Why Americans love big cars

This is our third of five videos on design trends and systems in travel! Check out last week’s episode on how the American rail system went from one of the largest and wealthiest in the world to ... Amtrak: https://youtu.be/von_IMi97-w And join us next week when Christophe is back on the channel to explain the skyscraper-sized boats known as cruise ships.

When your goal is to reduce emissions but instead you end up making things way worse by encouriging everyone to replace sedans/small cars with SUV and trucks..

The regulation that means bigger vehicles get less strict emissions is wild

I hear a lot of people say they buy SUVs/trucks because they like to be able to "see further ahead" or what have you. Except now that everybody is doing that, thereby the view from up there is now blocked further. Ironically, nowadays I can see a good 3-4 cars ahead of me when driving my Fiero by looking under the cars ahead of me.

I was really shocked when I went to NYC the first time. 80% of the cars were big suvs and trucks like Suburbans and Escalades. The rest were normal sedans. I almost saw zero compact cars. Meanwhile in Europe you see compact cars everywhere.

The dilemma is people buy big cars for safety from people driving big cars. it's a vicious cycle.

As a German I can tell you: Never underestimate the questionable influence of the automotive industry lobbyists on policy and legislation.

As a dual US-EU citizen (US born/raised with French parents) I'm always impressed by the size difference between both countries. I grew up with a Jetta and Golf in the garage 😂 Here in Colorado we have a ton of SUVs. Really the only people who need those vehicles are those in the construction industry or who recreate deep in the mountains and need a 4WD vehicle to access rough dirt roads. Those categories are easy to spot with the latter having lifted bodies, winches and tow hooks, maxtraks etc, and 90% of SUVs in Denver don't fit either category. Some people claim you need a big car to drive in the snow but after driving a Subaru Impreza and manual Fiat 500 I feel they are lying or don't know how to drive... winter tires are way more important than car size. Sad to see so many of these models go, the Impreza is thankfully still around and unrivaled as an AWD compact car.

When she spoke about driving in a small car and not being able to see anything, that resonates with me so much! I even find the grocery store parking lot dangerous because, in my small car, I’m surrounded by huge SUVs and have to use extreme caution when pulling out of spaces to make sure no one plows into me. And don’t get me started on highway driving—I have to be so much more defensive because these SUVs have blind spots which drivers seem oblivious to. I think that feeling of “safety” makes SUV drivers more reckless. Also, I have always preferred the handling and fuel efficiency of a car. Whenever I have a rental car these days, it’s usually an SUV and I hate the way they feel. My car hugs the road and of course it’s much easier to squeeze into limited parking spaces in the city. I really hope cars aren’t completely phased out!

As a European, it was interesting seeing most of the cars you listed as discontinued are still on sale and getting new models on our side of the pond

I can understand car companies starting to make SUVs because the emissions regulation didn't apply to them yet, but as the video says, the reason for that was vehicles of that size were mainly used on farms and construction sites. Once everyday consumers began driving SUVs, the regulations really should have been updated.

I really had no idea how big American SUVs and trucks were until I saw one in person here in Japan. Unnecessarily big, super inefficient and I'm sure, very costly. I thought the popularity of SUVs in Japan was getting out of hand but most of the SUVs here will be considered compact SUVs or crossovers in the US. I personally drive a Honda HR-V which is a compact SUV and is a hybrid. Fuel efficient and super practical without being 'big'. Really no point going larger unless you're transporting groups of people on the daily.

I love my sedan. The ease of sliding into a parking space without the need for adjustments. Navigating a roundabout and effortlessly overtaking trucks and SUVs is is something I like doing.

The irony of safety in big trucks is that while you’re better protected in a lot of crashes, you’re at a bigger risk of getting into a crash, given the longer braking distances and poor handling compared to sedans.

A manual station wagon that is also a diesel? She's a true car enthusiast.

people buy bigger cars to be safe from the increasingly bigger cars without realize they’re the ones making cars bigger and unsafer

I love how people say SUVs are “safer” when the opposite is actually the case. It’s basic physics. If you have a taller car you’re more likely to be prone to accidents.

I am often told by people who love their giant trucks that i can just go buy a small car if I prefer, but it is increasingly frustrating that manufacturers literally are discontinuing those models.

NotJustBikes made an amazing video on the rise of SUVs and trucks. Also this is practically a vehicular arms race that puts anyone not in an SUV at risk…

Did you know: "jaywalking" is a term created by the automobile industry to claim more space from streets and space from pedestrians.