For example, you can option an econobox like a GTI up to $31,000....maybe even more. At that price, even if it is still an economy car at its core, can you still call it an econobox?
Is An Econobox Still An Econobox If Its Expensive?
ChillOutPossum
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Hmmmm...Maybe but an econobox isn't what it used to be.
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Oh yay, another semantics thread. :facepalm:
An econobox is an econobox is an econobox. GTIs, Rs, RSes, STes. All econoboxes with better stuff in them.
Are they bad econoboxes? No, they are very good. Still econoboxes.
For the record, I think the GTI (and by extension the R) is one of the finest of the econoboxes.
An econobox is an econobox is an econobox. GTIs, Rs, RSes, STes. All econoboxes with better stuff in them.
Are they bad econoboxes? No, they are very good. Still econoboxes.
For the record, I think the GTI (and by extension the R) is one of the finest of the econoboxes.
So what about a $27k golf?
The "Quebec special" version of many small cars are econoboxes. Nothing but the basics. Manual transmission, no A/C, crank windows.
An econobox fails to be an econobox if it doesn't have the "econo" check box filled in. If it's expensive, it ain't "econo" any more. A GTI is not an econobox.
An econobox fails to be an econobox if it doesn't have the "econo" check box filled in. If it's expensive, it ain't "econo" any more. A GTI is not an econobox.
This thread is ultimately just going to lead to the eventual difference of opinion that always happens on TCL. If a car was designed with economy in mind, it will be economy. Unless someone takes a Golf, rebuilds the **** out of it, and makes it more expensive than it is, it is still an econobox. The only car that comes to mind right now that was actually built this way was the E46 M3, and that wasn't even an econobox to begin with.
I've been asking myself the same thing about my Mk7 SEL. A smidge under $30k MSRP, nicer than anything I've seen at the same price point, and most of the stuff that's $5k more, but you can buy the same car in legitimate poverty spec for under $18k and you'd feel more pampered in the Fiesta at the same price.
In my mind being a compact doesn't automatically make a car an econobox, the days of everyone wanting huge cars and compacts being for those who can't afford one are long gone. An econobox is what you end up driving if your primary concern is monthly payments and you'd rather save money for ketchup to go with your lentils than fork out tens of dollars on fatcat extravagances like electric windows, air conditioning, and tape decks. But just as a manufacturer can strip a base model down to within an inch of road-worthiness, so can they load a top trim model of the same car well past the point of respectability.
I think this thread is asking for your participation in order to do that.
Though I think, in this day and age, so many manufaturer's offerings have gone so much further upscale, that it is hard to make such a claim anymore. Dacia's? Yes, definitely. Golf's? I mean even the base versions now have decent interior materials, equipement, and a supple ride. I wouldn't even call it an econobox anymore.
When I was a kid, I drove Honda Civic's with no airconditioners, a blank for where the stereo should be, side mirror (notice the singular) was manually operated from the outside, and power windows were only a distant dream. Those were econoboxes IMO. Mk7 Golf? Luxury.
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The way I see it is as follows...
Economy & first class are all on the same plane right?
A Golf is an economy car but a GTI or Golf R are paying a premium for additional content.
Economy & first class are all on the same plane right?
A Golf is an economy car but a GTI or Golf R are paying a premium for additional content.
In that case.. practically nothing sold here is an econobox. Everything has A/C and power windows these days. What kind of madman buys a new car with wind-up windows? :screwy:
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While it's no car, the very creator of this thread bought a new truck with hand crank windows. :laugh:In that case.. practically nothing sold here is an econobox. Everything has A/C and power windows these days. What kind of madman buys a new car with wind-up windows? :screwy:
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In America, hatchbacks and small cars are econoboxes.
Unless you add some chrome.
Serious.
Unless you add some chrome.
Serious.
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Yeah and it's generally for a penalty car. Even the Mirage doesn't qualify except in base trim. The optioned up Mirage has all kinds of luxury features that you would have paid big money for a decade ago and possibly still not had, such as Android Auto / Apple Carplay, which simply didn't even exist as options years ago. When I think of econobox, it's the base Mirage, base Versa, and maybe base Spark that still qualify. Just about everything else actually has meaningful features even in the base model, like cruise control, power windows, keyless entry, and so on.
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The $27k Elantra rides/drives like the base Elantra.
2014 Mazda3 Sport 2.0 6MT / 2001 Mazda Miata 1.8 6MT
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100% Even a base mk7 Golf is great to drive, and isn't that terribly cheap.
I'll play.
I think mine counts as an econobox. It's a 2015 Dodge Dart. But one tarted up with features like: Rain sensing wipers, HID's, heated steering wheel, backup camera, Nav, lane departure warning, remote start, etc.
So it may have a few luxury features, but I'm sure if you ask anyone around, it's still going to be considered an econobox.
Joe C.
I think mine counts as an econobox. It's a 2015 Dodge Dart. But one tarted up with features like: Rain sensing wipers, HID's, heated steering wheel, backup camera, Nav, lane departure warning, remote start, etc.
So it may have a few luxury features, but I'm sure if you ask anyone around, it's still going to be considered an econobox.
Joe C.
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