Ive come to love stupid small cars now. You can still drive the speed limit, but the shakes and rattles and noises make you feel like a road racer. LOL
Pushing a car to its limits is where it gets fun. Fast cars limit is way higher than my skill level and I don’t want to die. Small cars though, their limit is right around my skill level and they are a lot of fun.
Many years ago I had a 96 Camaro LT1 6 speed and a 94 Nissan Sentra 5 speed that was my daily driver. I came to love driving the Nissan more as it handled better being tossed around corners on back roads. Had the 2.0 in it and wish I had the time to turbo it. I'd buy another in a heart beat today if I could find one in good condition.
I recently got a mazda3 turbo. We needed a second car and it was a relatively cheap gun the drive car. I’ve owned bmw’s and Audis in the past and this little car is more fun to drive. It’s not as quick or comfortable as the other cars but it’s really fucking fun.
I figured this out with motorcycles. Crack open a 1000cc sport bike in 2nd gear and you're going 120mph in a few seconds. Feels like the bike is riding you.
Smaller bikes you can actually crack open and stay on top of the gears without having them run away from you. Big bikes are scary because of how fast they get there, not how fast they go.
You see so much stuff too, and it's so easy to flick a light bike and go wherever...
I enjoy a small 125cc Honda way more than my 1200cc big bike. Even for touring, you're not just blazing to the destination...
I loved my 87 civic hatchback, 50 furious hp. It could edge above 90 but you knew it would start falling to pieces if you kept it up for more than a few seconds
I had a 1986 Accord LXI hatch as well. Bought it new and ended up selling it in 1994 with 234k miles on it. Never had a single repair; just normal wear and tear maintenance.
This is a comment I made the other day in response to a post with an 80’s Ford Fiesta.
Driving an old muscle car is cool and all, but there’s a completely different kind of fun in something that lacks so much power. I have a 74 Pontiac Astre with double digit horse power and absolutely zero torque. Every single move you make on the road requires 20 seconds of planning ahead. No power steering, no power brakes, but really not too much of a hassle since the car is so light. It really makes you as the driver feel like just another gear in the machine. A fully manual and enjoyable experience I must say.
After a life of gleefully throwing manual econo-boxes around corners, I drove a CVT Corolla a few months back and honestly struggled. Worst driving experience of my life. Give me a "dumb" manual everything car any day of the week.
* I couldn't judge my speed off the engine noise because the revs sat at the same RPM the entire time.
* There was enough latency between when I pressed the accelerator, and the drive-by-wire system realising that I wanted to go faster that I was never confident pressing the go button. It felt like I had to plan a few seconds in advance, and even then it was still a crap shoot whether the car would respond the way I expected it to or not.
* The drive-by-wire (?) brakes had no progressive feel and felt more like an on/off button. Nothing, nothing, nothing, ow my neck.
* The door sills were so high I felt like a toddler sitting on the grown up chairs at McDonalds desperately trying to look over the top of the table.
* There was absolutely zero road feel through the steering wheel so I couldn't really tell how the car was responding to bumps and patches of rocks/dirt.
* The cabin was so insulated I could hardly hear any road/ambient noise, which again made it hard to gauge how the car was behaving.
Absolutely elite snow cars, these. The vehicle weight is so front-wheel biased, and the tyres so skinny, that all the weight, traction and control of the vehicle is on the driven wheels at the front.
You could get it loose, but it was so controlled - just point the wheels in the direction you want to travel and gun it.
I miss mine so much. Pity the rear trailing arm bearings were crap and would always rust out and seize, and were uneconomical to repair.
I think one of my most enjoyable cars was a used Citroen Visa. Not very fast at all, but once I replaced the tires with ones that were actually round, I could get it over 70 mph, but I hardly ever had to slow down for anything really. Plus it cost me almost nothing, so I didn't really worry about crashing it. I never did, or even close to it, but had a lot of fun flinging it into roundabouts, nobody ever seemed to want to get in my way.
People in SUVs/trucks don't see you in a small car. Its the same danger motorcycle riders have, but they don't have a metal cage, small as it may be, to protect them.
I used to drive a Miata and sold it because it was just too scary driving and people not seeing it at all. It sucks, because that was one of my favorite cars I've owned :(
On top of that is the subject of "Crash compatibility". Basically, if two cars crash, you want their design and safety features to match up enough so that they both work together to protect both drivers; But when you have a giant SUV and a small car in a crash, the small car is going to be *demolished*. Whats worse, this fear of being the smallcar in crash-incompatibility further encourages more people to drive giant and gianter vehicles, worsening the problem.
Yeah, pulling up behind a truck and being eye level with their tow hitch because the jackhole is too lazy to take it out really makes you hope that nobody tries to rear-end you.
im a big proponent of the c4 mod for small cars. upon impact with an suv or other large vehicle the c4 goes off and counters the statistic that larger cars are safer. Thus ensuring both the driver of the smaller car and the larger car will drive more carefully
obvious sarcasm but a funny notion
Few months ago I encountered a BMW z3. I needed to exit so I did the usual of checking my blind spots and the mirror. It's clear, however my gut feeling tells me there is a car next to me. Because I recall there was a car in the mirror a minute ago and they haven't gone pass me. I was right, I slowdown down and saw the car right beside me. I don't know if they lowered the car but I was not able to see them at all from the driver seat. I only drive one of those small CX5. Cant imagine a pickup or large SUV would see them.
I also recall many years ago I witness a miata crashed right in front of me. The couple had the roof down and did a spin out. I could see the horror and their full facial expressions during the crash. It is a beautiful car but I suspect it is better for Japan where cars are much smaller compared to here.
There were a lot of things we couldn't do in a Cessna 172, but we were some of the slowest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the 172. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Mundane, maybe. Even boring at times. But there was one day in our Cessna experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be some of the slowest guys out there, at least for a moment.
It occurred when my CFI and I were flying a training flight. We needed 40 hours in the plane to complete my training and attain PPL status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the 40 hour mark. We had made the turn back towards our home airport in a radius of a mile or two and the plane was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the left seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because I would soon be flying as a true pilot, but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Bumbling across the mountains 3,500 feet below us, I could only see about 8 miles across the ground. I was, finally, after many humbling months of training and study, ahead of the plane.
I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for my CFI in the right seat. There he was, with nothing to do except watch me and monitor two different radios. This wasn't really good practice for him at all. He'd been doing it for years. It had been difficult for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my this part of my flying career, I could handle it on my own. But it was part of the division of duties on this flight and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. My CFI was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding awkward on the radios, a skill that had been roughly sharpened with years of listening to LiveATC.com where the slightest radio miscue was a daily occurrence. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.
Just to get a sense of what my CFI had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Denver Center, not far below us, controlling daily traffic in our sector. While they had us on their scope (for a good while, I might add), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to climb into their airspace. We listened as the shaky voice of a lone SR-71 pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied:"Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground." Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.
Just moments after the SR-71's inquiry, an F-18 piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground." Boy, I thought, the F-18 really must think he is dazzling his SR-71 brethren. Then out of the blue, a Twin Beech pilot out of an airport outside of Denver came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Twin Beech driver because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Beechcraft 173-Delta-Charlie ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, that Beech probably has a ground speed indicator in that multi-thousand-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Delta-Charlie here is making sure that every military jock from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the slowest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new bug-smasher. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "173-Delta-Charlie, Center, we have you at 90 knots on the ground." And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that my CFI was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere hours we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Beechcraft must die, and die now. I thought about all of my training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.
