Why are cars getting bigger and bigger ??

Modern bumpers mask the body growth when you look at figures like this. Older cars typically have protruding bumpers that account for a relatively significant part of the length, to the eye the cars will look much different sizes. Have the widths over the years grown by such a fraction on paper? ;)
 
Jez said:
To add to fox's correction re the 7-series, please note that you are also incorrect about the Fords too.

A Mk4 Ford Mondeo is 4778mm long, a Mk2 Scorpio from 17 years ago was 4825mm long. And although admittidly shorter a granada from 1977 a whopping 34 years ago was 4720mm, just 58mm shorter, or less than 6cm.
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To be fair though isn't a cortina a better comparison against s mondeo?
 
PMKeates said:
If you are asking me to make the comparison I think you are missing the point. There is a Fiesta and a Ka to consider. The Ka is 3620mm long, which is shorter than a Ford Anglia let alone an Escort.
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The current KA is bigger than an old Fiesta. Kinda sums up the OP's point, cars are getting bigger and bigger.
 
Cars are getting bigger for their respective models.

You put a Corsa D next to a Nova or even a Corsa B and it's much bigger - probably closer to the size of an Astra of old.

Also, why are we comparing Mondeos to Scorpios LOL? I'll tell you why - because if you compare a MK1 Mondeo at 4470mm to a MK4 at 4778mm - there is a whopping 30cm - yes 30cm difference in length.

Also, the MK1 Mondeo is 1752mm wide, while the MK4 is 2092mm according to Parkers. This is something I saw a lot of in the garage door business - people with garages built years ago who are now looking at things like roller shutters to get extra width because their new hatchback no longer fits.
 
Scythe said:
Legislation has led manufacturers to make them larger, to improve pedestrian safety for example.
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I really don't think it has anything to do with pedestrian safety - if it's larger then it has more mass, if it has more mass then there will be a larger energy transfer at the point of impact (for the same speed).

I really wish there was still something to compete with the old mini, it should be everyones's first car.
 
PermaBanned said:
I really wish there was still something to compete with the old mini, it should be everyones's first car.
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I was discussing this with a friend the other day. People look at the old mini with rose-tinted glasses. It was a horrid, poverty spec, slow deathtrap. A ford ka is infinitely preferable!
 
blun said:
I was discussing this with a friend the other day. People look at the old mini with rose-tinted glasses. It was a horrid, poverty spec, slow deathtrap. A ford ka is infinitely preferable!
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It worked. It sipped fuel. It got you from A to B in style and it handled like a gecko. Modern cars are almost universally less fun to drive than old ones.

[/controversial but true]
 
PMKeates said:
If you are asking me to make the comparison I think you are missing the point. There is a Fiesta and a Ka to consider. The Ka is 3620mm long, which is shorter than a Ford Anglia let alone an Escort.
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Perfect example; the new Ka is actualy larger and heavier than the original Fiesta.

PMKeates said:
Ford have a larger range of models now. The desire of the consumer to have larger cars with more safety features is what's driven the absolute increase of particular model lines,
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I think you'll find legislation has driven this rather than consumer desire.

PMKeates said:
The reality is that nobody wants to drive around in cramped little boxes anymore, and there's little economic reason to.
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Why do cars like the Smart and Toyota IQ exist then?
 
blun said:
I was discussing this with a friend the other day. People look at the old mini with rose-tinted glasses. It was a horrid, poverty spec, slow deathtrap. A ford ka is infinitely preferable!
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Quoted for truth, The Austin mini Metro was safer than a Mini but in the mid nineties when it was re-badged/re-moddled as the Rover 100 its sales figures were killed off almost overnight when a crash test showed that the car would most likely kill all occupants in a 40mph collision (and that's with a stationary concrete block, not an oncoming object!).

*edit* What is it this forum software has against abbreviations... lol
 
Dogbreath said:
Perfect example; the new Ka is actualy larger and heavier than the original Fiesta.
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No, bad example. The differences are marginal and it's relying on Ford making the smallest of small cars. The industry is not as simple as people are trying to make out, with a manufacturer forever making a car with the same target market, and the target market forever having the same buying power. The Hyundai i10 is a good example of a car that sits about where the original Fiesta sat i.e. near bargain-basement means of transport.
Dogbreath said:
I think you'll find legislation has driven this rather than consumer desire.
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No, that's not true. There is no legislation mandating cars are massive and very little mandating features that grow vehicle size in the way people are trying to forward i.e. wow look how big the current Fiesta is to the old Fiesta (which is a pointless comparison). The most significant driver is consumer desire and spend on larger cars. To say otherwise is to be completely blind to the fact that it's happened, is happening, and the manufacturers are very aware of it, hence the perceived 'growth' of certain model lines (like the Fiesta, Escort etc.). The model lines have grown purposefully to accomodate the change in the aspirations of the people buying them. Other manufacturers have moved in to occupy the void that has been left. The impact of safety lesiglation has been simply to improve vehicle safety with significant impact on construction and design, some impact on weight, and a marginal increase in certain dimensions.
Dogbreath said:
Why do cars like the Smart and Toyota IQ exist then?
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OK, so safety legislation is growing cars, then you accept that small cars still exist? Relatively few people want to drive the tiniest of superminis, which is reflected in the overall sales figures versus the small and lower medium car market. The Hyundai i10 today is the same length and width as the Mk1 Fiesta. It's a bit heavier, but that is mostly down to air conditioning, bigger brakes, more and better upholstery (anyone remember the bare metal door top on the inside of the Fiesta?), electric front windows etc. i.e. a better level of specification.

The i10 doesn't sell in the numbers of the original Fiesta because the large demographic of people who bought Fiestas in the 80s can afford the current, larger, better equipped, Fiesta and don't need to buy an i10.
Jonnycoupe said:
Modern bumpers mask the body growth when you look at figures like this. Older cars typically have protruding bumpers that account for a relatively significant part of the length, to the eye the cars will look much different sizes. Have the widths over the years grown by such a fraction on paper? ;)
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Totally agree. What has happened is the manufacturers have made better use of the space. The volume of all cars has increased thanks to better attachment of mirrors (i.e. not giant things poking out the sides), increased vehicle height below the peak of the roof line, no protruding bumpers as you say etc. The absolute dimensions have remained similar. The width of some cars has increased, others it hasn't. The i10 is about the same length and width as the Fiesta.
 
I do find it ironic that the small cars have grown to the point a new small car needs to be introduced to replace it. the Lupo/Polo/Golf line is another example in point.
 
Cars are getting heavier and do appear to be bigger even when they aren't actually much bigger than previous models. Like the MKVI Golf. It looks massive IMO but it isn't much bigger than the previous gen.

What has happened is cars have scaled up in size and a new model has been released to fill the gap of the once smaller car, e.g. KA for Ford, Fox for VW, Twingo for Renault etc. Add to this people actually prefer to buy bigger cars nowadays!
 
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