TheaterFire

American Cars Are Getting Too Big For Parking Spaces

Posted by gumol@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 21 comments

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21 Comments

UndersiderTattletale@reddit

And yet most cars are still too small for me to comfortably drive. I'm 6'5 340lb, cars could stand to get a little bigger lol.
View on Reddit #6754017

cerberaspeedtwelve@reddit

Can confirm this a problem in England too. My parent's house was built in about 1960, and it featured an attached garage. At the time, the average car was about the size of [this.](https://classicsworld.co.uk/guides/morris-minor-buyers-guide/) 40 years later, my mother bought a Peugeot 206, which was considered a small car by global standards. Getting it into the garage requires grease and a shoehorn. If you somehow get it in, you can't open the doors, and have to exit by crawling out the rear trunk/hatch. She now uses the garage to store junk, and the car sits outside in the rain.
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Panfriedpuppies@reddit

My G70 (considered a compact sedan) barely fits in my garage, my house is from the 80s.
View on Reddit #1506940

Round_Ad_6369@reddit

The G70 is a midsize, not a compact. Think Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra for compact. If a grown above average size man can use the back seats, it's not compact.
View on Reddit #1506941

cashforjunkcarsnorth@reddit

In the past, American cars have grown dramatically in size, creating difficulties for drivers who need to park in tight space. This has been caused by a need for more security, comfort and luxurious features, which all have resulted in the growth of the size of [Cash For Junk Cars North York](https://scrap-car-removal.ca/). As cars grow bigger, parking spaces stay similar in size, or shrink in certain cases. This could cause displeasure and discomfort for drivers as well as safety issues like the possibility of accidents in small parking spaces. In addition, bigger cars create pollution and congestion, since they occupy more road space and use more fuel. This has prompted manufacturers to focus on smaller, more efficient vehicles which are more suited to urban areas. There are a few solutions to the issue of cars that are too big as well as parking spots, like changing parking spaces to accommodate larger vehicles as well as encouraging people to use alternative forms of transportation, including bicycles or public transportation. But eventually the solution will be a change in the preferences of consumers and an increased awareness of the negative social and environmental impacts of car size to solve this issue over the long-term.
View on Reddit #1441288

mikefitzvw@reddit

Maybe unpopular opinion, but fuck 'em. Cities should keep their parking lot standards the same, and make it inconvenient for people to buy vehicles that are too big.
View on Reddit #1346229

Both_Share_980@reddit

No they need to be increased, the smallest new car now is the size of the entire parking spot
View on Reddit #1346233

NCSUGrad2012@reddit

This is why I always try and park at the end of the lot with no cars.
View on Reddit #1176323

dalittle@reddit

The other day I did this and parked out where there were literally no cars for 10 rows close to mine. As I walked back to my car some minivan parks literally next to my car and an old man and his family gets out and he knocks his door into mine. Like literally no cars within 50' of my car and they chose to park there and hit my car with their door. I lost my cool a bit and yelled at him and he looks all confused like he had no idea what he did. People can be frustrating.
View on Reddit #1176324

eggdrops@reddit

I've been dealing with this at work a bit in our 20+ stall bathroom which is usually empty. Somehow someone always comes to the stall right next to mine instead of the 19 other stalls in different areas while I'm trying to do #2. Like why would you WANT to be next to someone in a bathroom? Same applies for parking lots tbh.
View on Reddit #1176325

Orthodoxdevilworship@reddit

This makes me feel old AF because this issue comes around every couple decades. People used to say it was the auto industry maxing out the molds they had already paid for by constantly making car bodies bigger until the molds ran out and then starting small again on the new molds… I think it’s likely an urban legend but funny nonetheless.
View on Reddit #194684

jawnlerdoe@reddit

Current trend is likely emissions related.
View on Reddit #194685

quantum-quetzal@reddit

There's also a constant arms race to have the best specs (cargo space, leg room, etc.) in the class.
View on Reddit #194686

deleted_by_reddit@reddit

And crash testing. Crumple zones and airbags take up space
View on Reddit #194687

