[lupinsea]

The Golf R (hatchback / wagon) is a swiss army knife car.

SUVs are the Leatherman multi-tool vehicles.

Less elegant, bigger bulkier, but they can do more things and go more places.


It's all about the right tool for the job. If I had zero interest in venturing beyond well groomed gravel or paved roads then I don't see much point in the SUVs or CUVs. But if getting out there, even a bit, is important, or you need to haul things, or you'd prefer the ground clearance or elevated ride height. . . . yeah, I can see a taller vehicle being the ticket.

FWIW, I'm digg'n the "idea" of the CUVs these days. Largely car based but with a little extra belly clearance and AWD in a not-so-big package. Preferably with some sportiness thrown in. Unfortunately, it's hard to find all three.

Off the top of my head without thinking too much about it:

Porsche Macan
Jag F-Pace (too big?)
Mazda CX-3 / CX-9
Infinity FX-35 / 45 or whatever, previous generation
Infinity QX-50 (RWD or AWD + 325hp V6)
Infinity QX-70 (based on the Z car chassis, RWD biased AWD system)
Mercedes GLA 250
AMG GLA (375hp, 350 lb-ft)
BMW X1, X3