Coupe vs Sedan

[Soup DeVille]

When I was about 12-years-old, I hated anything with more than two doors. I also hated automatics, FWD, 4WD, AWD, tailpipes that were on the left side, instruments that weren't round, large steering wheel centers, low profile tires, all hubcaps, even numbers of lug nuts, light-bar grills on Mercurys, locking gas caps, tailight bars on Buicks, short shifters, anything that revved over 5,000rpm, Nissan, Toyota Celicas, orange interior lights, cloth upholstry, engines with Vee configurations, and hatchbacks.

You were a strange kid.

[Eye of the Tiger]

You were a strange kid.

I wanted a Kia Sportage so bad for some reason - that was back in October 1995, I think. I also wanted a Suzuki Esteem (no kidding), a Hyundai Accent, and a Saturn SL2.

[TheIntrepid]

I wanted a Kia Sportage so bad for some reason - that was back in October 1995, I think. I also wanted a Suzuki Esteem (no kidding), a Hyundai Accent, and a Saturn SL2.

I wanted a Honda Accord when the new one debuted in 1998, an Acura 2.2CL, and at some point in my life an Olds Intrigue.

[TBR]

When I was about 12-years-old, I hated anything with more than two doors. I also hated automatics, FWD, 4WD, AWD, tailpipes that were on the left side, instruments that weren't round, large steering wheel centers, low profile tires, all hubcaps, even numbers of lug nuts, light-bar grills on Mercurys, locking gas caps, tailight bars on Buicks, short shifters, anything that revved over 5,000rpm, Nissan, Toyota Celicas, orange interior lights, cloth upholstry, engines with Vee configurations, and hatchbacks.

The BMW 325e must have been your favorite car.

[TBR]

I wanted a Honda Accord when the new one debuted in 1998, an Acura 2.2CL, and at some point in my life an Olds Intrigue.

The 2.2CL (and 2.3CL) are nice cars. I wouldn't mind one myself.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The BMW 325e must have been your favorite car.

Orange interior lights? But yeah, I do like E-models especially!

[CALL_911]

The BMW 325e must have been your favorite car.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Tave]

See, now that's a case of the coupe looking so much better that, to me, it's worth the drop in practicality.  But then again, I've always had a soft spot for large luxury coupes.  When it comes to smaller cars, coupes just don't have an advantage for me over the sedan.  I've already made a compromise by opting for something with a roof, so why pay more to make a practical decision less practical?

And yet, for some reason, you bought a Passat instead of a panel van...

[Raza]

And yet, for some reason, you bought a Passat instead of a panel van...

The looks of the Passat were worth the loss in practicality.

And you're being an idiot. 

The discussion here is sedan vs. coupe of the same model.  Not sedan vs. unrelated van. 

[Vinsanity]

I really wish the E92 had the same rear as the E90... That would've looked awesome.

Quite the opposite for me.

[Cookie Monster]

Quite the opposite for me.

I remember the chop's they had going around about the E92 M3, and it was an E90 with two doors. It looked so awesome.
I like the E92's front clip more than the E90's, which would explain why I love the E90 M3 so much.

[Tave]

And you're being an idiot.

Perhaps, but I fail to see how two additional doors are going to turn a small coupe into a "practical" car.

Coupe for me.

[Raza]

Perhaps, but I fail to see how two additional doors are going to turn a small coupe into a "practical" car.

Coupe for me.

Just how small do you think a 3 series is, exactly?

[TheIntrepid]

Just how small do you think a 3 series is, exactly?

The sedan? Too small. The coupe? Just right.

[Raza]

The sedan? Too small. The coupe? Just right.

And how large are you?  The 3 series is roughly the same size as the last generation 5 series on the inside.  The 3 series is cavernous.  That's one of my big problems with it.  It's too big.

[TheIntrepid]

And how large are you?  The 3 series is roughly the same size as the last generation 5 series on the inside.  The 3 series is cavernous.  That's one of my big problems with it.  It's too big.

Not large. I posted a pic in General Talk.

Here's a picture of our E90.. the rear seat legroom is absurd.

[Raza]

Do keep in mind your reference points are large boats.  The 3 series is huge.

And how does lopping off two doors, making it uglier, and charging more money make it any roomier?

[Vinsanity]

And how large are you?  The 3 series is roughly the same size as the last generation 5 series on the inside.  The 3 series is cavernous.  That's one of my big problems with it.  It's too big.

Too big? The 328 sedan weighs less than a FWD Audi A4

[Raza]

Too big? The 328 sedan weighs less than a FWD Audi A4

When did I say anything about weight or the Audi A4?  I said it was too big.

I repeat, reading comprehension on this board sucks.

[Vinsanity]

When did I say anything about weight or the Audi A4?  I said it was too big.

I repeat, reading comprehension on this board sucks.

I compared it to one of its competitors, in trying to understand in what way it would be too big.

[Raza]

I compared it to one of its competitors, in trying to understand in what way it would be too big.

If you could make a car the size of a house and it only weighed 2000 pounds, wouldn't it still be big? 

The A4 is smaller in virtually every interior measurement.  And more importantly, it feels smaller. 

[Vinsanity]

Now I'm more confused

Wouldn't it be better to have a car that weighs less and has more interior space?

[TheIntrepid]

And how does lopping off two doors, making it uglier, and charging more money make it any roomier?

It doesn't. However, if you buy a sedan, it implies you need it to haul more than two people around, which it fails at doing comfortably. If you buy the coupe, it usually means there are only 1 or 2 people in it most of the time, which it does fine at. IIRC, the E92 has more front-seat legroom than the E90. For one or two people, it makes a fine cruiser.

[Raza]

It doesn't. However, if you buy a sedan, it implies you need it to haul more than two people around, which it fails at doing comfortably. If you buy the coupe, it usually means there are only 1 or 2 people in it most of the time, which it does fine at. IIRC, the E92 has more front-seat legroom than the E90. For one or two people, it makes a fine cruiser.

The idea that the 3 series is too small to carry four people is laughable. 

[Raza]

Now I'm more confused

Wouldn't it be better to have a car that weighs less and has more interior space?

Oh my god.  This is the fucking mentality that leads to every car being huge.  Why can't a small car just be a fucking small car?  Why does everything have to be the Partridge family bus?  There's a reason automakers sell more than one model.  You want a bigger car?  Buy a fucking bigger car.  "Oh my, this car is small.  Why is a small car small?  Small cars should be big."

[TheIntrepid]

The idea that the 3 series is too small to carry four people is laughable. 

We had one. My sister and mother are not large people, though my sister is on the chubby side, but they were both miserable in the back. My mom's 5'7 and a stick, my sister is 5'5 and about ~130-140.

[Raza]

We had one. My sister and mother are not large people, though my sister is on the chubby side, but they were both miserable in the back. My mom's 5'7 and a stick, my sister is 5'5 and about ~130-140.

That's also laughable. 

[Vinsanity]

Oh my god.  This is the fucking mentality that leads to every car being huge.  Why can't a small car just be a fucking small car?  Why does everything have to be the Partridge family bus?  There's a reason automakers sell more than one model.  You want a bigger car?  Buy a fucking bigger car.  "Oh my, this car is small.  Why is a small car small?  Small cars should be big."

...it still weighs less than an A4

[Raza]

...it still weighs less than an A4

Call me when that becomes relevant to what I said.

[Vinsanity]

I'm just saying...it's still on the light side compared pretty much all of the cars it competes with. People aren't going to pay $35k for a sedan that feels cramped. Personally, I think the size of the 3-series is fine. These are sedans we're talking about, not Porsche Boxsters. Part of the pretense is for it to be somewhat comfortable.