Quote:
Originally Posted by JSH
Yes, the Trax is an economy car. As you noted it is 6th cheapest car on sale in the USA today and will likely be the the bottom 5 next year. It is also the most popular body style which means it actually sells in volume.
You have 4 "SUVs" including the Trax in your list. While the marketing teams might try to pass them off as a "crossover" only the Venue passes the test. The Soul, Trax, and Kicks are all legally classified as cars.
Vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota 4 Runner are SUVs. Body-on-frame vehicles built on truck platforms with real 4WD.
The Trax is a car with a bit more ground clearance. 7.3 inches of ground clearance vs the 6.7 for a Civic doesn't make the Trax a death machine for pedestrians. Nothing like the full size trucks these days with the top of the hood at shoulder level.
On the other hand this Hyundai K4 wagon / hatch was announced today as a 2025 model in the USA. That is if you want a hatch with 6.6 inches of ground clearance instead of 7.3 inches.
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We also don't know the price of the K4 as far as I know. Speculation seems to think it'll be $22,000 and up.
So one thing I'm thinking is that after the Versa and Mirage are out, there will be no more cars that are truely under $20,000 (including destination charges). But, the idea is that cars last longer and can get better fuel mileage. I'm not sure if they are a better deal, an equal deal (breaking even over the life of the vehicle compared to economy cars of old, adjusted for inflation) or if they're just a lot more car for a little more money.
What's with the need for more ground clearance? Are people off-roading in these? Or do people not want to have to sit "down" into a car? Personally I prefer a closer-to-ground feel than sitting up high, even as a commercial truck/bus driver. Not that it's a dealbreaker, although admittedly there are times when I did wish the Avalon were higher. I guess my dream car when I spontaneously become a millionaire would be one that has adjustable suspention. Good thing that's just a dream.
I don't think the average car buyer actually knows the difference between an SUV and a crossover.
I can see why people perfer a hatch with generous luggage space.