HaplessMagician@reddit

Yep. When I was looking at the new Tundra I saw people complaining that it is slightly bigger than the outgoing model and also has slightly less interior space. But it also has the highest safety rating of any half ton truck, so it’s obvious they prioritized safety in the build.
View on Reddit #194688

ZoomZoom_Driver@reddit

Safety for whom? A child walking a cross walk can't be seen over these trucks. They're taller than most teens, and many adult women. Tall, big ass trucks still follow physics and, as such, a smaller vehicle would be safer for everyone. Less mass, less energy required for momentum. Being the biggest thing on the road protects due to large size and large mass, but makes it LESS safe for everyone else. Our trucks are WAY too big, and its largely due to Obamas emissions rules that allowed the largest.vehicles to get green lit, vs. Smaller ones that have more stringent and strict emissions guidelines. Since bigger vehicles (SUVs and trucks) have lesser emissions standards the larger they get mfrs just gave up on green initiatives by making EVERYTHING a truck or SUV. Its why sedans, hatches, and other smaller vehicles are being dropped in favor of SUVs. Camry and civic sedans are still high sellers, but lots of others went into the history books.
View on Reddit #194689

HaplessMagician@reddit

>Safety for whom? A child walking a cross walk can't be seen over these trucks. They're taller than most teens, and many adult women. I mean... IIHS has pedestrian safety testing for vehicles that do not hit the brakes. Even in the dark. Toyota has automatic braking to stop if a pedestrian is in the road. Toyota got high marks for including this on every trim. >Tall, big ass trucks still follow physics and, as such, a smaller vehicle would be safer for everyone. Physical space doesn't change the physics much. My 2022 is about 200 pounds lighter than the 2020 with the same trim. So the physics involved are pretty good. >Less mass, less energy required for momentum. Size and mass are different. You seem to have a lot incorrect about the truck. If you want to discuss, I'm happy to. But it would be better if you got into the details a bit. You have a lot of generalizations that are just not accurate.
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ZoomZoom_Driver@reddit

1. Automatic braking in any vehicle often fails. Despite IIHS approvals. Example: Teslas, mercedes, toyotas have all had failures in autonomous systems. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/09/29/study-automatic-emergency-braking-systems-fail-at-deadliest-crash-speeds/ 2. No shot, Sherlock. Though size and mass in VEHICLES are correlated. The larger the vehicle, using the same kinds of metals as smaller vehicles, will have *Checks notes* more mass! I lived in Japan for years and they charge based on vehicle weight and size, charging more for road use for larger, more weight vehicles. Its why tiny Kei cars are so popular there. 3. It seems i have a lot CORRECT about trucks, as I'm an automotive journalist... I've watched the cars i test increase in size, how difficult it is to see people, how the manifacturers try to remedy that woth new safety features (that end up failing when needed most), and read the news articles about yet *another* death by drivers of big trucks and SUVs. 4. There's plenty of articles about this issue. You just don't want to hear it... https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/12/suvs-trucks-killing-pedestrians-cyclists/621102/
View on Reddit #194691

HaplessMagician@reddit

Fail to avoid a crash at 30mph is a pretty dumb metric. Visibility of anything at 30mph isn’t an issue. It’s a completely unrelated scenario. Automatic braking when a vehicle is blocking a child is always going under 10 mph. In that case, it’s absolutely works fine. Lots of vehicles are using different kinds of metals. Also larger crash structures are getting more distance in large vehicles. So a 2021 Tundra with similar options to mine is around 150 pounds heavier while also being slightly smaller. Auto-journalist that has a lot of facts wrong isn’t uncommon. It seems like the typical start from the conclusion you assumed and try to support it type of approach.
View on Reddit #194692

deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]
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