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      11-08-2012, 07:05 AM   #22
Asbjorn
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Quote:
Originally Posted by research View Post
typically a diesel estate is for families, a petrol sedan is for single men driving about.

Problem with family estates is that for a little bit more you can get a cross over SUV thing which, if looks good, is a better and safer proposition for a family guy (sit higher up, etc). Plus you more often get the awd option on them, which again in cold climates is a plus.
I like diesel estates (sports wagons) because they are more economical in terms of tax and mpg. You loose the off-road capabilities, but instead get less drag, weight and so which improves mpg. Loosing the all wheel drive also improves mpg. Anything that worsens mpg is bad when fuel prices are almost twice those in the US/China.

And why not get the estate? The sedan is already a 4 door and not exactly a single-seat race car anyway. Even the coupe versions weigh almost the same, and handling differences shouldn't be that major. I think the BMW estates look very very good, and for any young single man, looking like a "family-type" is actually not a bad thing!

Many males naturally buy cars that other males like. Then later they do not understand why they only get admiration from this group of people...

I think many girls like SUVs because they are bigger. They feel they are safer and easier to drive. But while a bigger car may look safer, if you think about it, it will be harder to stop and easier to roll if involved in a motorway accident. Anyhow in countries like the US and China, where fuel is cheaper, and bigger is just sometimes better, SUVs are preferred over estates. This "bigger is better", I guess, also explains why the 6-series is larger than the 3-series coupe. There is an image attached driving bigger cars of the same brand... Even if it offers little sense, from an engineering point of view, people just like to pay for this. This is probably also why BMWs always grow a little in size with each generation.

Last edited by Asbjorn; 11-08-2012 at 10:00 AM..
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