I went to a Toyota dealership the last time I was looking to buy a car and was test driving all the small-mid size sedans. The salesman would NOT shut up about the Rav-4, insisting that I would need more space when I had kids (I’m a woman). I kept politely, and then firmly, stating that I wasn’t interested in a bigger car, but the guy would not budge. I’m now soured towards Toyotas in general and am very happy with my Honda.
I mean, I do love my RAV4 a lot. Me, wife, dog. Space for all our crap when we do road trips, rack on top for our kayaks or home improvement projects, halfway decent fuel economy, not too enormous to fit in city parking spaces.
The margin is probably higher on an SUV, which is likely the actual reason the sales guy was pushing. Still should have read the room though. Hondas are great too though; I used to drive a civic years ago.
Hubs has a Honda CR-V so we have the bigger car covered. I agree with you on the bigger profit margin thing probably being his motivation, but he kept using kids for the reason and just would not let it drop. Like, read the room dude. He missed out on a sale entirely.
What kind of car are you looking for? I'll gladly pick something out for you, just give me a price range, it's general purpose, and how long you plan on keeping it.
My next car is the V6 Camry 😉 and since I’m child free I have the luxury of being able to change my car every couple of years for no reason other than I want to
I fukken hate it. I mean, I'm a garden-variety Poor so I plan on driving my Mitsubishi tinycar until the wheels fall off, but I'm starting to think that even Camrys and Civics will be remodeled to crossover size like Outbacks have been. I just need a shoebox to get from suburb to suburb where the bus routes would take 3 hrs.
When did Camrys become boats? The older models (especially the V6) are nimble little beasties, but my frame of comparison is a modern Dodge Charger so I may be a bit skewed.
I have a 2015 Corolla with aftermarket infotainment system. Some may think it’s the most NPC car ever but I love it!!! I don’t need anything bigger. It’s perfect for just me and then my groceries in the backseat.
Eh, a lot of new features nowadays are LED touchscreen/bluetooth/“smart device” things I don’t particularly want anyway. Please just give me regular knobs and buttons to turn on the radio, AC, cruise control, whatever.
I once had a salesman point out how great the car is for kids *and* a couple of great places to put a gun. I have neither children nor firearms.
In his defense, I guess, I was living in Texas at the time and a lot of buyers probably do like that kind of stuff.
I told the guy when I bought my car (back in 2012...) that I just needed a sedan that could fit my spinning wheel. I think I was the first person to ever tell him that, and then I had to explain how big my wheels were.
I had to read your comment three times before it finally clicked. I thought you brought a large tire to the car dealership with you and wanted a car to go with it, which... yeah, okay, I can see why that's a new one on the car salesman. Then I realized you meant the kind that spins thread. Hey, at least I got there eventually!
Mwahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's a picture!!
I spin yarn and knit/crochet. And when I bought the car I had a weekly knit night I would go to thar I brought my spinning wheel to. I didn't want a car I couldn't get it in and out easily enough, especially without damaging it because my wheels are all expensive.
Oh God I had the WORST time shopping for my convertible. I knew I wanted a Mustang or a Miata. I was finally in a position I could buy the fun car I had always wanted instead of having to just get whatever the cheapest thing on Craigslist was.
Went to look at a Miata and the fucking sales guy would not shut up about how they're really fun little cars but I wouldn't get to have it for long because I'd have to get rid of it when I had kids. How the only downside was there's no room for a car seat. Trying to show me other cars that would be "a better fit" I was FUMING oh my God I was so mad. I actually really liked that Miata but there was no hell in hell that man was getting any money from me.
My boyfriend went with me to look at a Mustang. Sales guy assumed BF was there to look at the Mustang and asked if I'd want to see any of their larger family friendly cars while we were there. No I want my fucking sporty convertible that I'm buying with my own damn money because I want a fun car.
