Top Ten Reasons Americans Want Enormous Cars
Top Ten Reasons Americans Want Enormous Cars
121 comments
-
My taxes paid for the road, I'm going to use the road. It's called getting value for your money, walklet-tier comic XD
-
I just think the mindset is a left over from the colonial days when there was so much land to settle on, that building big is not an issue. The principle carried over to many other things, like having big possessions are seen as good.
-
if anyone else didn't know who https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorstein_Veblen was
-
I'mma give this one to the lady on the bottom right. Not for the reason she states, but if you got 7 kids you gotta pile in, a Corolla ain't gonna cut it.
-
I’m now suddenly suspecting that 7 seater compact cars are not a thing in places like the US. We got 7 seater Avanzas here in the third world, but come to think of it, there might be some regulatory thing preventing this format of car from being sold in some places.
It’s good. We used taxis like that a lot in HS before anyone in the friend group was 18 (yes yes you let your kids drive at 16 in the US how open minded of you to create more car customers like that), it came out to very little per person when you had like 6-7 people sharing essentially one small economy car.
I think it wouldn’t be the most convenient since you can’t put much cargo with all the seats up, but like there are more formats out there right? First gen Honda Odyssey size is what I would have in mind - surely some manufacturer is still making something similar?
Tank-on-wheels is a ridiculous default design
-
A minivan will hold as many kids, is safer than an SUV, and they are on the smaller end of the SUV sizes.
-
Plus a minivan is 100x easier to get kids in and out of compared to an SUV. Honestly minivans might be peak transport vehicle form factor…
-
I have a "midsize" SUV and went on vacation with seven people, and it could hardly hold all of us even with a luggage rack on the hitch. We rented a minivan at our destination, and it EASILY fit all seven people and luggage with room to spare and was more comfortable. It also was a hybrid and got > 30mpg. Definitely wanting to rethink that SUV purchase now.
-
I have a little Mitsubishi Outlander that seats 7 and I’d cut off a toe for a minivan.
My teenager has to crawl through the hatch to get in her seat lol.
-
I do think minivans should be more common as being more practical, but I don't see how they're safer. They also tend to be less fuel efficient due to aerodynamics. They tend to have a lower floor with more or less the same ceiling height. That gives them a larger frontal cross section compared to an equivalent sized SUV.
This applies to vans and trucks, as well. Trucks based on the same platform tend to have better mileage than the van.
-
-
That last panel is why the entire “fuck cars” movement is a joke. You can’t have real solutions if you don’t have real empathy.
-
If that's why the movement is a joke, then why are there several upvoted posts here saying that one is a legit reason?
-
I don't think you've spent much time here if you think that "fuck cars" is being said without empathy. None of us think that nobody should be allowed to own a car and that there aren't legitimate use cases. Just that the vast majority of cases are Not That and for how dangerous and inefficient they are, along with infrastructure that only considers the experience of people in cars, the extent that cars have taken over and define our lives (again, as non-single-mothers-of-seven) is ridiculous.
Also, station wagons used to exist. Mini vans still exist. You could transport this many kids and not have to drive a massive truck that's likely to mow one of them down in the driveway before you even notice they're unaccounted for. There are other "real solutions" for this person. In fact, that single mother would have a far more peaceful time transporting her family if the cars around her were both smaller in size and fewer in number. Our interests are aligned, you see.
Have you tried having some empathy for those that are strained by the financial burden of owning a car? Society should consider people that don't want and shouldn't need to own a car just as much as it considers people who do need to own a car. Go project your lack of "real empathy" somewhere else cause it's definitely misplaced here.
-
The grains of salt I take when going to a fuckcars sub:
- Most, not all, but most people online and in reality live in congested cities full of cars, and 90% of the sub will be their POV.
- Carbon emissions are bad, full stop
- Living even in a suburban area makes you an outlier
They could change their names to fuckallthesecarsinparticular but I get how offputting that is.
-
I think the bottom right one is supposed to be sympathetic and more making fun of the catch 22 of the car arms race caused by all the other panels.
-
Even if we outright banned cars with no nuance or forethought whatsoever, that would still save billions from climate change.
