3 ms·

Good point, when buying a car, one can try to buy good stopping distance. Still, all things being equal bigger classes of cars take longer to stop: https://www.

Good point, when buying a car, one can try to buy good stopping distance. Still, all things being equal bigger classes of cars take longer to stop: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/best-and-worst-braking-distances-a2960086475/ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/best-and-wor... I also wonder what happens in real world non-ideal scenarios (including rain and snow) rather than on the perfect test tracks they test stopping distance on. Perhaps the fundamental advantage of a smaller car is increased maneuverability.

AnthonyMouse 2y ago
There isn't really anything fundamental. A heavier car has more momentum but it can also be fitted with larger tires with more contact area and the force of gravity pressing it into the road provides increased traction in proportion to mass. Cars aren't built to meet the theoretical limits of physics, they're built with trade offs against cost and other factors, so in practice things like stopping distance are less related to weight and more related to how much you prioritize it over the competing trade offs. A heavier car with the same stopping distance might cost more, but then there are people willing to pay for that.