mmarshall

Well, as I see it, three things. First, I never said it did. Second, here in Car Chat, we aren't just a bunch of economists or business/market analysts that talk statistics (although that's part of it), but also vehicle-buffs, and can, and do, talk about vehicles on a personal and/or emotional level. I fell in love with cars (although not with aggressive driving) as a teenager, and never lost it. Third, AS car-buffs, other people often come to us for advice, and what we tell them often helps them with their own buying decisions.

Can't say that I disagree. But, even aside from the exclusivity-part of it, you are also fortunate to still have two good knees (mine are fair at best), and (apparently) driving conditions that are better-suited to a traditional three-pedal manual than the rush-hour gridlock here in the D.C. area, although I'm not sure just how close you are to Chicago, which can also be a driving mess.

geko29

We all make the best of whatever our own personal circumstances are. My knees are decent, my ankles less so, but life is what it is. Literally yesterday I had a medical procedure that in and of itself was a non-event (15 minutes total, no findings). But it required 2.5 hours of "recovery" lying on my back, which I've now catalogued as the third most painful experience of my life. It falls right in between an open fracture of my femur (worse) and cutting off the end of my index finger (better). For someone without a prior back injury, it would have been a non-event. A couple of hours of boredom, quickly forgotten. There were literally pools of tears inside each of my ears when I was finally allowed to sit up. It's now 36 hours later and my back still hurts. We all have to work within our own envelope.

I'm about 35 miles outside the city, and would choose a different car if driving downtown. Not so much because of the clutch as because I refuse to run a front plate. That is not a problem in the suburbs, but in the city is as close as you can get to being a primary violation without actually being one. So next month when I'm meeting a vendor downtown I'll take my wife or son's car for that reason.

mmarshall

Sorry to hear that. Hope you recover adequately and as painlessly as possible. I can sympathize with you....in the last several years, I've been no stranger to health-issues myself. It's one reason why I don't so as many reviews any more.

Yeah.....Chicago and D.C., depending on the source of the stastistics, typically run second or third-place to Southern California for the worst traffic in the U.S.

FrankReynoldsCPA

I've long understood WHY people choose crossovers over sedans and think that the Big 3 saw that change coming and played to their strengths, while Toyota and Honda saw enough remaining demand to make it worth keeping their sedans on the market for the time being. The aggregate demand for sedans contracted, the players who struggled the most to make them profitably exited the segment, and the remaining players have been able to make it work, though not as well as in the past. Inevitably they will probably have to go to crossovers as well

I personally prefer a sedan, but i also own a truck to cover my cargo needs.

Lwerewolf

There's also wagons. Just saying.

LexBob2

Yeah, it's too bad that they just haven't gained any sales traction in the U.S. in recent years. In a lot of ways they offer the best of both worlds.

RNM GS3

I never liked SUVs until we got the X3 - always had sedans as family car.
The SUVs have improved dramatically over the years and most of them are now based on car platforms.

The SUV makes it much easier to get in and out - starting to feel this as i get older lol. It makes a HUGE difference putting small kids into car seats. When kids are older they can stand up and walk out of the car seat themselves which you can’t do in a sedan.

I considered getting the 5series again but the space advantages of SUV are too great. The performance SUVs like the M40i really don’t leave much desire to going back to a sedan.

I think sedans will need to become more niche in either uber luxury/comfort or performance in order to be desirable.

The current Legacy was just a poor effort and i’m sure Subaru already knew that it was not being renewed.

mmarshall

Well, consider that if it wasn't for the original Legacy wagon, the hugely-sucessful Outback wouldn't have existed. The Outback was basically a Legacy wagon with a jacked-up suspension and more body-trim-cladding on it.

bkowa092

All mediocre vehicles must come to an end.

mmarshall

First, what you call mediocre may not be what others do...opinions vary. When a vehicle that people still want is discontinued, the value of previously-owned ones goes up, particularly if they have been well-maintained. Classic examples of that was when GM dropped the full-size, V8, body-on-frame sedans/wagons after 1996, to convert the Arlington, TX plant to truck/SUV production, and when Ford, some years later, dropped the similar Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car. The values of used ones shot up, and remained high for years. Taxi companies and law-enforcement were especially angry, as the Crown Vic had been their staple for years....some police departments are still grumbling about that decision, years later.

SW17LS

I think most people would call the Legacy sedan mediocre. Which is why nobody bought it. Which is why they cancelled it.

Again, it’s.a.business.

Carfan94

Meanwhile the Malibu stays in production.

mmarshall

It actually sold decently until the Outback came along. The Legacy, which spawned the Outback, was essentially a victim of its own success...the Outback was an even better idea, and was exactly what the public wanted.

peteharvey

What a pity.
I really liked the way the Legacy sedan was 59" tall, upright and spacious with a whopping 105 & 15 cubic feet - sort of like 2012-17 Camry with 103 & 15 cu ft respectively, when other sedans like 2018-24 and 2025-onwards Camry only 100 & 14 cu ft, and current E Class only 100 & 13 cu ft with its "pinched tail" - becoming low, coupe-like, and squeezy inside.

SW17LS

“The Outback came along” 30 years ago…hardly the cause of its demise 30 years later.

All sedans sold much better 30 years ago. Sedans are just a shrinking market and each year more and more sedan buyers stop buying sedans and buy SUVs. So every year more and more sedans will rightfully be cancelled.