-
If that's your take, you have no idea what you're talking about
-
-
-
The hurr-durr narrative is a bit disingenuous. It's not just the loony MAGA/Conservatives buying these cars as depicted in the comic, it's centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars.
I thought the main reason was price, EVs needing massive batteries, and automakers unwilling to pay small car taxes and opting more for light trucks to save costs.
-
it’s centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars
What are they to buy alternatively? The basically non-existent sanely sized cars?
-
Exactly, which is why I reject the premise of the comic. People are just buying what's available/affordable, not out of some ideological creed
-
This is a bit dramatic. There are plenty of sanely sized cars available, and its not like everyone yearns for them but is forced into a suburban. Last time I checked you could still buy a corolla, an H-RV, a leaf, crosstrek, civic, Prius, several minis, a Mazda 3, BMW 1, etc. If people literally just bought rav4s instead of giant SUVs the average vehicle size would be significantly smaller, even though the rest of world thinks those are huge too.
-
-
The hurr-durr narrative is a bit disingenuous. It’s not just the loony MAGA/Conservatives buying these cars as depicted in the comic, it’s centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars.
to anyone who has to travel across the US for work you quickly start to realize that is hard to tell the Democrat and Republican drivers apart and this comic got both sides included
definitely two sides of the same coin
another common theme in the United States is the belief road signs are not really there especially speed limits
only a few drivers follow the road signs to the detriment of safety even in work zones
big vehicles with people that see no need to follow road rules are very common and the few drivers following the rules either get bumper humped or pulled over
very toxic driving environment in the US and at this point it would be safer without speed limits
also sedans do suck and are definitely too small but do drive all day so nether region room is important as much as cargo room is
-
also sedans do suck
Nah. I had a 2005 Camry for almost two decades and it was pretty roomy, had a massive trunk, and was not very large at all.
-
...keep right except to pass and most of your concerns will melt away; that's how i drive rented trucks with speed limiters, slowest vehicle on the road with no worries...
-
You're right, and I shouldn't have painted all the progressives out of the picture like that. I guess I just meant to say that most people buy what they can rich or poor, rather than out of some belief
-
-
-
A question for big car drivers
How the fuck do you drive?
I have a slightly longer and wider than usual SEDAN and I struggle in the city. I can't imagine steering a massive hunk of shit
-
Drive an electric F150. It’s legitimately a skill to drive the thing. I went from a “Prius C/Aqua” to the truck because I have a horse to haul. I legitimately think there should be a special license endorsement to be allowed to drive it. I would vote to require such extra testing if given the chance.
-
Oh man I would be all over tiered licensing. For size and performance, the basic license probably shouldn't cover that can accelerate like a Tesla.
-
I would like to see fines for reckless driving have a "large/lethal/unsafe modification" upgrade.
You wanna get drunk and meatcrayon yourself? Be my guest. Get blitzed and take your dually Dodge Ram with 4" wheel spacers down residential roads at highway speeds? Hope your ass is ready for a lifetime prison sentence.
-
-
You just cant see whats in your way up close, so it's less anxiety inducing to drive than a full size sedan. "What you don't know can't hurt you" 🤪
-
But more seriously, its probably the trick of perspective: the higher the seating position makes the vehicle footprint feel smaller and feel like you're moving slower and also makes it easier to see over the smaller cars in traffic 😅
(I don't actually own one but have driven my sisters one on occasion)
-
-
Very carefully.
Went from a subcompact coupe to a "midsize" crossover, and it's terrifying. Can't see shit near me because of how high I sit. Can't see shit next to me because of the big-ass B pillars, and the short window puts the pillar right next to my head.
The main 2 reasons I switched?
1: My hybrid coupe was a horrible gas guzzler at 36MPG, the SUV gets 90+ MPGe.
2: People in big-ass SUVs kept trying to kill me. Hasn't happened nearly as much since I got a car that would do consequential damage to them if they run into me.
-
Get those stick on mirrorlets, that let you see around the B column and right into your blind spot.
Any mirror from any brand would work, here's the first link off DuckDuckGo: https://www.autozone.com/safety-and-security/blind-spot-mirror
They're a game changer if you have a hard time seeing there. Takes some fiddling to angle them just right, but worth it.
-
-
I have a legitimate work reasons to own a pickup and I don't drive in the city. When I do, it's a box trunk for deliveries and I hate it. I fucking hate staring at shiny Escalades with only one person in it.