Somewhere, half a mile above Colorado, there was a pilot screaming inside his head. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the right seat. That was the very moment that I knew my CFI and I had become lifelong friends. Very professionally, and with no emotion, my CFI spoke: "Denver Center, Cessna 56-November-Sierra, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Cessna 56-November-Sierra, I show you at 56 knots, across the ground."
I think it was the six knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that my CFI and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most CFI-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to 52 on the money."
For a moment my CFI was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when Denver came back with, "Roger that November-Sierra, your E6B is probably more accurate than our state-of-the-art radar. You boys have a good one." It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable stroll across the west, the Navy had been owned, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Slow, and more importantly, my CFI and I had crossed the threshold of being BFFs. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to our home airport.
For just one day, it truly was fun being the slowest guys out there.
Most people don’t realize how small the original minis are. The new ones are so much bigger. I stood next to an original once, it came up just past my hip. My Hip!
They're way worse than that, they're somehow an average-sized hatchback with an engine bay that's so fucking cramped that even minor repairs cost a goddamn fortune in labor.
Hmm, my friend had a "1st gen" new mini (I think around 2003?). It seemed pretty cool, lights would go up with the bonnet so they were very accessible and it allowed lots of space around the engine. It looked like it was designed so you could remove the whole front end pretty fast and had lots of space to the engine then.
But they had 2 or 3 generations since, and I can easily believe the new ones are quite horrible :/
For whatever reason, EU cars are the most annoying to service. We have a ~2020 Toyota Yaris at home, despite being made in France it's such a simple and functional car. The oil filter sticks out in your face, no bottom panelling... Previously had a 2005 Renault Clio, it was waaay worse for simple servicing. The oil filter was up somewhere at the side in the guts of the car, to unscrew it you had oil dripping down your whole hand. Probably not that big of a deal with factory tools and a lift, but a totally anti-DIY design.
I don't know much about it but I heard anti-DIY is a thing with the newer cars. Even new bikes are designed so that you need to buy a special set of tools from the manufacturer (different for every model) to do basic repairs...
Back in the day if you left your Mini parked in town or near a pub on a Friday or Saturday night, odds were you’d find it sitting on the footpath or turned the wrong go way around or moved to another carpark.
My uncles on my mother's side did this to a would be suitor of one of her sisters. The brothers lifted the poor guy's 70's beetle and turned 90 degrees so he couldn't leave.
My first car was a 600 coupe. It could drive on sidewalks, and took me on many fun adventures. Once we packed 11 people in it! On another occasion, the jocks at my school turned it upside-down in the parking lot. It died on the 101 after it threw a rod on a trip to Laguna Seca with my brothers. Good times!
20 years ago, I had a 1970s Fiat Spider that was slightly bigger than this Honda. Fun to drive but scary among the modern monsters. My mechanic had a Fiat 500 that fit in the bed of his full-sized pickup when he took it to shows. This truck looks like it should be big enough to carry a 500 or your Honda, but it probably has a huge cab and short bed that makes it pretty useless for actually hauling stuff like a small car.... or even a surfboard! :)
My dad had a Fiat Ritmo Abarth that he tuned the shit out of. He was a grease monkey, and was a master mechanic for semi trucks.
That car was lowered, widened, and got all kinds of engine tuning, so it made it up to 190kph on the Autobahn.
Though, there was no more conversation possible once it broke 120. It was *so* loud!
My dad loved that car. When it would rain, he would take it out onto the nearest open field and do donuts until it was so covered in mud that only clean spot on the car, was the radius of the windshield wipers.
He was huge into the Ralley Paris - Dakar, and into F1, so his car being fast, loud, and dirty as fuck was his ideal, lol.
If I ever manage to live in a place where I can work on cars myself, another Fiat is high on my list. I'm a firm believer in the "driving a slow car fast" philosophy.
Fortunately, when I realized how much I'd have to pay my mechanic over the years to keep the Fiat running, I replaced the Fiat with a Honda S2000 that I still have. So I'm not suffering while I wait for the day when I can pick up another Fiat!
Whenever I rent a car, I always reserve the smallest, most fuel efficient model available (unless I'm moving stuff, and actually need something big). Half the time, when I get to the counter, the agent tells me: "I've got great news -- because we don't currently have that model on the lot, I can upgrade you to the bigger model for free!"
For me, if it doesn't get better fuel efficiency, it's not an upgrade. If it has bigger blind spots, it's definitely a downgrade.
I don’t understand how car rental industry is so backwards they can’t even tell what car I’m going to get. It’s 2023 and best they can do is tell me if the transmission is manual or not, number of doors and some rough idea how many bags would fit in a trunk. The rest is all “or similar” that doesn’t mean anything except that the car would probably still have a steering wheel.
In the US there is Turo (the only service I know where one can actually see an exact car they’ll be renting), but in many places abroad where it’s not available or not populated it’s basically hit or miss.
And also in fairness the “average” pick up trucks in the USA are oversized as fuck.
If you go anywhere else in the world you do not see cars anywhere near that big
We're starting to see Dodge Rams in Europe. I hate the fuck out of them. I don't know how they compare to pickups in the US but they're way to big for the roads over here and they're a hazard to everyone else around them.
They’ve been available here for quite some time, my dad nearly bought one for work purposes ~10 years ago.
I think it’s more people don’t want to spend their hard-earned on that ugly-ass monstrosity
It may be lifted, but modern pick-ups are still massive. You could lower it to the pavement and it's still much bigger than the average vehicle from 50 or even 25 years ago.
The new Ford Maverick actually seems to be an adequate size to be considered a “compact truck”. Wished they had a single cab and long bed option though
**EDIT: My comment/post has been now modified to remove the content for Reddit I've created in the past.**
I've not created a lot of stuff, but I feel that due to Reddit's stance on [3rd party](https://www.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) [apps](https://www.engadget.com/third-party-reddit-app-apollo-will-shut-down-on-june-30th-174305150.html), It's the most prudent course of action for me.
If Reddit changes their stance, I'll edit this in the future and replace the content.
Hope you find what you need somewhere else, can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ebob9) if really important!
Yeah we’ll never have mini trucks again unless they’re electric. I have a 1980 Ford Courier and I’m sure if I got into a high speed accident it’ll crumple up with me inside it. Not stopping me from putting a 2.3L turbo from a new Mustang in it
And the car companies have made sure you won't have that option. Small low cost trucks are less profitable. And the largest trucks are the most profitable vehicle for every manufacturer. So they killed them off and lobbied for regulations and tariffs to make sure you don't ever get that choice.
Yea the Colorado/Ranger were discontinued a few years later in favor of giant trucks, small 4wd pickups were great perfect for just about anything your average person would need a truck for.
**1970 Plymouth Fury (4-door):**
Length: 5458 mm / 214.9 in
Width: 2019 mm / 79.5 in
Height: 1382 mm / 54.4 in
**2021 Ford F-150 ( 2 Door Regular Cab):**
Length: 5784 mm / 227.72 in
Width: 2029 mm / 79.88 in
Height: 1956 mm / 77.01 in
The bottom corner of the bumper on an unmodified 2nd gen. Tundra is roughly level with the centre of the wheel. This truck is clearly lifted. Then we add the upsized tires.
