Homely
“Bigger is better,” or so went the traditional American mantra. Big houses, big meals and, of course, big cars, whether the finned Caddies of the 1960s, or today’s full-sized pickups and SUVs. But something seems to be changing. Maybe it’s a generational thing, or perhaps the result of global warming, but suddenly, “small is beautiful.”
Ugly
“Typically, we don’t have this size vehicle in the U.S. ,” acknowledged Courtney Moody, a marketing executive with Chevrolet. “But with gas prices where they are, we thought it was important to explore” the opportunities.
Really Ugly!
Will we see Trax, Beat, or Groove on the road any time soon? Define “soon,” the GM executives cautioned.
GM says small cars are only 5% of the world market. I think that’s a lie. But, aside from that, the big seller worldwide – still is the small diesel-powered pickup. Lots of companies make ’em. You just can’t get one in the U.S..
“To you they may be ugly, but how many Scions and Honda Elements have been sold? They’re damned ugly, but the kids love them… ”
Not for nothing but I love my Scion. It was cheap. It came fully loaded with all these extras you usually have to pay for. It costs me 25 bucks a month to fill up. Go drive your SUV to the station.
#30 – You know… I liked the Aztek. It was good looking and turned into a tent 🙂
I’m realizing that I like vehicals better if I can pretend they are futuristic cars and trucks from sci-fi movies. It’s obviously the geek in me.
Fugly toasters, I’d buy one. I owned VW’s in the ’50’s
Depending on the MPG I’d be all over one of those. After driving a 2door for so long I’m looking for more utility but if that little one will get me near 50mpg at a reasonable price I’d buy one for my next car.
#10
Because the American Car designers are Chip Foose groupies.
Utility, safety, comfort. In that order. As gas prices rise, utility starts to include miles per gallon. As trips get longer, comfort gets more important. On the unpaved clay roads around where I live, safety includes all wheel drive. It’s all a trade-off.
Oh, does it look ugly to some people? and that’s actually important to some other people? Hmm. Maybe in Hollywood.
It’s a fine line between ugly and homely. AMC Gremlins were ugly. VW Bugs were homely.
All the above are ugly. The spoiler, for instance. It just looks foolish on a car that can’t break 55.
But with the right designers, any manufacturer can make a homely car that people will buy and keep with fondness.
C’mon Detroit! Make us proud! We’re tired of buying Toyotas!
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As for small cars making 5% of the market… that so go against everything I’ve seen, I’d need some serious data to believe it.
In lots of countries, a big American SUV would be wider than the streets. (no kidding, I’ve lived on those streets.)
There are many countries where a Toyota Corolla would be one of the bigger cars on the streets.
When I was in Italy and Japan people explained that they have tax policies that favor super-small vehicles and (no surprise!) the streets are filled with super cool models.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, seems to never have been demonstrated truer then now.
For GM the beauty is revenue, profit margin and market share these beasties bring GM.
These cars are not my cup of tea, but; the market will decide this one. Everything else is B.S.
#23 Pmitchell,
You said, “Those road louse will be a nice mid afternoon snack for my BIG HONKIN SUV”
At least it won’t be my kids dealing with the environmental problems you are deliberately causing. And, BTW, louse is singular; the plural is lice; your ideas are consistently lousy.
I hope you’re breeding. I’m sincerely hoping that Homo Novis will have a far smaller brain so that they will not be able to cause the type and magnitude of problems we cause. So, please, keep your genes in the pool. Don’t worry, there’s no lifeguard.
#39,
Good point except for one thing. Homo Novis have a habit of becoming road kill to those BIG HONKIN SUVs.
first post of the day, cowgirl.
Here’s how so-called ugly works…
Remember the Dodge Ram redesign? Most people surveyed hated it; however, the % of people who loved it was double the % of sales of the current (boring) line. It came out, was a big hit an forced GM and Ford to rethink their designs. Eventually consumer tastes switched over to these designs.
If 70% hate it and 30% LOVE it, and your current best effort is resulting in 1% of market share, you can assume you have a hit on your hands.
#40 – Mr. Fusion,
Good point. And, they get killed inside those unsafe vehicles too, especially the kiddies when the SUVs roll over and play dead. But, don’t worry, they breed like rabbits (H. Novis, not SUVs. Well, maybe both).
Ugly? Same thing happened in the middle seventies when they brought out the new compact cars. The old timers wouldn’t touch them, and 20 years down the road, the old behemoths lumbered down the road again. And here we are. Again. What hammer to the skull is it going to take to make you all give up your Hot Wheels cars? A car is a box on wheels, the world is melting down, and as far as those pot holes are concerned, why don’t you pay some more taxes to get them fixed with better tech?
We really need to rebuild the country to use rail, even down to the suburban level. Cars are an economic and evironmental disaster. But try selling that to a country that won’t even give up the Coup de Ville.
All small cars are disgusting because they’re useless. Also, fuel economy should never be part of the buying decision.
The real way to evaluate a vehicle is this: Run over a protester at 60mph. If you notice that you ran over someone, the vehicle is too small.
#38 – and the rest of the “patriotic” ilk – click the link and read the whole article.
Aside from mediocre design, GM also hasn’t a clue about actually offering consumers efficient, economic designs. They think their “meat and potatoes” is to continue cranking out oversize sofas stuffed with pitiful engines – wrapped in too much steel.
Should do as well as Chrysler deciding their latest production model – recently introduced – is another Durango; but, with a Chrysler 300 power train.
Hopefully, the Darwin effect will leave all the 44’s stranded by the side of their concrete dream fantasy after having wasted all their discretionary income on wheeled battleships. Bravado ain’t just the name of another car hard to find parts for.
#44. “fuel economy should never be part of the buying decision.”
So, cost of operation should never figure into a purchasing decision, huh? You wouldn’t happen to work for MasterCard, would you? Or do they just get most of your paycheck?