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The CAFE rules explain why SUVs emerged in the past, but over the past decade many SUVs have been classified as cars under CAFE standards. Most crossovers are n

The CAFE rules explain why SUVs emerged in the past, but over the past decade many SUVs have been classified as cars under CAFE standards. Most crossovers are now classified as cars.

ajmurmann 8y ago
Anecdotal: I prefer a sedan over SUVs, but there are so many SUVs in the US that I feel my view is frequently blocked by all the high SUVs when not in a SUV myself.
- temp20160423 8y ago
  This is a big reason why people buy SUV's. That, and the belief it's safer since momentum is mass*velocity, so the winner in a crash favors the heavier car. I think we need some more taxes to punish the externalities of driving taller/bigger/heavier vehicles.
  - AnthonyMouse 8y ago
    The sad thing is that they have the math wrong. Whether you live or die depends more on what the other person is driving than what you are. Car vs. car both people live, truck vs. truck both people die. The extra mass isn't making you safer, it's just killing the other guy because there is a limit to how much total force crumple zones and other safety features can absorb.
    - PHGamer 8y ago
      The IIHS disagrees... https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-demonstrate-the-influence-of-vehicle-size-and-weight-on-safety-in-crashes-results-are-relevant-to-fuel-economy-policies https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-d... smaller cars arent as safe as bigger ones
      - AnthonyMouse 8y ago
        That's talking about "mini cars" like Smart that are so tiny they actually are compromising safety for weight, not normal sized sedans. For example: > The second factor is vehicle size, specifically the distance from the front of a vehicle to its occupant compartment. The longer this is, the lower the forces on the occupants. A compact car and a crossover are typically about the same length. A "mini car" is shorter than that, which is what compromises its safety. And unlike making the vehicle heavier, making the nose longer doesn't harm the occupants of the other vehicle in a two party collision, and does actually help you in a collision with a massive stationary object (e.g. overpass) whereas weight in that case does almost nothing.
- MBCook 8y ago
  That’s the one thing I missed when I moved down to a sedan. It’s not actually that bad, which I was quite worried about, but it is an inconvenience. The irony is when I started driving a van or an SUV would let you see above almost everyone and give you a great view. Everyone moved up for that reason (among others) and now it’s not an advantage at all.
AnthonyMouse 8y ago
This is mostly because hybrids have brought the car averages up enough that they can now sell larger "cars" without blowing their targets. And crossovers are cars. A Subaru Forester used to be called a station wagon, now it's a crossover. Most of them also have a similar power to weight ratio to a 1980s 5.0 liter V8 Mustang, so I still don't see the argument that people stopped caring about performance.

The CAFE rules explain why SUVs emerged in the past, but over the past decade many SUVs have been classified as cars under CAFE standards. Most crossovers are now classified as cars.

ajmurmann 8y ago

Anecdotal: I prefer a sedan over SUVs, but there are so many SUVs in the US that I feel my view is frequently blocked by all the high SUVs when not in a SUV myself.

temp20160423 8y ago
This is a big reason why people buy SUV's. That, and the belief it's safer since momentum is mass*velocity, so the winner in a crash favors the heavier car. I think we need some more taxes to punish the externalities of driving taller/bigger/heavier vehicles.
- AnthonyMouse 8y ago
  The sad thing is that they have the math wrong. Whether you live or die depends more on what the other person is driving than what you are. Car vs. car both people live, truck vs. truck both people die. The extra mass isn't making you safer, it's just killing the other guy because there is a limit to how much total force crumple zones and other safety features can absorb.
  - PHGamer 8y ago
    The IIHS disagrees... https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-demonstrate-the-influence-of-vehicle-size-and-weight-on-safety-in-crashes-results-are-relevant-to-fuel-economy-policies https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-d... smaller cars arent as safe as bigger ones
    - AnthonyMouse 8y ago
      That's talking about "mini cars" like Smart that are so tiny they actually are compromising safety for weight, not normal sized sedans. For example: > The second factor is vehicle size, specifically the distance from the front of a vehicle to its occupant compartment. The longer this is, the lower the forces on the occupants. A compact car and a crossover are typically about the same length. A "mini car" is shorter than that, which is what compromises its safety. And unlike making the vehicle heavier, making the nose longer doesn't harm the occupants of the other vehicle in a two party collision, and does actually help you in a collision with a massive stationary object (e.g. overpass) whereas weight in that case does almost nothing.
MBCook 8y ago
That’s the one thing I missed when I moved down to a sedan. It’s not actually that bad, which I was quite worried about, but it is an inconvenience. The irony is when I started driving a van or an SUV would let you see above almost everyone and give you a great view. Everyone moved up for that reason (among others) and now it’s not an advantage at all.

AnthonyMouse 8y ago

This is mostly because hybrids have brought the car averages up enough that they can now sell larger "cars" without blowing their targets. And crossovers are cars. A Subaru Forester used to be called a station wagon, now it's a crossover. Most of them also have a similar power to weight ratio to a 1980s 5.0 liter V8 Mustang, so I still don't see the argument that people stopped caring about performance.