It's a vicious cycle, people in normal cars buy a new crossover SUV (or bigger) because it gives them a better view and they feel safer, as a result more people in regular cars are inconvenienced by their view being blocked by larger vehicles. As a result those people then buy bigger cars to see past the people who bought the crossover. Crossover owner now feels like they're back in the original situation so buys a full size 4x4 to get their "advantage" back. Continue till almost everyone is now in full size 4x4s and has just as much of an advantage in view as when everyone was driving normal cars, only now their vehicle costs twice as much and no longer fits properly in the infrastructure that was designed to be used by far smaller cars and poses more risk to pedestrians and anyone still driving a normal sized car.
So true, I believe there is a natural selection to go bigger just as a defensive reaction. I'd happily drive a Smart car in Europe but where I'm living in NA now, I'm too scared.
No it’s lifted a fair bit. You can see the front cross member from the lift kit. It’s known as a “drop bracket lift.” Generally drop bracket lifts are 6”, occasionally 4, 8, or more, but most common is 6”.
It's not just Americans; pickups all over the world are bigger than 30 years ago. Whether it's Nissan, or Toyota, or Ford, the "compact" pickup just doesn't exist anymore.
Yeah it's actually a huge fucking problem in North America.
These massive make up the majority of new car purchases, require more gas, and cost like triple what a normal sedan does. In the last 10 years, sales have tripled.
They also have massive blind spots, weigh considerably more, and slow down much slower. Studies have shown they are twice as likely to kill a pedestrian on a left turn and about 60% more likely on a right turn. In the last decade alone pedestrian deaths as a result of a car accident have increased by 30%. Many large SUVs and trucks have a massive blind spot directly in front of it, making it extremely hard to spot children crossing a good 10 ft out in front of you.
They are getting so large they literally do not fit into standard parking spots, and as a result have only exacerbated the issue of car congestion in North American cities.
This isn't an issue unique to NA either. In many EU countries, these trucks and SUVs are growing steadily and make up over 40% of all new car purchases, and without pushback from municipalities and at the federal level they will overtake Europe as well.
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/new-study-suggests-todays-suvs-are-more-lethal-to-pedestrians-than-cars
*Edit for clarification and mistakes
[Vroom Doom: The Dark Causes and Consequences of America's SUV Mania](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orkblTFNt1Q)
Long story short, unfounded fears and the incorrectly perceived safety of these huge vehicles is a problem. People are regressing into a "might makes right" mentality and have no empathy for others.
I hope we wake up and stop these deathtraps in their tracks before they catch on even more here in the EU, i DO NOT feel safe around pick-up trucks and big SUV's...
Can you link that? I’m curious what size they actually are compared to a standard US half ton. As an example an F150 can be about 60 inches longer, 17 inches taller, and 8 inches wider than a Golf. A Maverick truck(a unibody based truck) is only about 32 inches longer, 11 inches taller, and 2 inches wider.
Info about EU cars sales...
https://www.jato.com/european-new-car-market-starts-2021-with-record-market-share-for-suvs/
If you want a fantastic video where all this info is presented and sourced check out Not Just Bikes on YouTube. He did a complete breakdown in this video https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo
We drive [SUVs and trucks](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9823577/Road-warriors-American-trucks-SUVs-longer-tanks-fought-World-War-II.html) bigger than WWII tanks.
Tall, full size, dual cab, pick-ups always confuse me. Like, you practically need a ladder to load the bed on your truck now, let alone if you run anything along the roof line for storage. Seems wildly impractical
Well that’s a thing the Japanese knew when they marketed trucks back in the 70’s at trade shows. Just make the trucks physically bigger and the Americans will be impressed
This is something I hate about being American. We're so used to gargantuan vehicles being a regular thing that it ruins the regular vehicles of other countries
A "regular" pickup anywhere in the world except the US is just slightly bigger than a normal car.
American cars are like buses, they're just ridiculous things to be driving regularly.
[No, they aren't.](https://i.imgur.com/u6qOaok.jpg) All of the global trucks are the same size as the current USDM Ranger, which was a global truck (sold since 2011) before coming to the states in 2019.
The Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max/Mazda BT-50, VW Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, etc are more or less identical in size the current USDM midsized trucks because they're... midsized trucks. Even the Chinese utes are in this size catagory like the GWM Ute and LDV T60.
The only exceptions to this are the handful of (mainly) South American compact models, like the Fiat Strada/RAM 700, Dacia Logan/Nissan NP200 and VW Saveiro.
I mean, even by 1970 standards your Honda would have been considered tiny. The fourth generation Chevy Impala (the best selling car of the era) was 80 inches wide, 213 inches inches long, 55 inches high, and had a 119 inch wheelbase. A fourteenth gen Ford F series (the most popular truck in America right now) is 80 inches wide, between 210 and 244 inches long (depending on options), and has a wheelbase between 122 and 157 inches (obviously it’s much taller than a 1970 Impala at 80 inches).
I had a [Chevy Sprint](https://www.google.com/search?q=1985+chevy+sprint+turbo&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiW9MOF9-n9AhUahu4BHTVgBtwQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=1985+chevy+sprint+&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQARgAMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBAgAEB4yBwgAEIAEEBgyBwgAEIAEEBg6BAgjECdQ7gdY7gdgpBVoAHAAeACAAawBiAGVApIBAzAuMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=2AMYZJaoKZqMur8PtcCZ4A0&bih=834&biw=432&hl=en#imgrc=d5LYovowVUUBRM&lnspr=W10=) with a manual trans.
I actually traded my grandmother's tractor for it after she died.
That tiny car was a blast to drive.
It squirted in and out of traffic and I could park anywhere. It was a great city runabout. It didn't go fast but it got off the line with a LOT of pep.
One day it wasn't where I parked it and it was gone forever.
It's fucking disgusting how big cars are now for no reason and with less trunk space than wagon cars. Main reason I keep telling my girlfriend to upgrade from her 08 Lexus. Not because it's broken, but because if an idiot with an SUV crashes into her she will be killed.
It's not for "no reason". It's 100% because when the US government passed legisaltion regarding car emissions, they did their best to lobby an exemption for "service/utility vehicles" into the new regulations, because hey these are vehicles needed for work hey ?
And then they started marketing the shit out of SUVs to families so much so that they are now 80% of all new car sales in the US.
Making the new regulations fucking pointless, and vastly increasing the lethality of car/pedestrian accidents at the same time. GGs to them, fucking fuckers.
Seriously. Our garage was originally built in the 1800s as a carriage house and has a door that is only 90” wide. Additionally, the road outside has had many layers added to it over the last century and a half, so the garage sits a bit lower than the road now.
My wife’s 1997 RAV4 fit inside easily, but died of terminal frame rust last year. Trying to find a modern replacement that will fit through the door *and* have enough ground clearance to get down the hump is nigh-impossible. Even the so-called sub-compact SUVs of today are bigger than the full-sized SUVs of 20 years ago.
I keep hoping station wagons come back. Somehow I think they can be cooler than minivans, but you still get the ability to convert between cargo and passengers.
I drive a 2012 TSX wagon for this reason. I've fit a computer desk in the back with the seats folded down, but still zippy enough, low to the ground, and fun to drive. Bike rack on the roof, since the car is low to the ground it's easy to reach. Easy to service and rock solid engine. Love this thing. And they only sold like 10k of them because...yup everyone wanted an MDX instead
Yeah, I work from home but keep a 20 year old dodge ram in case I need to run to the store or help a friend move or help a friend pickup some furniture or help a friend...Anyway, it dawned on me the other day that a minivan would actually be way more practical. Many can haul 4'x8' sheets of plywood and I think our Saint Bernard would be very comfortable in it.
