpg, while my new SUV, my Nissan Rogue is rated 33mpg combined (37mpg highway).
@BoopSnoot that's odd, because my Honda Fit is probably one of the best cars of all time. Extremely good on gas. (As someone who was a car salesman like myself) Still tends to be better on gas than most new vehicles. (Also it's hard to compare anything pre-2010 to modern vehicles. My '99 Miata was horrific on gas competitively heh)
@ Honda Fit is not a sedan, its a hatchback. A crossover is basically a bigger hatchback. Hatchbacks are hugely practical and have very large and useful interiors for the space required to park them in your garage. A Honda Fit is 161" long, 16" shorter than a Nissan Versa, and yet you can fit SOOOO much more in a Fit than a Versa with the rear seats folded. Sedans are just obsolete designs.
@BoopSnoot great, so now you understand the conversation is more about the silly fuel regulations that are only about vehicle foot print and nothing else :) idk about you, but I would love a new Honda fit, yet the fuel regulations don't allow it and would force me to buy a bigger less fuel efficient vehicle
@@Dia1Up The argument is that people want smaller vehicles and sedans, they don't. People want the biggest vehicle they can fit in their garage at the lowest price that doesn't use too much gas. That's generally something like a Rav4 Hybrid, and that's why that is the top selling vehicle. Yes, trucks are also popular, but they abandon the attempt to fit in a garage and its still consumer demand that drives the market as they are practical in different ways. The only reason most people buy small cars is when they are less expensive than bigger cars. For fuel economy, after 30mpg it doesn't really matter, you get diminishing returns. The annual cost savings between 10mpg to 20mpg to 30mpg are huge. From 40mpg to 50mpg to 60mpg is insignificant cost savings.
I’m an American. I love sedans.
Me too! I dislike SUV so much that I would rather get Sienna/Odyssey for family haulers
Same!
Same. SUVs are just fine but zippy sedan with a big V6 or V8 just speaks to me.
Obviously you guys are traitors
@@cuchanu no u
What happens when manufacturers realized that they can exploit a loophole. I actually prefer the sedans and station wagons over a SUV any day of the week.
Maybe it's not a loophole but an intention. Like all laws being lobbied to financially benefit the industry in the first place.
@@munch92100%
It is the letter of the law that is causing this. If politicians actually wanted people to drive small fuel efficient cars they would not penalize manufacturers for making them.
And the fact that news analysts, TH-camrs, etc. keep blindly repeating the lie "Americans just don't like small cars" shows a lack of critical thought and plays right into the manufacturers' loophole abuse.
@@A2nthopif manufacturers decided to not abuse that loophole they'd go bankrupt making tesla a global monopoly in cars (yes the Chinese cars would still exist, but they're on the brink of bankruptcy) the majority of people would either use public transport, which will eventually be overwhelmed, or use motorcycles, it will also force urbanization and make houses even more expensive!
I’m 33 and I’ve only owned sedans. Kia Spectra, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, and two Civics. I like how sedans look a lot more because growing up that was “a normal car”.
Sedans are the only nice looking cars you see on the road nowadays, it's just tons of SUV's which all look the same: ugly. Pmo honestly.
@@IHitTheWaterAnd sedans don’t all look the same?
@@oliververnon8120 they all look the same: pretty decent, which I'll take in this car climate
I like seeing an old crown vic but seeing a sedan without a massive trunk is just sad, though I also like the fast back and hatchback look(and to some extent the short trunk is ok).
@@oliververnon8120Sedans certainly look more distinct than the sea of bland crossover SUVs you see on our roads 🤮
Government: We need people to be in more fuel efficient vehicles
People: so promote small fuel efficient cars?
Government: No, Bigger vehicles but smaller engines
And fake grills lol
And worse reliability than the Oldsmobile diesel engine
Now everyone want those sedans back, realizing they were more fuel efficient than their suvs & trucks combined, oh the irony.
Those of us who want TRADITIONAL AMERICAN sedans and wagons back do so not just because they are more fuel efficient, we want them back because they were more comfortable, more practical, and more beautiful.
Traditional american sedans were not fuel efficient, nobody bought them for efficiency. They were big cars with V8s and a nice interior that now modern pickups fulfill. Today sedans are small and gutless.
@@aimxdy8680 FACTS!
@@aimxdy8680 And today's Japanoid small sedans are cramped, noisy, and funny looking.
Not just that but sedans are generally smaller it cost less.
I still drive a hatchback, Mazda3 awd hatch. I refuse to buy an SUV. It's easy to drive on New England's terrible tiny roads. It handles well, safe, practical, gets pretty good mpg on the highway, with AWD for the wet and snowy conditions. I feel like I'm driving a go kart compared to all the CUV, SUV, and pickups on the road.
Mazda 3 AWD hatch is damn near the perfect car, and probably all 75% of the population needs. I've got a Corolla hatch and, while small, is an absolute joy and will be more dependable than most cars on the road.
