I was always a "car guy". Crossovers & SUV's are ending that.

[MetroMPG]

(Generic crossover)

I've been a life-long auto enthusiast, always interested in the multitude of makes & models.

As a car-crazy kid, I remember realizing that I could identify a vehicle literally with my eyes closed -- going by the sound of the starter motor or the engine. Not a terribly useful or unique skill, I know! Lots of gearheads could do the same thing.

Here's the thing: the mass shift to SUV's and crossovers is extinguishing my interest. In the last couple of years, I've started seeing new vehicles on the road and realized I have no idea what they are. And I don't care to know.

Is it just me? Now I know how most people see all cars?

[rmay635703]

Agreed, nothing of interest in the current market and anything I might like the government taxes the living **** out of it

[slowmover]

The fiction of separate brands will end soon enough.

A single pattern is all thats wanted.

Any drivetrain.

[Daox]

I kind of agree. There are some interesting vehicles.out there. But the crossover crazy has definitely impeeded on things.

[redpoint5]

As I've maintained, vehicles are being commoditized, and EV technology in particular will further that movement. They won't ever be fully commoditized, but I think we'll see certain skateboard standards with shells from 3rd parties the customizable part of the vehicle.

[vskid3]

I said something similar to my wife a few weeks ago. We were at a light behind a new Chevy Blazer and there was a Hyundai or Kia next to it that looked almost identical. I don't even try to learn what each is, they're all the same anyway.

[redpoint5]

I feel like the industry must consolidate. It amazes me how many different vehicles are on the road, and the fact that there's people willing to buy objectively sub-par vehicles.

[Gasoline Fumes]

It's OK to be a car guy and not care about uninteresting cars. I haven't kept up with new cars for about 15-20 years. I still go to a new car show (Rochester NY) every year. Don't ask me why I go! Most of the cars I see are unfamiliar and quickly forgotten! They all just kind of blend together by the time I get home. Vintage cars shows are where I belong.

I doubt I would drive a new car if cars were free. I don't find them enjoyable. Maybe I just haven't driven the right new cars.

A lot of my favorite cars are from the mid-80s to the early 90s. But a quick flip through a car magazine from that era reminds me how many cars I'm glad I forgot about. They weren't all good or interesting!

I've been a lifelong car guy too. Practically memorized every page of every car magazine or book I got my hands on. My first word was car.

[freebeard]

What ended it for me was the end of two round headlights. It started in 1958, and I guess VW and Porsche have held the line the best.

[MetroMPG]

I wonder if there's a correlation between losing interest in new cars, and impending onset of shouting "GET OFF MY LAWN" at young people.


(I haven't shouted that yet, but I've thought about it...