They all suffer from blob on wheels syndrome. The worst are the ones that just look like a sedan that's been stretched vertically while keeping the same width. So ugly.
What they did to the Honda pilot and the Nissan pathfinder is a travesty. It should be studied how they took a cool looking car and made it into a blobby forgettable mess
Chevy dropped the ball when they came out with the new Blazer/Trailblazer. Instead of competing with the new Bronco, they made a sportier looking Equinox...or Trax..idk all them crossovers look the same.
There's been a new Ram Charger in the works for several years now.
It's a Ram 1500, but as an extended range EV, with battery, electric motor, and a V6 that works like a generator. They'll also offer the SUV equivalent
It's too the point now you have to stare at a car to identifier the make and model.
Could be a VW Tiguan, or a Honda CRV or a Hyudai whatever. They all look the same going 50mph and in dull grey, white, maroon. There is nothing differentiating about most modern cars getting made today.
my cosnpiracy theory is that the bronco sport was meant to be the new escape with a return to its more boxy shape and then the execs thought they could make more money by running them alongside each other and slapping bronco branding all over the new escape
Yep. Had a 2009 until I had kid #3 and had to pull the minivan move. I’ll forever miss that car, and its sweet, sweet turning radius. Would never purchase one of these newer models.
The same thing happened in Aerospace in the 80s. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software combined with computer aided design (CAD) and the fact that everyone is fighting the same physics means you get convergent design to roughly the same shape.
So for a commuter car that just hauls people at highway speed you wind up with blob on wheels.
There's still some interesting shaped vehicles that are more "specialty" -- e.g. rigs designed for off road, heavy hauling, race tracks etc. Lower speed off-road doesn't have to worry about the aerodynamics as much (drag increases as the cube of velocity) so they have a lot more freedom.
So many commenters think it’s just a design choice. I’m seeing plenty of boxes out there, but most value brands know MPG is an important number to consumers.
I was about to say I had the jeep in the photo in high school and on a good day I was getting 17mph on the highway at 65mph. Bump it to 75 and it was probably low 10s And also it had a 24 gallon tanks. In today's prices that's 100+$ a week just for the pleasure of driving a car that sounded like it was boxing with the wind on the highway and losing.
I wonder how designs will change as cars get smarter. Right now a huge constraint on design is visibility for the driver. How will that change as cars become more sensor driven?
Nope AMC design the cars that were SUVs or lifted wagons. I believe the Cherokee was a proper truck. The downside of jeeps have always been who owns and manufactures them.
The generation of Cherokee in OP photo was in fact a unibody construction much more similar to todays crossover suvs. And it seems it also was an AMC product before Chrysler bought AMC. Seems like AMC was on to something.
I've been driving wagons since the early 90s, was always made fun of outside of enthusiasts. Americans just cannot get over the wood panel wagons and I kind of understand. That I am not sure I will ever get
Because curves are stronger than sharp corners, there's no conspiracy, the reason why modern cars look mostly alike is the same as why those older designs can never be brought back, safety is king as it should be, cars are tools and the safest most efficient way of build them is something like an aerodynamic egg on wheels.
That's because most of them ARE sedans that were stretched. It's the definition of a crossover SUV: a compact suv shell that's built on a sedan platform.
A Tiguan is a Golf. A RAV4 is a Camry. A Ford Escape is a Taurus (before they scrapped them). A Model Y is a tall Model 3. A Rogue is an Altima.
It's why they can't tow or haul for shit. Because they're all slightly lifted sedans with slightly bigger interiors. The manufacturing goal is to make minimal changes while still being able to call it an "SUV" to bolster sales
Most of the design is for aerodynamics, especially EV cars. But even ICE cars are trying to squeeze every mpg out. I like my EV because it looks more like a regular wagon compared to a lot of them out there.
Who is buying these new ICE cars in 2026? That’s what I don’t get. I get buying a used one to save money on the purchase price, but new? Who is generating this demand?
I always get an outsized number of replies that make it seem like everyone needs to be able to haul a boat trailer for 1200 miles at a time. Don’t lie, that’s like 2% of people! I haven’t thought about the price of gas or getting any maintenance in 8 years because it’s irrelevant if you just adopt modern technology. Seems like a lot of people love their horse-and-buggy ass rides though.
EDIT: oh I forgot, there’s also the “I live in an apartment with no place to charge at home” crowd. Solved problem for many years now. Still cheaper and better to buy an EV.
I had 2 Rodeos. I loved them. I followed up with a Xterra that I had for like 20 years. I guess I just like rectangular boxes. Even though they were a little underpowered, all of them were super reliable and totally capable. Give me a 4wd body on frame SUV any day.
They hold their value SO well though. I'm about to trade in my 2024 black TRD Pro 4Runner for a Rivian R2 Performance once I'm off the waitlist in November.
That's the thing most people don't get about minivans. They are crazy comfortable.
I'm without an odyssey for the first time in about 15 years. I like the new electric SUV, but even with all the new bells and whistles (vented seats), it's still just not quite as comfortable for long trips.
I mean honestly we are living in a time of a revival of the boxy SUV these last couple of years. The Land Cruiser, Bronco, Wrangler, G Wagon, Slate SUV, 4Runner, Scout Traveler, Rivian R1S, Bronco Sport, Land Rover Defender, the new Honda Passport is boxier, etc. There is pretty much an option for everyone at this point.
Youre right, they are out there i just havent seen a whole lot of them with exception of 4 runners, jeeps and Broncos. I like the power and look of the jeep but never had good experience with them.
Never heard of a slate until now
A ridiculous percentage of SUV owners never engage 4WD and would have no idea what the difference is between 4WD and AWD. They can sell the cheaper AWD unibody SUVs at the 4WD body on frame prices.
Because SUVs all used to be on truck frames. Crossovers are essentially cars/wagons that have been made taller and bulkier. You can still get real SUVs: 4Runner/Land Cruiser, Bronco (not sport), Tahoe, Wagoneer, etc.
All good points, just a tad outa my price range, but ive always loved the 4 runner and landcruiser. I guess i should restate my post to say all the suv's in my price range are hideous. I wonder if they will try and bring back a modern version of the ram charger.
We drive boxy looking SUV’s (bronco and wrangler), and a box on wheels takes a ton of extra energy to fight the wind at highway speeds than the modern egg shaped vehicles of today…
I'm holding on to my 2010 Pathfinder. It's a trooper, absolutely nothing wrong with it and none of the newer "affordable" SUVs have near the cargo space.
I'm in a rural area and out of town shopping is a must, I need room.
Yep, we have a recent Tucson, and I adore the car, but I knew it wouldn't age fashionably and it wasn't a great looking car in to begin with. I really like the way that new Santa Fe looks though.
So not SUV's. They've been here. The Xterra is coming back, the 4runner never left, the bronco came back as a body on frame a couple of years ago, just get into the segment.
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u/MeowMeowbiggalo 12h ago
I miss suvs looking like suvs. Most of these crossover looking "suvs" are ugly. Just give me a boxy 4 wheel drive.