Car lovers?

I have a WRX. Not a WRX STi, just a plain old WRX.

Buuuuuut, the previous owner, for whatever reason, decided to replace a bit of trim on the trunk lid with the one off an STi so my vanilla WRX has an STi logo on it. It is the only mod he did to the car.

I genuinely don't care what other people think of my car, I chose that car cos it's a f*cking hoot to drive, so I'm not bothered in the slightest about misrepresenting what I'm driving, so laziness easily wins out the question of whether it needs restoring to original. But I've started to notice dudes (always dudes) do a double-take when they notice it.

Which I think has changed my opinion of the previous owner from "vain wanker" to "very specific prank puller".

Ok just kidding about the hybrid thing. I think I’m going to buy my old, favorite car (Cadillac CTS Coupe) again. But with AWD and ventilated seats and in GOLD this time.

Just feels right. The car is me.

Weren't you just saying your wife would not be happy with smaller? I think a coupe with a kid in a car seat would be a pain, would the sedan version work for you?

Nah the sedan is ok but not for me. And she got to basically choose the new house (over my light objection) so I think I have a little leverage here. FWIW she loved my CTS Coupe almost as much as I did.

I can’t sleep tonight (almost 2 here) and she’s been out for 4 hours, so she might try to veto in the morning. But I think as long as I agree to always put the kiddo in and out of the car she’d go along with it.

All in the name of lowering my monthly payment!

Edit: the other thing is that these cars are becoming rare. 19 of them in a 200 mile radius and if you limit to the configs I would want it’s like 6. This particular one is a 2013 (last year they made them) and only had 42000 miles. She’ll be down I think. She said a few months back that she dreaded when I overpaid for one in 10 years because most of them were kaput.

Double edit: and frankly I could just buy a cheapo sedan or SUV for grocery runs if the need arose. The price difference is such.

CTS-V wagon or nothing.

My wife would murder me both due to price and hatred for wagons.

Blind_Evil wrote:

My wife would murder me both due to price and hatred for wagons.

I just can't understand the American hatred of wagons. Sedans? Great. CUV? Great. Combo of the two? Ugh.

That said, the performance SUV's are now a legitimate thing and they even handle fairly well. So maybe it's not as big a deal as it used to be.

One of the worst things about being American is that just about everyone else who lives here sucks and is an idiot. We get none of the good hot hatchbacks, we don't get performance wagons anymore, and manuals are a dying breed.

MannishBoy wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

My wife would murder me both due to price and hatred for wagons.

I just can't understand the American hatred of wagons. Sedans? Great. CUV? Great. Combo of the two? Ugh.

That said, the performance SUV's are now a legitimate thing and they even handle fairly well. So maybe it's not as big a deal as it used to be.

The wizardry used to make SUVs handle is extremely impressive, but apply that same tech to a wagon or hatchback the same size and the wagon or hatchback will always handle better. I have no understanding of how anyone can think a Buick Encore is a 'cool SUV' but a Mazda 2 is a 'lame little hatchback'; the Encore essentially amounts to a Mazda 2 on stilts with an extra 900 pounds tacked on for 150% of the money. I am constantly amazed by how much people will pay for an SUV that is smaller than my Golf wagon, gets worse mileage, has more power but worse acceleration, handles worse, is harder to access the roof-rack of, and is generally all around not as good a vehicle; same with the Mazda 2 I used to drive.

Americans: "Station wagons and hatchbacks are stupid and uncool... unless you put them on stilts."
Me:
IMAGE(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/70/62/b7/7062b77ab497fd5d6e18aa561e2a9eb2.jpg)

It’s all about hating whatever your parents had.

I hate sedans, so your logic checks out.

ElectricPi wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

My wife would murder me both due to price and hatred for wagons.

I just can't understand the American hatred of wagons. Sedans? Great. CUV? Great. Combo of the two? Ugh.

That said, the performance SUV's are now a legitimate thing and they even handle fairly well. So maybe it's not as big a deal as it used to be.

The wizardry used to make SUVs handle is extremely impressive, but apply that same tech to a wagon or hatchback the same size and the wagon or hatchback will always handle better. I have no understanding of how anyone can think a Buick Encore is a 'cool SUV' but a Mazda 2 is a 'lame little hatchback'; the Encore essentially amounts to a Mazda 2 on stilts with an extra 900 pounds tacked on for 150% of the money. I am constantly amazed by how much people will pay for an SUV that is smaller than my Golf wagon, gets worse mileage, has more power but worse acceleration, handles worse, is harder to access the roof-rack of, and is generally all around not as good a vehicle; same with the Mazda 2 I used to drive.

Americans: "Station wagons and hatchbacks are stupid and uncool... unless you put them on stilts."
Me:

Three advantages of CUV's/SUV's over wagons that make sense to me:

1) Entry height - They're easier to get into for a lot of people. If you're older, have mobility issues, or are overweight, they're just better on average. You don't sit "down" into the vehicle as much, they're closer to your standing height. And their easier to load kids in car seats into (don't have to bend over).
2) Ride height helps on bad roads - This one is partially negated by premium SUV/CUV's all riding on 22's with no sidewall.
3) Headroom - Important to some. Not every one is better than every car, but on average they're better

Other that that, most things they're worse at than wagons. Weight, aero, center of gravity, etc.