-
-
A big part of it is the lack of sanely sized options, which is driven by a combination of confirmation bias ("the best sellers are all giant SUVs" when the only real options are giant SUVs), low gas prices, and incentives to manufacturers by classifying vehicles as trucks to get around emissions rules. We could undo a lot of it if we taxed and regulated giant SUVs and trucks the same way we do smaller cars, but that hits the profits of big auto and would be politically disadvantageous for anyone to try so they don't.
-
Also driven primarily by the C.A.F.E. act of 1992-1993. That's why the cars in the 90s started getting bigger, and continued to get bigger. So now, like you said, small options aren't available, or are outright outlawed like kei cars and trucks.
-
^^This.
I would have much rather purchased an EV coupe. It's useless for me to haul around 5 seats. I rarely have more than one ass in the car at a time.
-
lack of sanely sized options
I don't get this, like they still make sedans. Go to a toyota or honda dealership and there are still plenty of small affordable efficient cars.
I agree we should definitely tax them but that'll only go so far. Even if we tax them people have shown there willing to spend a lot more money for an suv . People view them as a status symbol and cultural signifier and will pay a lot since a part of there identity is based off it.
Strict regulation making it so a majority of people just can't buy one would be the only way, but thats unpopular and fox News would have a field day about "the liberals are coming for your truck"
-
@Notmikey @Wxfisch Go to a Toyota or Honda dealership and you'll find that longstanding models like the Civic and Corolla are much larger and less affordable than they were at the peak of their popularity. Ford no longer makes sedans and GM makes few. All the car companies aggressively market trucks and SUVs to the exclusion of sedans and hatchbacks. That's not because consumers decided they wanted "status symbols," it's because SUVs & trucks have higher profit margins.
-
Many sedans in the US are quite a bit larger than their global counterparts. That also assumes that all sedans are somewhat fungible which also isn't true. It's common for foreign manufacturers to only introduce longer wheelbase versions of vehicles in the US but offer shorter wheelbases in Europe and Asia, thus includes sedans and coupes, but also minivans and trucks. I'd be somewhat interested in a VW id.Buzz, but aside from software issues they only offer the larger variant in the States which won't even fit in my garage. Even the somewhat normal sized Ioniq 6 we got is way wider and longer than we'd ideally like, but there are no other options to get something in a saner size on Hyundai/Kias eGMP platform which has tons of benefits (higher voltage packs for faster charging, solid and relatively affordable technology options, and full V2L capabilities).
-
-
-
The bottom right is really the only valid reason. I'd love to get a small car but between them not really being sold in the US anymore and the crash incompatibility, I gotta pass.although there is increasingly little to live for so maybe I'll just get a donorcycle and say fuck it
-
No, it's a terrible reason. It's complicit with the system for a level of danger reduction that is really not enough, and intentionally endangering other kids for your own children's benefits. You merely continue the cycle. It's short sighted at best.
-
Get a small enough car and you can just pass under them.
-
I settled on a mid sized suv as the compromise. Seating for four, and I have a family of four. Big enough to go with traffic but small enough to be reasonably efficient. Big enough to carry a lot but small enough to fit in narrow lanes and parking spots
-
-
This ignores the role of advertising in making people want things.
They wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work.
-
Also the companies either not selling smaller models at all or selling under powered econobox trash.
-
YSK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compliance_car
Some jurisdictions require that auto makers offer low or no emission vehicles, a vehicle is considered a "compliance car" if it is clear that the company producing it is only doing so in order to comply with these regulations, rather than viewing them as a source of profit. This is generally identified by low production volume, sales limited to only regions where the law requires it, and low effort design.
-
They don’t sell them because they make a bigger profit on giant trucks even if they have to pay for ads to convince people to buy them.
-
-
-
It's safer for drunk driving if the other cars are the ones turned to smithereens.
-
We have pretty small cars but we often are transporting six people. So we end up driving two cars pretty regularly. It's not so bad when we're just going across town, but we're traveling to Toronto and Florida for two trips this summer. We have rented a big SUV for trips like that before, but it costs more overall and sometimes it's nice to have two vehicles while we're there because we don't all six want to go the same place every moment of our week.
