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The very perplexing thing is that these trucks keep getting bigger without any significant increase in hauling or seating capacity. I have an occasional driver

The very perplexing thing is that these trucks keep getting bigger without any significant increase in hauling or seating capacity. I have an occasional driver 2003 Silverado for materials pickup and dump runs. It is a fullsize pickup for its year. 2022 Silverados and F250s completely dwarf it. Yet they have the same seating capacity and bed length. It's totally bizarre. And IMO, they're uglier to boot with their Big Mac looking hamburger ass grills.

ryeights 4y ago
Blame the IIHS. Safety ratings give literally zero concern to the possible effects to pedestrians of a collision, no concern to visibility, and only minimal concern to the effects on the driver on the other side of the collision. It’s a full-on arms race of bulkier frames, huge crumple zones, and more mass.
thaumasiotes 4y ago
> The very perplexing thing is that these trucks keep getting bigger without any significant increase in hauling or seating capacity. That's not just trucks. My parents have a recent Hyundai Ioniq. The car is fat and can have trouble fitting into parking spaces. But there's no benefit; the extra width seems to have gone into providing empty space between the interior seats and the doors. So the usable part of the interior is just as narrow as ever, but it's harder to maneuver and you have to unbuckle and lean way the hell out of your window to interact with toll booths / parking garage machines / etc. Who wants this?
- sokoloff 4y ago
  It is driven in part by side-impact crash testing. You need space for the side airbags and separation to allow the side impact bracing to begin to move the entire car sideways before impinging on occupant space.
throw0101b 4y ago
> […] or seating capacity. I'm a Gen-Xer who used to borrow my parents' Chrysler Voyager minivan to regularly haul around 5-7 friends on weekends. Most of the monstrosities on the road today are as big (or bigger) and don't seat as many people.
mikrotikker 4y ago
Is it to cater to fatter passengers?

ryeights 4y ago

Blame the IIHS. Safety ratings give literally zero concern to the possible effects to pedestrians of a collision, no concern to visibility, and only minimal concern to the effects on the driver on the other side of the collision. It’s a full-on arms race of bulkier frames, huge crumple zones, and more mass.

thaumasiotes 4y ago

> The very perplexing thing is that these trucks keep getting bigger without any significant increase in hauling or seating capacity. That's not just trucks. My parents have a recent Hyundai Ioniq. The car is fat and can have trouble fitting into parking spaces. But there's no benefit; the extra width seems to have gone into providing empty space between the interior seats and the doors. So the usable part of the interior is just as narrow as ever, but it's harder to maneuver and you have to unbuckle and lean way the hell out of your window to interact with toll booths / parking garage machines / etc. Who wants this?

sokoloff 4y ago
It is driven in part by side-impact crash testing. You need space for the side airbags and separation to allow the side impact bracing to begin to move the entire car sideways before impinging on occupant space.

throw0101b 4y ago

> […] or seating capacity. I'm a Gen-Xer who used to borrow my parents' Chrysler Voyager minivan to regularly haul around 5-7 friends on weekends. Most of the monstrosities on the road today are as big (or bigger) and don't seat as many people.

mikrotikker 4y ago

Is it to cater to fatter passengers?