I love my mazda3 hatchback so much
Good for you. We need more pragamtic drivers such as yourself. Small cars actually handle the bumps with less drama than a lot of larger cars from my experience and handle better. I drive a Rav4 (plug in) and I even feel that I am one of the smaller cars on the road. I see the advantages and such of driving the smallest car that will do the trick for you rather than always aiming for the largest one you can deal with, but seems like most people in that latter camp.
that’s exactly how i feel with my little 2018 impreza sedan haha
Subaru Outback hatchback was probably my favorite driving car because it was both light and awd and not a sedan😂
I still see ford fusions everywhere i think out of any car ford stopped making that was the dumbest one to stop making. Not everyone wants a big suv or truck
100%. Fusions everywhere and they sold well.
The Fusion was a great seller but a money loser for Ford. They can’t compete in the same arena as Toyota or Honda.
The Fusion and Focus sold well with I believe 500k units sold annually. The problem was the rental companies buying the bulk of em, and Americans the other. The trans issues didn't help either. They had to sell at least a million of each model for them to keep it on the lots
And the focus
@@michaelfoulkes9502how can’t they “compete”? Honda and Toyota build their sedans in America too. Are they losing money on popular models that sold a crap ton?
2 reasons - 1) small cars and sedans are less profitable then SUVs and all the care about is making higher profits and 2) the CAFE standards set by the US Goverment. This is why GM and Ford gave up on making cars and sedans to compete with the Japanese and other foreign automakers
Good points. Still driving your 2017 Corolla sedan, Davin?
@@johnkonde1975 yes it's 2018 and I got up to 34 MPG on the highway
@ Nice! I just bought a brand new gasoline 2025 Toyota Corolla LE sedan for $30,000 USD. This is including taxes and fee. I bet your Corolla will last another 20 years easy, Davin!
To blame the "incompetent" government is to miss 75% of the problem. Automakers lobby hard for "cafe" standards, instead of straight-up fuel efficiency requirements. this gave them the ability to continue making less efficient vehicles while offsetting those numbers with a few more efficient or smaller offerings. Once this system was in place, they continued to apply massive pressure, further mutating the rules into this size exemption gradation. Bigger cars mean higher profit per sale. Meanwhile, China went ahead and set straight emissions limits. And their manufacturers now essentially own the future of the vehicle industry. Good job, America!
This comment should be pinned to the top!
A bigger car is more useful though so it should be somewhere in between current standards and a flat cap on efficiency numbers across the board.
Lobbyists just have a lot more power so it’s skewed way too far in the direction of larger vehicles.
The problem is most manufacturers hire lawyers to fight the laws instead of engineers to meet the standards. In the 70s when emissions control systems became required by law, large V8 engines produced under 150 net horsepower but in around 20 years cars like the BMW M5 were making 400hp using a V8 without turbos or a supercharger. The trick manufacturers are using now is to use small displacement engines and slapping a high pressure turbo on it that constantly stresses the engine and kills durability. That is the cheapest solution as opposed to allowing engineers to develop technologies that run clean but do not sacrifice power or displacement. The shift to SUVs and trucks is just an arms race on the roadways. The mentality is that it is better if the other guy is killed or crippled for life in a collision instead of me, so most people buy the largest, heaviest, and most powerful truck or SUV they can afford to buy. The first gen Ford Explorer started it all. It was just a station wagon capacity body on a Ford Ranger frame but it convinced millions of families they absolutely needed an SUV. I myself had sports cars for years then a few sedans. After I bought my first half ton truck I could not imagine having to do without at least one truck in my fleet.
Well said
You started off by blaming SUV owners for being selfish and saying they only own these vehicles to cause more harm to the other vehicle. And you ended off by saying that you can’t imagine a future where you don’t own at least a 1/2 ton truck😂
@ Yep. I don’t want to get squashed like a bug driving some small car and getting hit by a 6,000 pound urban assault vehicle. My truck weighs a little over 4200 pounds so it is a good balance of weight, fuel economy, and crash risk protection based only on size/weight. In the 90s I daily drove a Toyota MR2. Try that today and you literally gamble with your life on every drive.
Pickups and SUV's cost more than sedans, and car companies want to maximize profits by forcing consumers to buy more expensive SUV's and crossovers.
Classic case of incompetent government making things worse by "trying to help".... Government forces manufacturers to boost fuel economy, manufacturers create less efficient and larger vehicles to skirt the rule.
Hence why Tesla sedans still sell well compared to the crossover. People still want sporty sedans.
Yes, but when the laws were created SUV's didn't really exist and no one drove trucks outside a work situation. The problem is the government never adjusted to the new types of vehicle we have half a century later.
“I’m from the govt and I’m here to help”
and pedestrian deaths going up
@ And bicycle rider deaths too
Total different markets, but give a sense of how incentives works. Here in Argentina, we love sedans and compact hatchs, but everyone is buying mid size pickup trucks that have tax exceptions as they are considered work vehicules. As consecuence a Golf, Jetta, Focus, Mondeo (Fussion) past owners are today driving Hilux, Ranger, S10 or even bigger RAM1500 or F150 as daily drive in Buenos Aires downtown...no sense at all.....there is moslty no compact hatchs or sedans offered except for the Corolla.
Consumer preferences did not change, this market for SUVs was created. Great video thank you!
