Those shortfalls are all valid, but these types of vehicles are also very much “style over substance.” 

It sure did, so I’m curious as to why the ZDX didn’t catch on the same way the X6 did, or why Acura hasn’t revisited this segment since given the growth in popularity of this body style. 

The Acura ZDX was pretty early with the fastback crossover trend (I refuse to call them “coupes”) but it didn’t manage to leave its mark, and now it seems like every company has a swoopy version of their crossover offerings.

“Layer Cake” doesn’t really focus on cars at all, but it happens to have a pretty fantastic selection. The main group of characters get around in an Audi RS6 Avant

A shame indeed. I saw some potential in the Dart - I thought it looked pretty good, the engine made a pleasant growl, and I could easily see an SRT version. FCA desperately needed a decent entry-level car but in execution, that the Dart just wasn’t all that.

The Dodge Dart’s passenger-seat storage cubby.

Oh, so that’s why we had go replace a supercharger on 17k mile F-Type R

My dad works for GM and had a fully loaded one of these as a company car. There's nothing "exciting" about it, but it's fantastically quiet and comfortable, and I quite like the styling too. It looks and acts exactly like a big American sedan ought to, and I'm here for it. 

My sister was searching high and low for one of those last year. My dad works for GM which got us a pretty handsome discount, and she was more than happy to consider a wagon, but we simply couldn’t find one near us within the time frame that she needed a car.

She ended up with a Cadillac XT4. :/

This is an excellent answer. 

By what logic is one of the best-selling cars in the U.S. “underrated?”

I believe that Porsches are exceptionally well-built, well-engineered vehicles, but I also completely understand where you’re coming from. There’s definitely a lot of “Kool Aid” shared among the owners, especially PCA members. 

I’ve driven my friend’s FC - not especially fast, but it’s a joy to rev the absolute pants out of it to get going.

Having driven mostly turbocharged & lazy large-displacement cars, it was a very different and enjoyable experience. 

Hear hear. I’ve got a 968, successor to the 944, and I always maintain that you don’t need to drive this car fast to enjoy it. It’s incredibly well-balanced with a solid chassis and very good steering.

Always liked these transaxle cars. They’re a departure from what we typically associate with Porsche while…

I had a 2005 Volkswagen Golf TDI in college, boasting a mighty 100 bhp and 177 lb.ft. - impressive torque numbers, but in no world was it “quick.” However it never felt as slow as it was with that fat torque curve, and it was an absolute delight in the snow, thanks to the heavy diesel engine weighing down the driven…

We had a 1999 Mercedes-Benz E320 and I found out that you could do that if you pressed the right mirror adjustment button while in reverse. 

Yes and yes - the Taycan is quite a large car, and the 968 is a little cutie. I also have the Taycan pulled further up on the driveway, so the perspective makes it look even larger.

My parents have had Nissan Leafs pretty much since they were new as secondary cars, though at one point both my mom and my dad had one each. We live in Georgia, so the federal and state tax rebates, plus the savings from not buying fuel made the lease essentially free. They have solar panels on their house as well, so…

That doesn’t even sound like a real brand.

Big yikes. 

Interesting that you mentioned that because I just read this article recently