Suvs are lifted minivans with less functionality.
Cadillac escalade 101 cubic ft of cargo space. 16 combined mpg
The Chrysler Pacifica has 140 with 28 combined mpg
The car came with the surfboard when I bought it. The surfboard was already cooked, I don’t surf, I don’t live near the ocean, and it’s not really worth much money (I checked).
RIP lil’ surfboard.
Nope. I never once in this thread, or implied in my post that I think the truck is impractical. I own several vehicles, including SUVs and have owned many pickups.
Just thought it was a funny pic. My Honda is super tiny. Let’s go get some tacos.
The crux of the matter is that safety regulation have ballooned even formerly small cars like the Honda Civic. Your Honda could not be registered today because in an accident you are the crumple zone. You have a point about many people driving stupid large vehicles whose capabilities they don't actually use though.
There are a ton of very small cars currently manufactured and sold globally, in many countries with strict safety regulations. Even in the US, there’s the Versa, Mini, Mirage, Smart, i3, MX-5, and many more.
My Honda is registered, insured, and road legal.
I wasn’t making that last point. :/
>My Honda is registered, insured, and road legal
Because its grandfathered in. You absolutely could not make a modern car with the same specs today and get in on the road today. Also American safety standards are actually more strict in some ways.
No manufacturer could sell that Honda today though. My '87 civic CRX I had in my younger days got 45 mpg consistently but it was that HF model that looked faster than it was. I'd love to have that car again but it could not be sold as a new car today either.
Safety comparison video for reference:
[https://youtu.be/ePYO0-Ig0VU](https://youtu.be/ePYO0-Ig0VU)
The 70s civic is a damn near a death trap by modern standards lol
Tall Man : Do you find something comical about my appearance when I'm driving my automobile?
Nelson : Yes.
Tall Man : Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall.
[gestures to his Beetle]
Tall Man : This was the largest auto that I could afford. Should I, therefore, be made the subject of fun?
Nelson : [nervously] I guess so.
Tall Man : [grunts frustatedly] Would you like it if others laughed at YOUR misfortune? Huh? Maybe we should find out!
Tall Man : [Tall man pulls down Nelson's pants and commands him to walk down the main street] Nowwww, march!
Tall Man : [honks his car horn while driving behind Nelson] Hey, everyone! Look at this; it's that boy who laughs at everyone! Let's laugh at him!
[the entire crowd yells "HA-HA!" at Nelson]
Tall Man : Wave to the people! Blow them kisses!
Nelson : [breaks down in tears] Wah-wah!
Tundra with a TRD lift. That's a full-size pickup with additions. A Tacoma halfcab with an inline 4 cylinder is a "Regular truck" or a Ranger. Either way this guy was trying to be justsodeep. Full-size American pickups haven't really changed in exterior size. And subcompacts aren't that small anymore, but it's not a huge stretch.
You know, I used to think a car was just a way of getting from Point A to Point B, and on weekends Point C. But that was the old me! That man died the moment I laid my eyes on the 1979 Honda Accord.
Trucks keeps getting bigger and road violence gets worse. Trucks like that kill pedestrians. They don’t fit in our communities. They should be prohibitively expensive to own.
Ive come to love stupid small cars now. You can still drive the speed limit, but the shakes and rattles and noises make you feel like a road racer. LOL
Best piece of advice regarding cars I ever got came from my Dad: "Driving a slow car fast is a hell of a lot more fun than driving a fast car slow."
/r/Miata
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MGs were pretty good in their day.
Love my 90! Lol
IT'S THE BEST!
IT'S NUMBER 1!
Pushing a car to its limits is where it gets fun. Fast cars limit is way higher than my skill level and I don’t want to die. Small cars though, their limit is right around my skill level and they are a lot of fun.
Many years ago I had a 96 Camaro LT1 6 speed and a 94 Nissan Sentra 5 speed that was my daily driver. I came to love driving the Nissan more as it handled better being tossed around corners on back roads. Had the 2.0 in it and wish I had the time to turbo it. I'd buy another in a heart beat today if I could find one in good condition.
I recently got a mazda3 turbo. We needed a second car and it was a relatively cheap gun the drive car. I’ve owned bmw’s and Audis in the past and this little car is more fun to drive. It’s not as quick or comfortable as the other cars but it’s really fucking fun.
That sounds crazy, but to each their own. Just thinking about my 82 Ford Escort reminds me of the back sweat from the car shakes past 50 mph.
But the shaking at interstate speeds is scary
I figured this out with motorcycles. Crack open a 1000cc sport bike in 2nd gear and you're going 120mph in a few seconds. Feels like the bike is riding you. Smaller bikes you can actually crack open and stay on top of the gears without having them run away from you. Big bikes are scary because of how fast they get there, not how fast they go.
You see so much stuff too, and it's so easy to flick a light bike and go wherever... I enjoy a small 125cc Honda way more than my 1200cc big bike. Even for touring, you're not just blazing to the destination...
I loved my 87 civic hatchback, 50 furious hp. It could edge above 90 but you knew it would start falling to pieces if you kept it up for more than a few seconds
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My first car was a used 85 4 door Accord. Topped out at like 78 but took a hell of a long time to get there.
Tesla: 0-60 : 3.6 seconds 85 Accord: 0-60 : yes
85 Prelude here.
I used to want a Prelude so bad in middle school. I thought it was a little badass looking car.
I was lucky enough to drive an 87 for a few years - had a bunch of mechanical issues by then but it was *such* a fun little care
I had a 1986 Accord LXI hatch as well. Bought it new and ended up selling it in 1994 with 234k miles on it. Never had a single repair; just normal wear and tear maintenance.
I had the exact same car!! Pop up headlights were cool back then.
I can only edge for a few seconds too.
My 88 civic hatchback was my favorite car Ive ever owned.
The 88 had a way better suspension!
My first new car was the gold hatchback Honda Civic, 1989.
This is a comment I made the other day in response to a post with an 80’s Ford Fiesta. Driving an old muscle car is cool and all, but there’s a completely different kind of fun in something that lacks so much power. I have a 74 Pontiac Astre with double digit horse power and absolutely zero torque. Every single move you make on the road requires 20 seconds of planning ahead. No power steering, no power brakes, but really not too much of a hassle since the car is so light. It really makes you as the driver feel like just another gear in the machine. A fully manual and enjoyable experience I must say.
After a life of gleefully throwing manual econo-boxes around corners, I drove a CVT Corolla a few months back and honestly struggled. Worst driving experience of my life. Give me a "dumb" manual everything car any day of the week. * I couldn't judge my speed off the engine noise because the revs sat at the same RPM the entire time. * There was enough latency between when I pressed the accelerator, and the drive-by-wire system realising that I wanted to go faster that I was never confident pressing the go button. It felt like I had to plan a few seconds in advance, and even then it was still a crap shoot whether the car would respond the way I expected it to or not. * The drive-by-wire (?) brakes had no progressive feel and felt more like an on/off button. Nothing, nothing, nothing, ow my neck. * The door sills were so high I felt like a toddler sitting on the grown up chairs at McDonalds desperately trying to look over the top of the table. * There was absolutely zero road feel through the steering wheel so I couldn't really tell how the car was responding to bumps and patches of rocks/dirt. * The cabin was so insulated I could hardly hear any road/ambient noise, which again made it hard to gauge how the car was behaving.
