this post was submitted on 07 Nov 2023
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Modern safety advances don't make pedestrian impacts moot. I'm over 6 feet tall. If I got run over in my car, a small hatchback, the car would hit my legs below the knee, and I'd be tossed onto the hood and windshield. This will increase the impact time, reduce the acceleration my body experiences, and decrease my injuries.
Meanwhile, a modern stock full sized pickup truck will hit me square in the chest. I'd basically be dead. I'm lucky enough to be tall enough that my head appears over the hood, so the driver would have a chance to see me. Shorter adults and children have much worse odds at being seen.
For giggles, I stood next to a coworker's Kona. If it hit me, I'd be hit in my mid to upper thigh.
Modern safety advances are only so good. If my small car is hit by a stock pickup truck, their bumper is going to miss my bumpers at best. At worst it'll go through my windows.
There is a place for large vehicles, but honestly most people don't need them. And those that do would be better served with a safer designed vehicle (like a minivan).
I've managed to fit 4 college aged men in an early 2000s Honda Civic, along with a month's worth of Costco purchases for them without much difficulty. I've never thought, "I want a bigger vehicle." If I do need a bigger vehicle, I can rent it.
What do you mean small cars have never handled well? Honda built their entire brand on small, affordable, reliable, well handling cars. Small cars have less mass to get in the way of good handling. What mass small cars do have is lower to the ground, which improves handling. Unlike large American vehicles, small cars have innovative features, like independent suspension. That improves handling. The only poorly handling small car I've ever driven was a Smart car, and that was only because I got seasick from the short wheelbase and soft suspension rocking me back and forth.
I've driven a variety pickups, jeeps, large SUVs. All felt as sure footed as a toddler learning to walk. They flobber about. 600 year old buildings lean less than them in corners. Steering inputs are suggestions. Empty truck beds lead to poor traction. The brakes leave a lot to be desired.
I agree with most of your points except this.
Innovative features like independent suspension? Almost every single sedan or crossover since the 90s has been equipped with fully independent suspension. This isn’t the least bit unique to small cars or foreign vehicles. Even many large American SUVs like the Expedition and Tahoe have IRS these days. The one common exception, besides pickups and off road focused SUVs that need solid axles for practical reasons, is small cars. Many small economy cars have torsion beam rear suspension which is generally bad for ride and handling but lightweight and cheap.
You are right that it’s easier to make smaller and lighter cars handle well, most of my vehicles have been light sports cars like the Miata. However, damper design, suspension geometry, weight distribution and chassis design are every bit as important. Cheap econoboxes often suffer in this regard.
You can make a tall and heavy vehicle handle remarkably well. See sporty SUVs like the Porsche Macan. The Honda Performance Development team has road raced minivans and mid size SUVs, and they are quite quick.
On the other hand, you can make a small vehicle handle like absolute garbage. The issue with very small family cars is they often tend to be cheap and sacrifices must be made to hit a price point. Many of the lightweight econo cars I have driven have handling as bad as my lifted, solid axle, 5000 lb Land Cruiser. This includes the base Toyota Yaris, Fiat Aygo, Suzuki Jimny, and Dacia Duster to name a few.