You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
i mean, they’re worse in every way than a hatch or estate, yet some people like them, but what’s the appeal?
i get for some high performance cars (M5 etc) they can be made stiffer, but that doesn’t matter to most. There must be a benefit I’m missing?
Even worse is people who buy saloon versions of hatchback cars. WTF is wrong with those people!?!?
Just a traditional hangover I think.
Although most 'saloons are just larger hatchbacks these days anyway..
Ladies and gentlemen, the vauxhall nova saloon
If you don’t need the practicality, you might as well benefit from the marginal benefit of a stiffer chassis. More secure boot - might be stretching it a bit?
Historical appeal of them being higher end than hatchback alternatives? That has gone out of the window a bit with prestige German manufacturers offering more expensive ‘sportback’ versions of existing saloons though.
So, no, can’t think of any good reasons 😬
That Nova saloon was almost the most tragic thing
Only ever had one in my life, didn't keep it for long.
Really don't see the point on them.
With a non folding rear seat you get a more secure boot and unlike an estate the fact the boot is always covered conveys no suggestion of whether it's empty or full of something you don't want people to see. It's just shut. Might explain why they are quite popular in some countries.
If my hobbies didn't involve large awkward shaped bits of kit to put inside the car and a need for a handy picnic bench/somewhere to get changed slightly awkwardly I'd not care what shape my car was.
I've owned one saloon car, it was ok.
After that of course I've had nothing but hatchbacks and estates, which are much better suited to outdoor life. Of course a van would be better still but then it wouldn't be great for all the solo work driving I have to do. Compromise....
I've got one, I'm a photographer, most of the photographers I know also have saloon cars as hatchbacks and estates get broken into far more often, I'm on a couple of work FB groups and pretty much every time someone gets their kit nicked from their car it's from an opportunist thief smashing a rear window in a hatch or estate and getting lucky. Quite afew use cages in estates or hatchbacks but kind of defeats the point of them IMO.
I know boots are easy to break into but it just doesn't happen as often.
I'd love an estate for biking/ camping etc but just not worth the agg.
Would they not be a bit quieter and easier to regulate the temperature?
That Nova saloon was almost the most tragic thing
I used to rock one of these, well it was my mums before I could afford a car. Manual choke yall..
I'm an unabashed fan of big saloon cars. They just look 'right'. They look like a car.
The proportions are nicer than a hatch or pseudo-saloon. They're always quieter due to the solid parcel shelf and back seats.
I think the lines of mine are just perfect...
I know boots are easy to break into but it just doesn’t happen as often
The boot on my '88 mini was broken into (nicked the face plate from my stereo i'd stupidly put in there.)
Original mini was a saloon!
I think the lines of mine are just perfect…
Are one of the pictures of a different car? I hope so, or your wheels are on backwards lol!
Not good for directional tyres :/
Are one of the pictures flipped? I hope so, or your wheels are on backwards lol!
Ha! Never noticed that! Top one isn't actually my car, bottom one is. I got the top picture from the internet when I was deciding if I wanted to spec drug-dealer glass for the back windows.
That said, the wheels are a single design, so both sides of the car do look different if you look closely. Never bothered me, as I love the design of the wheel.
t'other side...
That Nova saloon was almost the most tragic thing
I raise you the Ford Orion.
That's seriously messing with my OCD now...but I suppose you'd have to have specific left and right wheels for that design..
Are one of the pictures flipped? I hope so, or your wheels are on backwards lol!
That would not matter. In one shot the spokes at pointing forwards and the other backwards. Awkward.
edit - different cars.
p.s. use a polarising filter when taking a photo of your car next - makes so much difference.
@bensales - lovely looking car, there's one in silver outside my house at the moment. A loaner for the red one that father in law owns that is needing full wiring loom, replacement of seemingly most sensors in the thing, and a month in Jaguar still can't say what's wrong. Looks nice though.
That’s seriously messing with my OCD now
Drug dealer glass does this for me. Every window in a car should be the same tint.
@matt_outandabout Thanks, I love it. That's actually my first one. I'm on my second now that doesn't have tinted windows in the back, and it looks much nicer... Still got the same wheels though 🙂
I've had no issues with it, although Jaguar do seem to still suffer from Friday-afternooners.
Oh, the Nova saloon definitely trumped the Orion in the tragic stakes
The Sweeny used a big saloon, so there you go...thankfully BL never made a Maestro saloon, that would have trumped the Nova.
The reversed wheels on that Jag would REALLY bother me if it was mine. Other than that it is a nice looking car.
Saloons is nice -
Focus saloon is worse than either the nova or orion.
Edit: 2002 version. New one is still goping, just less so.
The maestro saloon was basically the montego. Sort of. Shared lots of parts anyway.
Vauhall Belmont was almost as bad as the Nova saloon.
the bodies are easier to hide in a boot.
The only 'saloon' car I've owned was a 'gentleman's sporting saloon' like this:
Mine was a pretty rare, pre-war UK built model which plenty of wood and leather - the back seat was just a big leather sofa - you could lie back with your legs straight out and not touch the front seats! 2 litre engine and once you got it up to speed it could easily hold 70mph in modern traffic.
Love a good saloon me. We’re on our third. As above, I feel they are proportionally “right” - well, those that were originally designed to be a saloon like the 3 series, e-class, etc. The focus mk1 saloon has got to be one of the ugliest saloons around!
I also think l they’re more refined, there is proper separation between the cabin area and the boot/rear axle and they’re quieter on a run. But mainly they’re just cooler - you’d never see a hatchback in a ganster movie.. too easy for the guy locked in the boot to smash thru the parcel shelf. Estates/hatchbacks are more practical therefore saloons are cool.
I'd take a jag with funny wheels over an alpha any day.. Alphas just look odd to me ... They almost look good but can't quite seem to manage it..
Saloons are incredibly popular in Europe and airways have been, which is why they make loads of them...Clio saloon, VW Jetta, Mégane saloon, Dacia, Volvo 340 etc.
It's the Brits that stand out by predominantly buying hatchbacks
More secure boot - I get that.
Comments about saloon versions of hatches - amen.
i don’t deny some saloons look good (fast early 90s E class anyone?) but then plenty hatches or estates do too.
Some saloon cars are ok, I had two of these, might still have one of them if a drunk had t run into the back of it outside the house. 😢
You could drop the back of the rear seat to push large items through from the boot, which was handy.
IMHO they do most jobs very well.
Boots are big enough, perhaps ironically the boot in the saloon version of my estate has a slightly bigger boot by volume.
They’re quieter like for like than an estate or hatch and some people don’t need much more boot space than 6 bags from Tesco.
There’s probably aero advantages and they’re typically lighter too.
Having said that, they are an absolute pain in the arse when trying to clean the inside of the rear window!
Generally considered more aesthetically pleasing. (important to many people when purchasing)
Less road noise from rear wheels.
Boot is viewed as more secure.
Sometimes lighter.
You can safely leave heavy stuff unsecured in the boot of a saloon.
Sometimes stiffer.
Rear window stays cleaner
Less air volume to heat/cool
I have had saloons in the past, currently use van or estate, much more practical.
I have a saloon cos that's what was on the forecourt. I'd prefer an estate for practicality, but I think the saloon is quieter in terms of road noise. But more usefully you can chuck stuff in the boot and it can rattle as much as it likes, you can't hear it in the cabin. I used to have to pack bikes really carefully in a hatchback to avoid the tinkling of things on spokes. Ok so in a saloon I can only get kids bikes, 26ers and road bikes in there, but it takes more bike then you'd think. And it's out of sight too.
The wheels on the Jag are wrong. Lazy gits couldn't be bothered to do it properly with left and right specific wheels.
Saloons are for people trying to pretend their semi practical car is a sports car. Other than the odd Alfa I can't think in a saloon that actually looked nice either. They mostly look awkward.
As a child of the Seventies, almost all cars used to be saloons, didn't they? I'm sure I remember 'hatchback' used to be an advertising buzzword, just because few cars used to be them - saloon or hatch, cars designed either way generally look fine. It's just when one is redesigned as the other that it goes wrong (sees Nova saloon and shudders).
That said, the wheels are a single design, so both sides of the car do look different if you look closely. Never bothered me, as I love the design of the wheel.
It wouldn't bother me either until I noticed or someone pointed it out, then it would be all I could think about. Actually had to go check my own car just to make sure.
I can’t think in a saloon that actually looked nice either
Really?
I could never have a saloon, at least not as an only vehicle, due to the impractical nature of them, but I suspect that aesthetics is a big reason for a lot of people choosing them.
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1792/30231656878_fc3784a8f5_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1792/30231656878_fc3784a8f5_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url=tools.rackonly.com]Generated from my Apple iPhone using tools.rackonly.com[/url]
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1831/44051496312_82c560d640_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1831/44051496312_82c560d640_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
They do suit a certain demographic.
I remember the first time I saw a Focus saloon and thinking ‘why would you do that?’.
i assumed it was something about selling crap-looking cars to Americans, which seems to always be a lucrative business. Butt ugly, and considerably less practical than a standard focus. Result!
I have often had the same thoughts as the OP - I just don't see the point. Whenever I see a saloon, my immediate thought is along the lines of "God, what a boring life you must lead to never need a big boot." I'm sure they work for some people but I'm not a fan at all.
As for looks - clearly this is subjective but I reckon most cars look better as an estate.
Saloons can be driven backwards down a motorway without anyone realising, hatchbacks and estates are more obvious.....
Saloons and coupes look better than hatchback to me.
Not everyone needs to carry big things and maybe people who own a saloon also own a hatchback so they can carry stuff and they may have just as an exciting life as you? A LOT of people have more than one car in the household.
Estate car = kids, dogs and gardening
Saloon car = drug dealer
I know which sounds more exciting to me.
You can still get bikes in a saloon, just need folding rear seats. Which rules out the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quatrofoglio unfortunately.
That butt ugly Merc A Class Saloon that looks like it’s melted, is a vile thing. Sooner they’re all in some scrap yard for crushing the better.
So it’s good to see the new version corrects all the butt ugly mistakes.
This isn't a saloon though is it?
Though yeah this one is nice.
The others... No.
That a class is gopping. Anything that starts off as a medium sized hatch generally has big overhangs at the front and rear when in saloon guise.. not easy on the eyes!
Our 3 series saloon is plenty practical mind - split folding seats for long stuff, towbar and rack for 3 (+1 if required) bikes, big enough boot for 4 lots of bike gear and seats 4 big blokes in comfort for bike trips.
I had a Rover 75 saloon for a while, only car I ever owned that made me laugh everytime I drove it...loved that car. I didnt vote UKip though.
Saloon car = drug dealer
only car I ever owned that made me laugh everytime I drove it
In a good way, or a bad way? I imagine a Rover 75 could do both.
This got me thinking, I’ve never owned a saloon car. I’ve owned coupés, convertibles, estates, MPV’s and hatchbacks and SUV’s. Never a saloon.
In a good way, or a bad way?
Kind of both!!
This got me thinking, I’ve never owned a saloon car. I’ve owned coupés, convertibles, estates, MPV’s and hatchbacks and SUV’s. Never a saloon.
Why yo I started the thread, car shopping and wondered what the attraction was...
I have had a few saloons and I loved them.
Triumph Dolomite Sprint, Rover P6, Mercedes 190 (realise you have to be a bit older to know what they are)
I always thought the Audi A3 saloon was another awkward looking, and pointless, shape.
I can't see how the current W205 saloon can be much quieter than the estate body. For me, I prefer the proportions of an estate/ shooting brake over a saloon.
Whenever I see a saloon, my immediate thought is along the lines of “God, what a boring life you must lead to never need a big boot.
Do you still think this when getting overtaken by a Caterham R500 or Ducati 996?
Going back to the 70s/ early-mid80s after my mum finally rid herself of her Imp, and then a Mk1 Escort there was a series of Renault 4s, Escort Mk3s, Peugeot 309s. My dad had previously been a fan of his A40 Farina Countryman before drifting into a couple of Austin 1100s via a pair of Renault Dauphines and a sideways step into a Mk3 Cortina and a Renault 9... When I start to list them out I can't believe how many cars he's been through.
bike goes on a rack these days. if i didn't have a dog i could live with a saloon quite happily.
Do you still think this when getting overtaken by a Caterham R500 or Ducati 996?
VERY unlikely to be their only mode of transport though, and as a frequent owner of a fun vehicle, I’d put good money down that their other vehicle isn’t a saloon. Even the name is dull. Also, a saloon had four doors. Some of those examples above are very definitely coupes, which are a different kettle of fish.
Never seen the attraction for practical purposes but always liked the look of the last gen Honda Accord. Now I have a bingo bus for bike moving I could see my way to a saloon. As a fun car I always liked the US EM1 Civic coupé which was the third different car at that time to wear a Civic badge and pretty rare. EM2 replacement looks more like a Focus and is goppin'.
Security point is a good one, if I was carrying guns about for example I'd want them as secure as possible.
Vauhall Belmont was almost as bad as the Nova saloon.
Almost, what do you mean almost, the Belmont totally trumps the Nova not only the worst saloon from a hatchback but it just has to be the worst name ever bestowed on a car.
it just has to be the worst name ever bestowed on a car
You're not familiar with the Nissan Gloria and Cedric then, or the Mitsubishi Starion? But my winner is the Geely PU Rural Nanny
The Orion 1.6I Ghia was a thing of beauty.
And the Saab 9000...
I feel very well qualified to answer this. 18 years ago I needed a cheap and very reliable car to commute 120 miles per day. We bought a VW Vento 1.9 TDI. Golf with a boot. We. Already had a Mk 3 Golf so we were able to make easy comparisons.
The Vento was vastly more practical, could carry a buggy end on# with a travel cot next to it and still have room for a young family and all their luggage since ours were the first of the new generation, we were always traveling with a lot of kiddy stuff.
The Vento was 3k cheaper than the equivalent Golf, handled better, carried more stuff and was just fantastic I drove 120k faultless miles in that car. It was basically an estate sized car with the top corner chopped off. Ok bike travel may have been a little less practical, but I could still put one in the boot!
#the famous TiRed buggy test go to garage look at shiny new car with salesman walk to back, insert buggy end on. If boot doea not close, walk away. Used this test on a few cars not many pass. But a young family needs to carry stuff and transverse pushchairs take a LOT of space!
EDIT. Obvious point. If you go to the us and hire a small car you will want a focus with a boot. Much more storage than a hatchback, great handling in the mountains, and much more secure when you lock your stuff to go out for the day. How I laughed when I locked the keys in the boot of mine at the kite shop in San Diego two hours before my flight was due to leave. Made that flight too. Just.
RS6 Avant = Drug dealer with kids, a dog and enjoys gardening and transporting bodies.
That Saab 9000 above looks like the hatch (it came in hatch and saloon versions, didn’t see many of the saloons).
I've always thought the wheels look too close together on the Orion, check out the overhang at the back!
I've been able to get a bike in the boot of the last two saloon cars I've owned, wheels off obvs.
hols2 they are at least mildly amusing or just bizarre. Belmont could only have come from all the worlds supercomputers working for a month to calculate the dullest most god awful dreariest word they could. It's a name for one of those diseases you get that doesn't seem to do anything and is only fatal to others when you bore them to death talking about it. Christ I bet everyone of those bloody cars came with a free pair of driving gloves.
2 of the last 3 cars have been saloons (over 20 years) Current one I've had 16 years. Our other cars have been hatchbacks. Main reason for my current one was it was the only one in the car supermarket, went in to buy the previous model, but they had the new model in for a cracking price. It's also not as ugly as the hatch.
No real disadvantages as if we've needed to move something big and boxy, that went in the hatch. The boot is massive though, takes all kit for a week away, and 4 bikes on roof.
carried more stuff
I know I can be a bit slow on the uptake, but HTF does a saloon version of a car carry, more than the same car that has a hatchback?
The storage space in a hatchback is bigger than the storage space in a saloon.
Am I missing something?