Im a 26 dude and I’m pretty sure most automakers have forgotten about every young adult who are looking to buy vehicles. Most of my friends want a coupe or a low riding sedan, we live in the city and have an obsession with JDM cars etc. In my opinion it all comes down to profit, they don’t care about what they make. Listen automakers, please stop shoving SUVS at us
Those of us older do NOT want a low-riding sedan, we want something like a 49 - 52 Chrysler product; not gorgeous, but plenty of head room, plenty of leg room, wide enough, solid rugged construction, extreme reliability, and in the Chryslers, and after 51 the DeSotos as well, 8 cylinders.
Politicians and government bureaucrats who aren't experts in anything demanding companies adhere to standards that require technology that doesn't exist. Yep, that sounds about right.
except the automakers willfully complied and will sell a gargantuan cuv at markup
@ShaiyanHossain. Except they did not WILLFULLY comply. How dishonest can you be? They were literally forced to comply by threat of heavy fines. That is exactly what govt regulations are. Force. Threatened force. You want so bad to blame greedy corporations in your mind, that you are ignoring the actual culprit. Just like in most cases...its actually the govt that is the real problem.
@@KG-kq9tk so why do toyota and Honda, and just about everyone else in the industry have no problem having 10 "different" crossovers all of similar sizes and functions but do jack for the existing cars they have? Toyota can kill the v6 camry on a whim but have the Highlander, Crown Signia, Rav4 etc, all exist in the same space. the automakers could easily put the RnD money into making even more fuel efficient cars (we had 50 mpg Civics in the 90s), but nooooo. Its much more profitable to make CRVs. the big three in the US abandoned cars altogether for this reason-look at the profit magins for SIlverados and Expeditions. Its not really the regulation- American regulations are actually very lenient for large cars vs the rest of the world. its rather corporations exploiting loopholes.
9:57
Nope they are not spacious. Nor that much higher than a regular car..... It's just regular cars with plastic around the wheels, sold for more money because "it's more spacious".
At least that's what most crossovers in Europe look like....
For real, my friend’s 2006 crown vic has more space than crossovers
@@MrOiram46 You wouldn’t be saying that if you actually had to sit in the back seat of a Crown Victoria. My little 07 CRV had far more legroom than one of those boats.
@@michaelfoulkes9502 07 CRV is a mid-size SUV, a grade larger than crossovers
@@MrOiram46CRV is an SUV my ass😂
It’s a hatchback comparable to a Subaru
Crown Vic weighs 3900lbs pounds to the CRV EX-L’s 3500lbs.
I had a 2005 Outback wagon that had twice the storage space although the legroom was just as bad😂.
CRV also has a shorter wheelbase, it’s only bigger on the inside.
The length is even worse than the wheelbase although it’s a sedan so it’s worth it, plus it helps keep CG lower
The biggest run off problem of all of this too is that trucks are becoming ridiculously expensive. Body on frame vehicles just don't have any qualities that make them great passenger vehicles, but everyone is rushing to them as their daily. People start complaining that they're uncomfortable to drive daily. They have a lot of body roll, you feel every imperfection in the road, and they bounce after every big bump. The solution is really expensive suspension set ups, mostly talking about stuff like magna ride, that eliminate most of the problems of body on frame vehicles but absolutely skyrocket the price. Most of those trucks are $70k+ but ride exactly the same as $30k sedans. Most people just want a smooth driving experience, and body on frame vehicles just don't do that. I really wish people could just get it out of their heads that they couldn't possibly live with a sedan because of all the stuff they imagine they could do with a truck that they never actually will do. If they just drove a nice sedan, they would realize that they can save hundreds on their monthly car payment and have a much smoother ride. I've had family members spend more than $80k for their suburban, f150, or sequoia who have driven my Toyota Avalon and they've all said it rides better than their trucks. That car was originally $45k but you can find them used with pretty decent mileage for less than $35k.
I’m an American and I love sedans. I grew up in a Camry, learned to drive in a Jetta, and always loved sedans. Currently enjoy an E90 3 series. That said, I get why people love SUVs. They like sitting up high, having that visibility up front, that interior room, and more importantly, the cargo room because of the roofline extending the whole length of the car. Furthermore, trucks keep getting bigger and more common so people see SUVs as safer. Also, they aren’t that much more than sedans so they feel go SUV.
That said, I really only like the compact SUVs like the CRVs, RAV4, Tucson, and what not. I feel the subcompact SUVs really don’t have much more room than the sedan counterparts and don’t drive nicely outside a few options, the mid-size 2 row SUVs aren’t much bigger than their compact counterparts, and the mid-size 3 rows are just worse than minivans at everything except AWD.
@@KNRS927 bigger=safer is cancerous mentality an accord will hold up fine in a crash
@ people don’t see it that way. They see an accord getting trampled and driven over by a lifted F-150 that has a hood taller than most elementary school children, while a CRV will at least be hit head on and not driven over. That’s why people see big cars as safer since they look at holding up in a crash, and not avoiding it altogether or avoiding and holding up.
@@ShaiyanHossaincan't cheat that pesky p=mv thing.
@@d47000 a new accord handles momentum during an impact just fine if not great.
@@KNRS927 therein lies the problem. People's perception about safety vs actual safety. A new Accord is a pretty safe car with a gazillion safety systems+rigid body and yet people will still think its "too small"
The main problem is that larger vehicles have lower targets, which doesn't make any sense at all. The emissions target for all personal vehicles should be the same.