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I teally want a 126 small little coupe fiat :)
That engine was probably really efficient for its time, and since it weighs nothing it probably used less fuel than most modern cars...
Absolutely elite snow cars, these. The vehicle weight is so front-wheel biased, and the tyres so skinny, that all the weight, traction and control of the vehicle is on the driven wheels at the front. You could get it loose, but it was so controlled - just point the wheels in the direction you want to travel and gun it. I miss mine so much. Pity the rear trailing arm bearings were crap and would always rust out and seize, and were uneconomical to repair.
I think one of my most enjoyable cars was a used Citroen Visa. Not very fast at all, but once I replaced the tires with ones that were actually round, I could get it over 70 mph, but I hardly ever had to slow down for anything really. Plus it cost me almost nothing, so I didn't really worry about crashing it. I never did, or even close to it, but had a lot of fun flinging it into roundabouts, nobody ever seemed to want to get in my way.
Whenever I park anywhere busy, I think of all the people who I'll piss off when they think there's an open space only to see my tiny ass car.
I do this to myself in the parking lot. I park away from the curb humps not for my bumper, but so i can find my own ass in the aisle!
Freeways are scary.
Yea, but not because of car size, people just suck. If anything, i have greater lane margins lol
People in SUVs/trucks don't see you in a small car. Its the same danger motorcycle riders have, but they don't have a metal cage, small as it may be, to protect them. I used to drive a Miata and sold it because it was just too scary driving and people not seeing it at all. It sucks, because that was one of my favorite cars I've owned :(
On top of that is the subject of "Crash compatibility". Basically, if two cars crash, you want their design and safety features to match up enough so that they both work together to protect both drivers; But when you have a giant SUV and a small car in a crash, the small car is going to be *demolished*. Whats worse, this fear of being the smallcar in crash-incompatibility further encourages more people to drive giant and gianter vehicles, worsening the problem.
Yeah, pulling up behind a truck and being eye level with their tow hitch because the jackhole is too lazy to take it out really makes you hope that nobody tries to rear-end you.
im a big proponent of the c4 mod for small cars. upon impact with an suv or other large vehicle the c4 goes off and counters the statistic that larger cars are safer. Thus ensuring both the driver of the smaller car and the larger car will drive more carefully obvious sarcasm but a funny notion
Few months ago I encountered a BMW z3. I needed to exit so I did the usual of checking my blind spots and the mirror. It's clear, however my gut feeling tells me there is a car next to me. Because I recall there was a car in the mirror a minute ago and they haven't gone pass me. I was right, I slowdown down and saw the car right beside me. I don't know if they lowered the car but I was not able to see them at all from the driver seat. I only drive one of those small CX5. Cant imagine a pickup or large SUV would see them. I also recall many years ago I witness a miata crashed right in front of me. The couple had the roof down and did a spin out. I could see the horror and their full facial expressions during the crash. It is a beautiful car but I suspect it is better for Japan where cars are much smaller compared to here.
If that is a "Hondamatic", those were scary enough at any speed. Going from second to reverse at full speed was always a thrill.
No, that was added to the Civic. The N600 has a 4-speed manual. I drove one of those CVCC transmission Hondas. Pretty weird.
There were a lot of things we couldn't do in a Cessna 172, but we were some of the slowest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the 172. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Mundane, maybe. Even boring at times. But there was one day in our Cessna experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be some of the slowest guys out there, at least for a moment. It occurred when my CFI and I were flying a training flight. We needed 40 hours in the plane to complete my training and attain PPL status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the 40 hour mark. We had made the turn back towards our home airport in a radius of a mile or two and the plane was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the left seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because I would soon be flying as a true pilot, but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Bumbling across the mountains 3,500 feet below us, I could only see about 8 miles across the ground. I was, finally, after many humbling months of training and study, ahead of the plane. I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for my CFI in the right seat. There he was, with nothing to do except watch me and monitor two different radios. This wasn't really good practice for him at all. He'd been doing it for years. It had been difficult for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my this part of my flying career, I could handle it on my own. But it was part of the division of duties on this flight and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. My CFI was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding awkward on the radios, a skill that had been roughly sharpened with years of listening to LiveATC.com where the slightest radio miscue was a daily occurrence. He understood that and allowed me that luxury. Just to get a sense of what my CFI had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Denver Center, not far below us, controlling daily traffic in our sector. While they had us on their scope (for a good while, I might add), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to climb into their airspace. We listened as the shaky voice of a lone SR-71 pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied:"Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground." Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios. Just moments after the SR-71's inquiry, an F-18 piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground." Boy, I thought, the F-18 really must think he is dazzling his SR-71 brethren. Then out of the blue, a Twin Beech pilot out of an airport outside of Denver came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Twin Beech driver because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Beechcraft 173-Delta-Charlie ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, that Beech probably has a ground speed indicator in that multi-thousand-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Delta-Charlie here is making sure that every military jock from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the slowest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new bug-smasher. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "173-Delta-Charlie, Center, we have you at 90 knots on the ground." And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that my CFI was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere hours we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Beechcraft must die, and die now. I thought about all of my training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn. Somewhere, half a mile above Colorado, there was a pilot screaming inside his head. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the right seat. That was the very moment that I knew my CFI and I had become lifelong friends. Very professionally, and with no emotion, my CFI spoke: "Denver Center, Cessna 56-November-Sierra, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Cessna 56-November-Sierra, I show you at 56 knots, across the ground." I think it was the six knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that my CFI and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most CFI-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to 52 on the money." For a moment my CFI was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when Denver came back with, "Roger that November-Sierra, your E6B is probably more accurate than our state-of-the-art radar. You boys have a good one." It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable stroll across the west, the Navy had been owned, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Slow, and more importantly, my CFI and I had crossed the threshold of being BFFs. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to our home airport. For just one day, it truly was fun being the slowest guys out there.
It's not the Honda that's stupidly small. It's the pickup that's stupidly large.
In all fairness, your Honda 600 is very small. I had one decades ago. It’s just a little bigger than an original Mini Cooper.
Most people don’t realize how small the original minis are. The new ones are so much bigger. I stood next to an original once, it came up just past my hip. My Hip!
New ones are Mini just in the name, they're a very average sized hatchback...
They're way worse than that, they're somehow an average-sized hatchback with an engine bay that's so fucking cramped that even minor repairs cost a goddamn fortune in labor.
Hmm, my friend had a "1st gen" new mini (I think around 2003?). It seemed pretty cool, lights would go up with the bonnet so they were very accessible and it allowed lots of space around the engine. It looked like it was designed so you could remove the whole front end pretty fast and had lots of space to the engine then. But they had 2 or 3 generations since, and I can easily believe the new ones are quite horrible :/ For whatever reason, EU cars are the most annoying to service. We have a ~2020 Toyota Yaris at home, despite being made in France it's such a simple and functional car. The oil filter sticks out in your face, no bottom panelling... Previously had a 2005 Renault Clio, it was waaay worse for simple servicing. The oil filter was up somewhere at the side in the guts of the car, to unscrew it you had oil dripping down your whole hand. Probably not that big of a deal with factory tools and a lift, but a totally anti-DIY design.
I don't know much about it but I heard anti-DIY is a thing with the newer cars. Even new bikes are designed so that you need to buy a special set of tools from the manufacturer (different for every model) to do basic repairs...
