Cars! They used to come in all shapes and sizes. They still do, kinda, but the US market has gotten very SUV-heavy of late. That sort of implies most people prefer a high-riding, chunky vehicle with a bulbous body shape. But this isn’t Autopian Assumes, it’s Autopian Asks! So I ask you: what is your favorite body style?
Once upon a time, there were a handful of clearly defined body styles for roadgoing vehicles. You had your four-door sedans, and you had wagons, which provided more cargo space in the back. Coupes cut the doors to two for a sportier style, while roadsters went further and chopped the top off. Then you had trucks and vans, which were their own sort of deal.
Today, it’s altogether more complex. Compacts came along and the hatchback was born. Then the 1980s was the sort of nascent era of the SUV craze, which took the industry by storm. Eventually, automakers realized the utilitarian part of these vehicles wasn’t actually that desirable. Customers just liked the high-seating position and the look of these vehicles, rather than caring about their off-road abilities. This led to the invention of the softer crossover style, which has created an odd sort of vehicle that’s almost trending back towards the traditional wagon body style.
Things get worse when you look at the premium market, which invented the four-door coupe in some kind of drug-fueled marketing meeting in the last ten years. Basically, to certain German automakers, coupe now means “swoopy roof curves down at the back” and not “two doors” anymore.
In any case, I know my preference: I’m a coupe and roadster driver. I like my cars light, limber, and nimble, and I rarely need to carry more than one passenger.
Sure, at times, I’ve appreciated the utility of larger cars when I’ve reviewed them, but it’s not something I seek in my daily life. Two doors for days, that’s what I say.
I’ve had plenty of other cars—multiple sedans, a compact crossover, and even a big Volvo wagon. But my favorites have always had two doors—the Mazda Miata, the Audi TT, and the Daihatsu Feroza. Roofless is always a bonus.
But what of you? Are you a wagonhead or a hatch obsessive? Or maybe you’re the one who convinced PR staff to brazenly lie that it was okay to say four-door cars were coupes? Either way, sound off below!
Longroof – I’d like to see a resurgence in wagons. Sedans are a runner-up.
Shooting brake.
But a classic 3-box sedan also makes me happy.
The classic 3 polygon, specifically: wedge, trapezoid, box.
See Z20 Soarer, R129 500SL AMG, R31 Skyline GTS-X, et al.
Bonus points for wraparound glass on the trailing end of the trapezoid.
All I want is a manual rear wheel drive hatch back.
Keep your eyes peeled on Craigslist/marketplace/etc. for an 88-89 Isuzu Impulse! Lotus tuned suspension, turbo engine, Giugiaro design, all on a RWD platform. The 2nd gen is a good looking car too, but it is FWD.
Probably easier to find a Fox body Mustang or 3rd-4th gen Camaro, though.
Volvo 340, BMW 3 series ‘compact’ e36 and e46. Not sure if those ever made it to the USA though!
In the US we got the e36 generation 318Ti, but not the e46, I’m fairly sure.
I like the ACTUAL SUV style. NOT the sloping back hatch of a crossover that takes away so much useful storage, headroom, dog space. I want the back of the vehicle and the roof to meet at as close to 90 degree angle as possible. This is max usable interior space. See almost every body on frame SUV from the 1935 suburban to todays’ Wrangler/Broncos.
So, wagons, hatchbacks, and (most of all) the shooting-brake are my favorite styles. After that is a regular cab/short box pickup style, in the vein of a nice classic ’68 C10 or Mazda REPU.
I am a sucker for pickup trucks and wagons.
Hatchbacks. Golf, Civic Hatch, Corolla Hatch, Micra, Focus, Fiesta
Hatchbacky-wagony-things (not full wagon): think Impreza/Crosstrek and old-Foresters
Small/mid wagons: Golf Wagon, Volvo’s many wagons, the old Mazda6 Wagon.
I might be convinced that a lowered CUV might fall into one of the above.
With Volvo and Audi trying to camouflage their wagons as CUVs I have actually been wondering how compromised a lowered CUV would be. My issue is that the roofs aren’t really long enough on the SUV and CUV options for my preferences – a lowered XC40 would make a pretty sweet hatchbacky-wagony-thing though!
The Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek, I think, are the closest I can think of blurring those lines masquerading as a CUV. If I could lower it to a normal car height, with less squishy suspension, I could probably drive one.
To look at? A two-door coupe.