And yet overpriced and gas guzzling machines make alot of sense to a family working underpaid jobs.
Thank goodness you are not in charge of these regulations, because you don't remotely understand them.
@@KG-kq9tk What is there not to understand?
All personal vehicles should follow the same emission standards, "light trucks" shouldn't have a pass... specially since they became the norm in the US.
@@KG-kq9tkor maybe you're just not very smart.
Bigger vehicles will always be less efficient
I hope that Trump gets rid of the CAFE regulations and lets the market determine which cars are made.
Negative. First, carbon fuel is finite. And second, we all need air to breath. Unless you want to live in a dome. Provided you're among those wealthy enough.
Imagine a time when you could go swimming in the Mississippi? That's because those that came before us had that same attitude you're referring to and didn't care about their children and those that would come after them. The river became a natural toilet, and is the toxic river we know today.
Trump ain't gonna do smack buddy, stop praying to politicians.
So do I, and I am a Democrat.
@@VG-MotorsYeah he’s only gonna do what helps billionaires we’ll be lucky if it helps us as a side effect
@@VG-Motorspraying to politicians? 😂. Trump isn’t a politician, what he will do is greatly deregulate gasoline engines. The EPA will not be nearly as strict.
I'm a mechanical engineer with a BSME, and this is why, to be blunt, we can't be letting liberal arts graduates with walk in the park degrees like "Public administration and policy" make decisions that require a very rigorous understanding of advanced applied physics and chemistry, like thermodynamics, heat engines and carnot cycles, fluid mechanics, which you can't even begin to analyze without single and multivariable calculus and differential equations. You need that to optimize powertrain efficiency. So I'm not sure where these government entities think they are anywhere near qualified vs real scientists. The irony of course is they are actually causing everyone to buy larger, gas guzzling vehicles, the complete opposite of their goals.
Progressives, they're always doing the opposite of what they're aiming for. They ban plastic bags and straws, then decide to let LA county burn to a crisp. WEF, yea lets just hop in their private jets. I did the calculations on Taylor Swift's private jet flight logs for 2023, it's the equivalent of me driving my Mazda3 awd hatchback, 1.3 million miles. It's a 2019 with 29,600 miles on it, but I'm supposedly harming the planet driving because it's a gas burner that gets an average of 36-37 mpg, sometimes 39mpg. Meanwhile, all these CUV and SUV are all over the road. Make smaller cars if you want to save fuel.
GREED OVER COMPASSION……
This is opposite to their goals only on paper and by their words. Some people say this is just what big brands want, to sell you bigger, more expensive trucks, because that makes keeps you poor. Poorer, job-dependend people with many loans is what they really want. You, Americans have no idea how we live in Europe. That we drive small cars, because many cases, we don't need cars at all. Houses are close together so public transport make sense, shops are in walking distances, kids walk alone outside to school and after school. In my opinion - someone is playing a trick on you, for your own money, telling you that this is what freedom looks like. They use you in such a way that you thank them for it. It doesn't matter what they are saying to you, what matters is only what they are DOING, and they introduce laws to sell you bigger for more, that's all. Funny that under the guise of ecology, in some way amazing. BIG fat trucks with huge trunks which you never use for money you don't have, and if you can't repay your loans, you can shoot yourself in the head eh.
Regards from Poland, where we still CAN buy cheap, small cars and not feel like a bug on a road. From Poland, where living on a budget IS possible, so IT IS allowed to be poor here, and where living poor doesn't mean living in a tent. Think about it.
It has less to do with liberal arts majors and more to do with the limits of CAFE standards that weren’t updated due to a stupid classification loophole.
Being a scientist doesn’t matter if you’re paid off to say or do something.
I sell parts for a living. Too many "engineers" can't tell a left caliper from a right. Also 90% of politicians on either end have no clue what thermo efficiency is.
Looks like I'll be holding on to my V6 2017 Impala forever.
There are still a good handful of us that like Sedans. SUV's are overrated to me. I'm a Bachelor, but i find Mini-Vans( the ones still left) more functional.
I'm 43 and still drive a 2019 Mazda3 awd hatch. I was looking at the CX-5 and said, nope, it's not my style. I like practical nimble cars. The hatch offers a lot of cargo room with the seats folded down. AWD system on the Mazda is pretty responsive, the g vectoring kicks in on hard corners. It holds the gears, even in auto, and sends more power to the rear 50/50 split. Only wish the NA made a little bit more power. But I'll fix that with forged wheels this spring. Get rid of some unsprung weight. I will be driving small cars until I can't drive anymore. I rather have a minivan than an SUV if I want the room.
Nothing "Mini" about mini-vans, either.
I'd love to have a small van, like the old MP-V or Mazda5, but of course, they can't bring anything neat like that to the US market.
@@DroneStrike1776Modern CUVs and SUVs actually have better suspensions and handle better than most sedans. Even some modern pickups will out handle sedans. I remember back in the 90s when the Tahoe out handled the Cavalier in a test on TV. The gas mileage is very similar. No reason to ride around in a low slung which makes you vulnerable in a crash. My life is worth a lot more than 2 mpg.
