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Anecdotally I'm having trouble finding certain small cars in stock (e.g. crown platinum) and suspect there is some self-interest in the dealership to explains t

Anecdotally I'm having trouble finding certain small cars in stock (e.g. crown platinum) and suspect there is some self-interest in the dealership to explains this. I think car-buyers are often under an illusion that an suv is "more car" when actually it's exact same components and just a larger frame. They'd much prefer to sell you the high-margin product and pocket the difference.

HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago
> They'd much prefer to sell you the high-margin product The obvious answer to the entire scenario. There's no reason to go looking for hidden reasons: it's in plain sight.
- bilegeek 2y ago
  Part of that high margin is because emissions and fuel economy laws are looser for truck-like vehicles, so they make everything a truck-like vehicle to avoid having to comply.
  - treis 2y ago
    The difference in gas mileage between SUVs and sedans is pretty negligible these days. They're mostly just cars with a different body style. And for the most part they're just flat better which is why they've mostly supplanted cars in the market. It's really trucks that have gotten stupidly big these days.
doubled112 2y ago
Sometimes I wonder too. The big thing to me is that I drive a 10+ year old station wagon, and I seem to have more cargo space than many of these MUCH larger vehicles. I only have two kids. I have room for the dog. I put the bikes on the roof. What would a SUV do for me? An extra couple inches of ground clearance. Increased towing capacity. Rarely needed those.
- hermitcrab 2y ago
  IIRC SUV also more likely to roll over in an accident due to high C of G.
morkalork 2y ago
Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek are a good example of that. Same engine, same electronics, same everything except a slightly differently shaped shell on the outside. Even the interior volume is practically the same!
- michaelt 2y ago
  Isn't the Impreza a famous rally car? With a spoiler and an air scoop on the hood? I can think of worse things for a crossover to share an engine with.
  - marxisttemp 2y ago
    The WRX (which is now its own model instead of an Impreza trim level) has a different engine than the stock Impreza.
  - nick3443 2y ago
    When the chassis were lighter it was a better combo. Now the chassis are so heavy it's underpowered.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - redwall_hp 2y ago
    The Impreza WRX was the rally platform, kind of like how you can get a fast Civic Type R or a Golf GTI as opposed to the "regular" model. In recent years, the WRX has been spun off into a separate line, dropping the Impreza name. The regular Impreza is separate.
- idontwantthis 2y ago
  That one is especially confusing to me because they even have the imprezza hatchback which likes identical to a crosstrek if you squint your eyes. Maybe they don’t sell that one anymore?
  - lamp_book 2y ago
uncanneyvalley 2y ago
Even worse, many times SUVs are built on the same chassis as cars. Honda builds both the HR-V and CR-V on the Civic chassis, the Toyota RAV-4 is a Corolla underneath, and the Ford Escape is built on the Focus. This means many mid-sized SUVs are just tall cars.
- chillingeffect 2y ago
  I switch bt my Camry and my partner's Sportage. The Kia is a lumbering fatsuit of a vehicle only carrying marginally more cargo and feels like a cartoon beach buggy. But as a nation organized for war, we're conditioned to worship infrastructure, uniforms, equipment, clipboards, and the like.
  - uncanneyvalley 2y ago
    It feels that way because it is. Depending on the age of your partner’s Sportage, it’s a Hyundai Elantra or Sonata in a fatsuit.
Xenoamorphous 2y ago
Just googled that car and apprently it’s nearly 5 meters long, longer than a BMW 3 Series, it’s funny that’s considered a small car over there because that’d be considered a big one over here (not even mid-sized). Over here: small is anything from a Smart to a Renault Twingo/Ford Fiesta/VW Polo. Medium: VW Golf, Ford Focus. Large: anything bigger than medium.
- doubled112 2y ago
  I’ve had this conversation with many people before. When I had my first son, we upgraded from a Chevy Aveo5 to a Ford Focus. Everybody told me it was still much too small for a couple with a child. It’s a family sedan anywhere except North America. Go away.
  - brendoelfrendo 2y ago
    This "family cars must be huge" take is a weird take, too. Can a Ford Focus fit a car seat? Yes! Then it's big enough for a couple with a child. I guess I'll add rear doors; even if a car seat would fit in the rear of a coupe, I wouldn't recommend that for anyone. If your family requires more than 4 seats on a regular basis, sure, get a minivan; but I don't understand the appeal of an F150 or other large vehicle as a "family commuter" for, we'll say, the family of median size.
    - doubled112 2y ago
      Get this! We got TWO whole car seats in it! Two children fit in the back of the Focus until we got rid of it. They were 6 and 9. By that point it got leas squishy because the car seats get smaller with age. Littlest kid went behind the driver because it was stick.
    - tbrownaw 2y ago
      > Can a Ford Focus fit a car seat? Yes! Sometimes! I'm 6'3", so it only fits on the passenger side.
  - redwall_hp 2y ago

