Why isn't there anymore 2d SUV

[youpey]

Other than the wrangler, why is there no 2 door SUV.  There used to be several, bronco,  blazer, ramcharger, explorer sport from US companies and they are all gone. 

 

I would love to have an old bronco where you can take the top off. It's just something I don't think I will ever be able to buy

[RichCostello]

Because the Jeep is really the only SUV. All the others are just "Soccer Mom" family transport vessels, and it is too hard to install child safety seats(or the little monsters they carry)in a 2 door vehicle.

[youpey]

7 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

Because the Jeep is really the only SUV. All the others are just "Soccer Mom" family transport vessels, and it is too hard to install child safety seats(or the little monsters they carry)in a 2 door vehicle.

I dont think the older trucks like bronco and such were soccer mom cars. Most SUV now seems like off road is not really an option, but was in those older ones I mentioned 

[gman]

In efforts to make the SUV more palatable to the minivan crowd, vehicle manufacturers have been "civilizing" them and trying to appeal to those who otherwise might not buy the product...unfortunately at the expense of the purist market.

I had a Jeep XJ 2dr 5spd for about a decade. After giving it up and buying a couple of AWD mini-SUVs, I am back in a Jeep- this time a Wrangler Unlimited (JKU). Yes, it has two too many doors, but the extra cargo area over the JK 2 door and the ability to shoehorn extra passengers in with ease made it a no-brainer. I would have had no issue with the shorter wheelbase 2dr, but the tiny cargo area and the effort it takes to get adults into its back seat made the JK less practical. If I wanted to take a step back towards a more civilized SUV, the new Wrangler JL has been appealing to that market while retaining some ruggedness. 

[RichCostello]

2 minutes ago, youpey said:

I dont think the older trucks like bronco and such were soccer mom cars. Most SUV now seems like off road is not really an option, but was in those older ones I mentioned 

That's exactly what I'm saying. Those old Blazers, Broncos, Ramchargers, etc. were real SUVs, but these new heated leather seat, power moonroof, infotainment system luxury barges are not.

[Rob Hall]

46 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

That's exactly what I'm saying. Those old Blazers, Broncos, Ramchargers, etc. were real SUVs, but these new heated leather seat, power moonroof, infotainment system luxury barges are not.

I had a Bronco II back in the day...it was ok, but had manual locking hubs.   I'd rather have my modern Grand Cherokee with it's heated leather seats, power moonroof, nav system, etc.  It's totally an SUV, not a CUV...not on a car platform...and it is quite capable off road...it has AWD w/ 4WD low, settings for sand, mud, snow, hill descent control, etc.   If I wanted more off road capability, I'd get the Trailhawk version.   2 doors were ok back in the day, but I find a 4dr way more practical.    And for a daily driver, I prefer loaded with all the amenities. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by Rob Hall

[martinfan5]

The majority of the car buyers in the USA want 4 doors not 2.

[Can-Con]

Seems this has been going in that direction for quite a while. 

About 25 years ago a buddy of mine wanted a new Dodge pickup for work. He wanted a regular 2 door cab and an 8 foot bed, no carpet,  low options as possible.

There were none anywhere near here . He had to order it from the dealer.

[CapSat 6]

47 minutes ago, RichCostello said:

That's exactly what I'm saying. Those old Blazers, Broncos, Ramchargers, etc. were real SUVs, but these new heated leather seat, power moonroof, infotainment system luxury barges are not.

My uncle had a Dodge dealership. WAAYYYY back in the day (around 1984), I remember that he had a LOADED Dodge Ramcharger in his showroom. It had power windows and locks, premium sound, ALL the toys that were available back then. It was black and sliver, mag wheels, etc. I loved that truck. He had a Shelby Charger in the showroom at the same time. If you gave me a choice between the two, I would have taken that Ramcharger in a heartbeat.  

Even back then, we started to see "lifestyle" vehicles morph into "Premium SUV's". Remember, by 1984, the Ramcharger had already lost it's removable roof, the Blazer soon followed suit. I think the full size Bronco had a removable roof until about 1995. The Grand Cherokee Wagoneer made it's debut during that era. This was simply a market that the manufacturers didn't know they had at the time.

Where were the roots of all of this?

In the '70's, big engines and performance cars were DOOMED, thanks to skyrocketing insurance rates and gas prices, and new safety regulations. Muscle cars went away in a flash. Convertibles went away for awhile, too. In that era, I had a cousin who traded in a '70 AAR 'Cuda for a Cordoba (can you imagine??? I can only think that he would have thought that "Chicks will dig a new Cordoba more than a 5 year old Barracuda". JOHNNY DON'T DO IT!!! Guess what? He drives an SUV now...). Luxury cars & cool trucks replaced Muscle Cars in a hurry. They created excitement, when Muscle Cars became a tough sell, and later, neutered & ugly. 