@@DroneStrike1776 idc what sedan it is, smarter than buying a suv. Keep it
@@user-tb7rn1il3q Fuel mileage is not at all similar between a Tahoe and a Cavalier.
I drive a Golf R Hatchback. It's spacious enough, pretty fast and fun, and has pretty decent mpg considering it's AWD and higher performance.
Alot of people buy these big, expensive Pickups and SUVS not because they really need them, but because they want them as status symbol to park in their driveway.
I'm not complaining about my 2019 Honda CR-V. It's actually the last of its kind because (being the base LX model) mine has the tried and true 2.4L naturally-aspirated 4-banger.
116,000 miles, and it's yet to let me down. I've always had the CVT fluid changed every 30,000 miles. I drive it conservatively because I know this car was not built for speed/racing but rather practicality. Handles just as good as a sedan.
That’s actually the thing though I think part of the shift is due to SUVs improving a ton. A lot of the modern ones, especially the smaller crossovers like yours do inherently drive more like a sedan than 20 years ago when most SUVs felt like they were gonna tip over.
I’ve driven a 2019 CRV and my 2020 Accord and while I will say the CRV is one of the better handling crossovers it doesn’t handle anywhere near as well as the Accord.
It's not just fuel regulations. I drive a Corolla and was recently in Tahoe. They had an idiotic (in my opinion) chain ordinance because it was 35 degrees and it had snowed earlier in the day (though by noon all the snow has melted). The California DOT set up a checkpoint on the interstate and all sedans and hatchbacks had to put the chains on (a massive hassle), while they were letting all the SUV go through without chains, even if they were not 4x4. So then for 35 miles I had to drive 20 mph in chains while being passed by SUVs and crossovers driving 80 mph on the left lane. I've never wanted an SUV before but now I'm thinking, maybe I should get some small SUV so that it doesn't happen to me again. Super frustrating.
The fact is though, it's just the American brands that have stopped selling sedans in the US. Japanese, German, and Korean brands still sell them here, and they're not just coasting along with older gens like Dodge did for so long. Toyota just introduced a new Camry, Kia has just brought out the Forte replacement the K4. Honda just refreshed the Civic and added a very nice hybrid set up to it, and Toyota is expected to have a replacement for the current Corolla in the next year.
You forgot to mention that profit margins on large SUVs and trucks are just so much better. The margin on a f150 is anywhere between 30-50% depending on the trim. That’s why dealerships have platinums and king ranches but no xl trims. The margin on a ford fiesta 1%. Also, Don’t have to deal with “cheap” low paying, low margin costumers if you don’t have anything to sell them. Would you rather sell 1 60k dollar truck and make 18k or 180 10k dollar cars to make 18k? A lot easier to sell just one.
Yes i only briefly touched on profitability. If you think long term though, brand loyalty is an important metric and selling 180 cars at 10k would increase your odds of selling cars in the future. Especially to those who would possibly be upgrading or having a bigger budget later on.
Affordable cars were how car brands got customers into the brand.
@@SeanChandlerthey already have brand loyalty tho
I love sedans, but I also enjoy SUVs/crossovers, and vans (my first vehicle when I was 16 was my family's old '91 Chevy G20). I just traded in my Sentra for a Trailblazer because I found the turbo engine to be much more responsive than what my 2014 Nissan had to offer. I also wanted to sit up higher and have a vehicle that had more ground clearance. Here's another reason, one not mentioned here, the rise of these obnoxiously bright, bluish-white LED headlamps made driving a sedan much more uncomfortable. On their standard setting these new lights look like traditional headlights with their brights switched on, and vehicles in the oncoming lane and ESPECIALLY those driving behind me would blind my vision. Even with the rearview mirror flipped compensate, the lights reflect into the car via the side mirrors and sometimes are so bright it's like a police officer is shining a flashlight into my car!
Since switching to my Trailblazer, because I sit up higher and the vehicle itself is higher off the ground, I haven't had this issue nearly as much, even when larger vehicles are behind me.
I thought the reason why the Big Three switch to SUV is because they couldn't compete the sedan market that the Japanese and the Germans are really good at. And now that they switch to EVs, that's the one thing that the two giants are NOT good at.
People still bought domestic sedans even if they were not as good.
You realize that even japanese sedan sales are declining right?
@@awepossum1059 true but some buy used ones. As I said, EV is the one thing that Toyota says it's not the future but pffft, who's laughing now? Even Italian sports cars aren't getting the recognition they always deserve now that Tesla is making their cars going 0-60 in 4sec....on a cheap price.
the CRV and Rav4 are classified as light trucks and outsell the civic and corolla.
Even Germans are selling more CUV/SUV than their cars.
I will gladly hold on to my 2022 honda civic that does't break down, have mechanical issues, battery issues or costs the price of a home in the 90s
I'm keeping my 2020. I don't like the redesign.
I've always preferred true subcompact & compact vehicles, but now the US market is pretty much devoid of them. Loved my 2015 Yaris SE hatch 5-MT.
My corolla only has 130 hp and it is more than fine.
