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Originally Posted by ar5boosted
The 'problem' with the Taurus and other full size vehicles like that is that the basic sedan design comes from the 1950's.
Just great for long distance cruising or driving on country roads (dirt included) that aren't that great.
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And even by then, the station-wagons could do it all with much more practicality and better use of space than the sedan they derived from.
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Influenced by the Renault Scenic in Europe and Japanese Vans (can't count how many models there would be), interior space has been maxxed out.
So in Europe, it's the German C-MAX that is the equivalent large vehicle:
It's optimised for interior space, comfort and fuel economy.
Not as good for long trips or bumpy roads as they are pretty much a city car but that's where most live.
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Not to mention the commercial vans such as the Toyota HiAce, which is just a few centimeters longer than a current-model Corolla (the global one, not the JDM) but also narrower, and better use of space than, let's say, a Camry. But anyway, when it comes to cross-country abilities, even a minivan when properly equipped can actually fare quite decently on that matter. No wonder I see so many Argentinian and Uruguayan tourists roaming around on them during the summer.
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The large format sedan is obscolete in many ways.
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Just look at this Venezuelan ad for the 1st-generation Fiat Fiorino made in Brazil, which I honestly don't know if that's just a fully-glazed cargo van (Vetrato) or the multi-purpose version with a foldable rear seat for 3 passengers (Settegiorni). Sure there is a whole difference between its featherweight Euro-designed driveline and the American boat-anchors, but even though the audio is in Spanish I guess you'll catch the message.