Why are current cars so bulky ?
Discussion
Wills2 said:
If you could crash both your Capri and say a modern version of it, the 4 series for example and you'll have your answer.
I had 2 Capri 2.8 Injections in the 80s, but in 2014 I bought a BMW 325ti Compact with 6 airbags and much better NCAP rating (and so much more fun)! But it didn't feel significantly bigger - why would I want a lardy 4 Series? Mr Tidy said:
Wills2 said:
If you could crash both your Capri and say a modern version of it, the 4 series for example and you'll have your answer.
I had 2 Capri 2.8 Injections in the 80s, but in 2014 I bought a BMW 325ti Compact with 6 airbags and much better NCAP rating (and so much more fun)! But it didn't feel significantly bigger - why would I want a lardy 4 Series? It's the hilarity of the NCAP "safety" system. Your 325ti Compact probably had a good safety rating for that size of car, but you still probably wouldn't want to get into an accident in one. It's a small hatchback, so probably won't stand up well in a collision.
The MK2 Clio, for example, had a 4* safety rating, which was fantastic for a car in that segment. You still wouldn't want to have a proper prang in one though!
Mr Tidy said:
Wills2 said:
If you could crash both your Capri and say a modern version of it, the 4 series for example and you'll have your answer.
I had 2 Capri 2.8 Injections in the 80s, but in 2014 I bought a BMW 325ti Compact with 6 airbags and much better NCAP rating (and so much more fun)! But it didn't feel significantly bigger - why would I want a lardy 4 Series? I'm not sure I fully buy the safety argument although some of it will be, but from what I've seen there's not much added crumpling material in the doors although a deeper shape will be stronger, the added width seems to be internal so it's either for fatties or it's because people don't want to sit close together anymore or because people are being sold on the idea that bigger means more status.
Is it just lazy manufacturers cutting corners? Back in the 80s I had a Saab 99 and I'm sure that would stand up to a serious crash quite well (look at videos of crash tests.) It didn't have airbags which is a minus, but it had inner wings that crumpled in a crash, reinforced A pillars (two concentric tubes so were immensely strong without obscuring vision) and doors which not only had massive beams inside them but overlapped the sills to give extra safety in a side impact. I always felt secure in it.
On the other hand it was a relatively compact car, possibly because of wht it didn't have. The doors were slim because they only contained the manual window winder and the reinforcement, no electric windows, speakers (it was the base model so it didn't even have a radio) door mirror motors or central locking, so they didn't need much width. Cut out the crap, use more modern high tensile steels (I know they are used in some new cars to a limited extent) and design for safety rather than cheapness of production and we could have smaller safer cars. Oh and get rid of the cupholders, people wouldn't be so lardy if they didn't drink fizzy drinks, so we could save a bit of bulk that way
On the other hand it was a relatively compact car, possibly because of wht it didn't have. The doors were slim because they only contained the manual window winder and the reinforcement, no electric windows, speakers (it was the base model so it didn't even have a radio) door mirror motors or central locking, so they didn't need much width. Cut out the crap, use more modern high tensile steels (I know they are used in some new cars to a limited extent) and design for safety rather than cheapness of production and we could have smaller safer cars. Oh and get rid of the cupholders, people wouldn't be so lardy if they didn't drink fizzy drinks, so we could save a bit of bulk that way
I think we're gonna go into a regeneration phase with the weight of cars, where they will start to get lighter. Unfortunately, they will probably continue get bigger in size and there's probably no way around that, but at least if we can get their weight down a bit, then it's a step in the right direction.
The new Suzuki Swift Sport is a prime example of this. They've managed to make it a fair bit lighter than the previous model.
The new Suzuki Swift Sport is a prime example of this. They've managed to make it a fair bit lighter than the previous model.
Dave Hedgehog said:
Wills2 said:
I'm not sure that stands up as a good example for obvious reasons.
This is a better example.
does not look that much bigger, the biggest part of the growth will be to accommodate the huge wheels and tyres that are on it, the back screen looks the same size This is a better example.
I really think it's just down to trying to satisfy customer demand.
Like, often if people are asked what they'd like to see in the next generation of a model, a common answer is always going to be "I'd like a bit more space inside". These people, instead of just simply purchasing a bigger car, such as a Golf rather than a Polo, what they want is a Polo, 'with a bit more space inside', so VW make the next Polo bigger, to continue catering to that market. They'll then make the Golf bigger, so that it remains a bigger car than the Polo, and so on up the model line, until you get to the point where the smallest car in the model line up is so big that VW can justify introducing an even smaller model below it, like the Up!.
Same for all the other manufacturers.
Like, often if people are asked what they'd like to see in the next generation of a model, a common answer is always going to be "I'd like a bit more space inside". These people, instead of just simply purchasing a bigger car, such as a Golf rather than a Polo, what they want is a Polo, 'with a bit more space inside', so VW make the next Polo bigger, to continue catering to that market. They'll then make the Golf bigger, so that it remains a bigger car than the Polo, and so on up the model line, until you get to the point where the smallest car in the model line up is so big that VW can justify introducing an even smaller model below it, like the Up!.
Same for all the other manufacturers.
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