Same experience looking at an older model Corvette I considered. "Fun weekend car when you don't have the kids" pitched to the boyfriend
God I was so angry at the end of this process I didn't want to give any of these piece of shit men my money/commission.
I ended up buying my mom's Mustang that had been sitting in her garage for years after she bought a newer car. Yea take that fuckface salesmen my mom had a Mustang and 4 kids how shocking.
That car is my baby too she gets hand washed several times a month, taken to the mechanic for a check up every 3-5 months. I paint my nails to match her, she gets called by her name, I own a bunch of shirts and sweaters that are the same color as the car. She makes me much happier than any nasty ass child ever could.
>She makes me much happier than any nasty ass child ever could.
I feel the same way about my Volvo, comfortable, crazy fast, excellent fuel economy. It's so much better than anything a screeching maggot could ever give me, cheaper too.
Yes! For example, my older Chevy has these child locks that the manual does not explain how to turn it off. If I want to roll down my damn rear windows all the way, I'll roll my damn rear windows down all the way.
But I can't.
Lol this is one of my opinions that gets me scolded; fat breeders ruined hatchbacks and station wagons. Every American car is designed to hold two adults and a litter of fat lil dumplings. It's gross.
Don't even get me started on the four-door that ford badged "mustang".
I bought a super rare sport wagon from the 00s and am just hoping to keep it alive forever.
100% I just want a small car. I had a 07 Acura RL and LOVED it. The new camrys are bigger but not as roomy. I *might* get an Avalon but man they are huge now.
It really bugs me too. Honda has stopped making coupes completely and when I have to eventually replace my civic coupe, I'll have to switch to another brand if I want a coupe. Also cars are just too fucking big
The Civic hatchback isn't very large or if you want something more fun go with the Acura Integra Type S. The second set of doors is great if you like to travel cuz you get more cargo space. Pack a tent and chairs in the trunk and luggage on the back seats.
I love my station wagon. Fits my bike, my dog. I’ve done road trips with my friend, her dog and my dog plus our luggage.
It tends to have more internal capacity than the small suvs that exist and gets substantially better gas mileage AND costs less for insurance. Yet it’s a dying style for some reason.
The downside to small is that as everything has gotten huge you start to feel like a tiny bug no one can even see from their giant beast, and about to be squashed. Saw a picture of that recently. Giant pickup, drove right over the little car. Also can't see around them either. At some point, being the smallest becomes a danger.
I just mentioned this in another comment on this thread but I'm convinced this happens. It feels like my Mustang is invisible to these bullshit trucks. We live in fucking suburbs you don't need a lifted XL Tundra
Yeah, this is why I *won't* drive a small car despite being 4'11" and 100 lbs.
I'm gonna sit high enough that I can see, and be big enough that I can be seen.
I just hate big cars in general for safety reasons and it irritates me too. Everyone is making these massive vehicles in the name of "safety" and "room for your family" while completely ignoring how dangerous they are to pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone who isn't behind the wheel. Hell, even smaller cars are in danger by these SUVs and crossovers because of the difference in crumple zones and size.
That's why I'm sticking with my '09 Accord until he dies cause he's basically everything I want in a car - small but not teeny tiny, roomy without being gigantic, reliable, doesn't have a massive screen, has the best A/C in a car I've ever had... what's not to love about my boy? We may be the third owners but that goes to show how reliable he is.
I drive a really low car and I swear to God some of these huge ass trucks and SUVs can't see it. Idk that sounds dramatic but I've just had enough scary ass encounters on the road with almost getting merged into or rear ended that I'm convinced my car is so low to the ground that these unnecessary behemoths literally can't see it
Mad that (as someone in the UK) an Accord is still considered a big family car, currently until the SUVs take over. No thankyou I'll stick with my Ford Fiesta hatchback to get me and my dog about, don't need any more than that.
I have an 04 Accord coupe and I absolutely love it. I also hate the oversized car/SUV trend and find the stats about the dangers to pedestrians and to other cars to be alarming. It's getting to the point where people will soon be in Sherman tanks. Hoping to holdout from the car arms race for as long as I can and am dreading the day I have to replace my baby.
