The car industry is equally as much controlled by the vagaries of fads and trends as any other. In the last several years of the new millenium, we have seen some interesting turns in the culture of cars. completed a test drive, back in 2002, of a plain-Jane Nissan Altima, you were probably surprised at the speed being greater than expected.
The appearance of the 240 horsepower engine ushered in speeds a great deal higher than what the 90′s had made us accustomed to. There is a great deal in the body of knowledge surrounding limo rentals. And already a family car like the Volkswagen Passat boasts a 280 hp engine. At $30,000 you can purchase yourself a little Mitsubishi designed to embarass a Camaro with its performance. Packing a mercenary 500 horsepower won’t elevate a car like the Dodge Viper to beyond ordinary today. You may not be a speed freak, but there are basically no cars anymore that are really underpowered. Vehicles are continuing getting bigger, as each upgrade seems to be bigger than the one before. The moment the new Toyota Rav4 was launched, it had grown by 14 inches, and if you look at Hondas, the current Civics are larger than the older model Accords.
No one seems to want to acquire the same car or less, yet still have to pay more money. People want bigger and better cars when they’re going to be paying more. Sadly, much larger also means weightier, and vehicle makers will continue to make what the consumer is willing to buy. The American community would like to spend less money on fuel, but it seems they won’t tolerate going slower in the process. Having to pay more to keep the privilege of speed is preferable, which is why there is such a long line of people waiting for their hybrid, the Toyota Prius. All this, with the same dealership having lots of Corollas left unsold. In the rush by all vehicle makers to keep up to date, even pride appears to have taken a back seat, as in the case of Nissan with their Altima, which uses the same system as Toyota, their competitor.
mundane styling of the 90s is gone, as consumers want cars with personality. Nearly all automobiles are now equipped with power locks and windows as a standard feature, as well as six airbags and powerful stereos. All these have a price, which probably explains the $28,000 price tag of the average new car. We seem to be moving back to the day when a car will be a car, as the SUV is going the way of the foolish. The most significant decrease in sales has been amongst the bigger SUVs, so maybe it was just a fad whose time has come to an end. Better than ever are the sales of little cars, even the Neon and Sentra, while the Ford Explorer and Expedition are getting very few sales.
Automotive companies can’t stand still, but someday they need to give up needing to be so fast, and also so big. We live at the outset of the hybrid era now, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. In ten years it will be fun to look back and discover what happened with all of the automotive craziness.
