Two-Door SUVs: Car Body Type You Didn’t Notice Dying

Where have two-door SUVs gone? Perhaps you have seen them driving somewhere, hiding in the shadows, standing in the backyards of parking lots and at the garage gates of half-abandoned country houses. These aging characters of more optimistic times are increasingly declining, approaching complete oblivion.Despite their attractive proportions and great capabilities, they are lagging behind their four-door counterparts, and you won't find any in the best SUV listings. No matter how hard automakers try, it feels like the world no longer needs two-door SUVs, and they are disappearing.

There aren't many two-door models today: the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, and Land Rover Defender 90. And even then, they exist because they have off-road advantages over their four-door mates. In everything else, they are inferior, and 2024 sales confirm this. Why did two-door SUVs fall out of fashion, and why did some brands persistently try to revive them? The Indy Auto Man used SUV dealership experts have the answers.

The Beginning of a Glorious Journey

The craze for two-door SUVs dates back to post-war times. The soldiers of that war drove their strong and simple two-door cars for years, and when they returned home, out of habit, they looked for something similar. During World War II, three companies produced SUVs - Willy's, Bantam, and Ford. All three saw market potential in them. This is how the civilian CJ-2A appeared - a car with no doors can be called the ancestor of all two-door SUVs. Its numerous versions have been licensed for sale and have begun to change tastes and preferences in many countries. Although the Jeep was rock-solid, it was not comfortable enough, Ford decided to remedy this with the introduction of the Bronco in the mid-1960s, whose sales inspired GM to create the two-door Blazer. International and Dodge followed suit. One of the most vital characteristics of all these models was their versatility. Additionally, two-door cars were status symbols in the 1950s, and this attitude extended to SUVs. Young buyers liked them for their adventurous image and the possibility of transforming the interior (you could install seats in the back for passengers or leave room for carrying more cargo). As the 1970s gave way to the 1980s and 1990s, niche products for surfers and woodsmen moved increasingly into the mainstream, and automakers adored new buyers.

Why Did the Segment Die?

The unexpected loss of interest in two-door SUVs can be associated with only one crucial circumstance - money. Although the design of two doors was often prettier than that of their four-door counterparts, buyers began to choose practicality. Their families no longer wanted to crawl through the seats when they could jump inside. In addition, four-door models usually had a longer wheelbase, which together with comfort provided more space inside. Automakers soon noticed that four-door versions of their SUVs were selling two, three, or even four times better than two-door vehicles, and the need to cut costs required them to forgo spending on niche models. So slowly but surely, the two doors began to be phased out with no successors, and one day, we discovered that they had almost disappeared.

Two-Door SUVs Today

Except for all kinds of exotics, only three mass-market models of two-door SUVs are on sale today. The most famous of these is the Jeep Wrangler, followed by the Ford Bronco and the Land Rover Defender 90, which occupies a separate, more prestigious place than the previous two. All three sell well, but none compare to their larger siblings, which offer seating for five. But it's not even about how many seats you have. People don't want to crawl through the gap between the seats to get into the car. This is the main problem: buyers are no longer willing to compromise, and no one wants to be cramped when it can be avoided. Everyone wants to comfortably seat five people in the cabin and rush along the highway to conquer nature.

Moreover, everyone wants this only because some marketing genius came up with the idea to show a happy couple (and their dog) camping in some picturesque area in the video, and we happily accepted it. Almost every brand has an off-road or wilderness package that sells like hotcakes without offering other special features. But the hardest off-road that most drivers have ever seen is a dirt road to a country house. And there is nothing wrong with that! A slightly raised four-door crossover can be quite cool, and the impression it makes breaks up the impersonal and monotonous atmosphere on the road. It's just a shame that it killed off one of the most exciting car segments. However, several brands still carry the torch, and you can still opt for a two-door Jeep Wrangler.

Check the availability of two-door SUVs for sale in Indianapolis on our website, and if you can’t find the model you want, leave your request, and we’ll do our best to organize something special for you.