So on my way home from class the other day, I was walking down Simpson and came across this ridiculous sight. Five "mini SUVs," parked in a row, all in either white or silver and all with only two doors and four seats.
The sight itself was funny enough for me to take a picture, but then I decided to write about the complete stupidity in not only mini SUVs but also the lack of style and creativity in the current car market.
I really don't understand why anyone would want to purchase such a vehicle. The four seaters hold no more people than a regular sedan, and additional storage space is minimal at best. The performance is totally overshadowed compared to any sedan of similar cost, and I won't even talk about fuel economy. None of these vehicles were anything special to look at, and all featured similar generic styling. The only foreseeable advantage to owning one of these is the ability to sit higher than other drivers on the road, granting you some sort of superiority complex? To bastardize Roosevelt's classic saying, "be an idiot, and drive a big stick."
Which brings me to my next point, the lack of originality in car styling. As I was walking, I thought I was experiencing deja vu, but when the fifth car came, I realized that each car was a different brand, however, they looked almost identical. Why can't someone ever break the mold? Car's have looked the same for ages, but there has to be a better form factor that could increase something? Even the new Smart Car is different, but fits the same mold as the Mini Cooper.
I am reminded of the classic Simpsons episode when Homer is given full reign to design a car that the everyman would want. While ruining his brother's car company, and creating a monstrosity, Homer's failure highlights the stupidity of the auto industry and provides some new insights in automotive design that people might not have thought of. The Simpsons also highlights the importance and yet sometimes failure of involving the user in the design process. As Don Norman highlights so often, users are stupid, and it takes a designer to actually understand and interpret what a user really needs.
"Onboard something-or-other and rack-and-peanut steering."
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I've been scratching my head over the "crossover" vehicle for a long time now. My guess is people are finally realizing the benefits of a small car, but can't quite get away from the SUV form factor?
ReplyDeleteWhat I've always found really interesting is that there are so many more types of cars in other countries. For instance, while the european car manufacturers might not focus on the SUV as much as their american counterparts, they tend to have a large array of cars ranging from subcompacts to vans. What's more, they actually look different from other cars too!
I actually really like how BMW has approached the market in between the sedan and SUV. I spent the summer in Turkey and had the opportunity to take a roadtrip in a diesel X6. The added ground clearance and all wheel drive really came in handy on the mountain roads and unpaved back roads that we took. There were four of us and it really fit our needs well. We were able to carry all of our luggage, sit comfortably, and have the performance to navigate steep unpaved mountain roads. BMW is releasing a new 5 series sedan concept called the gran turismo, which is meant to fit in between the sedan and crossover. Pretty cool design worth checking out...
ReplyDeleteI actually really enjoy my Honda CR-V, especially compared to my brother's Civic. The storage space is definitely noticeable -- I can fit a bike in the CR-V, and I've fit up to 10 people inside for short periods of time (vs. 7 max in the Civic). When doing groceries with a group of people (which is pretty common due to not as many people on campus owning cars) the extra space is really a necessity. As for looks, consider the 5-door variants of some cars: I think the hatchback Mazda3 looks better than the sedan.
ReplyDeleteFuel economy would be my only complaint (terrible acceleration too, but the Civic has the same issue). I guess that would be a reason to go with a hatchback or wagon vs a SUV/CUV, if you wanted additional space. One of my friends has a 9-5 wagon and gets 40mpg regularly.