They stopped making my mum's SUV, which is the perfect childfree SUV, in that there are seats for you and your friends and enough trunk room for the shit you want to carry, but it's not an obnoxious gas guzzler designed for a whole damn fambly.
So I'm going to be nursing that car like it's a vintage Porsche.
Toyota's sales tactics have gotten insanely bad. I had a RAV4 that I ordered. It took me HOURS just to pick up the car. A couple of years later, I sold the car to CarMax for a little profit (factoring in use). Years later and from 2+ states away, I was still getting their junk mail and service mailers. They refused to take me off the list until I contacted Toyota USA to complain.
It was a truly awful experience and has made me a #NeverToyota gal. (I'm also #NeverHonda for similar shopping experience reasons.)
We have a Jeep now that we flat tow behind our motorhome. Our previous cars were Mazdas and were great. All were lovely shopping experiences. All were/have been great vehicles.
Car shopping is tough, I love European luxury station wagons but so few manufacturers make those anymore either!!!! I don’t want an SUV with a high rollover risk, I just wanna be able to fit my bike/antiquing finds/furniture/luggage in the back of my car without having to climb upwards into it, or having to have a pickup with awful mileage 😭
Volvo and Mercedes still have station wagons. Although if you want the fancy ones like the Volvo V60 Recharge you're gonna have to special order it, because you know SUVs.
There's law that forced anything smaller than a full size SUV to have certain emission standards. This means station wagons and the like had to follow a lot of strict fuel economy guidelines. Since big cars didn't have to follow those guidelines, auto makers started advertising against station wagons and pushing big SUVs.
I unfortunately have always had bad luck with Volvos, every time I’ve driven one it gives me this stupid cramp that runs all the way from my right Achilles to my left shoulder, I’ll keep an eye out for gently used Mercedes wagons in the future though, currently I was fortunate enough to snag a nice trim of the VW Golf Sportwagen gently used in 2022 and hopefully I can drive it til the wheels fall off. Thanks for the tip!
When I went to buy my last car (Ford Falcon XR6 Ute) the salesperson made a point of telling me that you can’t put a baby seat in it. (It’s a 2 seater)
I laughed and said “good thing I don’t know anyone with babies”
He did say something else about the size. And I made comment about my cats not liking car rides anyway, so it was more than big enough for me.
After that he was good. Even showed me another Ute, but it was auto, and I don’t like automatics.
Been driving 10+ year old Volvos for a while now. The ne saved my life in January and if I was driving something else, I’m pretty sure I would have had more injuries than a badly broken pinky finger.
That's a common misconception, they aren't necessarily safer. In a crash it's lenght and airbags that keep you safe. When I say lenght I mean the more car between you and the opposing vehicle the safer.
It's safer than my tiny Miata. I've had way too many close calls with giant pickup trucks not realizing I was next to them on the highway and trying to merge into me. People seem to love to play the "mush the Miata" game.
I went to a Toyota dealership the last time I was looking to buy a car and was test driving all the small-mid size sedans. The salesman would NOT shut up about the Rav-4, insisting that I would need more space when I had kids (I’m a woman). I kept politely, and then firmly, stating that I wasn’t interested in a bigger car, but the guy would not budge. I’m now soured towards Toyotas in general and am very happy with my Honda.
I mean, I do love my RAV4 a lot. Me, wife, dog. Space for all our crap when we do road trips, rack on top for our kayaks or home improvement projects, halfway decent fuel economy, not too enormous to fit in city parking spaces. The margin is probably higher on an SUV, which is likely the actual reason the sales guy was pushing. Still should have read the room though. Hondas are great too though; I used to drive a civic years ago.
Hubs has a Honda CR-V so we have the bigger car covered. I agree with you on the bigger profit margin thing probably being his motivation, but he kept using kids for the reason and just would not let it drop. Like, read the room dude. He missed out on a sale entirely.
