Paris Auto Show reveal?

[cwerdna]

powersurge: You're preaching to the choir here re: minivans. Unfortunately, the American auto buyer is fickle and instead decided to go with SUVs and/or crossovers and minivans are somehow "uncool". In my area, many of have gone with BRoD-class SUVs.

Take a look at http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2 ... sales.html for more data about the various segments.

[GetOffYourGas]

powersurge: You're preaching to the choir here re: minivans. Unfortunately, the American auto buyer is fickle and instead decided to go with SUVs and/or crossovers and minivans are somehow "uncool". In my area, many of have gone with BRoD-class SUVs.

Take a look at http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2 ... sales.html for more data about the various segments.

Fickle indeed. The station wagon used to rule supreme, until it became "uncool". But now that it has grown up, and gotten a few inches taller, it is somehow desirable again. Oh, and we call it a "crossover" because it's not a station wagon. That would be uncool.

What goes around, goes around and around.

[cwerdna]

Fickle indeed. The station wagon used to rule supreme, until it became "uncool". But now that it has grown up, and gotten a few inches taller, it is somehow desirable again. Oh, and we call it a "crossover" because it's not a station wagon. That would be uncool.

What goes around, goes around and around.

I've read that part of the reason why station wagons have gone away was due to CAFE rules (Google for station wagon cafe unintended consequence). CAFE has had requirements for DP, IP and LT. See right side of http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy (e.g. http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/rulema ... 014-v2.pdf). DP = Domestic Passenger Cars, IP = Import PCs, and LT = "Light Truck".

IIRC, basically automakers found it difficult to meet the higher passenger car mileage requirements if they kept station wagons, since they'd be classified as PCs. So, instead, they shifted more towards "light trucks", which includes SUVs, minivans, some vans, trucks, etc. And, guess what? Most of the "crossovers" are "light trucks" which have a lower mileage standard.

Also, there have been a number of vehicles that look like cars that have been classified as "light trucks" in order to boost's an automaker's LT CAFE mileage like the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Many Subarus (except obvious cars like the BR-Z) are classified as "light trucks".

Here are 3 vehicles that per the specs tab are SUVs and thus "light trucks": http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do? ... 4&id=19036.

[powersurge]

Ok, buyers are fickle, but the real fault is of the manufacturers. They HAVE NOT advertised EVs with their benefits AND they do not supply the dealers with any kind of stock on the Leaf for potential customers to look at and choose from. When I was looking for my Leaf, many Nissan dealers did not have a Leaf in stock.. Also, the Nissan dealers that had stock only had 1 or 2 of them in drab white or black..

With that scenario, it is clear that Nissan is not interested in selling Leafs, and the dealers can't fill the need of a casual Leaf customer because they have no stock.. I managed to get one because I was determined to find one I wanted and worked hard to get it. If I had been a casual tire kicker, I would have walked and Nissan would have lost the sale.

I think all of us in this forum should write letters to Nissan to complain of how poorly they are marketing the cars and bringing so few cars into dealers that they are doomed to failure at this time.....

[Durandal]

Ok, buyers are fickle, but the real fault is of the manufacturers. They HAVE NOT advertised EVs with their benefits AND they do not supply the dealers with any kind of stock on the Leaf for potential customers to look at and choose from. When I was looking for my Leaf, many Nissan dealers did not have a Leaf in stock.. Also, the Nissan dealers that had stock only had 1 or 2 of them in drab white or black..

With that scenario, it is clear that Nissan is not interested in selling Leafs, and the dealers can't fill the need of a casual Leaf customer because they have no stock.. I managed to get one because I was determined to find one I wanted and worked hard to get it. If I had been a casual tire kicker, I would have walked and Nissan would have lost the sale.

I agree. I'm in Little Rock, the closest new Leaf available is 3 hours away, even though we have a Leaf certified dealership about 30 miles away. I had to have my used Leaf towed from Jackson, MS, which is 4.5 hours away, as it was the closest used Leaf available!