Average Transaction Price Soaring

Quote: Pacomartin

I think that in the future car manufacturers are only going to sell two sizes of sedans. New sedans sales are dropping every year, and nobody seems to want the old subcompact or full size.

I can see that. Say size of 3-series and between the 5 and 7. There will remain a small market for sedans as some people need or want something more formal looking than an SUV. Subcompacts will probably merge with small SUVs, think a VW Golf but cranked up on its suspension a few inches.

I was curious when the last car with front bench seats was made.

As far as I can research, it the last car with a front bench seat option was the 2013 Impala.

Although I believe it’s still an option in some pickup trucks?

Quote: gamerfreak

As far as I can research, it the last car with a front bench seat option was the 2013 Impala. Although I believe it’s still an option in some pickup trucks?

Trucks and full size SUVs
Ford F-150
Ram 1500
GMC Sierra
GMC Yukon
Nissan Titan XD
GMC Yukon XL
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Suburban


With teens not going to movies and watching video in parked cars, the bench seat may make a comeback for kids to get close.

In the meantime the middle aged people are more concerned with a place to put their giant sodas.

Quote: gamerfreak

I was curious when the last car with front bench seats was made.

As far as I can research, it the last car with a front bench seat option was the 2013 Impala.

Although I believe it’s still an option in some pickup trucks?

What finally killed the front bench seat in cars is airbags. Way harder to make the passenger one work when you have to account for a possible third person there. In trucks you have them for work trucks where you often need the third seat.

Quote: AZDuffman

What finally killed the front bench seat in cars is airbags. Way harder to make the passenger one work when you have to account for a possible third person there. In trucks you have them for work trucks where you often need the third seat.

I have good childhood memories of both the front middle seat, and the rear facing seats in the trunk of station wagons.

Both seem really dangerous. Front middle seats always had lap belts and no airbag, which meant even a fender bender would crack your skull on the dash.

I’m not sure if the few station wagons left still have the rear facing 3rd row, but those seem dangerous too, even in minor rear end accidents.

Quote: Pacomartin

With teens not going to movies and watching video in parked cars, the bench seat may make a comeback for kids to get close.

In the meantime the middle aged people are more concerned with a place to put their giant sodas.

However gimmicky it may be, I think the fold down center “desk” in the F150 is pretty cool.

Speaking of car gimmicks, all of this reminds me of my grandparents late 80’s Chrysler New Yorker, which had computerized voice alerts.

https://youtu.be/aW9nmuTqIE0

Quote: gamerfreak

I’m not sure if the few station wagons left still have the rear facing 3rd row, but those seem dangerous too, even in minor rear end accidents.

When I was still in primary school, the family on the other side of our back fence had one of those. The kids would jockey to get the coveted rear facing seat. I don’t think anyone ever thought about any danger.

Years later I was driving my parents Corolla, was sitting at a light, and could see in the mirror, that a car coming up behind was going too fast to stop. That would be scary as hell seeing that while trapped in a rear facing seat. There was barely enough knee room for little kids to sit back there.

Quote: rxwine

I don’t think anyone ever thought about any danger.

It's difficult to believe how previous generations survived anything as everything was hazardous.

The Model T weighed about 1200 pounds when first produced. It had a 20-horsepower four-cylinder engine, topped out at 45 mph, had no gas gauge and sometimes had to back up hills.

Today we can purchase an Onward® 4 Passenger golf cart that weighs 1070 lbs for $10,673. It has a 13-horsepower motors, tops out at 19 mph .

Quote: gamerfreak

I have good childhood memories of both the front middle seat, and the rear facing seats in the trunk of station wagons.

Both seem really dangerous. Front middle seats always had lap belts and no airbag, which meant even a fender bender would crack your skull on the dash.

I’m not sure if the few station wagons left still have the rear facing 3rd row, but those seem dangerous too, even in minor rear end accidents.

I think wagons with jump seats have 2 facing seats if they have that feature. Ford used this, GM and Chrysler used the rear facing. As to safety it will depend on the type of accident.