Combine the two (luxury and cool trucks), and you had an acceptable alternative. This was not lost on the manufacturers, who were only too happy to encourage the buying public to line up for easy-to-build and high-profit SUV's. Pile on the options, and push the prices up. Make everybody want them. Most people wanted them with 4 doors- remember when the (2 door) Bronco II became the (4 door) Explorer? The Explorer was MONEY for Ford, pure and simple. Making that SUV into a 4 door was nearly a no brainer.

This was the death of the "standard" automobile in the U.S., and, while we were at it, the 2 door SUV.     

6 minutes ago, Can-Con said:

Seems this has been going in that direction for quite a while. 

About 25 years ago a buddy of mine wanted a new Dodge pickup for work. He wanted a regular 2 door cab and an 8 foot bed, no carpet,  low options as possible.

There were none anywhere near here . He had to order it from the dealer.

I spoke to a dealer about that several years ago. He told me that they simply do not order them that way anymore, since nobody wants them. More people are coming in for pickups to use as their work truck, and they figure that they'll just spend the extra money on extra doors and luxury items because they'll be spending most of their time in it.

Many independent contractors around my neck of the woods even bling their work trucks out- with huge custom wheels & tires, custom grilles, etc. This might work against them, though- I had a guy come to my house to give me an estimate on a new roof. He showed up in a super-nice, brand new, loaded Ford F 250. Another contractor showed up in a beat up old pickup truck. Not surprisingly, the estimate I got from Mr. Bling was WAY higher than the one I got from Not-Mr.Bling. Not Mr. Bling got the job, and he did a fine roof for the money.   

[espo]

I think simply put, 4-doors out sell 2-doors. Even the Wrangler 2 door is getting hard to find and my fear is the they will drop it in the near future. When the Wrangler started to offer an Unlimited 4-door model they have had a license to print money ever since. The new pick up is even a 4-door. This killed my idea of getting one. A majority of the vehicles billing them selves as Sport Utility Vehicles see little or no off road use. While this may or may not be true with the Wranglers. We attend a Jeep Jamboree or two every year and try to do a day trip to the very few off road parks in our area during the summer months. The biggest number of new or newer Wranglers we see Wheel'n are the unlimited. I see the practicality of the 4-door if you have a family and it can still be used as a day to day driver, so I get it. We're trying to time the replacement for our JK with the last 2-door Wrangler for our final Wrangler.   

[Rob Hall]

It's not just with families, as a single guy I much prefer a 4dr SUV over a 2dr..way easier to load things in/out of the backseat, get the dogs in and out, etc.   2drs are too much of a compromise..  In cars, I love 2dr coupes, but wouldn't want to live with the long doors in daily use (in tight parking places they are a pain). 

[RichCostello]

5 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

I had a Bronco II back in the day...it was ok, but had manual locking hubs.   I'd rather have my modern Grand Cherokee with it's heated leather seats, power moonroof, nav system, etc.  It's totally an SUV, not a CUV...not on a car platform...and it is quite capable off road...it has AWD w/ 4WD low, settings for sand, mud, snow, hill descent control, etc.   If I wanted more off road capability, I'd get the Trailhawk version.   2 doors were ok back in the day, but I find a 4dr way more practical.    And for a daily driver, I prefer loaded with all the amenities. 

I drive a 2012 Jeep Liberty, wanted a Wrangler, but for the $14000 price difference, I went with the Liberty, and I love it. It does not have leather(I don't like leather)no moonroof(they're worthless)no infotainment/nav system(don't need it). I've been a Jeep guy for many years, and have owned many. I was just saying that people don't buy "SUVs" for the same reason that they bought the old 2 dr. versions.

[Rob Hall]

1 minute ago, RichCostello said:

I drive a 2012 Jeep Liberty, wanted a Wrangler, but for the $14000 price difference, I went with the Liberty, and I love it. It does not have leather(I don't like leather)no moonroof(they're worthless)no infotainment/nav system(don't need it). I've been a Jeep guy for many years, and have owned many. I was just saying that people don't buy "SUVs" for the same reason that they bought the old 2 dr. versions.

Most 4dr CUV or SUV buyers probably moved from sedans, a lot of them are used as family haulers like minivans or wagons were in the past.    I’ve been driving Jeeps for 20 years, love ‘em.  Probably will get another in a few years.  

[iamsuperdan]

It's not just 2 door SUVs. 

Go around and look at dealerships. How many two door cars are available? Count the number of two door trucks.

For most manufacturers, two doors on anything just don't sell anymore in numbers that justify the cost of production.

People want the convenience and practicality that four doors offer. 

There are exceptions of course, but overall, two doors just don't fly.

[Mr. Metallic]

According to Motor Trend, the new Bronco (probably a 2021 model) will be offered in 2 and 4 door models. Nothing formal announced by Ford, other than this on their website...

 

 

Back and badder than ever. The legendary Ford Bronco.

