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We might discuss your question on our podcast. Yes, this means that we've run out of ideas for episodes and are too lazy to do research.
Edit: Thanks for the questions everyone. We didn't have time to answer all of them on the show but I'll try to answer all of them on here. The episode probably won't be out for over a month since we've got a backlog of editing to do.
How do we get US car makers to bring back "utes" and hatchbacks? I love my '03 baja and will run it until the wheels fall off but it's getting harder and harder to find a small AWD car with decent clearance and cargo space.
SUVs and trucks are more profitable to auto makers because they don't have to conform to the same emissions and fuel economy standards as regular cars
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
I thought americans loved utes? Really huge ones with no practical utility (as it were)?
In America we have lots of large full-frame pickup trucks, but very few small car-based pickups, which I think is what danoffs is looking for
I'm looking at the hilux workmate, but the second hand car market is fucked here. But we'd call both the little and big ones Ute's (trucks are like... lorries or tractor trailers)
I haven't heard "Ute" used much in America except to refer to the Native American tribe. I'm not sure what the official word for a car-based pickup would be, but colloquially people have used the suffix -amino as in the Chevrolet El Camino. So if someone chopped the roof off of a Volvo station wagon and made it into a pickup it would be a Volvamino.
That's kinda cute I guess. I feel like I hear Americans refer to them as trucks which doesn't feel right to me.
I want a Kei truck, which people wouldn't call a Ute here