one of many full size sedans americans can’t and don’t want to buy
this thing looks alright
this thing looks alright
Kia K8
- Thread starter 2EHA
- Start date
Why buy a full size sedan when the fuel economy is on par with a small SUV that's more practical in every way.
Just don't damage anything because it's definitely on backorder with no ETA available.
The K8 used to be called the Cadenza. I had a 2017. Great car.
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
- Messages
- 29,558
It's a nice classy looking car. Too bad Americans have been brainwashed into thinking you're a bad person if you don't conform and drive a soccermom-mobile like you're told to do.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Wow. Shocking to find out I've been brainwashed. Here I thought I liked the higher seating position and ground clearance for when we take the soccermom-mobile offroad.
Your 300ZX and Accord coupe are nice cars but won't work for me.- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
- Messages
- 29,558
Maybe I'm just used to sitting really low to the ground. I was driving home in my Accord tonight and thought to myself, "This car is really HUGE!" hahaWow. Shocking to find out I've been brainwashed. Here I thought I liked the higher seating position and ground clearance for when we take the soccermom-mobile offroad.
I would love to have a tastefully lifted Suburban though
Oh, and btw, your Xterra is definitely NOT a soccer mom-mobile, those vehicles are bad ass! (I'm a Nissan fanboi). Those are true sport utility vehicles. I saw a beautiful (tastefully lifted) bright yellow one today. It was awesome! I was in Mexico awhile back and saw a few Xterras that said "supercharged" on the back. Were those never brought here?
They were. It was also optional on the V6 Frontier as well around 01-03 or so.
Pretty sure those were available in the US from 2002-2004. I didn't see too many in Canada, but they were around.
The Xterra & Frontier had them available in 2001-2004.
I owned a 2001 Frontier S/C for many years. It was a nice truck, but not because of the S/C engine. The 3.3L was an old 12 valve design (VG engine instead of the more modern VQ) that Nissan tossed an Eaton M62 blower on top of to make it at least competitive with GM's 4.3L small trucks and Ford's 4.0L SOHC. It could keep up with those trucks but that's about it.
It burned through premium unleaded like nobody's business to the tune of 14-17mpg, but had that wonderful S/C whine and more torque than you could sometimes handle at very low RPM, but was a dog up top. The S/C package added nicer interior materials, leather w/ red embroidery & stitching, cool looking gauges, 17" wheels and a bunch of other stuff you couldn't get on the ordinary Frontier. I loved the truck but wish I had all that gas money back!
More on topic, I like cars much better than the soccer-mom CUV bubbles that have no character and all look the same (IMHO). I guess it's the driving dynamics and style which everybody has their own view on what's "better," but a car (sedan or coupe makes no difference to me) will always be in my fleet at least for commuting. They also tend to be lighter and more fuel efficient, with better acceleration.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
There were SC'd Xterras and Frontiers. A friend had a 03 SC Xterra back in Pa he drove to 200k. They got horrible gas mileage. He took a big western road trip with bikes on the roof and got 11-12 mpg.
Around here, the CUV higher seating position let's you see over snow banks in the winter, again in winter, the AWD let's you get onto a busy road so much more safely vs spinning the front tires and hoping they get traction.
Sedans in Canada are entry level now. Solely a price point thing. Large sedan is basically dead.
Sedans in Canada are entry level now. Solely a price point thing. Large sedan is basically dead.
The same dynamic exists here in people's minds-- People always tout the benefit of their CUV/SUV in winter weather. "I need it to get to work in winter when it snows." Besides the fact they're usually the first ones calling in during inclement weather, we don't really get much of a winter here, a few 2-3" snowfalls each year where they salt the living heck out of the roads. So it's a dumb argument to make, but you can't talk them out of it-- a 4WD/AWD vehicle handles better, brakes better, corners better, etc in their mind.
I grew up in rural northern Vermont on the top of Dunn Mountain (~1800 ft elevation) that was usually one of the last roads to get plowed and treated during the winter. My parents only had a Plymouth Reliant station wagon, and I can't recall one time we ever got stuck going up or down the hill. Sure, there were times you didn't venture out until the plow truck had at least made a pass. Almost no snow days off from school (maybe once a year); the bus would throw chains on and be good to go. SUV/CUV can make up for driver skill in that situation, but I'm not convinced everyone NEEDS one. I'm not comparing my experience to Northern Ontario of course, most likely a much more challenging winter environment where you are.
If someone wants one, cool, I'm not here to judge. But I'll drive my sedan to work in a snowstorm, save gas, while all my coworkers complain all year how much it costs to fill up a vehicle at 15-20mpg all year long.
I wouldn't call driving in Northern Ontario the"same dynamic" as Kentucky. We get 5 months of hard winter - I've seen -40 F on the car thermometer.
As for your sedan idea, I get it, used to drive RWD 70's sedans all day with rear snows.
Its about degree of comfort.
The sedans gave me 10% degree of comfort. Doable but sweating it through the nasty white storms.
New SUVs/CUVs, about 90% degree of comfort, and correspondingly less stress.