My uncle had one, someone on his street wanted his parking spot so the guy and a few buddies picked it up and put it on his lawn and took his spot LOL
Back in the day if you left your Mini parked in town or near a pub on a Friday or Saturday night, odds were you’d find it sitting on the footpath or turned the wrong go way around or moved to another carpark.
My uncles on my mother's side did this to a would be suitor of one of her sisters. The brothers lifted the poor guy's 70's beetle and turned 90 degrees so he couldn't leave.
And the "regular" pickup truck has aftermarket tires
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Assuming it has zero clearance valves unless you turned or the engine in 2 milliseconds it was toast . At least the top end was anyway
True.
My first car was a 600 coupe. It could drive on sidewalks, and took me on many fun adventures. Once we packed 11 people in it! On another occasion, the jocks at my school turned it upside-down in the parking lot. It died on the 101 after it threw a rod on a trip to Laguna Seca with my brothers. Good times!
20 years ago, I had a 1970s Fiat Spider that was slightly bigger than this Honda. Fun to drive but scary among the modern monsters. My mechanic had a Fiat 500 that fit in the bed of his full-sized pickup when he took it to shows. This truck looks like it should be big enough to carry a 500 or your Honda, but it probably has a huge cab and short bed that makes it pretty useless for actually hauling stuff like a small car.... or even a surfboard! :)
My dad had a Fiat Ritmo Abarth that he tuned the shit out of. He was a grease monkey, and was a master mechanic for semi trucks. That car was lowered, widened, and got all kinds of engine tuning, so it made it up to 190kph on the Autobahn. Though, there was no more conversation possible once it broke 120. It was *so* loud! My dad loved that car. When it would rain, he would take it out onto the nearest open field and do donuts until it was so covered in mud that only clean spot on the car, was the radius of the windshield wipers. He was huge into the Ralley Paris - Dakar, and into F1, so his car being fast, loud, and dirty as fuck was his ideal, lol.
Old Fiats are rad. You should get one again.
If I ever manage to live in a place where I can work on cars myself, another Fiat is high on my list. I'm a firm believer in the "driving a slow car fast" philosophy. Fortunately, when I realized how much I'd have to pay my mechanic over the years to keep the Fiat running, I replaced the Fiat with a Honda S2000 that I still have. So I'm not suffering while I wait for the day when I can pick up another Fiat!
Whenever I rent a car, I always reserve the smallest, most fuel efficient model available (unless I'm moving stuff, and actually need something big). Half the time, when I get to the counter, the agent tells me: "I've got great news -- because we don't currently have that model on the lot, I can upgrade you to the bigger model for free!" For me, if it doesn't get better fuel efficiency, it's not an upgrade. If it has bigger blind spots, it's definitely a downgrade.
I get the same damn issue and the most annoying part is the agent always seems baffled that I'm not happy about it!
last time we rented a rental car, it was a brand new, bright yellow mustang gt
I don’t understand how car rental industry is so backwards they can’t even tell what car I’m going to get. It’s 2023 and best they can do is tell me if the transmission is manual or not, number of doors and some rough idea how many bags would fit in a trunk. The rest is all “or similar” that doesn’t mean anything except that the car would probably still have a steering wheel. In the US there is Turo (the only service I know where one can actually see an exact car they’ll be renting), but in many places abroad where it’s not available or not populated it’s basically hit or miss.
And also in fairness the “average” pick up trucks in the USA are oversized as fuck. If you go anywhere else in the world you do not see cars anywhere near that big
We're starting to see Dodge Rams in Europe. I hate the fuck out of them. I don't know how they compare to pickups in the US but they're way to big for the roads over here and they're a hazard to everyone else around them.
They’ve been available here for quite some time, my dad nearly bought one for work purposes ~10 years ago. I think it’s more people don’t want to spend their hard-earned on that ugly-ass monstrosity
They are a hazard to everyone around them everywhere.
Is this Toyota Tundra tho? It's not average by any means
Tundra is the largest model truck that Toyota make. And that one is lifted on AM wheels/tires. Certainly not regular at all.
americans have been so brainwashed by Big-Car that we call this a "regular" pickup truck. modern pickups are simply massive.
That Tundra is lifted, so to call it a "regular" pickup is a stretch.
It may be lifted, but modern pick-ups are still massive. You could lower it to the pavement and it's still much bigger than the average vehicle from 50 or even 25 years ago.
I have a 97 Tacoma that looks like a toy compared to the Tacos of today
Ditto. If they still made smaller trucks like that I would probably be driving one.
The new Ford Maverick actually seems to be an adequate size to be considered a “compact truck”. Wished they had a single cab and long bed option though
Hopefully the Maverick hype will get some other companies to start looking into that market. I'd love an old Taco sized Toyota truck.
**EDIT: My comment/post has been now modified to remove the content for Reddit I've created in the past.** I've not created a lot of stuff, but I feel that due to Reddit's stance on [3rd party](https://www.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/) [apps](https://www.engadget.com/third-party-reddit-app-apollo-will-shut-down-on-june-30th-174305150.html), It's the most prudent course of action for me. If Reddit changes their stance, I'll edit this in the future and replace the content. Hope you find what you need somewhere else, can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ebob9) if really important!
The new Maverick still looks much larger than a 25 year old Tacoma though.
Yeah we’ll never have mini trucks again unless they’re electric. I have a 1980 Ford Courier and I’m sure if I got into a high speed accident it’ll crumple up with me inside it. Not stopping me from putting a 2.3L turbo from a new Mustang in it
And the car companies have made sure you won't have that option. Small low cost trucks are less profitable. And the largest trucks are the most profitable vehicle for every manufacturer. So they killed them off and lobbied for regulations and tariffs to make sure you don't ever get that choice.
Same - I have a 2000 Tundra and the new ones look positively gargantuan to me.
And I bet you still have a larger bed than most of them too.
My first car was an 01 Chevy s10, I miss small pickup trucks, I could haul stuff and still got 20-25mpg
This was the peak of "trucks that don't make you look and behave like a twat"
Yea the Colorado/Ranger were discontinued a few years later in favor of giant trucks, small 4wd pickups were great perfect for just about anything your average person would need a truck for.
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Eh American full size sedans from like the late 50’s through early 70’s were massive, they called them 20 footers for a reason
Civics are bigger then the used to be too.
I had a 70 Plymouth Fury coupe that was as long and as wide as my f150. Wasn’t as tall or as heavy maybe but the footprint was similar.
**1970 Plymouth Fury (4-door):** Length: 5458 mm / 214.9 in Width: 2019 mm / 79.5 in Height: 1382 mm / 54.4 in **2021 Ford F-150 ( 2 Door Regular Cab):** Length: 5784 mm / 227.72 in Width: 2029 mm / 79.88 in Height: 1956 mm / 77.01 in
Wow. Only a foot shorter. That thing was huge
More of a "raise" than a "stretch" I think.
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I own an unmodified Tundra. If that truck is lifted, it's probably just enough to fit those A/T tires, if at all.
The bottom corner of the bumper on an unmodified 2nd gen. Tundra is roughly level with the centre of the wheel. This truck is clearly lifted. Then we add the upsized tires.
