3-Door Cars Are Still Out There, But Are Becoming Rare

Although 3-door cars are seen as sporty and cool, sales are rapidly declining.
Written by Alexandra Maloney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
When you think of a car, the image that pops in your mind is likely a
standard, four-door sedan
. Perhaps some of us think of the two-door coupe or pickup truck, but beyond that answers probably don’t stray too much.
But, have you ever seen, or even thought about, a three-door car? Three-door cars are unique style vehicles made by some
car brands
and can still be seen on the roads today, but they’re becoming more and more rare. Here’s what you need to know about these interesting vehicles. 

What is a three-door car?

True to its name, a three-door car is a car that features only three doors. In most cases, there will be one door on the driver’s side, and two on the passenger side of the vehicle. Besides having one less door, most three-door cars are almost exactly the same as their four-door counterparts. 
As
Car Throttle
points out, the appeal of having a three-door car is essentially to have a sportier, cooler, and more purposeful looking vehicle. Three-door cars are almost an illusion when you see them on the roads. From one side, they look like a sporty, two-door coupe; from the other side they appear to be standard four door hatchbacks. 
While three-door cars can be a bit lighter than four-door vehicles, the difference isn’t too notable. Besides that, three-door vehicles don’t provide any additional benefits from other styles of car. In fact, the three-door vehicle can be seen as impractical for people who frequently have passengers in their vehicle due to the inconvenient access. 
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3-door car sales are declining 

Although three-door cars had their glory days, we’re beginning to see a rapid decline in sales of these kinds of vehicles, which means they might be extinct from the roads in a few years time. Because of declining sales, we’ve seen many brands drop their beloved three-door models. 
Car Throttle
reported Range Rover dropped the three-door Evoque model due to poor sales. On top of that, Volkswagen has discontinued the three door Scirocco and Beetle models, and the Polo and Ups models are on the chopping block. Volkswagen’s sister company, Seat, has canned the three-door Mii car. 
The three door Audi A3 is also gone, and the three-door Audi A1 is also on its way out due to limited sales. Evidently, because of declining profits, most car brands are turning their attention away from the eye-catching three-door car models.

Three-door cars still on the road today

Despite many models being discontinued, there are still some three-door cars you might see on the roads today. One of the newest three-door car models is the 2020 Hyundai Veloster.
MotorBiscuit
reported the front seats in this car have tons of legroom, and the backseat is perfect for kids or pets. Overall, the ride is comfortable. Plus, it gets decent fuel economy—28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway—making this car a practical three-door option.
CarBuzz
reports along with the Veloster, the only other three-door models being produced today in the United States are Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Smart ForTwo and Toyota Yaris.
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