The 1950's were certainly an iconic time for America. The decade that brought us beehive hair-do's and chrome tailfins also brought about an ambitious infastructure project that would forever change our lives: The interstate system. In 1952, the Federal Government released $25 million to start construction, and the rest is history.
With the interstate came the family road trip: Dad could load up mom, the kids, the dog, and a all their luggage into the land-yacht station wagon for a weeklong adventure on the open highway. Though it wasn't always pretty (i'll always have a softspot for the Edsel Bermuda wagons), the station wagon of the '50s was the perfect road-trip vehicle, and was always uniquely American. They routinely reached nearly 20 feet in length, with wide bench seats in all 3 rows.
The station wagon remained the family cruiser of choice until the boys at Chrysler unveiled their revolutionary K-car based minivans in 1984. Suddenly, the station wagon fell out of vogue as families lined up outside their local Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth dealers to get their hands on the new vans. In their first year, nearly 210,000 were sold.
As the sun was setting on the 1980's, an unexpected contender drove onto the scene and was poised to become the new family hauler of choice for America. The 1990 introduction of the Ford Explorer started a love affair with SUVs that would last for more than a decade. Minivans have stuck around, the Chrysler trio was joined by entries from GM, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, VW, Kia, and Hyundai (though only Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Kia remain in the game today). Other manufacturers stuffed their truck-based utilities with yards of leather, premium stereos, technical gizmos, and big V-8 engines. The economy was up, gas was cheap, and America loved their SUVs. Explorers, Blazers and Jimmys were selling like crazy, and automakers continued to build bigger, more powerful, and thirstier models.
Shortly after Ford released it's behemoth Excursion in 2000, SUV sales started to head south. The disasterous Firestone/Ford rollover recall and raising oil prices had a dramatic affect on customer preferences, and the stage was set for America to find its next great roadtrip vehicle.
Enter the Crossover.
SUV-like looks, car-like driveability, and fuel efficient engines are the hallmarks of the modern Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV), or "crossover" for short. The Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Ford Freestyle were among the first on the scene, but this segment has rapidly changed and evolved, leading to several standout models available today from several different manufacturers. I'll feature the 2 newest, and in my opinion best, entries below.
2011 Ford Explorer
The newest player in this arena comes to the party wearing the same nameplate as the vehicle that started the SUV trend 20 years ago: The Ford Explorer. This new Explorer is a radical departure from previous models in the series, ditching its rear-wheel drive truck-based setup in favor of a front-wheel or all-wheel drive configuration, sharing its platform with the Ford Taurus sedan. Explorer features enough technical gadgetry to make an Apple Store blush; packing such features as MyFord Touch and SYNC interface, Terrain Management system, and Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert. The rear seatbelts can even inflate like an airbag in case of an accident, for crying out loud. The Explorer also dropped the V-8 engine for 2011, coming with a 3.5L V6 standard, and an optional twin turbo and direct injected "EcoBoost" 4 cylinder mill.
Ford's decision to reinvent the Explorer was a tough one. Their first 2 attempts at a full sized, car based crossover failed miserably in the marketplace (do you remember the Freestyle or Taurus X?), but the third time seems to have been the charm. They've recently announced a 3rd shift of production at the Chicago plant that builds the new Explorer (along with Taurus and Lincoln MKS), and dealers are selling them as quickly as they arrive.
2011 Dodge Durango
Long, long ago, the Dodge Durango was a popular midsize SUV contender. As with much of the Chrysler lineup of the late-90's and early 2000's, the Durango was neglected, cheapened, and discounted. By the time the last model was retired in 2009, the Dodge SUV was a gas guzzling, awkwardly styled truck with an dimestore interior. Forget all you know about that Durango, though. This new one means business.
The 2011 Durango shares platforms, engines, and many other parts with the equally-impressive (though only 5 seater) Jeep Grand Cherokee. While Ford opted to drop the V8 engine from its modern Explorer, the Auburn Hills bunch will still sell you a Hemi V8-equipped Durango. The base engine, the impressive new 3.6L "Pentastar" V6, will likely win the most owners though, because of its nice mix of power, refinement, and efficiency. The Durango's interior is more traditional than the Explorers, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While the blue oval's new MyFord Touch technology is impressive, its sharp learning curve and comprehensive control options might chase off a few buyers.
As General Motors tries to pass off their "business as usual" as a turnaround, Chrysler seems to be quietly releasing a lineup of vehicles that are well design, well styled, and well assembled. While their long-term reliability and quality are still suspect, it only takes sitting in one to see how far they've come.
The station wagons that hauled our families around in the '50s and '60s are still out there, albeit available from fewer manufacturers. Minivans, too, continue to cater to a crowd that appreciates function over form, and are willing to sacrifice their image for maximum efficiency and cupholder count. Even in this age of $3.50/gallon gas, the venerable truck-based SUVs are still out there, and are finally being used as they were designed to.
But the modern crossover, with 2 rows of seats or 3, has now established itself as the family vehicle of choice for modern Americans. It's a segment that will continue to grow, and those manufacturers who are letting their entries fall behind the competition could be in for a rude awakening. I'm looking at you, GM.
Thoughts?
Have you examined how the history of these vehicles has tracked their Federal classification? The minivan reigned supreme until the Feds decided they should be classified as passenger cars instead of as light trucks, which affected mileage and safety requirements. The result was the SUV, again classified as a truck. And to what degree is the popularity of these vehicles driven by the fact that the big 6-seat family sedan is basically dead...Crown Victoria/Town Car were just discontinued, I'm not sure about the Caprice and whatever Cadillac was selling. It's not that you need to carry 6 adults, but having the room to do so makes it a lot more comfortable for a family of 4...
ReplyDeleteGood point, Dave, although the classifications can be toyed with enough now that they're reach irrelevance (the Chrysler PT Cruiser is a truck. Seriously.).
ReplyDeleteWhile the 2 bench, 6 seat sedan might be dead, the large car is in better position than it has been in years. The Dodge Charger / Chrysler 300 have just been redesigned and keep the traditional V8/RWD formula going, the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS offer cavernous back seats, even if the front buckets are a bit tight. The Buick LaCrosse has been a hit for GM since its 2009 redesign, and the General is also set to release a full-sized Cadillac XTS based on the LaCrosse's platform. Hell, it even sounds like they're going to finally replace the ancient Impala in the next few years!