Cross-overs and todays marketing garbage??!!?!!

[casperfun]

Forgive an old fart like me. But the use of the word crossover for the Rogue is understandable in my opinion because of the SUV-like exterior and the car-like ride and sweet gas mileage.

But when car manufactuers start calling every car they create a new type of crossover, I am not impressed with this marketing ploy as if the general public are a bunch of morons. To think we bailed out the auto industry.

The Juke is a Joke ONLY because it's not really a crossover in realistic sense to ME. My opinion only folks. The Juke may be a nice car but pushing it as a crossover is a JOKE to me.

Back in the day when I was growing up, we would call the JUKE a sub-compact car. To me its just a modern or nicer COMPACT Rabbit. A souped up YUGO perhaps? or how about a compact Geo Metro. Volkswagon, Civic, Escort...Datsun...need I say more?

Come on!!!! mr. auto industry, using the word crossover in trying to make the general public feel its suppose to be a better, modern, or some type of new mechanical automotive achievement or technological wonder is not fooling me.

Maybe a electric vehicle would be considered a crossover in the truest sense as in crossing over to electric from gas.

I mean come on, the Venza a crossover???? And the salespeople with their enlightened knowledge of automobiles tries to convince me its a crossover when I first asked to see their New station wagons when the Venza initially came out. As a kid growing up we called them station wagons. Doesn't anybody at these marketing departments have the balls to speak up at any of these meetings?

Just because station wagons went out of style for some decades, does not give the right for the auto industry to treat people stupid and make people believe that these type of vehicles were never known as station wagons. Same reasoning that the dealerships think the public too stupid in knowing how to purchase a vehicle at a decent price which is why the car buying experience is so adversarial and confrontational at times. It's bad enough they always scam you with that $300-500 processing fee. You can't just leave the dealership and go somewhere else because ALL the dealerships are in CAHOOTS with this scam fee.

God, Karma is good. The way my Toyota dealership was ripping off the public for their own benefit during the CASH for CLUNKERS by making the public pay sticker price so they could benefit from all the taxpayers money. Not only didToyota and other car dealers did NOT discount their cars they even took all the gov't money.

Now they paying for their greed.

Don't believe the Hype.
Modified by casperfun at 11:50 AM 2/11/2010

[EddNog]

Is a crossover not merely a station wagon or tall station wagon with AWD? If that is the case, then an AWD Juke would be a crossover, no?

That's merely my opinion. Realistically, our Rogues are simply crossovers because they are tall station wagons with AWD.

-Ed

[philipa_240sx]

I don't really care much for the tag lines, etc. CUV, crossover... whatever you want to call it. Makes no difference.

Speaking of silly tag lines, Nissan used to market the Pathfinder as a 'Sports Wagon' when it was first released in 1987. The term SUV came later.

[Rand0m0sityxX]

America doesn't want "station wagons" any more. The term Crossover is just that a marketing term for what america wants. With gas etc, people still want that big SUV but they don't want the 18mpg with the big suv. Thats where the crossovers come in. Although Honda used to have the CR-V listed as a suv, but now its a CUV.

Personally, I think some people are stupid when they buy. I have 2 kids, but I own a 1st gen CR-V. Plenty of space and I get 29mpg in it. But My aunt, has 1 daughter still in the house, and she bought a 3rd row Explorer.

I'm going back to a car tho. I wanted a Rogue, but it's a bit high for what I can buy right now. =/

as for the Venza its a joke. I was looking at a Yaris recently (which btw my Toyota wanted me to pay $17k for a base Yaris... when I can get a SL Versa loaded for the same cost -.-) and I went and checked out the Venza.. Its almost $40k! I thought SUV's were supposed to be that high. And Crossovers between the car and SUV costs..

[philipa_240sx]

America doesn't want "station wagons" any more. The term Crossover is just that a marketing term...

Exactly, station wagon is taboo... It's a '5 door', 'crossover', CUV, anything but a station wagon.

IMHO, a crossover has a loosely based criteria as follows:

- Either a car based or purpose built chassis that is not derived from a truck or SUV.- Has more ground clearance than a car, but is not as tall or bulky as an truck/SUV.- Drives more like a car, very stable and maneuverable unlike a truck or SUV.- Available AWD or 4WD

Based on this, any idea what the 'first' crossover is? Let have some fun with it!

My entry, and yes it's ugly by today's standards but it was a product of the 70's:

1980 AMC Eagle:- Based on the AMC Concord passenger car- 4WD system based on the Jeep

image courtesy canadiandriver.com

[kerrton]

Ha, that is sweet, I don't know where you dug that one up from, never heard of it!

But actually if you get rid of all the 80's chrome trim it's not a bad looking vehicle....

[casperfun]

Those were the good old days growing up as a kid. Speaking for myself, I always looked forward riding in the 3rd row in a station wagon. Just the right fit for a small kid and your sibling to enjoy. Looking out the window and watching the grass, city, highway go by.
Modified by casperfun at 1:17 PM 2/22/2010