General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Reason people buy AR-15 type guns is similar to the reason why people buy Huge SUVs... [View all]JVS
(61,935 posts)The crux of the issue is Passenger Car vs. Light Truck (and from a regulatory perspective an SUV or a Minivan is a light truck).
Light trucks have less strict CAFE requirements. So if you're making a car to haul a family of 5 and their gear (traditionally the province of the large family sedan or wagon) you have the choice of making a big wagon which could bump your passenger car fleet above CAFE standards or an SUV or minivan which fits comfortably under the standards for light trucks.
The chicken tax also provides incentive because foreign competitors are taxed a 25% tariff in the light truck segment. So while choosing whether to make a wagon or SUV you can decide if you want to go toe to toe with the Japanese or benefit from the tariff.
This is why the only station wagons you tend to see anymore are usually foreign and usually small (big exceptions being some European wagons by luxury marques.)