QOTD: Wishing for Something Hotter?

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Once upon a time, the vehicles populating high school and college student parking lots were a rangy mish-mash of beat-up hatchbacks, faded hand-me-down family sedans, the odd minivan (daughters beware!) and the obligatory Mustang or Camaro. Soon, it’ll be a sea of crossovers. Maybe it already is — your author, understandably, doesn’t make a habit of cruising by such locales at low speed in the interest of checking out rides.

As vehicular variety decreases, the need to stand apart from the crowd hasn’t. Maybe that explains this week’s Chevrolet Blazer SS thought experiment. Sure, a hotter two-row crossover, especially in Blazer form, might not turn your crank, but that doesn’t mean there’s no audience for such a vehicle.

Is this segment in need of more muscle?

Gone are the days in which a low-priced coupe or sedan could play host to a myriad of ever-larger powerplants, sending tooth-rattling power aft to the rear wheels through beefed-up trannys and differentials borrowed from the OEM’s parts bin. Beancounters took over. Then the public started demanding an alternative to coupes and sedans.

Ford’s Edge ST seeks to upset the idea that mainstream crossovers can’t be the object of desire for the go-fast crowd. Okay, maybe just for members with family obligations. Its 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, retuned suspension, and bigger brakes seeks to entice the buyer who wants everything in one package. It isn’t crazy that some feel the need for a GM rival.

While Fiat Chrysler is more than happy to sell you a Dodge Durango or Jeep Grand Cherokee with monster V8 power, today we’re focusing on front-biased, high-riding unibodies.

Is there, um, utility in fielding a hot crossover? And, if you feel there is, which crossover on the market today would you like to see turned into a legitimate fire-breather?

[Image: General Motors]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • TheDutchGun TheDutchGun on Mar 21, 2019

    I literally just bought a 17 focus ST. I don't begrudge Ford for using the name on other models simply because they are ceasing north American sales of the 2 previous models to which the moniker applied. As long as said ST models are a true performance step up from the standard versions. A manual transmission would be nice, but I know I'm living in the past and the computers can shift faster than my slow inferior human motor function (pun intended).

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    • TheDutchGun TheDutchGun on Mar 21, 2019

      @Art Vandelay I went from a paid for 2015 5.0L F150 with 130,000 km on it and several minor quibbles/repairs to address to a 2017 focus ST with 20,000 km on. Zero regrets and am loving the manual transmission again. I will shed a tear when the final nail is put in the clutch pedal's coffin.

  • NeilM NeilM on Mar 21, 2019

    Of course there are already hot crossovers, albeit at a higher price point. A friend of mine just bought a BMW X3 M40i, which has the 3.0 L6 turbo with 355 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque, and does 0-60 mph in 4.6 secs. Hot enough? It does list for $56K though.

    • See 1 previous
    • Geo Geo on Mar 24, 2019

      @jatz Highway stoplights Empty highways Accelerating from highway shoulders

  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
  • Ajla On the Mach-E, I still don't like it but my understanding is that it helps allow Ford to continue offering a V8 in the Mustang and F-150. Considering Dodge and Ram jumped off a cliff into 6-cylinder land there's probably some credibility to that story.
  • Ajla If I was Ford I would just troll Stellantis at all times.
  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.
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