Blind_Evil wrote:

It’s all about hating whatever your parents had.

I hate myself, so logic checks out.

Blind_Evil wrote:

It’s all about hating whatever your parents had.

The first car I remember my parents having was a manual diesel VW station wagon that was probably about 5 years old in my earliest memories of it, and I drive... a manual diesel VW station wagon that is about 5 years old. But mine is blue while there's was silver (which was my second choice color when shopping for mine).

Later they got a minivan, and I think minivans are pretty cool for people who need more seating and/or higher seating position due to mobility issues (much better than SUVs).

I guess I am the exception that proves the rule? like and respect my parents more than most? or maybe I'm just weird.

MannishBoy wrote:

Three advantages of CUV's/SUV's over wagons that make sense to me:

1) Entry height - They're easier to get into for a lot of people. If you're older, have mobility issues, or are overweight, they're just better on average. You don't sit "down" into the vehicle as much, they're closer to your standing height. And their easier to load kids in car seats into (don't have to bend over).
2) Ride height helps on bad roads - This one is partially negated by premium SUV/CUV's all riding on 22's with no sidewall.
3) Headroom - Important to some. Not every one is better than every car, but on average they're better

Other that that, most things they're worse at than wagons. Weight, aero, center of gravity, etc.

You've described minivans, excepts minivans are even easier to get yourself and kids in and out of. Most SUVs are for moms who are "too cool" for minivans, which makes SUVs very uncool and minivans cool.

EverythingsTentative wrote:
MannishBoy wrote:

Three advantages of CUV's/SUV's over wagons that make sense to me:

1) Entry height - They're easier to get into for a lot of people. If you're older, have mobility issues, or are overweight, they're just better on average. You don't sit "down" into the vehicle as much, they're closer to your standing height. And their easier to load kids in car seats into (don't have to bend over).
2) Ride height helps on bad roads - This one is partially negated by premium SUV/CUV's all riding on 22's with no sidewall.
3) Headroom - Important to some. Not every one is better than every car, but on average they're better

Other that that, most things they're worse at than wagons. Weight, aero, center of gravity, etc.

You've described minivans, excepts minivans are even easier to get yourself and kids in and out of. Most SUVs are for moms who are "too cool" for minivans, which makes SUVs very uncool and minivans cool.

Agree in general, but minivans are closer in height to wagons than SUV's. And they don't handle bad roads as well as a true SUV.

On the other hand, their even easier to get into if you need a 3rd row than an SUV. You might have to go down a bit, but the entry is easier and getting around the middle row of seats is as well.

If you like performance, there aren't as many performance engined mini-vans vs SUV's. You had the AMG Mercedes there for a bit, but I can't think of any current ones that can compete with the high performance SUV's.

When my grandmother died, we inherited her 70s Malibu Classic station wagon and it was the first car I got to use for my own use. It also could not go above 40 mph or the engine would stall.

ElectricPi wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

It’s all about hating whatever your parents had.

The first car I remember my parents having was a manual diesel VW station wagon that was probably about 5 years old in my earliest memories of it, and I drive... a manual diesel VW station wagon that is about 5 years old. But mine is blue while there's was silver (which was my second choice color when shopping for mine).

Later they got a minivan, and I think minivans are pretty cool for people who need more seating and/or higher seating position due to mobility issues (much better than SUVs).

I guess I am the exception that proves the rule? like and respect my parents more than most? or maybe I'm just weird.

I was mostly just citing conventional wisdom. Anecdotally I asked my wife and her mom drove a large Oldsmobile coupe and a Pontiac Bonneville when she was a kid, so no wagon. She just hates the way they look.

I prefer coupes/convertibles, some sports sedans, and off-road friendly SUVs. My parents drove an 83 Dodge Charger (hatch, back then), a Plymouth Colt hatch, Chrysler Lebaron convertible, Mercury Cougar, and I kinda lose track after that.

My Jaguar XF was my first sedan. Every car I’d had previously was a coupe.

IMAGE(https://cdn.motor1.com/images/mgl/pPANP/s3/2021-audi-rs6-avant.jpg)

IMAGE( https://o.aolcdn.com/images/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/800x450/format/jpg/quality/85/http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/c07e08214d3a0254f6e2e3b2d7007f7d/200285239/2014-jaguar-xfr-s-sportbrake-fd.jpg)

IMAGE(https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2021-mercedes-amg-e63-s-4matic-wagon-112-1592409393.jpg)

IMAGE(https://www.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/styles/gallery_slide/public/images/car-reviews/first-drives/legacy/embargo_00_01_cest_26_septembe_2017_panamera_turbo_s_e_hybrid_sport_turismo_i.jpg)

IMAGE(https://cdn.hiconsumption.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2020-Volvo-V60-T8-Polestar-Engineered-Wagon-0-Hero-1087x725.jpg)

I think all of these look amazing.

