Why Saloon cars? – I don’t get it

V Eight

I was driving a saloon car for the last two weeks and I really missed my normal estate car!
I don’t understand this countries obsession or desire to buy saloon cars.
Saloon cars are completely impractical and in Ireland they are over 30% of the market
Hatchbacks make sense at over 40% with Estates however fewer than 10%.

In a saloon access to the boot is restricted
The designs of estates now look cool
You have no rear wiper in a saloon
In an estate you can fit bikes, kids stuff, golf bats etc.

In Europe estates are common – maybe were not really Europeans after all and to prove this we buy saloons.

Why the fe*k buy a saloon?

EPM

I read something about this not so long ago, it was the MD of one of the big makers being interviewed. He basically said that developing markets prefer saloon type cars as they look more substantial and to many have a better image than the equivalent hatch. It was certainly the case here up until recently where the saloon was the default choice. We were the only RHD market getting Corolla saloons for example.

johnos1984

Because I like them and don't have kids which influence what I buy.

In fairness the same argument could be made about estate cars vs 2 sweater convertibles

PaulKK

V Eight wrote: »

I don’t understand this countries obsession or desire to buy saloon cars.
Saloon cars are completely impractical and in Ireland they are over 30% of the market

How are they impractical? You can carry nearly anything you need for day to day stuff and quite a few can fold down seats for carrying larger items.

V Eight wrote: »

In a saloon access to the boot is restricted
The designs of estates now look cool

Its not that restricted, depends what you need to carry. I also think most estates look crap.

V Eight wrote: »

You have no rear wiper in a saloon
In an estate you can fit bikes, kids stuff, golf bats etc.

You don't need a rear wiper on a saloon, that's why you don't get one, I can also fit golf clubs and stuff in my saloon no problem.


TBH, you obviously sound like you need an estate for carrying stuff around all the time. But the majority of people do not need to carry large loads regularly, and this, along with a lot of estates looking horrendus, is why estates are not popular here.

CiniO

Through all car which I had so far (there was more that 10) all were hatchbacks.
Only my last one is saloon. It looks good, is OK for everyday use, but even though it's a quite big saloon (mazda 6) when I wanted to transport a washing machine, I had to borrow my dad's opel corsa hatchback as it didn't fit my mazda, but easily fitted his corsa.

PS - I think personally that most estates looks ugly.

For example this one:

corktina

Right back at you....


if you don't habitually carry piles of stuff around with you, why would you need a hatchback

E39MSport

V Eight wrote: »

I was driving a saloon car for the last two weeks and I really missed my normal estate car!
I don’t understand this countries obsession or desire to buy saloon cars.
Saloon cars are completely impractical and in Ireland they are over 30% of the market
Hatchbacks make sense at over 40% with Estates however fewer than 10%.

In a saloon access to the boot is restricted
The designs of estates now look cool
You have no rear wiper in a saloon
In an estate you can fit bikes, kids stuff, golf bats etc.

In Europe estates are common – maybe were not really Europeans after all and to prove this we buy saloons.

Why the fe*k buy a saloon?

Surprised I got as far as the second statement.

When one reads such statements it makes responding a waste of life. Give me these minutes back please.

BTW, have you seen a Saloon Octavia?

R.O.R

E39MSport wrote: »

BTW, have you seen a Saloon Octavia?

They make an Octavia Saloon now???????

MugMugs

Impractical? I used to fit a kayak INTO a Saloon Passat.... I've a hatchback now but had no issues fitting my abundance of gear into my Passat. As for the washing machine / large tv test.... I've got roof racks.

pburns

• The are usually stiffer than saloon/estate countrpart (better for handling, rigidity)
• You can store stuff in a sepwerate compartment withot smell wafting into the cabin (I usually put take-aways in the boot).
• Less space for cabin noise to reverberate around
• You don't look like you have 12 childers to cart around :pac:
• Actually, I have nothing against most estates or hatches and don't care much either way! Think the OP is a bit OTT in diss them tho.

What I hate are small saloons - Astra, Focus, Jetta, Mazda3 and most of all the Flatulence. They are Paddy-specials for culchies who can't stretch to a Passat. The 'developing country' thing really rings through...

Actually, what I also hate are stupid/cost-cutting manufacturers who don't put a 60/40 split in their Paddy-spec saloons:mad:!

ThisRegard

CiniO wrote: »

PS - I think personally that most estates looks ugly.

For example this one:

Why post a picture of a fairly old model ? Here's the latest one

smash

That's the thing about choice isn't it... I'd NEVER buy an estate.

Paparazzo

Simple really. Lots of people don't have young kids. Lots of people don't have golf clubs.

MugMugs

I'm male, no kids and hate VAG cars and this in MY OPINION is the best looking estate on the road right now.

mike65

Estate cars have never been big sellers in Ireland, small saloons have always done well in Ireland. Just one of those weird things.

ronan45

I assumed Estate cars where more expensive than saloon cars as they were bigger

ShadowHearth

Back from where I came everyone prefers estates over saloons. You newer know what will you need to transport so it always better to be prepared.
In ireland estates are really rare cars! In Irish defence I will say: most older estates look like crap! Only lately estates look really great and even better then saloons, new Superb for example.