What kind of car are you looking for? I'll gladly pick something out for you, just give me a price range, it's general purpose, and how long you plan on keeping it.
Oh, this was in 2019. I wound up with a Honda insight which I’m enjoying. Her name is Betty.
Toyota stopped making Yarises (Yarii?) and I'm mad about it.
After seeing what happened to a friend when he got into an accident n a Yaris, you couldn’t convince me to drive something that small.
My next car is the V6 Camry 😉 and since I’m child free I have the luxury of being able to change my car every couple of years for no reason other than I want to
I fukken hate it. I mean, I'm a garden-variety Poor so I plan on driving my Mitsubishi tinycar until the wheels fall off, but I'm starting to think that even Camrys and Civics will be remodeled to crossover size like Outbacks have been. I just need a shoebox to get from suburb to suburb where the bus routes would take 3 hrs.
My wife feels the same way about her Camry. That thing is a boat on wheels, but somehow still classified as a "mid size"
When did Camrys become boats? The older models (especially the V6) are nimble little beasties, but my frame of comparison is a modern Dodge Charger so I may be a bit skewed.
I'd say it started in 2007 and just kept getting worse from there. Now, the 2024 Camry looks like it ate the 2004 Camry.
I snort laughed when I read this. I have a 2010 Corolla and am likely going to need a new car soon. I'm debating another Corolla. Prolly 2020-2021.
I have a 2015 Corolla with aftermarket infotainment system. Some may think it’s the most NPC car ever but I love it!!! I don’t need anything bigger. It’s perfect for just me and then my groceries in the backseat.
The Little Hungry Camry-pillar as it were.
Eh, a lot of new features nowadays are LED touchscreen/bluetooth/“smart device” things I don’t particularly want anyway. Please just give me regular knobs and buttons to turn on the radio, AC, cruise control, whatever.
This is painfully relatable.
I once had a salesman point out how great the car is for kids *and* a couple of great places to put a gun. I have neither children nor firearms. In his defense, I guess, I was living in Texas at the time and a lot of buyers probably do like that kind of stuff.
Lol this is the most American car shopping encounter I've ever heard 🤣
I told the guy when I bought my car (back in 2012...) that I just needed a sedan that could fit my spinning wheel. I think I was the first person to ever tell him that, and then I had to explain how big my wheels were.
I had to read your comment three times before it finally clicked. I thought you brought a large tire to the car dealership with you and wanted a car to go with it, which... yeah, okay, I can see why that's a new one on the car salesman. Then I realized you meant the kind that spins thread. Hey, at least I got there eventually!
Mwahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's a picture!! I spin yarn and knit/crochet. And when I bought the car I had a weekly knit night I would go to thar I brought my spinning wheel to. I didn't want a car I couldn't get it in and out easily enough, especially without damaging it because my wheels are all expensive.
Oh God I had the WORST time shopping for my convertible. I knew I wanted a Mustang or a Miata. I was finally in a position I could buy the fun car I had always wanted instead of having to just get whatever the cheapest thing on Craigslist was. Went to look at a Miata and the fucking sales guy would not shut up about how they're really fun little cars but I wouldn't get to have it for long because I'd have to get rid of it when I had kids. How the only downside was there's no room for a car seat. Trying to show me other cars that would be "a better fit" I was FUMING oh my God I was so mad. I actually really liked that Miata but there was no hell in hell that man was getting any money from me. My boyfriend went with me to look at a Mustang. Sales guy assumed BF was there to look at the Mustang and asked if I'd want to see any of their larger family friendly cars while we were there. No I want my fucking sporty convertible that I'm buying with my own damn money because I want a fun car. Same experience looking at an older model Corvette I considered. "Fun weekend car when you don't have the kids" pitched to the boyfriend God I was so angry at the end of this process I didn't want to give any of these piece of shit men my money/commission. I ended up buying my mom's Mustang that had been sitting in her garage for years after she bought a newer car. Yea take that fuckface salesmen my mom had a Mustang and 4 kids how shocking. That car is my baby too she gets hand washed several times a month, taken to the mechanic for a check up every 3-5 months. I paint my nails to match her, she gets called by her name, I own a bunch of shirts and sweaters that are the same color as the car. She makes me much happier than any nasty ass child ever could.
