http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/04/17/speedsportlife-radio-false-signs-of-competence-edition/ Covering the latest in Automotive News, Events, and Trends Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:36:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/04/17/speedsportlife-radio-false-signs-of-competence-edition/#comment-65979 matthew Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:33:14 +0000 http://www.speedsportlife.com/2008/04/17/speedsportlife-radio-false-signs-of-competence-edition/#comment-65979 I enjoyed your rail against "crossovers". I suppose all this fuss over a name is just that but I can't for the life of me understand why "wagons" became social pariah in this country. It is uniquely American so perhaps our international guilt has managed to invade even this aspect of life. Globalization being what it is, the upper crust happily accepts Avants, Shooting Brakes or Estates...but "wagon" is somehow on a lower social strata then the marketing whiz kids at the Big 3 feel they can charge for a car when modifying a full-size pickup truck chasis for less overhead and higher profit margin. I keep telling myself that the shift from "SUV" to "Crossover" is a good thing no matter what its called as long as it keeps trending back toward the good old station wagon we know and love. I really think that if any car maker had not gotten into the SUV game (i'm looking at you Volvo), they could have just run years of TV ads showing two families side-by-side piling the same amount of people and stuff in a wagon and an SUV...and then highlight all the fuel economy, safety, ride quality and performance advantages they could have made a mint poking fun at their SUV competition. Alas, every mfg has firmly attached itself to the American Gas Teet and it was not meant to be. A sport wagon loving guy can dream of yesteryear, can't he? Keep up the good work on the podcasts...we are listening...and enjoying! I enjoyed your rail against “crossovers”. I suppose all this fuss over a name is just that but I can’t for the life of me understand why “wagons” became social pariah in this country. It is uniquely American so perhaps our international guilt has managed to invade even this aspect of life. Globalization being what it is, the upper crust happily accepts Avants, Shooting Brakes or Estates…but “wagon” is somehow on a lower social strata then the marketing whiz kids at the Big 3 feel they can charge for a car when modifying a full-size pickup truck chasis for less overhead and higher profit margin. I keep telling myself that the shift from “SUV” to “Crossover” is a good thing no matter what its called as long as it keeps trending back toward the good old station wagon we know and love. I really think that if any car maker had not gotten into the SUV game (i’m looking at you Volvo), they could have just run years of TV ads showing two families side-by-side piling the same amount of people and stuff in a wagon and an SUV…and then highlight all the fuel economy, safety, ride quality and performance advantages they could have made a mint poking fun at their SUV competition. Alas, every mfg has firmly attached itself to the American Gas Teet and it was not meant to be. A sport wagon loving guy can dream of yesteryear, can’t he? Keep up the good work on the podcasts…we are listening…and enjoying!

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