It’s crazy. I’ve seen taxi’s fill up there too which makes no sense to me. I’ve managed to eek out a couple more days driving with the gas light on because I refuse to go there.
I read there was some semi-famous Chevron in Mendocino that charges $6-7 a gallon (currently $6.25) apparently diesel was $9.20 previously! But they don’t post the price until after you’ve swiped a card. Sneaky.
I have always liked the shooting brake, or overpowered wagon concept. If I was rolling in dough, the CTS-V wagon would be my pick.
As for the Toyota wagon, I am willing to bet they find a solid market in the small hatch / cuv segment. All the cars in this class / pricepoint are FWD, and very few if any are engaging and fun to drive. They are practical appliances.
I find in Europe most buyers of the small wagon-esque cars like the Peugeot 2008 or Renault Clio estate tend to be older. At least all the pensioners that live near my parents ALL drive these. They’re ideal cars if you have dogs and take them out for walk or those with ‘active lifestyles’. It is a bit of a niche market though!
Most of the wagons in Europe are underpowered, if anything. Small displacement diesels are adequate for city driving, if you try to open them up on the autobahn I’d rather have a high revving motor.
Well I think its just having the option. Nearly all the underpowered ones have fast versions. Pretty much the only option in the US is a 6 figure E63 or a used CTS-V (with eye wateringly awful MPG) but all of these, priced at $35-50k would provide some really decent competition to the onslaught of SUVs.
I’ll never understand American culture and this concept of a “commanding view of the road” BS. We go crazy for crossovers and SUVs, but disregard hatchbacks and wagons as uncool.
It stems from what you’re parents had and it being ‘uncool’. The 60s and 70s were all about the station wagon as a family vehicle, which then changed for the mini van in the 80s and 90s. Those were then replaced as the family vehicle of choice by SUVs. Will it cycle around again? Who knows.
Electric car wagons… now we just need them to no longer charge exorbitant prices for wagons. They’re priced so high that only the generation that hates wagons can afford them.
Then the manufacturers wonder why people won’t buy their products… terrible marketing.
No, no, trust them when they say it. Close your eyes and you can imagine yourself as the commanding officer of the USS Enterprise. You’ll even feel taller too