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For many years, I was a big fan of sedans....I generally liked the way they rode, handled, seating-comfort, driving characteristics, ease of washing the roof, etc.....
I've owned many different sedans over the years, from small subcompacts (Toyota Tercel) to large full-size luxury models (Chrysler, Buick)....I generally liked the big Buick sedans the most for their comfort, quietness, smoothness of operation, and generally decent reliability, though not quite in say, the reliability-class of a Lexus LS.
So, not surprisingly, I was quite angry a few years ago when both GM and Ford decided they were going to dump most of their conventional domestic sedans in favor of more crossovers, hybrid/battery-elecric vehicles, and small trucks. And I was not alone in my view.....at the time, the UAW also rebelled at that policy, and hit GM with the largest, most costly, and most widespread strike since 1970 (I also remember that strike quite well, though I was only 18 years old in high school).
But, when one forgets one's own personal desires/wishes, and looks at the larger picture, it's becoming more and more apparent why crossovers, particularly those of the compact (C-class) and subcompact (B-Class) are becoming so popular, selling in the huge numbers that they do, and why the auto companies are having to concentrate on them with what available factory/production space they have...or will have in the near future. In many parts of the country (particularly this notoriously-overcrowded D.C. area), traffic-volume, smaller/narrower parking-spaces than in the past, difficult-maneuvering at close-quarters in parking-lots, drive-up-ramps at banks/fast-food places, etc... have made it much more difficult to maneuver and park a relatively large sedan like my former Lacrosse...or, for that matter, even larger SUVs and crossovers. I simply got to the point where, enough was enough. I also had a minor parking-lot incident.......(NOT an accident).......which cost me a new tire, an On-Star road-assistance, and convinced me that it was time to get something smaller and more maneuverable.
Many of you know the story of how I got my new Encore GX, so I won't repeat the details here. I have really fallen in love with it as a da-to-day driver. It's not quite as plush-comfortable as a highway-cruiser as my Lacrosse was, but probably 98% of my driving is not that type...it is suburban stop-and-go, with tight-maneuvering in and out of malls/parking-lots. And, even so, being a Buick product, it has a fair amount of the Buick Quiet-Tuning and plushness for something its small size (on the border between a B-Class and C-class), and its 3-cylinder turbo powerplant is far smoother and more quiet (except around 1500 RPM, the torque-peak) than the small Ecoboost turbo-threes from Ford. It rides more smoothly than one would expect of a crossover that size......far more so than, say, a Honda HR-V or Kia Seltos, both of which I found, in comparison, felt harsh and cramped. IMO it is a pleasure to drive, particularly in close-quarters.
But, over and above the Encore GX, as for this whole class of vehicles, I can see why they sell in such huge numbers. Yes, the higher roofs on them are more difficult to wash and wax than lower-stance sedans, but that that is just about where the disadvantages end. The standard or optional AWD makes them all-weather machines. The hatch-lid and rear-end make carrying bulky items much easier than sedans/coupes, the high rooflines means big guys like me (and Mikeavelli) aren't bumping our heads on the ceiling (although I may have lost about an inch or so of height over the last 10-15 years with age/bone loss). The higher ground-clearance and gray/black lower-body cladding give you more protection in parking lots from those pesky concrete stops that can damage lower-body components, and from the effects of winter salt/abrasives on the road tossed up from rolling-tires. And, on my Encore GX, the right-front seat folds flat so, with that and the rear-seat folded down, one can carry long/narrow items up to eight feet long....in a vehicle not all that much longer than that.
This is not necessarily my first foray into non-sedans/coupes. I did own a Subaru Outback for six years....with Subaru's excellent AWD system, but that vehicle was actually more of a Legacy station-wagon with a slightly-raised suspension than a true crossover or SUV. The Encore GX is my first true small crossover.....but it may not be my last. 😉
I've owned many different sedans over the years, from small subcompacts (Toyota Tercel) to large full-size luxury models (Chrysler, Buick)....I generally liked the big Buick sedans the most for their comfort, quietness, smoothness of operation, and generally decent reliability, though not quite in say, the reliability-class of a Lexus LS.
So, not surprisingly, I was quite angry a few years ago when both GM and Ford decided they were going to dump most of their conventional domestic sedans in favor of more crossovers, hybrid/battery-elecric vehicles, and small trucks. And I was not alone in my view.....at the time, the UAW also rebelled at that policy, and hit GM with the largest, most costly, and most widespread strike since 1970 (I also remember that strike quite well, though I was only 18 years old in high school).
But, when one forgets one's own personal desires/wishes, and looks at the larger picture, it's becoming more and more apparent why crossovers, particularly those of the compact (C-class) and subcompact (B-Class) are becoming so popular, selling in the huge numbers that they do, and why the auto companies are having to concentrate on them with what available factory/production space they have...or will have in the near future. In many parts of the country (particularly this notoriously-overcrowded D.C. area), traffic-volume, smaller/narrower parking-spaces than in the past, difficult-maneuvering at close-quarters in parking-lots, drive-up-ramps at banks/fast-food places, etc... have made it much more difficult to maneuver and park a relatively large sedan like my former Lacrosse...or, for that matter, even larger SUVs and crossovers. I simply got to the point where, enough was enough. I also had a minor parking-lot incident.......(NOT an accident).......which cost me a new tire, an On-Star road-assistance, and convinced me that it was time to get something smaller and more maneuverable.
Many of you know the story of how I got my new Encore GX, so I won't repeat the details here. I have really fallen in love with it as a da-to-day driver. It's not quite as plush-comfortable as a highway-cruiser as my Lacrosse was, but probably 98% of my driving is not that type...it is suburban stop-and-go, with tight-maneuvering in and out of malls/parking-lots. And, even so, being a Buick product, it has a fair amount of the Buick Quiet-Tuning and plushness for something its small size (on the border between a B-Class and C-class), and its 3-cylinder turbo powerplant is far smoother and more quiet (except around 1500 RPM, the torque-peak) than the small Ecoboost turbo-threes from Ford. It rides more smoothly than one would expect of a crossover that size......far more so than, say, a Honda HR-V or Kia Seltos, both of which I found, in comparison, felt harsh and cramped. IMO it is a pleasure to drive, particularly in close-quarters.
But, over and above the Encore GX, as for this whole class of vehicles, I can see why they sell in such huge numbers. Yes, the higher roofs on them are more difficult to wash and wax than lower-stance sedans, but that that is just about where the disadvantages end. The standard or optional AWD makes them all-weather machines. The hatch-lid and rear-end make carrying bulky items much easier than sedans/coupes, the high rooflines means big guys like me (and Mikeavelli) aren't bumping our heads on the ceiling (although I may have lost about an inch or so of height over the last 10-15 years with age/bone loss). The higher ground-clearance and gray/black lower-body cladding give you more protection in parking lots from those pesky concrete stops that can damage lower-body components, and from the effects of winter salt/abrasives on the road tossed up from rolling-tires. And, on my Encore GX, the right-front seat folds flat so, with that and the rear-seat folded down, one can carry long/narrow items up to eight feet long....in a vehicle not all that much longer than that.
This is not necessarily my first foray into non-sedans/coupes. I did own a Subaru Outback for six years....with Subaru's excellent AWD system, but that vehicle was actually more of a Legacy station-wagon with a slightly-raised suspension than a true crossover or SUV. The Encore GX is my first true small crossover.....but it may not be my last. 😉
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