Saloon cars WHY?

K.C. Leblanc

K.C. Leblanc

K.C. Leblanc

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I've owned a VW Vento (Golf saloon) and I have Chysler Neon. I've also owned some hatches and an estate.

The Saloon is easily the least practical to live with and both times I bought saloons I've done so because they were dirt cheap.

So why are most quality cars saloon by default?
 
Less cabin noise, more rigidity, (some might argue) better looks.

Probably a whole list of other factors I've not thought of ;).
 
Saloon with thru load or fold down seats is very practical such as my mk2 mondeo, although my E36 wasn't as no thru load, less hastle when carrying passengers, most saloons are aimed at execs with families and co workers to ferry about hence 5 doors.
 
Because the people who can afford luxury cars tend not to need practicality. People who need practicality tend not to be able to afford the levels of luxury offered by saloons.

If you think this isn't true, go sell a posh hatchback. If you just want a luxury car with practicality, buy an estate version of a good saloon.
 
firefilesuk said:
Saloon with thru load or fold down seats is very practical such as my mk2 mondeo, although my E36 wasn't as no thru load, less hastle when carrying passengers, most saloons are aimed at execs with families and co workers to ferry about hence 5 doors.
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A 5 door saloon sounds very practical :p almost like a hatch. Saloons (or coupes) with fold down rear seats are ok but still not a patch on a hatch for fitting stuff in. I managed to get a fridge freezer in my 200sx but I did take the passenger seat out.
 
For me its a question of why not. There is a general perception amongst those who do not own or consider saloon cars that they are a 'practical' choice and are purchased for 'practical' reasons.

In reality, this is not the case. Infact a saloon car isn't very practical at all. Mine does not have folding seats and has a completely fixed rear parcel shelf. The boot is large but has a narrow opening - it's pretty much suitable for suitcases and holdalls and thats about it. It wont carry your new appliance home from the shop and neither will your new TV fit in, and you cant fold down the seats either. Pretty much every other bodyshell going is more practical - infact, in terms of carrying stuff around a Honda Integra is more practical.

The Saloon does, however, have other benefits. They are asthetically pleasing - a nice saloon looks good - and in the cabin the cabin noise is much quieter than that of the hatchback as usually the boot is sealed. The bodyshell is stiffer as well.

Personally I bought a saloon because I just like the whole saloon thing, really. I would be very, very reluctant to ever consider a hatchback, as I find them just massively compromised in the name of practicality.

This doesn't explain the existence of things like the Focus and Astra saloon which seem to be fundamentally pointless vehicles, which I guess explains why nobody buys them.
 
[TW]Fox;16539739 said:
Personally I bought a saloon because I just like the whole saloon thing, really. I would be very, very reluctant to ever consider a hatchback, as I find them just massively compromised in the name of practicality.
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This is the biggest issue for me with regards to the S3...I'm considering moving to one next year, but quite frankly, my eye is being caught by the likes of RS4's :p
 
I had a discussion with someone in a similar vein the other day except it was this:

Hatchbacks are pretty pointless.

People want the hatched back for extra loading space but I have never once in my life done a day-to-day task where I have NEEDED that facility from a hatchback. If I need the space in day-to-day I'll buy an estate or a van. Both of which have PROPER space.

I folded the seats in my Focus once, once in 5 years. Even if I did not have a hatch I could have had the works van in about 5 minutes for the job.

If a saloon is not practical then you simply bought the wrong car. I live with a 2 seater convertible and day to day I need space for luggage how often? Almost never. I can do a "big shop" with my boot.

For me hatchbacks sit in a void zone between saloons and estates/vans. I also find it pretty comical that for a benefit a hatchback supposedly brings it lives you in crap-alley in a low headroom situation. Let the boot hit whatever is above you, hold it with 1 hand and unload with another or play "find the strut middle-zone" so it holds open but does not keep opening. Pish!

There is only 1 reason to buy one - the car you WANT is only made in hatch form or you simply prefer the looks.
 
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I prefer Saloons, but for the last 5 years I've been moving a lot of my stuff around at least once every 6 months. Hiring a van for this at my age would be annoying if not impossible. This is why I have a hatchback now.

I start a new job later this year and I expect I'll be staying in the same house for a number of years. So the body type I want (Saloon) would be practical, so I've started saving and I'll either scoop up a bargain, maybe one that needs some needlessly scary work doing. Or I'll go car shopping after about 2 years with a budget of many £k.

So hatchbacks aren't pointless, I actually enjoy mine, but I'm certainly looking forward to owning a big car.
 
If you have a hatchback or estate, it ends up completely grafted because the missus always wants sizeable garden items from B&Q.

A two seater saloon or coupe on the other hand prevents you from having to play delivery driver, and getting child seats in is a mucking about so you can usually avoid taking the kids anywhere too, so you don't have footprints and sweet wrappers all over the leather.

Just make sure the missus has a little hatchback to tootle around in ;)
 
Sin_Chase said:
I had a discussion with someone in a similar vein the other day except it was this:

Hatchbacks are pretty pointless.

People want the hatched back for extra loading space but I have never once in my life done a day-to-day task where I have NEEDED that facility from a hatchback. If I need the space in day-to-day I'll buy an estate or a van. Both of which have PROPER space.

I folded the seats in my Focus once, once in 5 years. Even if I did not have a hatch I could have had the works van in about 5 minutes for the job.

If a saloon is not practical then you simply bought the wrong car. I live with a 2 seater convertible and day to day I need space for luggage how often? Almost never. I can do a "big shop" with my boot.

For me hatchbacks sit in a void zone between saloons and estates/vans. I also find it pretty comical that for a benefit a hatchback supposedly brings it lives you in crap-alley in a low headroom situation. Let the boot hit whatever is above you, hold it with 1 hand and unload with another or play "find the strut middle-zone" so it holds open but does not keep opening. Pish!

There is only 1 reason to buy one - the car you WANT is only made in hatch form or you simply prefer the looks.
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For you yes but theres plenty of people who its convenient to have that space when they need and actually use it and the extra seating when they don't. My mum for instance can put the seats down take a load of stuff to the rubbish dump, pickup a load of shopping on the way back, then put the seats back up and go pickup my cousins from school, etc.
 
I have dogs so a saloon doesn't work for me. I also like to be able to put a seat down and chuck my snowboards in the back. As such even small estates wouldn't work so I bought an E61. Got the niceties of a saloon but the practicalities are there without being a chelsea tractor. Personally i prefer the look to the e60 as the back is not bizarro.
 
Sin_Chase said:
I had a discussion with someone in a similar vein the other day except it was this:

Hatchbacks are pretty pointless.

People want the hatched back for extra loading space but I have never once in my life done a day-to-day task where I have NEEDED that facility from a hatchback. If I need the space in day-to-day I'll buy an estate or a van. Both of which have PROPER space.
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Estates are more usable in terms of space but they do compromise noise quite a bit. I considered one when I got my current Mondeo (my previous Mondeo was an estate) but decided against it due to the increased cabin noise. I didn't go for the saloon as I like to be able to put mountain bikes in the car (I hate bike racks) which isn't easy in a saloon. I can fit a couple in my 318is but it mean taking them apart where as in the Mondeo hatch I just drop the seats and throw them in.
 
Personally I prefer the looks of a estate than saloon in a lot of cases - e91 and a4 especially. But also the practicality does come in to it as I enjoy going camping a fair bit which I can imagine my 306 being better suited than fox's 530! The seats can fold flat giving one freakishly large space in the back for such a car.
 
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