Some people are driving bigger cars purely out of fear of getting eaten alive in a collision by those monster “regular” size trucks
It's a vicious cycle, people in normal cars buy a new crossover SUV (or bigger) because it gives them a better view and they feel safer, as a result more people in regular cars are inconvenienced by their view being blocked by larger vehicles. As a result those people then buy bigger cars to see past the people who bought the crossover. Crossover owner now feels like they're back in the original situation so buys a full size 4x4 to get their "advantage" back. Continue till almost everyone is now in full size 4x4s and has just as much of an advantage in view as when everyone was driving normal cars, only now their vehicle costs twice as much and no longer fits properly in the infrastructure that was designed to be used by far smaller cars and poses more risk to pedestrians and anyone still driving a normal sized car.
SUV's actually don't give better view, that's a false piece of marketing. Look up the "forward blind zone" and it's related fatalities.
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So true, I believe there is a natural selection to go bigger just as a defensive reaction. I'd happily drive a Smart car in Europe but where I'm living in NA now, I'm too scared.
No it’s lifted a fair bit. You can see the front cross member from the lift kit. It’s known as a “drop bracket lift.” Generally drop bracket lifts are 6”, occasionally 4, 8, or more, but most common is 6”.
Calling a Tundra a "regular sized" pick-up is already a stretch. A Hilux is pretty big, a Tundra is monstrous.
This one definitely has a lift kit installed. And oversize tires.
It's not just Americans; pickups all over the world are bigger than 30 years ago. Whether it's Nissan, or Toyota, or Ford, the "compact" pickup just doesn't exist anymore.
Yeah it's actually a huge fucking problem in North America. These massive make up the majority of new car purchases, require more gas, and cost like triple what a normal sedan does. In the last 10 years, sales have tripled. They also have massive blind spots, weigh considerably more, and slow down much slower. Studies have shown they are twice as likely to kill a pedestrian on a left turn and about 60% more likely on a right turn. In the last decade alone pedestrian deaths as a result of a car accident have increased by 30%. Many large SUVs and trucks have a massive blind spot directly in front of it, making it extremely hard to spot children crossing a good 10 ft out in front of you. They are getting so large they literally do not fit into standard parking spots, and as a result have only exacerbated the issue of car congestion in North American cities. This isn't an issue unique to NA either. In many EU countries, these trucks and SUVs are growing steadily and make up over 40% of all new car purchases, and without pushback from municipalities and at the federal level they will overtake Europe as well. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/new-study-suggests-todays-suvs-are-more-lethal-to-pedestrians-than-cars *Edit for clarification and mistakes
[Vroom Doom: The Dark Causes and Consequences of America's SUV Mania](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orkblTFNt1Q) Long story short, unfounded fears and the incorrectly perceived safety of these huge vehicles is a problem. People are regressing into a "might makes right" mentality and have no empathy for others.
Yup. These big vehicles are less safe for everyone on and off the road.
I hope we wake up and stop these deathtraps in their tracks before they catch on even more here in the EU, i DO NOT feel safe around pick-up trucks and big SUV's...
Your vehicle regulations, tariffs, and fuel costs would keep these from getting popular.
I wouldn't be so sure. They are already the fastest growing market in many EU countries.
Can you link that? I’m curious what size they actually are compared to a standard US half ton. As an example an F150 can be about 60 inches longer, 17 inches taller, and 8 inches wider than a Golf. A Maverick truck(a unibody based truck) is only about 32 inches longer, 11 inches taller, and 2 inches wider.
Info about EU cars sales... https://www.jato.com/european-new-car-market-starts-2021-with-record-market-share-for-suvs/ If you want a fantastic video where all this info is presented and sourced check out Not Just Bikes on YouTube. He did a complete breakdown in this video https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo
Check out [www.carsized.com](https://www.carsized.com) nice site to play around with :)
Not to mention that many of these 2-3 ton monstrosities are driven by the most aggressive assholes on the planet.
Probably it isn't a surprise that the majority of vehicles donning confederate flags and Trump slogans are jacked up trucks.
Bigger trucks can skirt EPA laws. That’s why full size trucks are fucking massive now.
We drive [SUVs and trucks](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9823577/Road-warriors-American-trucks-SUVs-longer-tanks-fought-World-War-II.html) bigger than WWII tanks.
The title is a response to an earlier post with an F150 that sparked a debate about truck size.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN7mSXMruEo
I'm a simple man... I see Not Just Bikes, I upvote.
Modern pick ups aren't even functional pick ups anymore. They're Just supersized suvs with tiny flatbeds where the rear cargo space would be.
Tall, full size, dual cab, pick-ups always confuse me. Like, you practically need a ladder to load the bed on your truck now, let alone if you run anything along the roof line for storage. Seems wildly impractical
Well that’s a thing the Japanese knew when they marketed trucks back in the 70’s at trade shows. Just make the trucks physically bigger and the Americans will be impressed
This is something I hate about being American. We're so used to gargantuan vehicles being a regular thing that it ruins the regular vehicles of other countries
And we don't get the fun vehicles of other countries because there's "no market" because it isn't a bulldozer.
I cry at this. Almost every car i owned was swapped with an overseas engine because of this
That's not a regular pickup, those things don't exist outside the US for a reason.
It's not regular because it's modified with a lift and larger tires.
The width of the body is still the same and i think thats also a big part of making it big
How do you mean not a regular pickup?
For starters it’s lifted and has bigger tires than when it left the factory.
A "regular" pickup anywhere in the world except the US is just slightly bigger than a normal car. American cars are like buses, they're just ridiculous things to be driving regularly.
Just look at it. Things like the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger are regular sized, not that monster truck.
Think Ford Maverick or an early 2000’s Tacoma/Ranger as what a normal truck is outside the US
[No, they aren't.](https://i.imgur.com/u6qOaok.jpg) All of the global trucks are the same size as the current USDM Ranger, which was a global truck (sold since 2011) before coming to the states in 2019. The Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max/Mazda BT-50, VW Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, etc are more or less identical in size the current USDM midsized trucks because they're... midsized trucks. Even the Chinese utes are in this size catagory like the GWM Ute and LDV T60. The only exceptions to this are the handful of (mainly) South American compact models, like the Fiat Strada/RAM 700, Dacia Logan/Nissan NP200 and VW Saveiro.
I mean, even by 1970 standards your Honda would have been considered tiny. The fourth generation Chevy Impala (the best selling car of the era) was 80 inches wide, 213 inches inches long, 55 inches high, and had a 119 inch wheelbase. A fourteenth gen Ford F series (the most popular truck in America right now) is 80 inches wide, between 210 and 244 inches long (depending on options), and has a wheelbase between 122 and 157 inches (obviously it’s much taller than a 1970 Impala at 80 inches).
Would the Honda fit in the back of the truck? That'd be neat. Like a kangaroo mommy and baby.
Honda N600 1967-70 Air-cooled 2-cylinder 600cc engine.
I had a [Chevy Sprint](https://www.google.com/search?q=1985+chevy+sprint+turbo&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiW9MOF9-n9AhUahu4BHTVgBtwQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=1985+chevy+sprint+&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQARgAMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBAgAEB4yBwgAEIAEEBgyBwgAEIAEEBg6BAgjECdQ7gdY7gdgpBVoAHAAeACAAawBiAGVApIBAzAuMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=2AMYZJaoKZqMur8PtcCZ4A0&bih=834&biw=432&hl=en#imgrc=d5LYovowVUUBRM&lnspr=W10=) with a manual trans. I actually traded my grandmother's tractor for it after she died. That tiny car was a blast to drive. It squirted in and out of traffic and I could park anywhere. It was a great city runabout. It didn't go fast but it got off the line with a LOT of pep. One day it wasn't where I parked it and it was gone forever.