To drive, a small cross-over/suv. Want to blame someone for my choice? Blame all the people who moved from their practical family sedan to a full-sized 4 door pick-up truck. I got tired of the headlights that were directly at my eye level blinding me at night and feeling like I moments away from being one of the crushed cars in a monster truck rally in multilane traffic.
I have a weakness for malaise era personal luxury (sport?) coupes. Give me your Thunderbirds, Monte Carlos, Grands Prix, Cutlasses, Cougars, Cordobas. These were still thick on the ground in my youth.
There is an unfortunate lack of Lincoln Continental Mark IV-V on your list. But at least you included the Cordoba, the car I took my driver’s test in.
I almost bought a used MKV about 10 years ago, part of me is still kicking myself (a ’77 with a 400). Had a ’78 LTDII coupe in high school, an ’88 Regal and a ’96 V8 Thunderbird as my coupes. I loved being able to just toss stuff on the backseat without opening another door. The Mark’s/Eldorado’s were in a different class of car than the others tbh.
I sometimes crave a 1st gen Monte Carlo.
Subcompact hatches, e.g. ’80s-sized, and wagons, e.g. squared-off ones like old Volvos as shown above, not swoopy modern ones.
Love my minivan. lots of room! for activities!
Activities?? Seriously I’ve rented Pacifica’s twice and they were divine for passenger hauling.
I like having something with four doors because I like being able to easily throw things in the back seat when I go to the store and only buy a couple of things.
Classic pickup truck. Regular cab or eighties style extended cab.
What happens if you combine a 2-door with a wagon? You get my personal all-time favorite car body ever. I want a 1964-5 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 2-door wagon.
That would be the esteemed shooting break.
Been a favorite of mine since the beginning. A true classic.
WA-GON
WA-GON
WA-GON
Compact or subcompact hatch or wagon. No lifted nonsense.
Four-door sedan. No awkward long doors to allow back-seat access. Better leg room in the back seat. A trunk that is sealed off from the interior that doesn’t display its contents to passers-by or allow items to intrude into the passenger compartment during emergency braking (but has fold-down rear seats to allow loading of large items when needed). A low center of gravity for better handling. Smaller frontal area for better efficiency. There is no better body style.
See I feel like a hatchback does all this just as well. I do not know the last time I saw a hatchback that didn’t come with the hard cover for the cargo area. The crossovers usually have a flimsy pull out thing, but hatchbacks have much sturdier ones that shield contents from prying eyes and keep it in the back in case of accident, but they also allow more space and space for taller items. I see no advantage to the sedan over the hatchback.
4 seat convertibles – Like the Bentley Continental, Maserati Gran Turismo, or the lovely 3 series convertible.
Coupe. With two doors, and a hatch at the back, like an RX7/E86 Z4/350Z/S12 Silvia/S13 200SX/T121 Europa/CRX.
I will, if I must because Toyota are arseholes, accept a coupe with a stupid boot/trunk like a GT86 or the first two generations of MR2. I know the MR2s have an engine in the middle, but so do the Cayman (the only car I’ve mentioned that I haven’t owned) and Europa, and they still have a nice big sloping glass hatch rather than all that flying buttress shit.
I’ll also accept a 2 door convertible if it’s available with a hard top and amazing to drive, like an MX5 and Elise, or disappointing to drive like the MRS I replaced the Elise with. But I am not happy about it, I like being in a car, I’ve got motorbikes for the joy of constant buffeting.
If I need more space than a coupe I’ll rent a van.
Ok that begs the question. Why did the MR-S replace the Elise? It seems like it would be a downgrade in every way except that you gained functional AC. When it came time to replace my Elise, I knew I couldn’t do another 2 seat sports car because it would suck in comparison so I went bigger.
I replaced the Elise with an MRS because I suddenly had 14 grand in my pocket and it was on sale three miles away for 1100.
I spent the rest of the money a couple of months later on my carefully researched GT86, which I utterly love (apart from having to post a bicycle into the back in little pieces through that tiny trunk door).
I ended up loaning the MRS out to a load of my friends, and they all loved it.
Oh ok that makes sense
2-Door coupes, especially pillar-less ones such as the Mercedes SEC/CL classes.
Good answer. I love the 2010-2015ish Benz E class coupes!
Convertible, but it’s not an option as an only vehicle for a family of 5, so there’s gotta be a wagon in there too. Minivan currently fills that role, but man I would love it to go away in favor of a V90!
Coupe!! (Including two door sedans)
I mean…its the wagon. Its always the wagon. I’m a big fan of the off-roady kind of wagon.
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