2:22 The ironic thing is where I live the V6 option is actually more efficient and has a meaningful advantage as far as wear and tear because driving up a hill for 30 minutes while keeping up with traffic inherently uses some gas, it’s better to do it at low-mid RPM than at mid-high rpm, and the v6 sedan still weighs less than any SUV. Some say they have turbo I4’s and I’m not opposed to a turbo I4 but those are more efficient at low load and at higher load they lose more efficiency than the V6, which may or may not be offset by the weight.
But their economy criteria is all for flat ground though so I can’t help out my planet by choosing the V8😢
I think a lot of ppl who are trying to step into the car market for the first time are looking for sedans. I know I did. I only didn't buy one because the major brands were phasing out their sedans. Since availability was low, dealers were jacking up the prices on the ones they had left. Sometimes you just need a normal car. No bells and whistles. I think manufacturers are forgetting this.
I own an 8 year old Camry and 8 year old Corolla. Barely 100K in mileage on each. Ill keep them both for a long time more. Itll be a while before i buy something new.
I’m an American and I hate suvs. I’ll never buy one. Prefer sport sedans.
I really like fords Panther platforms(in fact I'm currently restoring a 97 Town Car), and I am just not a truck/SUV person. Guess I'll either just keep my old Thunderbird and Town Car running til I die, or hunt down another when they crap out beyond repair...hopefully anyway.
Nunca tinha observado por esse lado, é triste ver os sedans e carros menores acabando, aqui no Brasil ainda tem muitos, mas a tendência é de que SUV's aos poucos dominarão o mercado.
Só uso sedan.
My observation is that people are just holding on to their older cars for as long as possible. A new trend here in the SF Bay area is for buyers looking for an older car, e.g. a 10 year old Civic, are leaving notes on the windshields offering to buy.
Thanks. The details in this certainly clarified a lot for me. I certainly did not know why some of the really great small cars had disappeared and why the last few have the end in sight.
I still love driving sedans. I love how they move. I hate how close to the ground current sedans are. I like 40 inches of headroom and 6.4 inches of ground clearence. No sedan has that.
Subaru Legacy gets you closest.
I’m 6’5” and I fit in my Honda Civic just fine with 39 inches of head room. For most people that’s more than enough.
@@Jordan-ll5eq What about if you like to wear a hat? Early 50s and older is what I like. If I want low, I would by a fantastic Corvette, not a sedan.
agree, I do not miss my old civic with 4.4 inches of ground clearance that constantly scraped the curb when I parked.
But now people are becoming less and less able to afford these big ass vehicles.
Hatchbacks & Sedans, i’ll always be loyal to em ❤️
I'm not a fan of large suvs but sub to compact subs are practical.
I drive a sedan (Honda Accord Sport 2.0T) and to be honest I feel safer driving a sedan than driving an SUV and easier for me to park a sedan than an SUV especially on tighter roads
I am a sedan dude. Honda Accord all day. Unfortunately the options are getting slim in the midsize sector. No more Altima, no more Volvo. Not a huge fan of the new designs or computer cars.
I’m an American and I drive a b5.5 Passat in the land of 4x4s. I’m a big guy but I like to be small and narrow on the road if I can. I also enjoy being able to see things in front of me. (A wild concept)
We need more liftbacks. Loved the skoda octavia, arteon now. It strikes the perfect balance.
When I went shopping for a new car, I originally wanted to get a sedan. They’re all pretty small now. The car I had before was a sedan from 17 years ago and I had no problems with space in it. All the new ones, I knew if I hit a bump, I would probably hit my head on the ceiling.
You forget to mention that the Automakers were instrumental in writing the standards the way that they are. They basically wrote the regulations, now they cite the regulations as the reason they can only build oversized, over priced vehicles. You know, the vehicles that they get their astronomical profits from. Convenient, isn't it?
There’s almost always special interests behind legislation.
Thank You - In 2019 my used Ford Focus was on it's last legs. I was working on construction projects over a hundred miles from my home. I needed reliable transportation. I was looking to buy a new Focus. I was very surprised when I was told by the Ford salesman that people no longer wanted cars. I found that idea bizarre and told him, "But, I'm people." I ended up buying the smallest SUV they made and took a terrific hit on the miles per gallon. I'm not anti government, but sometimes they try to have people do what's best for the environment and it backfires.
I’d also say lots of people like truly big sedans, which arguably you could say we haven’t had since the 1970s, while others would say big sedans died with the crown Victoria and town car in 2011. Fuel economy regulations have destroyed the ability to build truly big sedans that can fit a full family. So now families have to buy suvs because every sedan is tiny. I’d buy a new body on frame v8 20 foot sedan in a heartbeat if ford was allowed to build them.
THANK YOU!
Exactly, only modern sedan id buy is a hemi charger
@@StockCarGuy Same here!
I'd love a big body sedan!
Sounds like some people agree with me. Phew! Thought I was the only one! 😂
What’s ironic is I have both a large overkill truck, and a subcompact sedan. And I actually love both of them, just for different things. If I had to pick only one to drive though I’d take the truck. But when it’s time to sell the sedan for another work truck. I will miss having a small nimble car
I prefer sedans over suv's, but just barely. I have a 2015 Impala LT V6. Best car I've ever owned at 55 years old. But, I really like driving my wife's 2022 Highlander Limited too.
