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What buyer of traditional American sedans are we talking about here? There don't seem to be any. The Malibu is the last gasoline-powered American big 3 sedan on
by dangus 3y ago
What buyer of traditional American sedans are we talking about here? There don't seem to be any. The Malibu is the last gasoline-powered American big 3 sedan on sale, period. The rest are all discontinued. All of them.
Nobody is in the market for this type of vehicle, that's my point.
For one thing, you're on a different planet if you think the split bench is highly desired. Nobody wants a middle seat and when you can get an entire third row in a vehicle that is shorter than a Vic. What parents actually want their child sitting in between them in the front seat?
The closest thing to a family sedan or SUV where you can get a split bench is the F-150, and the only reason it has that option is because of its heritage as a work truck.
By the way, every other vehicle on sale takes regular unleaded, has parts available, has an engine that lasts hundreds of thousands of miles (especially Camrys, Accords, RAV4s). That's not a unique feature to the Crown Vic.
I chose a big Kia SUV as a comparison but, man, if you choose some of the most well-regarded top sellers that are in a more similar sedan or mid-size SUV type of market like a Toyota RAV4, Camry, or Accord, the gulf between those vehicels and the Vic gets even wider.
For example, a modern Accord is a big sedan, and you say that people who like big sedans want a lot of low-end torque...I mean, hello, have you heard of hybrids? The current Accord hybrid is a huge sedan and gets over double the MPG of a Crown Vic (41/46 MPG), and you don't get much more low-end torque than an electric motor.
Fun fact: The Mercury Marauder, the "muscle car" version of the Crown Vic, was actually SLOWER than the V6 Honda Accord when it launched. Yes, even the V6 Accord that was sold back then.
Another example: The Toyota Sienna, has so close to double the MPG of the Crown Vic (36 combined), is basically a cargo ship inside, 7 adult passengers plus a massive amount of cargo comfortably. If I have a family of 5 or 6, why am I getting a Crown Vic over that?
The universe in the 1990s was actually the universe when Toyota and Honda started eating the big 3's lunch. Today's universe is one where the Big 3's marketshare is being whittled down further by EV startups, Korean brands, next on the block will be Chinese brands. All the big 3 seem to be able to do is discontinue their cars and double down on chicken tax money printing machines.
I think in 2005 or so you could make that argument that the Crown Vic held its own for a certain use case. Sure, it was easy to work on, and parts were all over the place, and at that time it wasn't really so abnormal to barely get 20MPG in a large car. But today, the Crown Vic is like a foreign object on the road, more similar to classic cars from 50 years ago than the type of car a typical person is looking to buy today.
- linksnapzz 3y ago>For one thing, you're on a different planet if you think the split bench is >highly desired. Nobody wants a middle seat and when you can get an entire third >row in a vehicle that is shorter than a Vic. What parents actually want their >child sitting in between them in the front seat? It'd be nice to not have to clamber over folding rear seats to get to a third row. Sitting three across in a car with adequate shoulder room would be more comfortable than the sort of gymnastics one needs to get into the third row of modern suvs. Likewise, more space at the hips would be handy for cops with a full duty belt or old people who've had hip trouble. >For example, a modern Accord is a big sedan No, not really. >mean, hello, have you heard of hybrids? The current Accord hybrid is a huge sedan No, it really isn't. A Bentley Mulsanne is a huge sedan. A W222 Mercedes is a huge sedan. >and gets over double the MPG of a Crown Vic (41/46 MPG), and you don't get much >more low-end torque than an electric motor. ...and hybrids have almost no market traction amongst the people who buy domestic cars. The complexity of the hybrid powertrain is a turnoff, despite obvious advantages. >Another example: The Toyota Sienna, has so close to double the MPG of the Crown >Vic (36 combined), is basically a cargo ship inside, 7 adult passengers plus a >massive amount of cargo comfortably. If I have a family of 5 or 6, why am I >getting a Crown Vic over that? Three or four kids? Minivan. Three or four adult children, or friends? Sedan with a proper roofline. Watching people fold themselves in half to crawl inside a minivan to get to the back seats is just painful. >But today, the Crown Vic is like a foreign object on the road, more similar to classic cars from 50 years ago than the type of car a typical person is looking to buy today. Classic cars...the ones that people collect? The ones that are worth more in the future? Funny, that.
- dangus 3y agoIf you think adults prefer the “roofline” of the sedan you have to explain cratering sales and discontinuations somehow. Hybrids aren’t even complex…they’re actually extremely simple and Toyota’s platform is proven rock solid. If you think people aren’t buying them you should look at the wait times on the RAV4 Prime. If the Crown Vic was the backbone of taxi fleets it’s easy to argue that the Prius and other Toyota hybrids are the new backbone of taxis and Ubers. Classic cars…the ones that are unreliable death traps and notorious money pits.