Hitting the late-afternoon lull at work, I browsed around online and checked my personal E-mail, which returned me to the main portal page. On it, I saw the following headline: “Expanding waistlines add to pain at the pump“.
Hitting the late-afternoon lull at work, I browsed around online and checked my personal E-mail, which returned me to the main portal page. On it, I saw the following headline: “Expanding waistlines add to pain at the pump“.
I admit my morbid curiosity prompted me to click on the link and read the story. Now, I must preface this by saying that I myself am part of the American epidemic of the expanding waistline. Not that I’m 1,000-pound Maury or Dr. Phil material, but definitely a little chunkier than I’d like to be. So I was initially hesitant to tackle this controversial, yet inescapably apparent reality.
But I’ll go a step further than the article. I would like to posit that the growth in the girth and poundage of automobiles has increased correspondingly along with the girth and poundage of Americans. “But,” you say, “foreign cars have gotten bigger too.” And right you would be. But let us not forget what the single largest automobile market in the world is. That’s right: the good ol’ U.S. of A. So even though Hans, Franz, and Koji may not be part of this epidemic, their paychecks are in large part dependent on catering to our corpulent, self-indulgent tastes and buying habits.
All of a sudden, that Accord that seemed entirely sufficient back in 1985 now seems ridiculously small. The newest Civic is about as large, if not larger, dimensionally, as the Accord was 20 years ago, and probably heavier, too.
Now, you can’t make the leap of logic that expanding waistlines single-handedly led to bigger cars. Nanny-state safety bureaucrats and the accompanying regulations, in the U.S. and around the world, likely led to these bigger, beefier cars. So also did the rapid proliferation of SUVs, and the perceived need to make cars better hold up to a possible collision with one of these beasts.
But Americans rarely are happy with less. Our mantra is (and will probably continue to be) “more, more, more!” More room, more power, more goodies & gizmos. Naturally, the automakers are going to build what sells. Aside from the Chevrolet Corvette, very few vehicles in recent memory have actually lost weight with succeeding generations. Almost inevitably, a hundred or so extra pounds are packed on with each new generation. Probably the biggest shocker for me was reading that the new hardtop convertible BMW 3-series will roll onto the scales at approximately 4,000 pounds. Not so many years ago, that was solidly Crown Victoria or SUV territory. Keep in mind this is BMW’s “small” model for the U.S.
At what point are we going to say enough is enough? When the Honda Civic is 5,000 pounds? You’d think with all the advancements in computer aided design, we could keep vehicle weights in check better. But if customers continue to scream for ever-larger vehicles, maybe we should just resign ourselves to the new reality of “fat” cars.
7 comments so far
I think that there are actually more factors why cars nowadays are becoming bigger and bigger. There is actually no documented proof that it is in relation to the growing number of obese Caucasians, but hey, I think people like us who are starting to grow big in the middle, should take time to thank these guys. It does not only make driving convenient for us but a lot safer too. Imagine not having your tummy rest on the steering wheel when you’re driving.
Other factors I think has something to do with equating size with macho image, the sense of control we feel in having everything within hands reach inside our cars or the preference to family or gang oriented vehicles, much like the Scooby’s mystery machine.
I still think cars will be smaller as time goes by as technology allows us to put more into small packages. I guess we have to just sit back and see. As for me, I’m pretty much satisfied with my ride, as long as I have a place for my burger and fries at my dashboard and my Super Large Coke beside me….
October 26th, 2006 at 3:38 am
I think it’s a status thing. Bigger = Better. People buy cars like they buy clothes. It’s the “Look at me” factor that drives the demand for larger vehicles. When talking about extravagance, look at Hummers. How many Professionals really need a Titanic military vehicle to get around?
As long as people want larger vehicles, the carmakers will provide them with what they want.
If an event disrupts the World’s oil supply, people will become practical and start asking for smaller more efficient vehicles.
October 27th, 2006 at 12:52 am
Comfort is the biggest factor and it is really represented by noise/interior finish. Those light cars of former times had simple seats, no power windows (no airbags or crash rails), less sound insulation, simpler ventilation systems etc. Of course once you add that weight you need to increase the powerplant etc. adding more weight.
October 27th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
When a Volkswagen 4-door sedan weighs 5,399 pounds with no passengers or luggage… what can you expect?
A VW Phaeton with 2 peopple and luggage must weigh close to 6,000 pounds. It’s an arms race out there, and you’d better be in the heavier car in case of accident, no?
October 27th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
I think with the advent of Carbon Fiber materials, there is no need for huge cars. Also Id rather have a nimble light car to AVOID an accident. Reducing cars wieght by 500 lbs and making them more aerodynamic would make them automatically more fuel efficient.
October 30th, 2006 at 6:02 pm
I agree. With all the lightweight materials, computer engineering, and rapid prototyping, I really don’t see the need for these massive weights in cars. You’d think especially with the tightening fuel economy standards, they’d pull it together and make lighter cars.
October 30th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
What a load of horse manure. I weigh 400 pounds and drive a Honda Civic Hybrid that gets 40+ MPG, and all my skinny friends are driving around in gigantic SUVs (Suburban Uh-ssault Vehicles) that could transport an entire soccer team and that would be lucky to get 20 MPG downhill with the wind at their backs. Your article is a great example of a “cum hoc ergo propter hoc” argument - cars and waistlines are both getting bigger, so one must be causing the other. False logic.
January 20th, 2007 at 4:26 am
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