5 ms·

On that note, there's the video essay "These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

On that note, there's the video essay "These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo, which includes various statistics and some striking visual examples of the absolutely absurd grill heights of modern production vehicles.

nonethewiser 4y ago
What do you mean by “production” vehicles?
- crooked-v 4y ago
  As in, off the factory floor, before even considering aftermarket lift kits or other modifications.
- samtho 4y ago
  Not op, but in this context, it likely refers to mass-produced vehicles with stock configuration.
- Unearned5161 4y ago
  as opposed to DIY go karts and handcrafted hypercars of course
  - defrost 4y ago
    Or buyer custom configured purpose built vehicles, eg: https://www.oka-atv.com/ https://www.oka-atv.com/
- reassembled 4y ago
  Vehicles in production for mass market consumption.
- steerpike 4y ago
  I believe the most common definition for this context of "production" is "mass produced commercial vehicle"
- saltcured 4y ago
  To add to what others said, it used to be that the absurd pickup trucks were all customized. Someone would take a truck as produced and sold by the manufacturer and add "lift-kits", maybe modify fenders, and add huge wheels and tires for some off-road purpose. Or just for the image of some off-road purpose. These would not always be street-legal but there wasn't much enforcement and it wasn't a high percentage of all the vehicles on the road. Trucks roam the streets today, in their factory configuration, that make those lifted 4x4 trucks from 30-40 years ago seem like reduced scale toys. It's madness. The most cartoonish, distorted adolescent fantasy proportions have been mainstreamed and normalized over decades. It's a Truck Body Dysmorphic disorder.
mwidell 4y ago
I think this is mostly a problem in the united states. I'm from Europe, and everytime I visit USA I am struck by how huge most of the cars are. Like, why?
- prawn 4y ago
  I'm in Australia and older car formats like sedans and station wagons seem unfashionable now. SUVs and 4WDs seem much more common and are enough to present a risk to children and sightlines, IMO. There are some of the very large US-style trucks, but nowhere near as many as in the US.
  - smdyc1 4y ago
    I'm also in Australia, and it's gotten a bit ridiculous. There are now utes the size of American Ford F350s everywhere. Our streets and parking infrastructure are just not designed for it. It's become an arms race. You're now much safer if you drive a bigger car and you can see the road ahead much better than if you drive a Corolla.
    - paulryanrogers 4y ago
      Safer for yourself maybe, if you're a careful driver. Larger vehicles tend to have a higher center of gravity, so may roll more easily. They also tend to be more dangerous for family, and neighbors nearby.
  - jpgvm 4y ago
    In Melbourne they have taken to calling them Emotional Support Vehicles. I think it's a pretty apt name for a vehicle that has no practical purpose in a city.
- simonsarris 4y ago
  Lots of people will blame consumers for wanting to feel macho or whatever but I think probably a bit more institutional than that: 1. Obama-era CAFE fuel standard rules made required MPG go up over time for different classes of vehicle. Except if your vehicle had a larger footprint, it had more lenient standards. The simplest way to stay compliant was to make larger vehicles. I think if they wanted the actually-desired outcome they should have just raised the federal gasoline tax, which has not been raised since the 90's, but they probably assumed that was untenable so we are left with unintended consequences. 2. The IIHS produces crash test ratings that manufacturers tout here and does not score cars worse if they are more dangerous to pedestrians. Nor do they take into account the other car in the collision. So to get excellent ratings makes an arms race of bigger-ness. Automakers started adding a lot of weight to vehicles, and side/curtain airbags that made the A-pillar larger (Between door window and windshield). Even formerly small cars now feel huge. It's hard to buy a truly small truck anymore.
causality0 4y ago
It's infuriating that there aren't even small trucks available to buy anymore. The closest thing is a Maverick but they're backordered a year at 50 percent markup.
- orangepurple 4y ago
  Chevy Colorado comes close

nonethewiser 4y ago

What do you mean by “production” vehicles?

crooked-v 4y ago
As in, off the factory floor, before even considering aftermarket lift kits or other modifications.
samtho 4y ago
Not op, but in this context, it likely refers to mass-produced vehicles with stock configuration.
Unearned5161 4y ago
as opposed to DIY go karts and handcrafted hypercars of course
- defrost 4y ago
  Or buyer custom configured purpose built vehicles, eg: https://www.oka-atv.com/ https://www.oka-atv.com/
reassembled 4y ago
Vehicles in production for mass market consumption.
steerpike 4y ago
I believe the most common definition for this context of "production" is "mass produced commercial vehicle"
saltcured 4y ago
To add to what others said, it used to be that the absurd pickup trucks were all customized. Someone would take a truck as produced and sold by the manufacturer and add "lift-kits", maybe modify fenders, and add huge wheels and tires for some off-road purpose. Or just for the image of some off-road purpose. These would not always be street-legal but there wasn't much enforcement and it wasn't a high percentage of all the vehicles on the road. Trucks roam the streets today, in their factory configuration, that make those lifted 4x4 trucks from 30-40 years ago seem like reduced scale toys. It's madness. The most cartoonish, distorted adolescent fantasy proportions have been mainstreamed and normalized over decades. It's a Truck Body Dysmorphic disorder.

mwidell 4y ago

I think this is mostly a problem in the united states. I'm from Europe, and everytime I visit USA I am struck by how huge most of the cars are. Like, why?

prawn 4y ago
I'm in Australia and older car formats like sedans and station wagons seem unfashionable now. SUVs and 4WDs seem much more common and are enough to present a risk to children and sightlines, IMO. There are some of the very large US-style trucks, but nowhere near as many as in the US.
- smdyc1 4y ago
  I'm also in Australia, and it's gotten a bit ridiculous. There are now utes the size of American Ford F350s everywhere. Our streets and parking infrastructure are just not designed for it. It's become an arms race. You're now much safer if you drive a bigger car and you can see the road ahead much better than if you drive a Corolla.
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    Safer for yourself maybe, if you're a careful driver. Larger vehicles tend to have a higher center of gravity, so may roll more easily. They also tend to be more dangerous for family, and neighbors nearby.
- jpgvm 4y ago
  In Melbourne they have taken to calling them Emotional Support Vehicles. I think it's a pretty apt name for a vehicle that has no practical purpose in a city.
simonsarris 4y ago
Lots of people will blame consumers for wanting to feel macho or whatever but I think probably a bit more institutional than that: 1. Obama-era CAFE fuel standard rules made required MPG go up over time for different classes of vehicle. Except if your vehicle had a larger footprint, it had more lenient standards. The simplest way to stay compliant was to make larger vehicles. I think if they wanted the actually-desired outcome they should have just raised the federal gasoline tax, which has not been raised since the 90's, but they probably assumed that was untenable so we are left with unintended consequences. 2. The IIHS produces crash test ratings that manufacturers tout here and does not score cars worse if they are more dangerous to pedestrians. Nor do they take into account the other car in the collision. So to get excellent ratings makes an arms race of bigger-ness. Automakers started adding a lot of weight to vehicles, and side/curtain airbags that made the A-pillar larger (Between door window and windshield). Even formerly small cars now feel huge. It's hard to buy a truly small truck anymore.

causality0 4y ago

It's infuriating that there aren't even small trucks available to buy anymore. The closest thing is a Maverick but they're backordered a year at 50 percent markup.

orangepurple 4y ago
Chevy Colorado comes close