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Consumer preference seems to drive that one, unfortunately, with SUVs and trucks outselling sedans. Even at sports car price points, people seem to spend their

Consumer preference seems to drive that one, unfortunately, with SUVs and trucks outselling sedans. Even at sports car price points, people seem to spend their money on size and weight over performance and handling.

yholio 8y ago
It's a prisoner's dilemma, no wonder rational actors chose to maximize personal safety by making the problem worse for everybody else. An arms race of mechanical impulse. An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced.
- coredog64 8y ago
  Like many issues in the US car market, it's exacerbated by CAFE. The light truck segment (which includes SUVs) have a less restrictive fuel economy standard and offers consumers more car for less money. The US would be better off sunsetting CAFE and harmonizing vehicle regulations with European nations. Just like the train cars mentioned in the linked story, that would allow US consumers to buy fuel efficient cars without the market distortions caused by CAFE.
- bsder 8y ago
  Except that it doesn't improve safety--for the driver of the suburban tank or their victim. Better handling and braking due to a lower center of mass and less mass actually improves safety by getting into fewer accidents.
- xsmasher 8y ago
  >>> An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced. That is clever and I like it. Kinetic energy limits! Just like "allow electrics to use the carpool lane" encourages electrics, this would incentivize making smaller cars.
chiefalchemist 8y ago
> "Consumer preference seems to drive that one, unfortunately, with SUVs and trucks outselling sedans." But "preference" is also influenced by the price of gas. A few years ago when gas prices shot up, SUV sales were down, cross-over vehicles became "the thing." But now that gas is cheap again, and getting cheaper, SUV sales a rocketing up again.
- perl4ever 8y ago
  If you are distinguishing SUVs from crossovers, I'm not sure what you consider SUVs to be. The SUVs that are popular are crossovers. Thirty years ago, SUVs were body on frame trucks based on pickups, but that is a very outdated concept that has gone by the wayside.
  - chiefalchemist 8y ago
    I'm considering the smaller 5 door vehicles to be crossovers. A puffed up boxed out sedan with a hatch. For example the Subaru Impreza hatch. Those have fallen out of favor for full-sized SUVs.
    - vvillena 8y ago
      The Impreza is a compact hatchback, like a Ford Focus. I think there's a wagon version too, which isn't a SUV or a crossover.
      - chiefalchemist 8y ago
        Ok. Then how about the Subaru Outback or Forester? I'm talking about vehichles styled like an SUV, but shrunk. And per this article my __general__ definition aligns. Regardless, the point is, the price of gas drives - no pun intended - comsumer preference. Only on HN can pointless minutia / noise be used to bury a topic / thought / fact. https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-whats-difference-215843 https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-wha...

yholio 8y ago

It's a prisoner's dilemma, no wonder rational actors chose to maximize personal safety by making the problem worse for everybody else. An arms race of mechanical impulse. An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced.

coredog64 8y ago
Like many issues in the US car market, it's exacerbated by CAFE. The light truck segment (which includes SUVs) have a less restrictive fuel economy standard and offers consumers more car for less money. The US would be better off sunsetting CAFE and harmonizing vehicle regulations with European nations. Just like the train cars mentioned in the linked story, that would allow US consumers to buy fuel efficient cars without the market distortions caused by CAFE.
bsder 8y ago
Except that it doesn't improve safety--for the driver of the suburban tank or their victim. Better handling and braking due to a lower center of mass and less mass actually improves safety by getting into fewer accidents.
xsmasher 8y ago
>>> An intervention to restore correct incentives would impose lower speed limits for heavy personal vehicles, electronically enforced. That is clever and I like it. Kinetic energy limits! Just like "allow electrics to use the carpool lane" encourages electrics, this would incentivize making smaller cars.

chiefalchemist 8y ago

> "Consumer preference seems to drive that one, unfortunately, with SUVs and trucks outselling sedans." But "preference" is also influenced by the price of gas. A few years ago when gas prices shot up, SUV sales were down, cross-over vehicles became "the thing." But now that gas is cheap again, and getting cheaper, SUV sales a rocketing up again.

perl4ever 8y ago
If you are distinguishing SUVs from crossovers, I'm not sure what you consider SUVs to be. The SUVs that are popular are crossovers. Thirty years ago, SUVs were body on frame trucks based on pickups, but that is a very outdated concept that has gone by the wayside.
- chiefalchemist 8y ago
  I'm considering the smaller 5 door vehicles to be crossovers. A puffed up boxed out sedan with a hatch. For example the Subaru Impreza hatch. Those have fallen out of favor for full-sized SUVs.
  - vvillena 8y ago
    The Impreza is a compact hatchback, like a Ford Focus. I think there's a wagon version too, which isn't a SUV or a crossover.
    - chiefalchemist 8y ago
      Ok. Then how about the Subaru Outback or Forester? I'm talking about vehichles styled like an SUV, but shrunk. And per this article my __general__ definition aligns. Regardless, the point is, the price of gas drives - no pun intended - comsumer preference. Only on HN can pointless minutia / noise be used to bury a topic / thought / fact. https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-whats-difference-215843 https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/suv-vs-crossover-wha...