I still think the Ford Fusion had one of the most stylish frond ends reminiscent of a Aston Martin. It had an audiophile Sony sound system and available all wheel drive. Ford should look at all the interest in the new Toyota Camry for inspiration. Not everyone wants a hulking, gas guzzling SUV that in many cases is just a useless status symbol.
People go into business to make a profit. Everything else, is secondary. Never lose sight of that.
Ford was losing thousands of dollars on every Fusion they sold. They couldn’t compete against Toyota and Honda.
😢 I believe you hit the nail on the head. I like having a small sedan for my daily commute. A SUV is great for a family ride, but when it is just me, I prefer the small car.
some of us still prefer sedans though its easier to get into an SUV/Truck as you get older the best selling Vehicle in the US for the last 43 years straight has been the F series pickup truck yeah that was the Opec Oil embargo of Oct 1973- April 1974 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards went into effect in 1978 there was another shortage starting February 1979
Those of us who are past our 20s don't want super-low cars, we want cars that we can sit in and easily get in and out of, and see out of. Something like a 1950 DeSoto or Chrysler.
I grew up in a world full of sedans, but now as an adult I feel like i’m FORCED to get an SUV. i don’t want one. never have. i don’t NEED anything like it. and now that they’ve been so popularized, unless i choose an older accord or camry, even then, overtime, my ownership value would be shit.
This trend to trucks and SUV’s will end. People will tire of them and their expense
I'm in the boat that regulations ruin everything.
Greed will always find a way. Red tape only screws over small businesses and the consumer in the end.
Repeal all regulations. Just keep the basic laws: No stealing, No harming others. Go live life and pursue happiness, we will maintain the roads & public services.
I can only dream. 💔
I cannot see myself in a car that is not a sedan. I love them too much.
Yea love having 4 doors love the fact it’s not a big clunky suv. Low to ground you feel the road and if the backseats fold down into the trunk like most do you can still transport reasonable items.
Great video! About time TH-cam recommends me a smaller TH-camr that makes quality content.
We haven’t owned a sedan in over 10 years, for driving ability & efficiency you can’t beat a sedan although we (our family) prefer the comfort, ride height, and utility of Trucks & SUV’s!
Well this explains a lot. Thanks for this video!
Ive always preferred sedans, sports sedans. Preferably a naturally aspirated 3 liter or larger V6 with a manual transmission. Last one I had was a 2000 Ford Contour SVT. And it was only 2.5 liters. Never understood why they didn't put the 3 liter version in there....I miss that car and cars like it tremendously.
In my fantasy world, I'd like to be able to buy a new Camry with the V6 they put in SUVs and a manual transmission and AWD. That would be so much fun to drive.
But I guess all that is over. Might as well just go out and buy an EV and get it over with. Sigh.
I don't buy it. Americans buy big crossovers and suv's because they think they are safer and easier to access, so manufacturers can charge accordingly. Many other countries have fuel economy standards, and sedans or small crossovers are still vehicles of choice. It has little to do with government regulations on fuel economy.
I'm looking for a mid-sized family sedan that has good MPG and I'm basically down to 3 options: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Hyundai Sonata. And I just got in the Camry 2025 for the first time and my hair was brushing against the ceiling in it (I'm not that tall, only 193cm) so that's gonna be a no.
Also, the Japanese automakers offer station wagons in other countries, bu not the USA. Instead USA gets crossovers
Not all of us want Japanese cars.
We live in a bizaro world that does not make sense. Sedans are more fuel efficient but automakers are forced to manufacture crossovers that are less fuel efficient and worse to drive. Where’s the common sense??
Biger vehicles have more relaxed regulations and are way more expensive and easier to upsell. They're doing it to make more money while cheaping out and trying less. I want more sedans and wagons. I'm sick and tired of everything being a stupid crossover or giant SUV.
I learned to drive in a Lumina and a Camry. I owned Taurus, Lumina, Eighty Eight, Focus, and two Fusions. Today I drive a Pilot. Yeah I love it but I also love sedans. I’d love to downsize with my next car. We’ll see.
Even little FWD subcompacts cost 40 or 50 grand now, so since people are screwing themselves anyway when they buy a new vehicle they just figure they'll go whole-hog and buy a road locomotive that burns fuel like a battleship.
What’s gonna really blow your mind is that the government is basically owned by the automakers. They still pull the strings.
I had a car for the longest time, got a SUV and can't really see myself going back. Having the space and ground clearance is important. The larger wheels handle snow and potholes better aswell.
I love the VW passat, is a great sedan car, is sad to see the USA might go all only SUV and Trucks, my only worried is the future racing games related. I missed the sedan and coupes.
Its a tough pill for me to swallow. On one hand as someone who works on a lot of construction/terrible work locations, I appreciate a commuters SUVs ability to handle light offroad conditions. I see a lot of sedans get damaged trying to get through these conditions due to clearance/traction issues. I went from a sentra to a rav4 and especially in canadian winters its a world of difference to me (both were using winter tires). That being said... 90% of people do not work/live the life I do and do not need these massive SUVs/trucks. I often make fun of my coworkers who buy these 100k+ trucks when an small/mid sized SUV would fit their jobs all the same.