I am not sure, but I hear that estate versions have worse sound isolation too.

mike65

Well estates take longer to warm up inside and they are noisier as the back end traditionally lacked a high level of trim/insulation (modern ones may well be better), they also might suggest you are a farmer.

CiniO

ThisRegard wrote: »

Why post a picture of a fairly old model ? Here's the latest one

Because I wanted to show something really ugly :P

Big Nasty

Maybe I should get me one of these to cover all bases? Can handle any terrain and also cope with the wifes trips to Ikea!:D

BostonB

Saloons look better. Thats really it I'm guessing.

I assume they are also cheaper. Probably more aerodynamic and lighter too.

Of course if you want practicality, many car based MPV's are much more practical than estates.

Big Nasty

All joking aside it's down to a combination of personal taste and what you need from a car.

I drove nothing but coupes for years just because I liked them. Feel I've grown out of them a little and have been driving saloon barges the last couple of years. Recently married, have no kids yet, rarely haul a lot around so a coupe or a two-seater would do the job just as well but I couldn't see myself in something like that as a daily.

The only estates I like are BMW's and Audi's. In fact I think Audi A4/6 Avants look better than the saloon models.

sean1141

V Eight wrote: »

The designs of estates now look cool

maybe in your opinion. in mine they all look crap. the only estate ill ever be seen dead in is a hearse:D

V Eight wrote: »

You have no rear wiper in a saloon

some saloons do have them do they are few and far between, didnt some nissan primearas have them

V Eight wrote: »

In an estate you can fit bikes, kids stuff, golf bats etc.

most people dont need to fit all this kinda stuff in their cars do

ThisRegard wrote: »

Why post a picture of a fairly old model ? Here's the latest one

god thats even more hidious than the older one

R.O.R

There has been a substantial shift away from Saloons to Hatches (well, at least with company cars) in the last few years. It always used to be Saloon's for everything with the odd hatch thrown in, and very occasionally an estate for the service engineers who had to carry the big stuff.

Of the Insignia's I've ordered this year:
11% are 4 door Saloons
61% are 5 door Hatchs
28% are Estates

Of the Mondeo's I've ordered this year:
11% are 4 door Saloons
44.5% are 5 door Hatchs
44.5% are Estates

Hopefully, we'll continue to see the growth of Estate's - more choice for Mrs. R.O.R when they come back :-)

BostonB

MCMLXXV wrote: »

...
The only estates I like are BMW's and Audi's. In fact I think Audi A4/6 Avants look better than the saloon models.

A neighbour couldn't get a piece of furniture into their A4 avant. It fit no problem in the wifes K11 Micra.

That said I think the Avants look greate. RS2 anyone? Friend has the E60 520d estate, lovely car.

RobAMerc

in Europe the %age of estates is much higher than here in Ireland and in UK the hatches outsell the saloon variants considerably where available ( Mondeo for example ) compared to here - its all just a matter of taste.

I've recently spent a few days in Southern German and was wondering if they even know the saloon A6 exists ( have to admit I wouldn't have one ).

no1beemerfan

I have two older cars that are saloons/coupe (an E28 and E30) and I drive a hatchback (Laguna) as my daily and I can say the hatch is 100 times more practical and I doubt I'd have a saloon as a daily. (Unless it was a BMW E65 7 series!)

V Eight

V Eight wrote: »

I was driving a saloon car for the last two weeks and I really missed my normal estate car!
I don’t understand this countries obsession or desire to buy saloon cars.
Saloon cars are completely impractical and in Ireland they are over 30% of the market
Hatchbacks make sense at over 40% with Estates however fewer than 10%.

In a saloon access to the boot is restricted
The designs of estates now look cool
You have no rear wiper in a saloon
In an estate you can fit bikes, kids stuff, golf bats etc.

In Europe estates are common – maybe were not really Europeans after all and to prove this we buy saloons.

Why the fe*k buy a saloon?

I have no need for an estate, "Golf bats" fit fin a saloon btw so too kids stuff, most folk don't carry bikes around, those who do often use bike racks.

With a saloon one doesn't need a rear windscreen wiper

Why the f*ck buy an estate?

I had an estate in the last two years too btw.

BostonB

I put the kids bike inside. But I've a MPV and no bike rack

dgt

Space problems, hauling stuff about? Get a van

Use the saloon for fun stuff

I had only one estate which wasn't an estate as such (Imprezza SW) it looked better than the saloon imo. Thats just me though.

Generally I prefer saloons though, prefably big saloons :pac:

Gophur

pburns wrote: »

...........
........ They are Paddy-specials for culchies who can't stretch to a Passat.

.........

Couldn't you come up with any better put-downs than that?

pburns wrote: »

.....................
Actually, what I also hate are stupid/cost-cutting manufacturers who don't put a 60/40 split in their Paddy-spec saloons:mad:!

I think you "hate" too many things. You need to chill, a bit.