A sedan is a car with a fixed roof that can fit at least four people. It has a “three-box” design, with a “box” for the engine up front, a “box” for the passengers, and a “box” for the trunk in the back. It is said that the Speedwell Motor Co. of Dayton, Ohio, used the word “sedan” for the first time to describe a car in 1911. Early sedan cars could have had either two or four doors, but today, the word “sedan” means a car with four doors.
Merriam-Webster says that the word “sedan” came into use in the year 1636. “Corvette” also came out for the first time that year. The sedan comes from the Latin word “sedere,” which means “to sit.” It was first used to describe a sedan chair, which was used to lift an aristocrat above the common people. The people who carried sedans were called “chairmen,” which has also come to mean something different.
In England, a sedan is called a saloon, which is another word that can mean something else. Let’s not talk about the fact that saloons don’t have hoods or trunks, but instead have bonnets and boots.
For many years, “sedan” was a synonym for “car.” Sedans ruled the roads in America. When GM jingle writers told us to “see the USA in your Chevrolet,” they were talking about an Impala. There were sports cars, pickup trucks were used on farms and in fleets, and there were SUVs like the Chevy Suburban, which has been around since 1935. But most people drove sedans from Detroit.
Later, the most popular cars in America for years were Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys. The Toyota Corolla, which comes in different body styles but is mostly a sedan, has sold more than 50 million copies and is still going. It is the best-selling car of all time.
Pros And Cons Of A Sedan
Sedans may not be the most popular cars on the market today, but they are better than ever and you should give them serious thought. In general, here are the reasons:
Sedans are easier to drive and ride in than SUVs and trucks
The fact that they are closer to the ground is a big reason why. This also makes them less likely to roll over than SUVs with heavy tops. Because they are lighter, they are usually faster off the line and take less distance to stop. A heavy SUV might be safer in a crash, but a lighter sedan might have kept the accident from happening.
Sedans have trunks
Sedan can safely store your belongings, declutter your passenger cabin and hide valuables from the bad guys.
Sedans have quieter cabins
The three-box design keeps road noise from the back wheels away from the trunk. This is different from an SUV, which has an open cargo area.
Sedans are better-looking
Have you noticed how similar most SUVs look? It’s harder for designers to make a two-box body style stand out, which may be why there are so many “coupe” SUVs with sloped roofs or “floating roofs” on the market right now. For the past 100 years, sedans have been the basis for many different and unique car designs.
A sedan has some flaws. It can’t always carry big things like an SUV can. People often say they want a truck or SUV because it sits higher and gives them a “commanding view” of the road, which a sedan can’t do. But when many, if not most, of the other cars around you are also raised, this advantage seems to disappear.
Buyers also say they want an SUV with all-wheel drive, which is an extreme use case for many people in many parts of the country. Few SUVs ever go off-road, and FWD cars handle snow very well. But if you really need all-wheel drive, many sedans have it.