Tacoma breaks sales records..but....

Hmmm, MAYBE 250hp on the MK1 original... always been a Mk2 man myself...

 

The sedan is on life support if not alright dead. More folks are moving to small SUV crossover. Mid size trucks are also picking up those that departed the sedan life.

 

pretty much. The closest thing we have to a decent-selling "sports" car at this point is the WRX subies since they can kinda pull of the 4door sporty look without having either atrocious MPG or atrocious storage/seating

 

Dat neighborhood doe. Creepy as hell

 

I sat in one a few weeks ago, the interior is pretty archaic unfortunately. Civic Type R is gorgeous, but not appropriate for a 33 year old man to DD, lol.

 

What's "appropriate" for a 33 year old man to drive? If you like it, drive it. Who cares what anybody else thinks. I mean it's not a beat up POS rusty Pinto with "I H8 PIGS!" spraypainted on the side. Which would be inappropriate.

 

Not functional for me either, need something that can handle IL winters and can haul my bike to the track too lol. But if I could have 2 vehicles, there would be one in the garage.

 

age isn't a factor but your position in life absolutely determines what is appropriate. A father with 3 kids should not be driving a 2dr sports car, nor would it be appropriate for him to get a access cab pickup over a full cab. Same thing for someone that commutes 50 miles a day - it wouldn't be appropriate to drive a 20mpg or less vehicle but then again I see it all the time. Irresponsible people gonna irresponse

 

I think many are headed for the 'one ring to rule them all' philosophy. Look at the crossovers, CUV's or grand tourismos, eg shooting brakes and sport backs like the A7, X4, Macan, Panamera Touring, GL series, F-Pace, etc. And of course the true small SUV's like the Discovery, RAV, etc. Just like the SUV was born to be the man's minivan, the crossover is born to be the woman's CUV. My wife has an X4M and loves it. I had a Macan S and loved the $hit out of it until I traded for a Cayman. Best bang for the buck in the Porsche world. I owned it for 3.5 years and after selling I figured I paid ~$495/month. That included maintenance. Would never have sold if I didn't have a second (third) vehicle. If you can only have one vehicle, then it sort of pushes you towards the 'do it all while being sporty and cool' models. If you can have two, you do what I did: Tacoma and 2 door weekender.

Oh, and love me some Supra though I think they sort of went full Toyota in the spec department on the new one... meaning they went 'just competitive' from what I've read. 335HP I think? 335HP in today's world is respectable in a light car, but it's nothing to brag about. My '15 cayman only sports 340HP, but it's a naturally aspirated flat six... 'nuff said. I'll take that soundtrack over a turbo any day. The Supra was a platform with a hugely loyal following. They could have dropped 400+ HP in there and jacked the price $10k and it would sell as many or more than at $335HP. But then again, if it's a robust engine the tuner market will take care of that HP deficiency since it's a twin turbo I believe.

I do like the Subie's, but I've always had a think for hot hatches. Really wanted an S4 Avant for many years, just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger based on S model pricing.

 

It's a sliding scale.... I commute ~40 miles a day in my Taco and average 19mpg. Am I irresponsible? My neighbor works because he's bored, not because he needs the money. He's hot for a Maserati right now. $85k to sit in the garage and get maybe 2k miles a year. Is he irresponsible? If it's about pollution, I get where you're coming from. If it's about lifestyle choices... let 'em choose.

The US is somewhat unique, or at least at one end of the bell curve when it comes to cars. We identify with our vehicles. For many of us, our ride says something about us and it's not just an appliance for A to B. Other countries do too, but I suspect that a much larger percentage of them see their cars as utilities.

 

I would be surprised if they continue to bother with it as it only appeals to a tiny segment niche market.

 

+1 To a greater extent, a car is an appliance for many people in the rest of the world, and eats up more of their take home income, so is not replaced every 2 to 4 years.

 

I think I see more people driving "inappropriate" vehicles than vice versa. In reality, an updated Volvo 240 station wagon, or a vehicle equivalent to a swb Dodge Caravan is what would be appropriate for 95% of the population. Me included. I'm somewhat surprised at the number of people who feel their vehicle choice mostly or wholly represents who they are. To a certain extent, sure, but not wholly. We're caught up in the lifestyle campaign that Madison Avenue pushes.
I mean really, any vehicle that goes over 90mph is inappropriate. Don't forget that the original Mini was designed for a family of 4.

 

They just need to hop on TW to realize how terrible their truck really is!

 

I'm not sure how a person's daily commute factors into what vehicle they should own. If you need/want a truck or SUV, that's what you drive. There is the option of having a second vehicle as a fuel efficient commuter, but I've done that and it doesn't save money.

 

Agree. Honestly, I think the new Supra is gonna be a flop. Guess, I'll hold onto my 97 Turbo 6 Spd for just a
little longer ;-)

 

Yea, some of the new miatas are pretty sic. Definitely a quick scoot around car, but the price doesnt fit the usage.

 

The sports car market has been dead for over a decade now. Sedans are starting to follow.

 

my 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 was a screamer, miss that, maybe when I retire, I will get a 2018 stang...and then a full size truck...nicer to travel in when driving long distances to hunt..