Okay so what is the deal with Hatchbacks?

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

So yea, over seas Hatchbacks are a "thing", and recently here I have seen much more of them than I have in the past. I just don't "get it". Why one of those instead of a van/minivan/ SUV if it is a space issue? I see this as an ugly trend that will result in having tons of these things unloaded at some point like the old station wagons. To me, that is all they are is "old station wagons" regardless of the new designs. I just think they look bad.

Then again, My father was a race car designer, builder and driver and designed my car to be aerodynamic and seeing that bulky back end with a door that will hit me in the head does nothing for me. I like sleek, curvy, sexy cars or for practical uses a van that can actually hold an apartment. I am not understanding why choose to hatchback at all instead of the other options. If it was just the price, why would anyone buy a new one instead of a used any other car besides a hatchback?

Someone please help me understand why anyone would actually want one of these.

 

[Baffle]

Smaller, and better for the environment than an unnecessarily big van/minivan/SUV. Reasonably adaptable (work as a family car, but put the seats down and you have an okay carrying capacity (unlike a saloon, for example, where you're always limited by the height of the boot/trunk).

The space argument doesn't really make sense - just because one thing is too small, doesn't mean you need to jump to the other end of the scale. I don't want to live in a caravan, but it doesn't mean I need a castle.

 

[Elijin]

If you think hatchbacks are a trend, boy do I have like 40 years of motoring icons for you to catch up on.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Smaller, and better for the environment than an unnecessarily big van/minivan/SUV. Reasonably adaptable (work as a family car, but put the seats down and you have an okay carrying capacity (unlike a saloon, for example, where you're always limited by the height of the boot/trunk).

The space argument doesn't really make sense - just because one thing is too small, doesn't mean you need to jump to the other end of the scale. I don't want to live in a caravan, but it doesn't mean I need a castle.

so it is just the modern version of this:

And in a few years they will be dumping these all over the place and they will wind up in the crusher?
How environmentally friendly they are can vary widely where you can have vans these days that are more environmentally friendly than some station wagons, just depends on how they are made. As for the space issue, I can see if it was necessary for work and what not, but does someone need that much space for their everyday commute? Is it really all that much more space than they get from non hatchbacks? I am just trying to figure out if pros of the space would outweigh the cons of driving that around all the time.

(Not at all biased against station wagons after driving one that had no brakes on it through a fence when I was a kid and having one almost chop my head off when it tried to shut on me.... no subconscious hate there against station wagons, I am fully aware of my station wagon hatred. XD)

In addition, how are you supposed to "put something in the trunk" to comply with laws that require you to have something in your trunk or truck bed so that it cannot be accessed from the cab? For example, they have laws here that you have to keep alcoholic beverages in the trunk, so that no one can access them from the front of the car.

They also have ordinances here where you have to put valuables in the trunk or carry them with you while in some shopping centers/malls or be ticketed. They ticketed one of my friends for throwing a blanket over her shopping bags in the back seat once saying that was not sufficiently out of sight and secured since someone would break in to see what as under there anyhow. I am not even sure if you can comply with some of the laws here without having some sort of barrier.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

If you think hatchbacks are a trend, boy do I have like 40 years of motoring icons for you to catch up on.

I think the increased number of them here recently is a trend, not that they didn't already exist. Just as the old station wagons fell out of popularity, I see these going the same way.

 

[Baffle]

What you call a station wagon is more or less what we would call an estate car. Not quite a hatchback, but generally more practical.

I'm not saying modern vans aren't more environmentally friendly than an old station wagon - technologically you'd expect that. But a modern large car isn't going to be as environmentally friendly as a modern small car - it'll be heavier and take more fuel to move it.

On space - I wouldn't want to have two cars so I could commute in one but carry stuff around in another, so I'd compromise and get the one that could do a decent job of both (the hatchback). Also, I have a dog that travels in the boot, so it would be somewhat cruel to drive a saloon. (I don't actually drive a hatchback, I have a small SUV - Hyundai Tucson).

You can't access the boot of a hatchback while the seats are up - there's what they call a parcel shelf that separates the two. It's removable with the boot open but not closed, so you couldn't access the boot while the vehicle was in motion. Also, those laws are silly and we don't have them here.

It does strike me as a little odd that in such a massive country where you have to drive so far, fuel efficiency doesn't really seem to be much of a concern - mind you, it's cheap as chips over there. Seriously, Americans who complain about the price of petrol don't even know they're born.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

What you call a station wagon is more or less what we would call an estate car. Not quite a hatchback, but generally more practical.

I'm not saying modern vans aren't more environmentally friendly than an old station wagon - technologically you'd expect that. But a modern large car isn't going to be as environmentally friendly as a modern small car - it'll be heavier and take more fuel to move it.