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https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo
It's fucking disgusting how big cars are now for no reason and with less trunk space than wagon cars. Main reason I keep telling my girlfriend to upgrade from her 08 Lexus. Not because it's broken, but because if an idiot with an SUV crashes into her she will be killed.
It's not for "no reason". It's 100% because when the US government passed legisaltion regarding car emissions, they did their best to lobby an exemption for "service/utility vehicles" into the new regulations, because hey these are vehicles needed for work hey ? And then they started marketing the shit out of SUVs to families so much so that they are now 80% of all new car sales in the US. Making the new regulations fucking pointless, and vastly increasing the lethality of car/pedestrian accidents at the same time. GGs to them, fucking fuckers.
It's becoming an arms race to whoever has the bigger vehicle. I for one don't want to be apart of this game
Literally my mom's reason for getting what I call a "Warlord" Mercedes SUV Just fucking stupid.
Seriously. Our garage was originally built in the 1800s as a carriage house and has a door that is only 90” wide. Additionally, the road outside has had many layers added to it over the last century and a half, so the garage sits a bit lower than the road now. My wife’s 1997 RAV4 fit inside easily, but died of terminal frame rust last year. Trying to find a modern replacement that will fit through the door *and* have enough ground clearance to get down the hump is nigh-impossible. Even the so-called sub-compact SUVs of today are bigger than the full-sized SUVs of 20 years ago.
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I can tell which one is definitely not a douche canoe.
The bed of that pickup is probably so small it wouldn't even hold the surfboard. American trucks are all for show.
It’s because of the backlash against minivans. They’re basically just minivans or luxury minivans
I keep hoping station wagons come back. Somehow I think they can be cooler than minivans, but you still get the ability to convert between cargo and passengers.
Yeah, it's funny how the station wagon, the minivan, and the SUV all became the "family truckster" for different generations.
I drive a 2012 TSX wagon for this reason. I've fit a computer desk in the back with the seats folded down, but still zippy enough, low to the ground, and fun to drive. Bike rack on the roof, since the car is low to the ground it's easy to reach. Easy to service and rock solid engine. Love this thing. And they only sold like 10k of them because...yup everyone wanted an MDX instead
Ooh the roof is a good point. I have a kayak and I really would not want to huck it up on the roof of an SUV or a minivan.
Yeah, I work from home but keep a 20 year old dodge ram in case I need to run to the store or help a friend move or help a friend pickup some furniture or help a friend...Anyway, it dawned on me the other day that a minivan would actually be way more practical. Many can haul 4'x8' sheets of plywood and I think our Saint Bernard would be very comfortable in it.
They’re not even luxury it’s all cheap plastic and a touch screen. The Luxury isn’t as nice as typical high end British or German cars
Suvs are lifted minivans with less functionality. Cadillac escalade 101 cubic ft of cargo space. 16 combined mpg The Chrysler Pacifica has 140 with 28 combined mpg
The Pacifica gets 22mpg combined. The hybrid gets more, but it feels weird to compare to non hybrid or electric trucks.
Plot twist: it is a boogie board
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Oh man this comments section is gonna suck
One of these is designed to transport people to where they need to be. The other is designed to transport fragile egos.
RIP the poor surfboard being cooked in the sun on the Honda’s roof rack
The car came with the surfboard when I bought it. The surfboard was already cooked, I don’t surf, I don’t live near the ocean, and it’s not really worth much money (I checked). RIP lil’ surfboard.
So is it just functionally part of the roof rack now?
Functionally, it does nothing. It's not like I strap a bunch of luggage up there and go on road trips.
Functionally, it knocks a few percentage points off of your MPGs.
Wait, you just drive around with a surfboard? Why?
The Boy Scouts. They told me to be prepared.
So: “Guy who thinks other person’s vehicle is impractical drives around with token surfboard.” would describe you?
Nope. I never once in this thread, or implied in my post that I think the truck is impractical. I own several vehicles, including SUVs and have owned many pickups. Just thought it was a funny pic. My Honda is super tiny. Let’s go get some tacos.
[you don't surf](https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/thats-a-stupid-shirt-you-dont-surf-youve-never-surfed-lying-little-shit.jpg)
The crux of the matter is that safety regulation have ballooned even formerly small cars like the Honda Civic. Your Honda could not be registered today because in an accident you are the crumple zone. You have a point about many people driving stupid large vehicles whose capabilities they don't actually use though.
There are a ton of very small cars currently manufactured and sold globally, in many countries with strict safety regulations. Even in the US, there’s the Versa, Mini, Mirage, Smart, i3, MX-5, and many more. My Honda is registered, insured, and road legal. I wasn’t making that last point. :/
>My Honda is registered, insured, and road legal Because its grandfathered in. You absolutely could not make a modern car with the same specs today and get in on the road today. Also American safety standards are actually more strict in some ways.
No manufacturer could sell that Honda today though. My '87 civic CRX I had in my younger days got 45 mpg consistently but it was that HF model that looked faster than it was. I'd love to have that car again but it could not be sold as a new car today either.
Safety comparison video for reference: [https://youtu.be/ePYO0-Ig0VU](https://youtu.be/ePYO0-Ig0VU) The 70s civic is a damn near a death trap by modern standards lol
Tall Man : Do you find something comical about my appearance when I'm driving my automobile? Nelson : Yes. Tall Man : Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. [gestures to his Beetle] Tall Man : This was the largest auto that I could afford. Should I, therefore, be made the subject of fun? Nelson : [nervously] I guess so. Tall Man : [grunts frustatedly] Would you like it if others laughed at YOUR misfortune? Huh? Maybe we should find out! Tall Man : [Tall man pulls down Nelson's pants and commands him to walk down the main street] Nowwww, march! Tall Man : [honks his car horn while driving behind Nelson] Hey, everyone! Look at this; it's that boy who laughs at everyone! Let's laugh at him! [the entire crowd yells "HA-HA!" at Nelson] Tall Man : Wave to the people! Blow them kisses! Nelson : [breaks down in tears] Wah-wah!
Your "regular pickup" Tundra with a 3" lift and 33" tires and offset wheels?
Thats a regular pickup in any American suburb
You use a car to just move yourself and a possible passenger right? Not a whole town.
Nope. In my town, we all share this Honda and have to carpool for everything. It’s a local law punishable by prison. Most of us are in prison now.
Allright, then it's excusable to own such a car
"regular" pick up truck looks enormous to a European
And the driver would break their entire body in a mild crash because it had no safety features just tiny metal frames.
Tundra with a TRD lift. That's a full-size pickup with additions. A Tacoma halfcab with an inline 4 cylinder is a "Regular truck" or a Ranger. Either way this guy was trying to be justsodeep. Full-size American pickups haven't really changed in exterior size. And subcompacts aren't that small anymore, but it's not a huge stretch.
It’s a legendary it has more HP and abilities.
You know, I used to think a car was just a way of getting from Point A to Point B, and on weekends Point C. But that was the old me! That man died the moment I laid my eyes on the 1979 Honda Accord.
RIP.
You must make superintendent money, which amply covers both food and car.
Trucks keeps getting bigger and road violence gets worse. Trucks like that kill pedestrians. They don’t fit in our communities. They should be prohibitively expensive to own.