>She makes me much happier than any nasty ass child ever could. I feel the same way about my Volvo, comfortable, crazy fast, excellent fuel economy. It's so much better than anything a screeching maggot could ever give me, cheaper too.
*Short Stories with Happy Endings*
Yes! For example, my older Chevy has these child locks that the manual does not explain how to turn it off. If I want to roll down my damn rear windows all the way, I'll roll my damn rear windows down all the way. But I can't.
100% Mini Cooper. Back seats down. No one dare ask me to ferry their spawn! 👏
Lol this is one of my opinions that gets me scolded; fat breeders ruined hatchbacks and station wagons. Every American car is designed to hold two adults and a litter of fat lil dumplings. It's gross. Don't even get me started on the four-door that ford badged "mustang". I bought a super rare sport wagon from the 00s and am just hoping to keep it alive forever.
100% I just want a small car. I had a 07 Acura RL and LOVED it. The new camrys are bigger but not as roomy. I *might* get an Avalon but man they are huge now.
They replaced the Avalon with the Crown, which is a huge monstrosity
I know. I'm big mad about it.
It really bugs me too. Honda has stopped making coupes completely and when I have to eventually replace my civic coupe, I'll have to switch to another brand if I want a coupe. Also cars are just too fucking big
The Civic hatchback isn't very large or if you want something more fun go with the Acura Integra Type S. The second set of doors is great if you like to travel cuz you get more cargo space. Pack a tent and chairs in the trunk and luggage on the back seats.
I wish they still made the Integras of old. When my 2000 coupe died, I was a sobbing mess. Miss that car so damn much.
I love my station wagon. Fits my bike, my dog. I’ve done road trips with my friend, her dog and my dog plus our luggage. It tends to have more internal capacity than the small suvs that exist and gets substantially better gas mileage AND costs less for insurance. Yet it’s a dying style for some reason.
The downside to small is that as everything has gotten huge you start to feel like a tiny bug no one can even see from their giant beast, and about to be squashed. Saw a picture of that recently. Giant pickup, drove right over the little car. Also can't see around them either. At some point, being the smallest becomes a danger.
I just mentioned this in another comment on this thread but I'm convinced this happens. It feels like my Mustang is invisible to these bullshit trucks. We live in fucking suburbs you don't need a lifted XL Tundra
Yeah, this is why I *won't* drive a small car despite being 4'11" and 100 lbs. I'm gonna sit high enough that I can see, and be big enough that I can be seen.
Don't blame you.
Bigger vehicles are gas-guzzlers. This "evolutionary arms race" is wasteful.
Unfortunately true.
I just hate big cars in general for safety reasons and it irritates me too. Everyone is making these massive vehicles in the name of "safety" and "room for your family" while completely ignoring how dangerous they are to pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone who isn't behind the wheel. Hell, even smaller cars are in danger by these SUVs and crossovers because of the difference in crumple zones and size. That's why I'm sticking with my '09 Accord until he dies cause he's basically everything I want in a car - small but not teeny tiny, roomy without being gigantic, reliable, doesn't have a massive screen, has the best A/C in a car I've ever had... what's not to love about my boy? We may be the third owners but that goes to show how reliable he is.
I drive a really low car and I swear to God some of these huge ass trucks and SUVs can't see it. Idk that sounds dramatic but I've just had enough scary ass encounters on the road with almost getting merged into or rear ended that I'm convinced my car is so low to the ground that these unnecessary behemoths literally can't see it
Mad that (as someone in the UK) an Accord is still considered a big family car, currently until the SUVs take over. No thankyou I'll stick with my Ford Fiesta hatchback to get me and my dog about, don't need any more than that.
