what makes a car a 4 doors car or 5 door

[mavanhaasteren]

what is the main deference between a 4 door car and a 5 door car

what is there fore the criteria

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

A 4-door car will have a sedan/saloon bodyshape, like this:



It has another 'box' in the design- so it becomes a '3-box design', rather than the 2 used on a 5-door. It basically means it has a boot/trunk.

This is a 5-door:



It has a hatchback, rather than an extra 'box' for the boot/trunk. Estate cars (or station wagons, whatever) also count as 5-door cars, because the hatch is effectively another door...



And this is your extra 'door' open...

[Clivey]

I've been asked this question a lot and thanks to IWAARS6 we now have a near-perfect explanation. the only thing I'd add is this, just for clarity:

4-door: Saloon
5-door: Hatchback

[jediali]

3-door: hatchback
2-door: silly
1-door:

[Klemmel]

2-door: Silly?? I don't know about you, but I like these cars

[Matra et Alpine]

1-door ....

[Leo_Ant]

Don't want to confuse things, but the explanation is quite different:a 5 door differs because the boot/trunk opens from the top of the back glass, while in a 4 door it opens from the bottom of that same glass. There are at least 2 cars that are 5 doors and have a saloon body shape: The 1st Seat Toledo and the 1st Skoda Octavia. So, a saloon is commonly a 4 door, but there are exceptions.

[ruim20]

easy, in a 5 door car you can enter the passenger compartment thruu the boot, the 4 door car has the boot cut off with chassis metal from the passenger compartment and you cannot access the passengers thruu there.

[Clivey]

Don't want to confuse things, but the explanation is quite different:a 5 door differs because the boot/trunk opens from the top of the back glass, while in a 4 door it opens from the bottom of that same glass. There are at least 2 cars that are 5 doors and have a saloon body shape: The 1st Seat Toledo and the 1st Skoda Octavia. So, a saloon is commonly a 4 door, but there are exceptions.

Actually, at least in the UK, both of the cars you mention are referred to as hatchbacks, not saloons.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Actually, at least in the UK, both of the cars you mention are referred to as hatchbacks, not saloons.

Shucks, beat me to it

The Octavia is based on the Golf; therefore will always be a 5-door hatchback as long as it based on the Golf. It still looks like a hatchback- similar to the Saab 9000 that I posted.

[Leo_Ant]

Exactly: hatchbacks although they have an apparent trunk.0

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Exactly: hatchbacks although they have an apparent trunk.0

Not excessively; there are limitations posed as to how big a hatch can actually be before you put undue amounts of stress upon the struts that hold it up. If you look at any regular saloon, they don't have really stubby trunks like the Octavia or Toledo you posted. The only one I can really think of that has a tiny boot is the SEAT Cordoba.

[Matra et Alpine]

easy, in a 5 door car you can enter the passenger compartment thruu the boot, the 4 door car has the boot cut off with chassis metal from the passenger compartment and you cannot access the passengers thruu there.

Ford Orion - 4 door, boot, but fold down seats meant you could access through it and no chassis metal.
It's never a perfect definition and is often used by marketing to meet the needs of market segmentation they desire
For 99% of the time if it "looks" like you describe then I agree !!
I always though it was simpler in that if the glass AND part of the rear panel lifted as one ten it was "hatchbck" and counted as a door.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Ford Orion - 4 door, boot, but fold down seats meant you could access through it and no chassis metal.
It's never a perfect definition and is often used by marketing to meet the needs of market segmentation they desire
For 99% of the time if it "looks" like you describe then I agree !!
I always though it was simpler in that if the glass AND part of the rear panel lifted as one ten it was "hatchbck" and counted as a door.

Ah, the Ford Orion... such a misguided car... why did Ford even bother?

Same goes for the BMW 318Ci- odd that, as it's based on the 4-door, it's got fold-down seats.

And as for marketing... Mercedes CompletelyLimpSegment-occupier, anyone?

And I agree with your definition, Peter... makes more sense... I did my best!

[Matra et Alpine]

Ah, the Ford Orion... such a misguided car... why did Ford even bother?

Depends.
Had the injection which had the performance of the XR3 and was a definite "sleeper"
Kept rear road noise down over the standard escort, which was a concern for our first foray into parenthood !!!
Also got it in white which was great on the roads as if you wanted to make progress you just needed to start flashing the lights and the traffic parted