On space - I wouldn't want to have two cars so I could commute in one but carry stuff around in another, so I'd compromise and get the one that could do a decent job of both (the hatchback). Also, I have a dog that travels in the boot, so it would be somewhat cruel to drive a saloon. (I don't actually drive a hatchback, I have a small SUV - Hyundai Tucson).

You can't access the boot of a hatchback while the seats are up - there's what they call a parcel shelf that separates the two. It's removable with the boot open but not closed, so you couldn't access the boot while the vehicle was in motion. Also, those laws are silly and we don't have them here.

It does strike me as a little odd that in such a massive country where you have to drive so far, fuel efficiency doesn't really seem to be much of a concern - mind you, it's cheap as chips over there. Seriously, Americans who complain about the price of petrol don't even know they're born.

You would think that the smaller car would necessarily be more environmentally friendly, unless of course the cars are made in the US for the US specifically that way as they have been lobbying for lowering the standards. Fuel usage is also varied as it can depend on what fuel they are running, whether or not they are a hybrid, electric ect. There is a van that drives around town on Vegetable oil here that smells like french fries all the time so yea it can vary quite a bit.

The fuel efficiency issue has to be balanced with speed here as well, as the speed on our highways around here is 80mph in some areas (or 128.748 kph), and everyone is driving faster than that. Drive much slower and you can get a ticket and possibly lose your license for reckless driving and impeding the flow of traffic since drivers driving too slow cause more accidents than those speeding do. due to how spread out everything is, people tend to want to go everywhere fast here or they would spend all day just driving to and from anywhere. The big issue here is lack of city planning so walking or even riding a bike is not even an option in many areas unless you have a death wish. (no bike lanes, no sidewalk, unwalkable, torn up, uneven with piles of rocks and debris terrain next to drivers going 80mph) in addition to no public transportation and nothing is placed to where it is quick or easy to get to.

You would still have to rent a truck or van to move though if you can't fit an apartment in one of them. Not necessarily have to own one, but still have to use one now and then.

I have never seen one of those "parcel shelf" do people actually use them? The hatchbacks I have seen here can access the back from over the seats. For the people who do a lot of camping and what not that requires a lot of space, they usually have an SUV or drive an all terrain jeep that can get then out of anywhere rather than risk getting stuck somewhere.

 

[Baffle]

There are very few cars on British roads that can't go 80mph. Maybe some in the sub-1L engine range like the Matiz, but even a 1.1L Ford Fiesta can do 80mph with ease (our national speed limit is 70mph, but I'd guess most people on those roads travel at 85-90mph). In my (limited) experience, British motorways are in generally much better condition that US highways.

I would expect to hire a van (more likely a long-haul vehicle) if I was moving house, regardless of what car I drove. I've got a three-bed house in the suburbs - you'd never move all my stuff in the sort of vehicle you'd drive day-to-day. I did do it with a small van (a Vivaro) once, but only because I was getting rid of most of my furniture when I moved.

Edit: The parcel shelf is part of the car. People may well remove them for convenience, but then people can see what you keep in the boot. Also, they're where you mount massive speakers in your hot hatch.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

There are very few cars on British roads that can't go 80mph. Maybe some in the sub-1L engine range like the Matiz, but even a 1.1L Ford Fiesta can do 80mph with ease (our national speed limit is 70mph, but I'd guess most people on those roads travel at 85-90mph). In my (limited) experience, British motorways are in generally much better condition that US highways.

I would expect to hire a van (more likely a long-haul vehicle) if I was moving house, regardless of what car I drove. I've got a three-bed house in the suburbs - you'd never move all my stuff in the sort of vehicle you'd drive day-to-day. I did do it with a small van (a Vivaro) once, but only because I was getting rid of most of my furniture when I moved.

I used to move every 6 months before I bought my house, ( would get 1st month free rent if moving into a new place so I had a first month free rent every 6 months XD) and always moved with friends and a van and or truck, never rented anything to move. When I sold my house, I downsized anyhow and everything fit into a van then as well. The US highways here are all under construction and in terrible shape with everyone driving 80mph+ like bats out of hell and that is the majority of the driving that people do here. Just to go to the market, schools, or anywhere else for that matter you have to get on the highway here.

Better city planning of course would reduce that, but I doubt I will see that happen in this area within my lifetime.

This is how I always see people driving around with them here:

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

They are practical. They are good cars for people that don't do long distances, and they are generally fuel efficient and cheap to run. They are manoeuvrable, which is good for countries that have more interesting road systems that were designed long before vehicles were around, so you can potter around country lanes knowing you aren't scraping both hedges.

Most people here just want a car that is practical for them, and if you don't drive very far and just want something to pop down the shops in then a hatchback is perfect. They are also great for new/young drivers who are trying to navigate the tight corners and compressed car parks for the first time. They are damn easy to park, and they are cheap.

Why is that an issue? No one is forcing you to buy one are they?

