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Precisely what I was saying. The regulations put in place (and the unevenness of them with regards to cars vs trucks) caused automakers to focus on development and refinement of trucks rather than cars. There are certain benefits to a truck-type vehicle that are hard to give up. Room, ride height, ease of entry and egress, capability, etc... Those are only a few! Once you got into a truck, it became hard for you to get out of one. There are many out there who share a similar story. The market has shifted; it's not going to go back unless there is a seismic change. Until that time, the sedan will play second-fiddle to CUVs and trucks... Sedans will continue to become more and more of a niche product (Which is why I think the Charger is in a GREAT PLACE.) and CUVs will become more and more common...Politics may have been one of the factors in a decision to manufacture an SUV/CUV, but it certainly is not a factor in the resulting success. In my case, when I replaced my Dodge Stratus with a PT Cruiser, I did so because I got a good deal on it and liked it. My wife had a Concorde at the time. After having my PT for a few months, my wife told me that her next car is going to have a hatch and be like the PT because she loved not having a trunk to to the ease of loading shopping bags, etc., and she also loved the seating position much more than her Concorde or my Stratus. So she ended up with a PT Cruiser, and to this day we both still have them. My daughter had a Neon at the time and graduated to a PT Cruiser of her own. None of these purchase decisions were forced on us, nor were we being puppets. We found we greatly preferred everything about the CUV.