Most big SUVs I see have one person in them though.
-
Ever tried a minivan?
-
This. The solution is a people-carrier. The ground clearance of an SUV or the cargo bed of a pickup truck won't help with anything.
The ID. Buzz looks pretty sick atm, but it's a tad expensive.
-
Yes, technically I own one but it has major issues and we use it only as our version of a truck to go the two miles to the local Home Depot. It loses all power and will stop if you try to drive it up a hill. But I can fit a full sheet of plywood in the back with the middle seats out. We've tried renting minivans, but we've had two problems.
One is that they're never available - they'll take your reservation but when you show up to get it there are none available so they substitute a large SUV like a Chevy Tahoe. A Tahoe has way more space and would cost more to rent, which are benefits, but they're also far less fuel efficient which isn't great.
The other problem is space. A minivan can move six people but modern minivans don't really have space for luggage for six people for nine days in the back. I even own a nice hard sided roof luggage carrier I use with my Subaru Crosstrek, but rentals never have the roof bars you need to mount it up there.
For now, our little cars are decently fuel efficient. I would consider buying another minivan but our youngest is 15 so I think at some point soon we'll need less people-carrying capacity.
-
-
-
That is eleven reasons!
-
Dey stupid and it makes their penis seem bigger.
-
Does anyone really need 7 children?
-
Fittingly, seven of Charles Darwin's children survived to adulthood.
-
-
And the other reason: To make yourself feel better about your teeny weenie.
-
I'm 6'3 and abnormally long in the torso, so I sit really tall. I do not fit in a lot of cars without my head touching the ceiling, sometimes crammed into it. I keep trying to save money by renting mid-size cars when I travel and it's fucking miserable. Literally driving with my seat all the way down and still having to either lean my seat way back and barely reach the wheel or cock my head below the closed visor the entire time just to see straight ahead. Vans, SUVs and trucks are the only vehicles I've been able to even sit in comfortably since I was like 15 or 16. I wish I could drive a compact and save money on gas. But there are a LOT of cars that are off the table for me because I simply cannot fit in them.
-
6ft8 here, with most of my height in my legs. I feel you, even large cars often have absurdly large dashboards and I still won't fit in them.
I've had to ask to swap my rental car several times already.
-
6'1 and similar. I cannot ride in a Toyota, regardless of the size of it.
My head is out the sunroof in a 2012 sequoia, and those things are bigger than a small truck.
-
I'm also 6'3" and long in the torso. If I lower the seat in my Golf as low as it can go I have 4 inches of headroom and if I push it all of the way back I can barely reach the pedals. I keep my seat back fully vertical as well; I can't stand for it to be reclined even a little. Either you have been driving the wrong cars, or you are looking for an excuse.
-
Huh. I haven't tried a Volkswagen. I wonder if that is typical of their models.
Either you have been driving the wrong cars
Apparently. I've tried many.
or you are looking for an excuse.
No need for the sass. Like I said, I have tried. I also drive a van now becuase we were fostering for a while and needed the seating, but I would love to downsize if only for the mileage improvement.
-
-
6'4" here. My height is mostly in my torso (38" inseam) and I drive a 2017 Mini Cooper and have been driving Minis since I started driving. I don't fit in most compacts but do fit comfortably there. So, yeah, still not a great reason to be driving oversized cars.
-
To be clear, 38" inseam means fully half of your height is in your legs (6'4" is 76"). By comparison, I wear 36" inseam and the bottom of my pants tuck under my heel when I'm not in shoes. So I think my torso has a few inches on yours.
Regardless though, I have not driven an exhaustive list of small cars. I have never tried a Mini Cooper. Maybe I would fit fine, idk. I just said that I have tried to drive a variety of rental cars and have yet to find one that fits me. I fit just fine in my Sienna.
-
-
-
I drive a truck because it's the vehicle my mother always wanted and she finally got one before she passed.
When we lived in the country we got tired of using a trailer to move everything and was using the bed more often.
Edit: also, there are cars where I have to put my head through the moon roof if I sit in front and lay down if I'm in the back. I know not every car is like that, but I've never been as comfortable in a car like I am a truck.
And and, I got the highway version instead of more towards off roading so I get like 30 mpg on the highway.
121 comments