[zerocool1014a]

is it just me or are most cars getting heavier looking. To be honest i can understand the need for more room due to the growing "obecity epedimic"(chuckles) but honestly why is it that cars are looking more like a ball of clay that has been dropped on the ground and played with a little bit by a kid? Examples

2000 miata

2006 miata

2000 is300

2006 is350

1995 nissan 300zx

2005 nissan 350z

i dunno.. just been thinking about it lately and wanted to see what everyone else thought and any more or better examples.

 

[SETI20]

And yet, the stance isn't -that- much wider of those cars.
It's mainly visual, and not always bad. I love the new miata and 300Z.

 

[Baker]

Yeah, cars are/have been getting "fatter"...for safety and luxury
On some cars, it is more visual, a bubble body effect but the Civic has def gone astray from it's roots.

'91 Civic Ex Sedan

'07 Civic Sedan

 

[w8]

I don't think it is them getting fatter as much as the beltlines of them are getting higher. That can make them look fatter.

 

[CrxCarl]

Well, I don't know about beltlines, but just compare curb weights and that will show how cars are getting heavier.

 

[tubafreak]

With some of the cars, it's European Pedestrian Crash Safety Regulations. A few years ago (I think, might be more recent) several European countries passed regulations specifying open space between the hood of the car and the engine (and anything else in the engine bay that's hard). Because of that, you're seeing hoodlines being raised up noticeably.

 

[jfrolang]

you're seeing hoodlines being raised up noticeably.

Yeah the new Camry freaks me out when I see it. All I can think of is Napoleon Dynamite saying "Gosh, it's ugly."

the Civic has def gone astray from it's roots.

I'd say so:

It's a larger, far grander car now. There's no way around that though, do you think any company could sell a car today with the dimensions and equipment level of a 4th gen Civic? I sincerely doubt it, even if it were under $5k.

 

[Ragnaarok]

I have had the most seat time in honda accords, either my own or friends/family. First one was a 1987. The car just keeps expanding, but with little extra room for the driver. Through the 90's the car gradually increased in dimensions, and rode higher. I have broad shoulders, and I swear the current generation of accords has the door panel / armrest closer than in my 1999 LX I had.

Big cars with small insides. Lame.

As far as small cars go, take the mini cooper. It's door line is higher and inside width narrow, it gives me a claustrophobic feeling inside. CRX by comparison is low around the driver, giving a spacious feeling even though the car is tiny.

New cars = blah! They all look the same and are bloated. End o' story! 8)

 

[tyson]

ZERO airbags

SIX airbags

any questions?

 

[Baker]

Safety and luxury take up space.

 

[ludesrv]

Safety and luxury take up space.

Yup. If people weren't so needy for everything to be big, powerful and luxuriess and still be 100% safe, we would still see cars like CRX's being produced today.

If they put the economical engines of today, in a light car like a crx with just mediocre safety and mediocre luxury (I find the crx Si has all the luxury and safety I want) we would see alot greater MPG then the newer cars of today.

 

[Baker]

I find the crx Si has all the luxury and safety I want.

Me too! Manual crank windows, manual mirrors, no P/S and NO ABS! b

The more complicated a car gets, the more stuff that can break and the more expensive it is to fix. :lol: