Why are there no low priced 2 door cars?

[GordonGriggs]

 Back in 2009 I decided to buy a new car. I don't like 4 doors, and I was not going to spend more than $14000. I also wanted somthing made in america. Their were only a few cars that fit my budget, and desire. There was the ford fusion, chevy cobalt, I can't remember the other's if any. Dodge did not make anything I was looking for. I ended up buying the chevy cobalt for $13500. It was the last one they had on the lot for that price.
 Chevy no long makes the cobalt but makes the cruze which is only available as a 4 door, Ford no longer makes a 2 door fusion, I just noticed the new dodge dart which is also a 4 door. I just hope nothing happens to my cobalt because I really don't see anything I would buy now.

So my question is why don't they make 2 doors?

[hatersaurusrex]

You mean '2-door American cars'?

[GordonGriggs]

You mean '2-door American cars'?

Yes, why don't anyone in america make a low priced 2 door car?

[Charger440RDN]

 The last true large american 2 door coupe was the Monte Carlo and I think it died in 2009. I drive a 1996 Cadillac Eldorado ETC pearl red with the 300 hp Northstar, a very fast car. If you want a large fast american coupe you may want to check out a 2000-2002 Eldorado 

The Challenger is out of my budget right now, I do like those too. But I look at the Chally, Mustang, Camaro as small pony sports cars. The Eldorado is bigger and more practical for every day use and if you have kids to put in the back seat.

[myk]

Because...American car companies don't think there's a market for it?  Of course, tell that to Toyota and Subaru who just released those hot sport coupes of theirs; very nice cars for not a lot of money...

[Cooter]

My Opinion is the average buying American has 2.4 Kids and b*tches about hard to get into and no room for "The Family" with two doors. Pretty soon, there won't be such a thing as a 2-door anything anymore.

Period.

[myk]

Exactly.  Sure, we have niche cars like Challengers, Mustangs and Camaro's, but they're relatively expensive and I'm pretty their makers still lose money on every one they make/sell.  On that note, making a cheap 2 door car that the majority of Americans don't want would make even less sense...

[HPP]

Same could be said about manual transmissions too. When I was in Europe, getting a mid sized vehicle with a manual transmission was no problem. Try getting a stick car in the US and all you have a low end econo boxes and some performance cars. We are rapidly becoming a nation of panseys.

[ODZKing]

It is like anything else.  I always hear the words "market demand".  But those days are gone.  It is what the suppliers give us to choose from, not what we want.
CD's some years ago is a great example.  Vinyl market is still huge, but try and find it.
Some years ago someone decided that the market for 2 door cars was much smaller and they all followed suite.
I am in the same situation.  I like 2 door cars and I am running out of options.  The only 2 door even close to my price range these days is the convertable Chrysler 200.   

[Charger440RDN]

The new coupes that are being made are WAY too small for me. That new CTS-V Coupe is too little. I want a REAL american coupe with big, heavy doors. Not some little tin can.

[Cooter]

Sorry, but NOTHING is "Real American" anymore.

All your gonna get since around 1999 is "Made in Mexico" like My 99 DODGE Ram. (Instead of just "Ram").

Nope, too many people complaining about room for any two door cars. I wonder how mnay would poor themsleves into a new car like they tend to do with say an A-body car. I'ma big guy like anybody else, but I drive a 1994 Toyota mini truck. Yes, I look like a monkey on a Football, but i like the little truck for the MPG.

i wonder how many will show the "Demand" that they are willing to do the same to bring back the two door cars.

[Dino]

My Honda is more American than many of these American cars.  The two door Accord looks like crap though so I got the 4 door!   

One good thing about 4 door cars:  You're less likely to have your car hit by the nitwit parking next to you that throws the door open without looking. 

[Mike DC]

2dr cars appeal to younger people more than older as a general rule.  But most younger people don't buy new cars anymore, they buy the used cars that were originally ordered by older buyers.  That affects how new cars are set up. 

[Ponch ®]

Because...American car companies don't think there's a market for it?  Of course, tell that to Toyota and Subaru who just released those hot sport coupes of theirs; very nice cars for not a lot of money...

yeah, but those Toyotas/Subarus (which, BTW, are tight...until 6 months from now, when you will see everyone and their gay uncle driving one) are still in the low-mid $20's - which is what a base V6 Stang, Challenger, or Camaro go for anyway.

The reason American car companies don't make "cheap" (under $20K) two doors is because there really isn't a market for them. They could - they'd just have to throw a 4 banger in it. And then of course we'd all be crying about the pussification of the american muscle car, etc. Kinda like how we used to bitch and moan about the lack of an American RWD V8 powered car, then when we finally got one (the Charger) all we did was bitch about it having 4 doors.

[GPULLER]

Because...American car companies don't think there's a market for it?  Of course, tell that to Toyota and Subaru who just released those hot sport coupes of theirs; very nice cars for not a lot of money...

yeah, but those Toyotas/Subarus (which, BTW, are tight...until 6 months from now, when you will see everyone and their gay uncle driving one) are still in the low-mid $20's - which is what a base V6 Stang, Challenger, or Camaro go for anyway.

The reason American car companies don't make "cheap" (under $20K) two doors is because there really isn't a market for them. They could - they'd just have to throw a 4 banger in it. And then of course we'd all be crying about the pussification of the american muscle car, etc. Kinda like how we used to bitch and moan about the lack of an American RWD V8 powered car, then when we finally got one (the Charger) all we did was bitch about it having 4 doors.

[bull]

Probably because half the people in this country are too obese to fit into anything smaller than a Suburban.

[Troy]

Probably because half the people in this country are too obese to fit into anything smaller than a Suburban.

Sad, but I do.

Troy

[GordonGriggs]

I forgot to mention that my Cobalt is a 5 speed manual transmission. No power anything, it does have A/C. I always buy new low budget vehicles for everyday use. That way if they get totalled in an accident Im not really to upset.

Ive seen to many horror stories to buy a gently used car. Back in 1985 A friend of mine bought a used mustang from the dealership. They sold it to him as a demo model. He had it about a year and it got hit lightly in rear quarterpanel. The entire body cracked like a mirror. He found out that the car had been in a rollover accident and most of the body was skimmed in bondo.

[Charger440RDN]

It looks like you will have to go upscale and foreign to get that coupe  The american 2 door market is dead.

[Darkman]

The market is based on what sells and what doesn't, what is in vogue and what is not, and the results of mysterious polls that market researchers do.

We are facing the same thing down in Aus. They are taking our nice family cars, sports cars and even high end performance cars and replacing them with "econo" 4 cylinder engines and hybrids. The good old fashion V8 is a dying breed because it is a bad image "harming" the environment. The manufacturers are forced into image rather than true demand!

The Aussie public has been demanding Ford Australia to re-release the 2 door coupe (the car that was the base for the Mad Max Interceptor) for years. Even more so when Holden re-released the 2 door Monaro (Imported to the US as the Pontiac), but all Ford could say "there wasn't enough public demand".

I travel a lot of kms (miles for you "other" folk  ) because I live remotely. I do not want to stuff a wife, 3 kids and luggage in a small shit box battery powered Toyota tin can! If one of those hit a kangaroo at 70 mph, we would all be toast!

[miller]

This happened to SUVs in the late 90s. Jeep, Ford, Chevy, and GMC all made 2 Door Versions of their SUVs. I suppose either the market dictated that this was not what they wanted and many were sitting on dealer lots, or having to create two sets of tools for one vehicle was axed for commonality, or a mixture of both.

[Ponch ®]

US automakers have tried to put out "cheap" two door cars, except they failed for some reason or another. You can blame them on a variety of reasons (ugly, FWD, weak engines) but the reality is that americans simply didnt want them - at least not from a domestic company. There are the ones I can think of:

Pontiac Fiero
Ford Probe
80's Chargers/Daytonas
Two Door Neons / PT Cruisers
Chrysler LeBaron
Eagle Talon*
Sebring
Chevy Cavalier
Chevy Cobalt
Stratus Coupe
Monte Carlo / Grand Prix
Chrysler Crossfire*
Pontiac GTO

...and so on and so on. I probably left of quite a few. In the case of the Talon and the Crossfire, they were badge engineered versions of other cars (Mitsubishi and MBZ, respectively) - though we still have to explain why the other nameplates' versions of those cars sold like pancakes. Also, the FWD/ugly/4-banger trifecta didn't stop the Civic, Acura Integra/RSX, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Toyota MR2, etc from being hits.

[Charger440RDN]

I hate to say it but the american car companies are not competitive with the foreign companies right now as far as coupes or sedans.

Just look at Mercedes and BMW they offer like 5 or 6 different luxury coupes, but all GM can come up with is the Cadillac CTS-V which is extremely ugly compared to BMW or Mercedes.

Ford and Chrysler don't offer a large coupe either. The Germans are laughing at us right now.

[Dino]

I hate to say it but the american car companies are not competitive with the foreign companies right now as far as coupes or sedans.

Just look at Mercedes and BMW they offer like 5 or 6 different luxury coupes, but all GM can come up with is the Cadillac CTS-V which is extremely ugly compared to BMW or Mercedes.

Ford and Chrysler don't offer a large coupe either. The Germans are laughing at us right now.

I grew up in Europe.  The general feeling is that many of the old US cars are rolling dreams and we all love going to shows to watch those behemots.  It's more than a car, it's a way of life.  When we're talking quality the US cars are not even in the running.  Sad but that's how I've always known it.  Most mechanics wouldn't touch US cars.  That may have something to do with tools and the metric system though.   

[Ponch ®]

I hate to say it but the american car companies are not competitive with the foreign companies right now as far as coupes or sedans.

Just look at Mercedes and BMW they offer like 5 or 6 different luxury coupes, but all GM can come up with is the Cadillac CTS-V which is extremely ugly compared to BMW or Mercedes.

Ford and Chrysler don't offer a large coupe either. The Germans are laughing at us right now.

But we're not talking about BMWs and Benzes here. Those aren't "low priced" cars, and neither is the CTS-V.

The thing about the cheap cars is that if you're buying one, you're more than likely an "a car is to take me from A to B" kinda person and not necessarily an enthusiast who cars about such things as looks and performance.I mean, I've yet to hear anyone say "Damn...I've got to get me one of those Aveos...the body lines on that thing are sexy as hell"

[Mike DC]

 
The 2dr coupe market is well supplied. 

The 2dr ponycar market is well supplied.

The 2dr sedan market does not exist anymore.

[Darkman]

The Germans are laughing at us right now.

The Germans have been laughing at you and ALL other car manufacturers for years! What they put into their cars now, will be an option on every other car in 5 years! There is no comparison to German engineering and build.

Most mechanics wouldn't touch US cars.  That may have something to do with tools and the metric system though.   

That's not the reason! 

Europeans are fascinated with US cars because of the silver screen fantasy and lifestyle it portrays not because of the build quality. I for one question the very car I am working on and constantly mumble under my breath about how crappy the original construction was. However, that is not why the car was ever built! They were always meant to be cheap, affordable, everyday race cars!

[hatersaurusrex]

This happened to SUVs in the late 90s. Jeep, Ford, Chevy, and GMC all made 2 Door Versions of their SUVs. I suppose either the market dictated that this was not what they wanted and many were sitting on dealer lots, or having to create two sets of tools for one vehicle was axed for commonality, or a mixture of both.

This one is pretty simple, it was the market.  In this case, the market for SUV's shifted away from the traditional buyer since the first Willys Jeep (young dudes who like to party in the woods, hunters, etc) to the new SUV market: soccer mommies married to husbands deathly afraid a minivan will make them uncool.    It's been there ever since.   90% of the Jeeps I see now are driven by college girls.  When did the Jeep Wranger become the new VW bug?