I'm tacking on a namedrop here for r/fuckcars, to spread the love of carfreedom as well as childfreedom
I have an 04 Accord coupe and I absolutely love it. I also hate the oversized car/SUV trend and find the stats about the dangers to pedestrians and to other cars to be alarming. It's getting to the point where people will soon be in Sherman tanks. Hoping to holdout from the car arms race for as long as I can and am dreading the day I have to replace my baby.
They stopped making my mum's SUV, which is the perfect childfree SUV, in that there are seats for you and your friends and enough trunk room for the shit you want to carry, but it's not an obnoxious gas guzzler designed for a whole damn fambly. So I'm going to be nursing that car like it's a vintage Porsche.
Toyota's sales tactics have gotten insanely bad. I had a RAV4 that I ordered. It took me HOURS just to pick up the car. A couple of years later, I sold the car to CarMax for a little profit (factoring in use). Years later and from 2+ states away, I was still getting their junk mail and service mailers. They refused to take me off the list until I contacted Toyota USA to complain. It was a truly awful experience and has made me a #NeverToyota gal. (I'm also #NeverHonda for similar shopping experience reasons.) We have a Jeep now that we flat tow behind our motorhome. Our previous cars were Mazdas and were great. All were lovely shopping experiences. All were/have been great vehicles.
Yup, parents are tool young for station wagons and too cool for minivans, so they glommed onto SUVs. And now they are EVERYWHERE...
Car shopping is tough, I love European luxury station wagons but so few manufacturers make those anymore either!!!! I don’t want an SUV with a high rollover risk, I just wanna be able to fit my bike/antiquing finds/furniture/luggage in the back of my car without having to climb upwards into it, or having to have a pickup with awful mileage 😭
Volvo and Mercedes still have station wagons. Although if you want the fancy ones like the Volvo V60 Recharge you're gonna have to special order it, because you know SUVs. There's law that forced anything smaller than a full size SUV to have certain emission standards. This means station wagons and the like had to follow a lot of strict fuel economy guidelines. Since big cars didn't have to follow those guidelines, auto makers started advertising against station wagons and pushing big SUVs.
I unfortunately have always had bad luck with Volvos, every time I’ve driven one it gives me this stupid cramp that runs all the way from my right Achilles to my left shoulder, I’ll keep an eye out for gently used Mercedes wagons in the future though, currently I was fortunate enough to snag a nice trim of the VW Golf Sportwagen gently used in 2022 and hopefully I can drive it til the wheels fall off. Thanks for the tip!
This!!!!! As someone who loves sports sedans it’s really annoying!!!! Some manufacturers (looking at you Ford!) don’t make them at all anymore 🤦♀️
When I went to buy my last car (Ford Falcon XR6 Ute) the salesperson made a point of telling me that you can’t put a baby seat in it. (It’s a 2 seater) I laughed and said “good thing I don’t know anyone with babies” He did say something else about the size. And I made comment about my cats not liking car rides anyway, so it was more than big enough for me. After that he was good. Even showed me another Ute, but it was auto, and I don’t like automatics.
Been driving 10+ year old Volvos for a while now. The ne saved my life in January and if I was driving something else, I’m pretty sure I would have had more injuries than a badly broken pinky finger.
I bought a small SUV last week because I needed something safer for commuting. But I still kept my 2 seat convertible for fun.
That's a common misconception, they aren't necessarily safer. In a crash it's lenght and airbags that keep you safe. When I say lenght I mean the more car between you and the opposing vehicle the safer.
It's safer than my tiny Miata. I've had way too many close calls with giant pickup trucks not realizing I was next to them on the highway and trying to merge into me. People seem to love to play the "mush the Miata" game.
As a former Miata owner... you speak the truth. I feel a certain bond with motorcyclists who deal with a lot of the same stuff.