OMG What I would do to own that Audi. I'd take any of them. Hell, I like the lower end wagons too.

IMAGE(https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/YJUuE9MOdcrfa-ca5xXz-gleyeg=/1200x0/top/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/5SIVPB6PPX2ERB7CUKFSVDS6XY.jpg)

IMAGE(https://hips.hearstapps.com/autoweek/assets/2019_Golf_Alltrack-Large-8762.jpg)

We had an early 80s malibu station wagon. I was young but it was fine. Media heavily joked about the grocery getter station wagon and I think that stuck in my subconscious and maybe a little bit in the entire country.

The Panamera is an abomination and it shouldn't exist.

The Macan and Cayenne are at least decent looking, and I suppose I'll begrudgingly accept that SUVs are the way most people want to go these days.

But a sedan? Hell no. Even the current more-hatchbacky design can sod off.

Porsches should be 2 door MR sports cars. I am fully prepared die on this hill.

r013nt0 wrote:

The Panamera is an abomination and it shouldn't exist.

The Macan and Cayenne are at least decent looking, and I suppose I'll begrudgingly accept that SUVs are the way most people want to go these days.

But a sedan? Hell no. Even the current more-hatchbacky design can sod off.

Porsches should be 2 door MR sports cars. I am fully prepared die on this hill.

And Porsche would likely die on that hill as well. These other cars pay the bills to allow them to make GT3's.

The original Panamera had design issues. I really like the new ones, especially the Sport Turismo.

The Taycan takes a lot of the Panamera's design language and improves it even more IMO.

See also Lamborghini and the Uros sales.

Yeah, I know that it's the unfortunate reality we live in, but I don't have to like it! I will admit that the redesign of the Panamera is far, far less ugly than the original. The fact that the very first Taycan is a sedan and not a coupe also makes me sad.

At least the Ferrari FF is a shooting brake. That's gorgeous.
IMAGE(https://www.classicdriver.com/sites/default/files/styles/two_third_slider/public/cars_images/avg_42.jpg)

Question: How many true SUVs (to use MannishBoy's term) are left out there still being made? Aren't most just tall cars at this point? Like for Nissan, they no longer have an SUV as the Xterra is gone and the Pathfinder is not really an SUV anymore, right? I don't follow SUVs at all since I do not like them, but my wife loves her Xterra (2005), and is really only thinking about a 4Runner TRD Pro (thanks to our mechanic loaning one to us) right now.

Also, count me as a wagon lover. Got rid of my Subaru wagon (sadly, very small almost useless cargo space) for a better family vehicle (Odyssey) and now I drive around bored.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

Also, count me as a wagon lover. Got rid of my Subaru wagon (sadly, very small almost useless cargo space) for a better family vehicle (Odyssey) and now I drive around bored.

Our family is usually one spacious vehicle, one fun vehicle. Our best combos have been an Outback wagon and a Miataspeed Miata (10 years ago), or an Odyssey and a WRX (currently). But yeah, going from the Odyssey to the WRX is night and day.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

Also, count me as a wagon lover. Got rid of my Subaru wagon (sadly, very small almost useless cargo space) for a better family vehicle (Odyssey) and now I drive around bored.

If you are willing to wring it out, the Odyssey is a surprising performer, or at least it was 12 years ago when a set of wheels and tires would let it stomp a Porsche* on an autocross course. I bet over a decade of development only made it faster.

*not any Porsche, but still Porsche's hottest selling sports car... from almost 40 years earlier.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

Question: How many true SUVs (to use MannishBoy's term) are left out there still being made? Aren't most just tall cars at this point? Like for Nissan, they no longer have an SUV as the Xterra is gone and the Pathfinder is not really an SUV anymore, right? I don't follow SUVs at all since I do not like them, but my wife loves her Xterra (2005), and is really only thinking about a 4Runner TRD Pro (thanks to our mechanic loaning one to us) right now.

Also, count me as a wagon lover. Got rid of my Subaru wagon (sadly, very small almost useless cargo space) for a better family vehicle (Odyssey) and now I drive around bored.

The large GM triplets, the large Fords, Durango, Grand Cherokee, Wranglers, some of the Range Rovers/Land Rovers, Cayenne, etc.

They're out there, but CUV's are more common to your point.

ElectricPi wrote:
mrtomaytohead wrote:

Also, count me as a wagon lover. Got rid of my Subaru wagon (sadly, very small almost useless cargo space) for a better family vehicle (Odyssey) and now I drive around bored.

If you are willing to wring it out, the Odyssey is a surprising performer, or at least it was 12 years ago when a set of wheels and tires would let it stomp a Porsche* on an autocross course. I bet over a decade of development only made it faster.

*not any Porsche, but still Porsche's hottest selling sports car... from almost 40 years earlier.

Funnily enough, it has a manual shift mode and paddle shifters. But the 9-speed gearbox makes shifting manually kinda ridiculous. I've also heard this particular transmission isn't the strongest.

Hmmm. Do not like.
The profile is okay, but not a fan of any other angle, personally. That grille....