4 ms·

Fuel economy standards, emissions standards, safety standards, & profit margins. If you want to sell cars and make money, compacts are not where it is at.

khafra 2y ago
Compacts, subcompacts, and microcompacts are very popular in Europe. Is this because Europe has fewer and less restrictive standards for fuel economy, emissions, and safety? I am not an automotive policy expert, but I feel like Europe tends to regulate more than the US does.
- PetitPrince 2y ago
  One factor to take into account is that streets and roads are narrower (or at least feels narrower). I would be very uncomfortable driving those huge SUV where I live.
  - gedy 2y ago
    Yeah my expat friend owns a midsized (for the US) SUV in Spain, and she finds it incredibly difficult to use in the city she lives in due to the narrow streets + sidewalk cafes.
- sidewndr46 2y ago
  No, it's because the US has a different set of regulations entirely.
- troupo 2y ago
  > Compacts, subcompacts, and microcompacts are very popular in Europe. They are also growing in size. Most "compacts" are the size of many regular SUVs from 20 years ago
- Tuna-Fish 2y ago
  Regulations are not just a more/less choice. They can also be better or worse. This usually comes up when arguing about about FDA, which is uniquely bad at its job. When I try to point that out, people come out of the woodwork and argue as if I'm a nutcase libertarian who wants to abolish all regulations. No, there are countries with drug regulations that are generally tighter, and also the population has had access to UVA-blocking sunscreen for a decade. The regulations that matter here are terribly written regulations that are more lax if your vehicle is bigger. EU has more regulations, but wouldn't ever make that mistake.
  - khafra 2y ago
    FDA Delenda Est, sure. But I'm still glad that seatbelts and frame strength standards aren't optional for auto manufacturers. Maybe we just need to regulate regulatory capture; have penalties for it that actually hurt the pocketbooks of the market juggernauts who try it.

khafra 2y ago

Compacts, subcompacts, and microcompacts are very popular in Europe. Is this because Europe has fewer and less restrictive standards for fuel economy, emissions, and safety? I am not an automotive policy expert, but I feel like Europe tends to regulate more than the US does.

PetitPrince 2y ago
One factor to take into account is that streets and roads are narrower (or at least feels narrower). I would be very uncomfortable driving those huge SUV where I live.
- gedy 2y ago
  Yeah my expat friend owns a midsized (for the US) SUV in Spain, and she finds it incredibly difficult to use in the city she lives in due to the narrow streets + sidewalk cafes.
sidewndr46 2y ago
No, it's because the US has a different set of regulations entirely.
troupo 2y ago
> Compacts, subcompacts, and microcompacts are very popular in Europe. They are also growing in size. Most "compacts" are the size of many regular SUVs from 20 years ago
Tuna-Fish 2y ago
Regulations are not just a more/less choice. They can also be better or worse. This usually comes up when arguing about about FDA, which is uniquely bad at its job. When I try to point that out, people come out of the woodwork and argue as if I'm a nutcase libertarian who wants to abolish all regulations. No, there are countries with drug regulations that are generally tighter, and also the population has had access to UVA-blocking sunscreen for a decade. The regulations that matter here are terribly written regulations that are more lax if your vehicle is bigger. EU has more regulations, but wouldn't ever make that mistake.
- khafra 2y ago
  FDA Delenda Est, sure. But I'm still glad that seatbelts and frame strength standards aren't optional for auto manufacturers. Maybe we just need to regulate regulatory capture; have penalties for it that actually hurt the pocketbooks of the market juggernauts who try it.