I’m not just talking about pickup trucks that have gotten huge, but rather cars in general. Take a look at the 5th generation Honda Civic hatchback and compare it to the newest Honda Civic Hatchback model. Not only did the car gain approximately 1,000lbs/453Kg, but its length, height, and space drastically changed. Sure it’s a 30 year difference but even other car models from the early 2010s compared to their same models today are way bigger and heavier in just under a decade Why is this?
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Getting heavier was inevitable with the increase in safety and comfort features. More protective/comfy things = more weight. Getting larger is an effect of people wanting more leg room and space for cargo. Then larger size means bigger construction which means safer in a collision, which is another appeal.
Do people buy bigger cars than they need these days? I’d agree yes. But at least it is logical why they do it.
Edit: This is why trucks and SUVs are the biggest sellers in the US.
Getting heavier was inevitable with the increase in safety and comfort features. More protective/comfy things = more weight. Getting larger is an effect of people wanting more leg room and space for cargo. Then larger size means bigger construction which means safer in a collision, which is another appeal.
Do people buy bigger cars than they need these days? I’d agree yes. But at least it is logical why they do it.
Edit: This is why trucks and SUVs are the biggest sellers in the US.
People want bigger cars and the higher gas prices are not the deal breaker they once were. Before the 70s cars were very big, but then gas prices got high and we opted for smaller cars. We’re not to the point of going smaller, and maybe never will again. We like our cars and spend a lot of time in them these days.
People want bigger cars and the higher gas prices are not the deal breaker they once were. Before the 70s cars were very big, but then gas prices got high and we opted for smaller cars. We’re not to the point of going smaller, and maybe never will again. We like our cars and spend a lot of time in them these days.
Larger cars mean larger crumple zones front and rear to protect passengers. More space for safety features like airbags and roll cage. More space for passengers and cargo. More fuel efficient engines, hybrid powertrains, etc. mean not giving up fuel efficiency even if vehicles are larger and heavier. Cars are still much smaller than they were up through the 70’s and 80’s when a number of oil crises forced car makers to reduce size and weight.
Larger cars mean larger crumple zones front and rear to protect passengers. More space for safety features like airbags and roll cage. More space for passengers and cargo. More fuel efficient engines, hybrid powertrains, etc. mean not giving up fuel efficiency even if vehicles are larger and heavier. Cars are still much smaller than they were up through the 70’s and 80’s when a number of oil crises forced car makers to reduce size and weight.
I watched a YouTube video recently where a guy explained why, specifically, you couldn’t buy a compact pickup in the U.S. anymore. There’s a formula the EPA uses to determine, based on the length and width of the wheelbase, what the minimum gas mileage has to be to avoid a fine. Turns out the EPA may have been too aggressive with that formula on smaller trucks, with the result being that it’s almost impossible to make a small truck that meets mileage goals. I wonder if the same might be true of passenger cars.
Found it. https://youtu.be/azI3nqrHEXM?si=b03l4q_m4SS_6RFe
I watched a YouTube video recently where a guy explained why, specifically, you couldn’t buy a compact pickup in the U.S. anymore. There’s a formula the EPA uses to determine, based on the length and width of the wheelbase, what the minimum gas mileage has to be to avoid a fine. Turns out the EPA may have been too aggressive with that formula on smaller trucks, with the result being that it’s almost impossible to make a small truck that meets mileage goals. I wonder if the same might be true of passenger cars.
Found it. https://youtu.be/azI3nqrHEXM?si=b03l4q_m4SS_6RFe
There’s a lot of reasons but I tend to think one of them is the world is scary and we really have very little control and for someone feeling particularly fragile a large truck or SUV announces them as someone to be taken seriously, to be seen, to be contended with. It’s like magnum condoms. Sometimes it feels good to pretend to be a big fella.
There’s a lot of reasons but I tend to think one of them is the world is scary and we really have very little control and for someone feeling particularly fragile a large truck or SUV announces them as someone to be taken seriously, to be seen, to be contended with. It’s like magnum condoms. Sometimes it feels good to pretend to be a big fella.
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