 

The Ford Bronco is back by popular demand. The iconic SUV was one of the world’s leading 4x4 vehicles for three decades, from the mid-sixties until the mid-nineties. This new generation Bronco boasts the latest in smart technology and a bold new look while remaining true to its rugged roots. More information to come.  In the meantime, check out what’s being said about the new Bronco on Ford Social.

[tim boyd]

17 hours ago, martinfan5 said:

The majority of the car buyers in the USA want 4 doors not 2.

Jonathon is exactly right.  When given the choice, and based on over 25 years of sales data, the overwhelming majority of SUV buyers chose four doors over two.  In the end, the business case for continuing two door SUV's just didn't make financial sense given the extra costs to engineer and produce, and the fact that most two-door intenders would move to the four-door if the two door was not produced.    

Made me kinda sad, as I thought the original Explorer 2 - door Eddie Bauer was a way cool product.   

I've seen published rumors that the upcoming new Ford Bronco will be built in 2 door and 4 door configurations, as is the Jeep Wrangler.   I hope this is indeed the case.   But I have no insider info that would verify this (the Bronco was added to Ford's product plans after I retired.).    

TIM 

Edited July 10, 2019 by tim boyd

[Mike999]

1 hour ago, tim boyd said:

Made me kinda sad, as I thought the original Explorer 2 - door Eddie Bauer was a way cool product. 

I've been trying to find a good Explorer Scout 2-door for years.  Unfortunately, by now most of them seem to have been run into the ground or scrapped. As a single guy who only needs it to haul the occasional display case/junk from thrift stores, the 2-door would be more useful to me than a 4-door.  A friend in Los Angeles scored one thru a family connection. IIRC it had around 100K miles but was very clean and well cared for.  And he got it cheap. His Scout was dark green and I was greener with envy... 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Mike999

[89AKurt]

Yea no kidding!  I bought my Honda Civic Coupe for same reasons, the top-of-the-line Type R only comes as a four door (I can't afford that anyway).  Subaru had a two door Impreza, now all 4 door.   Toyota had a cool looking 2 door concept SUV several years ago.  What's with the Challenger being a 4 door, the original was 2 door.  Marketing genius of appealing to fat Americans I suppose.

[Dave Van]

Current SUV are family trucksters.......4 door sell.

We went car shopping in 2014......we went to buy a 4 door Civic or small CRV.....at the dealer we spotted a 2 door Civic and the dealer said he'd give us $4K off if we'd buy it....it had been on the showroom floor for months with not a single tire kicker. And it just being the wife and I...we bought it. 

Again 4 doors sell. 

[gman]

Having contorted myself as an adult getting into the back seat of my XJ, and into the back of Jeep YJs, TJs belonging to friends (and empathizing with those I've made do the same), I can say that as we get older and less-flexible, the 4 door product starts to have some advantages. 2 door SUVs are fine as daily driver transportation for one or two adults with or without younger kids, but for older folks the rear seat access gets to be a challenge.

I could say the same about roadsters and other small imports too- at my age, I could get into the MGB I used to have in my 20's, but might have an issue getting back out gracefully. I shudder when I think about climbing into the back seat of the old-school Mini I had (which could seat 4 adults, 5 with a shoehorn). 

[Gramps46]

I drive a 2 door Wrangler because I wanted a 4 wheel drive, a towing package, and a soft top.  It also brings back memories of the one Uncle Sam let me drive for a year in a small Asian country some of you old timers will remember.  Jeep drivers make it a custom to wave to each other except for the 4 door soccer moms which irks me no end.

[RichCostello]

4 minutes ago, Gramps46 said:

I drive a 2 door Wrangler because I wanted a 4 wheel drive, a towing package, and a soft top.  It also brings back memories of the one Uncle Sam let me drive for a year in a small Asian country some of you old timers will remember.  Jeep drivers make it a custom to wave to each other except for the 4 door soccer moms which irks me no end.

"It's a JEEP thing" soccer moms just don't understand!

[mikemodeler]

On 7/9/2019 at 4:28 PM, Can-Con said:

Seems this has been going in that direction for quite a while. 

About 25 years ago a buddy of mine wanted a new Dodge pickup for work. He wanted a regular 2 door cab and an 8 foot bed, no carpet,  low options as possible.

There were none anywhere near here . He had to order it from the dealer.

There is no money to be made on a stripped down truck, that is why you don't see them on the lot unless it is a dealer that supplies fleets and he has some for that purpose.

[Bucky]

I'm kinda surprised that the 3 rows of seats in some vehicles hasn't dictated the addition of two more doors!! How 'bout a 6 door Suburban? LOL

[Brian Austin]

Aren't Chevy Suburbans "real" SUVs?  Depending on era, they came in 2-, 3-, or 4 doors.

Also, does the Rally Fighter count as a two-door SUV?

 

I've seen one like this, in plain white, driven by a middle-aged woman out in the suburbs.  I have no idea whether she goes off road with it, but she does use it literally as a grocery-getter.