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#26954 of 32000 Re: 2013 Cruze review CAUTION: NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM [uplanderguy] by busiris

Sep 13, 2012 (1:50 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 13, 2012 1:42 pm)
Oh, no sweat.
 
I was just razzing you a bit...

#26955 of 32000 Re: Equinox [andres3] by busiris

Sep 13, 2012 (1:52 pm)

Replying to: andres3 (Sep 13, 2012 12:32 pm)
When was it, maybe 1973 I think, that GM slapped some decals on the Nova and called it a Rally Nova, and the Chevelle, calling it the Heavy Chevy?

#26956 of 32000 Re: 2013 Cruze review CAUTION: NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM [busiris] by bpizzuti

Sep 13, 2012 (1:58 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Sep 13, 2012 1:49 pm)
I still don't get why GM, already having developed a Cruze hatch, refuses to bring it here. I've seen photos, it's sharp. I'd seriously consider one...probably wouldn't BUY it compared to the Mazda3, but I'd CONSIDER it.
 
Focus seems to sell plenty of hatch variants. Mazda seems to do fine with the 3 hatch. Toyota sells plenty of Matrix and Scion tC hatches. Subie would have mass defections if they didn't have an Impreza hatch, AWD or no. Honda sells tons of Fits, and Hyundai just released the new Elantra GT.
 
But GM? "Americans don't buy hatchbacks!"

#26957 of 32000 Re: Equinox [busiris] by uplanderguy

Sep 13, 2012 (2:47 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Sep 13, 2012 1:52 pm)
Good memory...in mid-'71, Chevy offered the 'Rally Nova' (on the Nova, of course) and the 'Heavy Chevy' package on the base Chevelle (not Malibu). They were both tape stripe, emblem, hood pins on the Chevelle, kind of stuff but still could be had with the base 307 V8. The concept was to give people who didn't want the insurance headaches or higher purchase price of the SS models, but wanted stripes. (LOL)

#26958 of 32000 Re: 2013 Cruze review CAUTION: NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM [bpizzuti] by andre1969

Sep 13, 2012 (3:30 pm)

Replying to: bpizzuti (Sep 13, 2012 1:58 pm)
I agree, that Cruze hatchback isn't bad looking...and I'm definitely NOT a hatchback kind of guy! Isn't there a Cruze wagon that they sell elsewhere but not here, as well?
 
I just looked up some specs on the EPA website, and I think I see one reason they don't offer a Cruze hatchback here. The Cruze is, marginally, a midsized car, with 94 cubic feet of passenger volume and a 16 cubic foot trunk. The EPA classifies a midsized car as one having 110-120 cubic feet of combined interior volume.
 
The Ford Focus has 90 cubic feet of passenger volume and the sedan has a 13 cubic foot trunk. That's pretty small. So, in that size range, a hatchback probably makes more sense. And in hatchback form, the Focus increases to 23 cubic feet.
 
Now, you'd think that the Cruze hatch would be even better, since it's bigger, it would give you even more cargo volume. But, larger hatchbacks usually don't sell all that well.
 
Also, the Chevy Sonic, which is supposed to be the subcompact car, is actually bigger than it looks. The hatch has 91 cubic feet of passenger volume, a touch more than the Focus. And 19 cubic feet of cargo volume.
 
So, maybe GM thinks a Cruze hatch wouldn't sell all that well, and at the same time might be redundant with the Sonic?
 
As for the Matrix, I just looked it up...94 cubic feet of passenger volume, 20 cubic feet of cargo space. But, annoyingly, the EPA doesn't classify it as a hatchback, but rather a small wagon.
 
Does the Matrix sell very well? I don't really notice very many of the current generation models out on the streets, while Corollas are almost *too* common.
 
As for the Mazda3, according to the EPA specs the 4-door sedan is rated at 94/12, while the hatch is 95/17. So in its case, it seems like the hatch is almost mandatory, since the sedan is going to have a pretty tiny trunk.
 
Still, it would be nice if GM would at least give the Cruze hatch a chance, and see if it catches on.

#26959 of 32000 Re: Sonic by uplanderguy

Sep 13, 2012 (4:32 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 13, 2012 3:30 pm)
I gotta say, and this is very atypical for me, I like that orange color I see pretty often on Sonics. I can't stand the looks of the hatch, though. GM practically invented the hatch in the 'States, you know, with the Vega. (OK, I know someone is going to mention the Kaiser Traveller; I mean on an economy car!).

#26960 of 32000 Re: Sonic [uplanderguy] by andre1969

Sep 13, 2012 (4:52 pm)

Replying to: uplanderguy (Sep 13, 2012 4:32 pm)
(OK, I know someone is going to mention the Kaiser Traveller; I mean on an economy car!).
 
Allstate, maybe? Or was that just a trunk opening? I do remember one advantage of the Allstate over the Henry J was that the Allstate had an opening, where with the Henry J, you had to access the trunk through the back seat.
 
There's an old lady at work who recently traded her '99 or so Tracker in on a new Sonic hatchback. I actually don't mind it...as far as hatches go. She got silver, which was also the color of her old Tracker.

#26961 of 32000 Re: 2013 Cruze review CAUTION: NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM [andre1969] by dieselone

Sep 13, 2012 (5:19 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 13, 2012 3:30 pm)
Does the Matrix sell very well? I don't really notice very many of the current generation models out on the streets, while Corollas are almost *too* common.
 
I don't think so anymore. The Pontiac Vibe seemed to have sold well several years ago.

#26962 of 32000 Re: 2013 Cruze review CAUTION: NOT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM [andre1969] by bpizzuti

Sep 13, 2012 (6:32 pm)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 13, 2012 3:30 pm)
Well, with Cruze and Sonic using the same engines, maybe they are worried about cannibalizing sales, but someone looking for a highway hatch would probably prefer the Cruze over the Sonic.
 
GM seems to be extraordinarily gun-shy about hatches, and has been for a long time. It's really weird.

#26963 of 32000 Re: Sonic [andre1969] by uplanderguy

Sep 14, 2012 (2:30 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Sep 13, 2012 4:52 pm)
I just detest that 'sawed off', completely vertical look at the back of the Sonic hatch. I much-prefer the looks of the sedan, plus I think I remember seeing that the sedan is actually longer than the hatch.
 
When I think 'hatch', I think of the area around the rear window opening too, not just the trunk area. I'm thinking that wasn't the case with the Allstate. Of course, most sedans today have the trunk pass-through/folding rear seat feature, anyway. The whole difference would be some height and the size of the opening.

Messages Page 2697 of 3201

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