Crossovers

The crossover has become one of the fastest growing market segments since its introduction. I have never owned one so I can only speculate as to the reasons behind its popularity but I believe at its core it is a mini-van for people who don't not want the stigma of driving one. This is a trend in our culture at the moment involving denial of facts and pretending to be something we are not while expecting others to indulge in our fantasy.

Why do I mention this? So I can make fun of the Honda Ridgeline of course; one of my favorite pastimes here. What is this vehicle? It is a crossover truck. It is simply a Honda Pilot which is itself a crossover (it does not have the features that make a vehicle an SUV) with the back cut off to make a small bed. So they have created a vehicle for people who would like to pretend they drive a small truck without having to actually drive one. Note they are reasonably popular due to the above mentioned mass delusion.

To me though the Ridgeline is like a kid whose father left when he was young. He knows his Dad was a mid-size truck and idolizes him so he tries to emulate him. But since he never actually knew him he only manages a superficial representation.

We, who have chosen to drive Tacomas or 4Runners have chosen body on frame high ground clearance vehicles for various reasons. But we are a relatively small market and decidedly not mainstream. That of course makes us cool