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HomeCrossover utility vehicles

Crossover utility vehicles

Gallery

2001-10 Chrysler PT Cruiser shows limitations of retro design

April 29, 2025 Steve 12

One of the qualities that distinguished the 2001-to-2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser from most other retro designs was that it wasn’t an homage to a specific car. That presumably gave designers more flexibility to improvise. However, […]

1960 Ford wagon
History

In 1974 Harry Bradley anticipated the American wagon’s future

September 10, 2024 Steve 7

(EXPANDED FROM 11/9/2022) A few years ago Dean’s Garage reprinted a prescient essay Harry Bradley (2022) wrote way back in 1974 about the future of the American station wagon. His article made a number of […]

2019 Acura RDX
Design Notes

2019 Acura RDX inspired by Wavy Gravy

October 12, 2023 Steve 2

(EXPANDED FROM 11/1/2018) When I came upon a 2019 Acura RDX, I was reminded of Wavy Gravy. That’s the name of a Woodstock-era citizen activist who still uses silly performance art to generate visibility for […]

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Design Notes

Is the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s design admirably unique looking or just-plain strange?

September 26, 2023 Steve 8

I have been going back and forth on the above question. The 2022-23 Hyundai Ioniq 5’s design strikes me as one of the more unique approaches to an electric vehicle. However, it also has an […]

1962 Volkswagen Beetle
Current Events

What should a simple modern car look like?

April 14, 2023 Steve 22

(EXPANDED FROM 3/1/2020) Once upon a time a Truth About Cars commentator lauded the simplicity of the then-new Jeep Renegade. “Well, I for one am yearning for a simpler time, and this vehicle suggests that,” […]

Parody ads about the auto industry and media
Our Sponsors

Automotive Views: New Ford meets growing need in west

July 8, 2021 Steve 0
Quotes
Quotes

In defense of the bland 2022 Toyota Corolla Cross

June 2, 2021 Steve 0

“I honestly don’t understand what you’re expecting. This car is fundamentally no different than anything else in its class with the crucial distinction that it likely will be orders of magnitude more reliable. . . […]

Watch for deer sign
Letters to the Editor

Toyota, please bring back the original Scion xB

May 21, 2021 Steve 0

When Indie Auto opened up its comment threads, I failed to “enable” that function on a few older stories. That included, “How Toyota ruined the Scion xB.” So LR used our contact form to offer a response to the article: You’re […]

Scion xB 2nd generation
Design Notes

How Toyota ruined the Scion xB

January 22, 2021 Steve 5

When the Scion xB was redesigned for the 2008 model year, it was upsized from a subcompact to a compact. That added a foot in length, almost three inches in width and more than 600 […]

Infiniti QX60 with the dog leg pillar
Current Events

Infiniti’s dog leg is gone — all hail the floating roof!

October 23, 2020 Steve 0

Infiniti’s new design direction has a “good news and bad news” quality. The good news is that the dog-leg rear pillar is being retired. Automotive News reporter Hans Greimel (2020) recently wrote that the reason […]

Posts pagination

1 2 »
  • 1964 Studebaker Challenger
    Brooks Stevens’s rejection of brand continuity was bad for small automakers
    June 14, 2025 0
  • EVs need a George Romney to champion them in the next few years
    June 13, 2025 16
  • Citroen SM
    Citroen SM: A surprisingly conventional next step
    June 12, 2025 5
  • 1936-37 Cord 810/812 tried to do too much at once
    June 11, 2025 10
  • 1963 Studebaker Daytona convertible
    Classic film shows human side of Studebaker’s end
    June 10, 2025 15
  • Once upon a time, car wheels were 36-to-42 inches in diameter
    June 9, 2025 5
  • Ram customized pickup
    What would you think if it was 1965 and you could magically see this truck?
    June 8, 2025 1
  • Brooks Stevens’s 1965 Studebaker Lark concept: Almost a baby Continental
    June 6, 2025 5
  • 1949 Packard Super Eight
    Packard kept a bigger foothold in the luxury-car field than commonly assumed
    June 5, 2025 9
  • Exner bio offers mostly positive take on controversial car designer
    Peter Grist views car designer Virgil Exner through rose-tinted glasses
    June 3, 2025 9
  • 1970 Mercury Cyclone
    1970 Mercury Montego had a last-of-the-wine quality
    June 2, 2025 2
  • A query, a thank you and an update on miscellaneous stuff
    April 4, 2025 0
  • 1956 Buick hood scoop
    Readers brainstorm ideas for future Indie Auto stories
    October 14, 2022 124
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