I haven’t bought a new car in 19 years. All this tech now scares me. I always had small cars but then I got older, settled down and had a sedan but I needed an suv. The thing is all of vehicles had manual transmissions. My current suv is a six speed manual with a naturally aspirated v6. There’s no way I can replace that or any sedan out now. I don’t need a midlife crisis sports car either. Any sedan with a manual transmission now either comes in lowest trim or a luxury car out of my price range. Very sad.
Oh it's Okey everyone because ford has confirmed that they might go back building sedans and i think general motors is teaser with the car and driver about the return of pontiac either in 2025 or in 2026 and I think they should bring back pontiac, oldsmobile, mercury, Plymouth, and Saturn, and maybe american motors company amc for short and i think we Americans should take a break from driving suvs, crossovers, and vehicles from foreign countries such as South Korea, Germany, and mostly Japan, and go back driving actual american cars , such as muscle cars, american sedans, american station wagons, american hatchbacks , american convertibles, 2 door american coupes, or even american minivans just like the good olds days such as the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or even the early 2000s.
The sedan extinguished in Japan. Only options are Carola sedan, Prius, Accord, Civic and some luxury brands such as BMW, Tesla, Lexus and Audi
Solution, DOGE needs to abolish the EPA and end the absurd regulations. We the people have the right to make our own vehicle purchase decisions.
Or at least sharply curtail it's power. I don't want to go back to flammable rivers and such, but this belief that you can make a zero emissions gasoline or diesel car is taking things too far.
EPA is pretty much the reason the skies aren’t smoggy anymore, especially with the population being triple than it was in the 50s.
@@aimxdy8680 True, but the EPA is also why we have Global Warming nowadays. We traded one problem for another one.
American here... Can't stand huge trucks and oversized SUVs. I do, however, love wagons and hatchbacks with good ground clearance (aka Subarus).
too bad the current hatchbacks and wagons for sale are Junk cars with unreliable and underpowered engines.
I currently drive a 2018 crossover with a turbo 4 cylinder... it will never compare to my v6 2004 chevy Malibu Maxx, still miss that car
I love my Civic and my Prelude. And if I sell my Civic, I'm buying a stick Accord. I want to daily a manual sedan, I'd love a bigger sedan that can actually hold people, and a stick Accord is such a weird combo that Honda did _not_ have to make for as long as they did, but I love that they did.
Australia is the same - we just get offered SUVs & impractical trucks - no wonder Wagons & Sedans don't sell
Get the government out of the regulations business and let us buy the cars we want.
I think sedans are coming back those suv are just to much to deal with
And there are still people out there that want more government. It's not incompetence. It's on purpose.
This is probably why Chinese manufacturers are not pushing to get their cheaper (better for the average American) cars into the USA. We don't have very good public transit in the USA so how are us lower income folks supposed to get around? Now it's used cars, but they are getting more expensive to buy and more expensive to maintain. In the future I guess we'll be walking or biking......
Ah yes, chinese cars are so good that the tesla model Y which is double the price outsells them in their own country and has been top 3 for a few years! Speaks alot about them.
Toyota is able to produce 50 mpg hybrids. And the Corolla hybrid costs about $25K.
The point was boring Point A to B transportation.
@@krane15 ; my point is that Toyota can make cars which meet the fuel economy standards. Also, the new Prius is not boring.
I drive a new civic hatchback (non hybrid, non turbo 2.0L NA, I didn’t want all that extra tech, battery or turbo/head gasket issues in the future). I love the fun driving experience, attractiveness, practicality and good quality. Driving it alone on back roads is fun, but when in traffic it’s all SUVs and trucks. This is annoying visibility wise, but also you feel like a small mouse in a large cat race. I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, but accident wise I’m more screwed than the next guy in a truck/suv. Won’t catch me buying a generic “blob” crossover/suv anytime soon though. Sedans are a better driving experience overall and I have plenty of room if you fold the seats down. It’s ridiculous manufacturers have to deal with this crap of unrealistic goals which either makes consumers go in the buy a crossover “loophole”, or get priced out of the sedan market bc they are not affordable like they once were.
Crossovers safer? higher ride exponentially increases rollover accidents.
I love my Mazda 6 manual. I live in Massachusetts too, so we get plenty of snow. My front wheel drive does just fine, and I'll take the good gas mileage any day. My fellow American's are stupid and just like to consume and stuff they can barely afford.
Good video, good description. I like it
Thank you
The thing is, when it comes to crash safety, it’s an arms race to see who has the biggest car on the road. It’s not even about actual safety
“When one person stands up everybody has to start standing up” - TH
Plus with stricter enforcements on speed limits. Theres no reason to go fast. Extremely costly
Mr auto smart guy..the RAV 4 has a 8 speed automatic..not a CVT
the fact that sedans are no longer selling or being sold has nothing to do with what customers want. this is what the manufacturers want
Not true. The manufacturers are not allowed to sell the kind of sedans that people want to buy. The Ford Crown Victoria would have sold well had Ford updated the styling and offered more body styles besides 4 door sedans, such as full-size V8 station wagons, convertibles, hardtops, maybe even 2 door sedans.