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

They are practical. They are good cars for people that don't do long distances, and they are generally fuel efficient and cheap to run. They are manoeuvrable, which is good for countries that have more interesting road systems that were designed long before vehicles were around, so you can potter around country lanes knowing you aren't scraping both hedges.

Most people here just want a car that is practical for them, and if you don't drive very far and just want something to pop down the shops in then a hatchback is perfect. They are damn easy to park, and they are cheap.

Why is that an issue? No one is forcing you to buy one are they?

Of course no one is forcing me to buy one! I am just curious as to why they are increasing in numbers again. I do have to look at them though. It sort of comes with the territory of driving

and.. Of course they still are not more popular than Muscle cars, SUV's, Trucks or vans around here, just found it odd that they were increasing in numbers when they are dragging an arse that looks like that around.

 

[nickpy]

Here in the UK hatchbacks are the most common type of private vehicle to see on the road, and have been for as long as I can remember. Infact, some brits, myself included, hold the trend of increasing Minivan/SUV usage in disdain.

So, it seems that the US is getting more hatchbacks whilst the UK is getting more SUVs..... Perhaps people who need Hatchbacks/SUVs who previously never considered them as they're rare in the relevant country, are now discovering them and buying what they need, rather than what's most common?

(for the record I own neither)

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

Here in the UK hatchbacks are the most common type of private vehicle to see on the road, and have been for as long as I can remember. Infact, some brits, myself included, hold the trend of increasing Minivan/SUV usage in disdain.

So, it seems that the US is getting more hatchbacks whilst the UK is getting more SUVs..... Perhaps people who need Hatchbacks/SUVs who previously never considered them as they're rare in the relevant country, are now discovering them and buying what they need, rather than what's most common?

(for the record I own neither)

The US is getting more SUVS as well, just noticing the hatchbacks increasing as well, not anywhere near as much as SUV's but still enough for me to be bewildered that people are actually buying them.

From what I can tell though, the UK hatchbacks tend to be smaller than most of the ones I see here in the US.

 

[Baffle]

I like the higher seating position that comes with SUVs, which is why I got one when I had to change car (my last car was a Tiburon/Coupe, which is completely inappropriate for a larger dog). You can see further and are generally a bit safer in the event of a crash (you're above the height of the impact). I'd quite like to see more options for that higher seat without the seemingly obligatory four-wheel drive, which I'm fairly sure I'm never going to need.

 

[nickpy]

Well, as other people have said, for most practical day-to-day purposes a hatchback is fine. In the UK at least, the primary functions of a car are: drive to work, take kids to school, transport shopping home from the supermarket. For all those purposes it works just fine. The cars are cheap and relatively economical. Consequently, for most people, they're the most obvious choice to buy unless they have some specific and unusual need or are petrol-heads. On the rare occasions that hatchback owners need something larger, you can rent a van easily.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

I like the higher seating position that comes with SUVs, which is why I got one when I had to change car (my last car was a Tiburon/Coupe, which is completely inappropriate for a larger dog). You can see further and are generally a bit safer in the event of a crash (you're above the height of the impact). I'd quite like to see more options for that higher seat without the seemingly obligatory four-wheel drive, which I'm fairly sure I'm never going to need.

Yea, the vans, trucks and SUVS all have that higher position but the Hatchbacks here seem to be just sedans with a bigger arse with no where to hide the bodies, You do need the four wheel drive here though. You never know when the highway is going to get shut down due to accidents and you have to go off road to get to the service road. Or where I happen to live in tornado alley, that you have to go off road to stay alive in the event a Tornado or 90mph straight winds we get here throws trees at your car while driving down the road and you have to go off road to avoid them. ALSO the MUD here can be ridiculous.

 

[09philj]

Hatchbacks are great. They're small, economical, and have plenty of room in the back for their size compared to a similarly sized saloon/sedan, allowing you to easily transport large pot plants without having to rent a transit van. People with kids and/or large amounts of luggage may find an LAV more practical, and those in rural areas will likely find the increased power and comfort of a 4x4 highly attractive, but for everyone else a hatchback is generally the best option.

 

[dscross]

What's your problem with hatchbacks? I own a Renault Clio and it's the perfect size and boot space if you don't have a family. It's also easy to park.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Yeah, pretty much everything has been said from a European/UK perspective. As a little runabout town they are very practical.

 

[Lil devils x_v1legacy]

What's your problem with hatchbacks? I own a Renault Clio and it's the perfect size and boot space if you don't have a family. It's also easy to park.

I am not talking about those, I am not even sure if they sell those in the US since I have never seen one here. I am talking about the "US hatchbacks" or aka Station wagons. They are not small, these are what I am talking about:

I am not talking about the small, European cars, this is what I am starting to see pop up and am curious why someone would choose that over the many other options. I am seeing this trend end with these things eventually being crushed as I cannot see this trend lasting that long.