HeyLaughingBoy 2y ago

> They'd much prefer to sell you the high-margin product The obvious answer to the entire scenario. There's no reason to go looking for hidden reasons: it's in plain sight.

bilegeek 2y ago
Part of that high margin is because emissions and fuel economy laws are looser for truck-like vehicles, so they make everything a truck-like vehicle to avoid having to comply.
- treis 2y ago
  The difference in gas mileage between SUVs and sedans is pretty negligible these days. They're mostly just cars with a different body style. And for the most part they're just flat better which is why they've mostly supplanted cars in the market. It's really trucks that have gotten stupidly big these days.

doubled112 2y ago

Sometimes I wonder too. The big thing to me is that I drive a 10+ year old station wagon, and I seem to have more cargo space than many of these MUCH larger vehicles. I only have two kids. I have room for the dog. I put the bikes on the roof. What would a SUV do for me? An extra couple inches of ground clearance. Increased towing capacity. Rarely needed those.

hermitcrab 2y ago
IIRC SUV also more likely to roll over in an accident due to high C of G.

morkalork 2y ago

Subaru Impreza and Crosstrek are a good example of that. Same engine, same electronics, same everything except a slightly differently shaped shell on the outside. Even the interior volume is practically the same!

michaelt 2y ago
Isn't the Impreza a famous rally car? With a spoiler and an air scoop on the hood? I can think of worse things for a crossover to share an engine with.
- marxisttemp 2y ago
  The WRX (which is now its own model instead of an Impreza trim level) has a different engine than the stock Impreza.
- nick3443 2y ago
  When the chassis were lighter it was a better combo. Now the chassis are so heavy it's underpowered.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- redwall_hp 2y ago
  The Impreza WRX was the rally platform, kind of like how you can get a fast Civic Type R or a Golf GTI as opposed to the "regular" model. In recent years, the WRX has been spun off into a separate line, dropping the Impreza name. The regular Impreza is separate.
idontwantthis 2y ago
That one is especially confusing to me because they even have the imprezza hatchback which likes identical to a crosstrek if you squint your eyes. Maybe they don’t sell that one anymore?
- lamp_book 2y ago

uncanneyvalley 2y ago

Even worse, many times SUVs are built on the same chassis as cars. Honda builds both the HR-V and CR-V on the Civic chassis, the Toyota RAV-4 is a Corolla underneath, and the Ford Escape is built on the Focus. This means many mid-sized SUVs are just tall cars.

chillingeffect 2y ago
I switch bt my Camry and my partner's Sportage. The Kia is a lumbering fatsuit of a vehicle only carrying marginally more cargo and feels like a cartoon beach buggy. But as a nation organized for war, we're conditioned to worship infrastructure, uniforms, equipment, clipboards, and the like.
- uncanneyvalley 2y ago
  It feels that way because it is. Depending on the age of your partner’s Sportage, it’s a Hyundai Elantra or Sonata in a fatsuit.

Xenoamorphous 2y ago

Just googled that car and apprently it’s nearly 5 meters long, longer than a BMW 3 Series, it’s funny that’s considered a small car over there because that’d be considered a big one over here (not even mid-sized). Over here: small is anything from a Smart to a Renault Twingo/Ford Fiesta/VW Polo. Medium: VW Golf, Ford Focus. Large: anything bigger than medium.

doubled112 2y ago
I’ve had this conversation with many people before. When I had my first son, we upgraded from a Chevy Aveo5 to a Ford Focus. Everybody told me it was still much too small for a couple with a child. It’s a family sedan anywhere except North America. Go away.
- brendoelfrendo 2y ago
  This "family cars must be huge" take is a weird take, too. Can a Ford Focus fit a car seat? Yes! Then it's big enough for a couple with a child. I guess I'll add rear doors; even if a car seat would fit in the rear of a coupe, I wouldn't recommend that for anyone. If your family requires more than 4 seats on a regular basis, sure, get a minivan; but I don't understand the appeal of an F150 or other large vehicle as a "family commuter" for, we'll say, the family of median size.
  - doubled112 2y ago
    Get this! We got TWO whole car seats in it! Two children fit in the back of the Focus until we got rid of it. They were 6 and 9. By that point it got leas squishy because the car seats get smaller with age. Littlest kid went behind the driver because it was stick.
  - tbrownaw 2y ago
    > Can a Ford Focus fit a car seat? Yes! Sometimes! I'm 6'3", so it only fits on the passenger side.
- redwall_hp 2y ago