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The hurr-durr narrative is a bit disingenuous. It’s not just the loony MAGA/Conservatives buying these cars as depicted in the comic, it’s centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars.
I thought the main reason was price, EVs needing massive batteries, and automakers unwilling to pay small car taxes and opting more for light trucks to save costs.
it’s centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars
What are they to buy alternatively? The basically non-existent sanely sized cars?
This is a bit dramatic. There are plenty of sanely sized cars available, and its not like everyone yearns for them but is forced into a suburban. Last time I checked you could still buy a corolla, an H-RV, a leaf, crosstrek, civic, Prius, several minis, a Mazda 3, BMW 1, etc. If people literally just bought rav4s instead of giant SUVs the average vehicle size would be significantly smaller, even though the rest of world thinks those are huge too.
…the mazda 3 is BIG, unfortunately they don’t offer the 2 stateside anymore, not even in puerto rico…
Exactly, which is why I reject the premise of the comic. People are just buying what’s available/affordable, not out of some ideological creed
The hurr-durr narrative is a bit disingenuous. It’s not just the loony MAGA/Conservatives buying these cars as depicted in the comic, it’s centrists and progressives who arguably have more money who are buying these cars.
to anyone who has to travel across the US for work you quickly start to realize that is hard to tell the Democrat and Republican drivers apart and this comic got both sides included
definitely two sides of the same coin
another common theme in the United States is the belief road signs are not really there especially speed limits
only a few drivers follow the road signs to the detriment of safety even in work zones
big vehicles with people that see no need to follow road rules are very common and the few drivers following the rules either get bumper humped or pulled over
very toxic driving environment in the US and at this point it would be safer without speed limits
also sedans do suck and are definitely too small but do drive all day so nether region room is important as much as cargo room is
also sedans do suck
Nah. I had a 2005 Camry for almost two decades and it was pretty roomy, had a massive trunk, and was not very large at all.
You’re right, and I shouldn’t have painted all the progressives out of the picture like that. I guess I just meant to say that most people buy what they can rich or poor, rather than out of some belief
…keep right except to pass and most of your concerns will melt away; that’s how i drive rented trucks with speed limiters, slowest vehicle on the road with no worries…
honestly, top right is relatable.
Just rent a truck from home Depot. They’re like $45 a day.
72 bucks for 3 hrs, plus gas.
Don’t believe the advertising lies.
Source: rented one to move last year.
Still cheaper then the extra car payment for getting a car twice as big as you need for rare occasions.
No argument there.
And fuck you if you’re under 25, I guess
Oh well in that case, if 24 year olds can’t move pianos, sure: fuck pedestrian safety, non huge SUV drivers and the climate.
It doesn’t actually have to be either-or; we can have trucks with significant hauling capacity and have safe roads. My truck is smaller than my last minivan, with a bigger box than most new trucks. I’d go even smaller, but kei trucks aren’t very common here
For the roads to be safe, they need to be designed for these trucks to feel like they are intruders that inconvenience others and so must slow down and politely respect pedestrians and bikes. As opposed to building cities with the comfort of trucks as the first priority, where everyone else feels like they’re intruding in the SUV’s waya and inconvenience them.
A big part of it is the lack of sanely sized options, which is driven by a combination of confirmation bias (“the best sellers are all giant SUVs” when the only real options are giant SUVs), low gas prices, and incentives to manufacturers by classifying vehicles as trucks to get around emissions rules. We could undo a lot of it if we taxed and regulated giant SUVs and trucks the same way we do smaller cars, but that hits the profits of big auto and would be politically disadvantageous for anyone to try so they don’t.
^^This.
I would have much rather purchased an EV coupe. It’s useless for me to haul around 5 seats. I rarely have more than one ass in the car at a time.
lack of sanely sized options
I don’t get this, like they still make sedans. Go to a toyota or honda dealership and there are still plenty of small affordable efficient cars.
I agree we should definitely tax them but that’ll only go so far. Even if we tax them people have shown there willing to spend a lot more money for an suv . People view them as a status symbol and cultural signifier and will pay a lot since a part of there identity is based off it.
Strict regulation making it so a majority of people just can’t buy one would be the only way, but thats unpopular and fox News would have a field day about “the liberals are coming for your truck”
Many sedans in the US are quite a bit larger than their global counterparts. That also assumes that all sedans are somewhat fungible which also isn’t true. It’s common for foreign manufacturers to only introduce longer wheelbase versions of vehicles in the US but offer shorter wheelbases in Europe and Asia, thus includes sedans and coupes, but also minivans and trucks. I’d be somewhat interested in a VW id.Buzz, but aside from software issues they only offer the larger variant in the States which won’t even fit in my garage. Even the somewhat normal sized Ioniq 6 we got is way wider and longer than we’d ideally like, but there are no other options to get something in a saner size on Hyundai/Kias eGMP platform which has tons of benefits (higher voltage packs for faster charging, solid and relatively affordable technology options, and full V2L capabilities).
@Not_mikey @Wxfisch Go to a Toyota or Honda dealership and you’ll find that longstanding models like the Civic and Corolla are much larger and less affordable than they were at the peak of their popularity. Ford no longer makes sedans and GM makes few. All the car companies aggressively market trucks and SUVs to the exclusion of sedans and hatchbacks. That’s not because consumers decided they wanted “status symbols,” it’s because SUVs & trucks have higher profit margins.
@Not_mikey @Wxfisch I know unfortunately many people who own mid-sized SUVs. No one I choose to associate with has one a status symbol. They’re motivated by lack of smaller options (particularly for parents who need to fit multiple car seats in a vehicle) and fear of them or their kids being injured by other drivers in comically oversized vehicles.
@Not_mikey @Wxfisch Yes, the average consumer is quite susceptible to marketing and follows trends in everything from clothes to food & drink to toothbrushes. Many will look around at their peers and try to “keep up with the Joneses”. Rather than evidence that car companies are simply responding to consumer demand, that shows they’re creating the demand that most benefits their bottom line and looser regulation on vehicles classified as light trucks is a big part of why they market what they do.
Also driven primarily by the C.A.F.E. act of 1992-1993. That’s why the cars in the 90s started getting bigger, and continued to get bigger. So now, like you said, small options aren’t available, or are outright outlawed like kei cars and trucks.
Non-american here, can you give a rundown of what that CAFE act was about?
Corporate Average Fuel Economy, sets emissions limits based on vehicle size. Bigger car = lower standards. So rather than make more efficient engines we just make bigger cars and market the hell out of them until Americans think they need a Canyonero.
Dey stupid and it makes their penis seem bigger.
That is eleven reasons!
And the other reason: To make yourself feel better about your teeny weenie.
This ignores the role of advertising in making people want things.
They wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work.
Also the companies either not selling smaller models at all or selling under powered econobox trash.
They don’t sell them because they make a bigger profit on giant trucks even if they have to pay for ads to convince people to buy them.
They would be advertising anyway, but yes people do have a tendency to see more value in volume even if the value isn’t actually there. It goes along with the US fascination with buying in bulk.
Yes, but what they would be advertising would be different. They want people to buy more of the thing that makes them the most money.
If small efficient cars were more profitable they would advertise them instead of giant luxury trucks.
YSK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compliance_car
Some jurisdictions require that auto makers offer low or no emission vehicles, a vehicle is considered a “compliance car” if it is clear that the company producing it is only doing so in order to comply with these regulations, rather than viewing them as a source of profit. This is generally identified by low production volume, sales limited to only regions where the law requires it, and low effort design.
if anyone else didn’t know who https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorstein_Veblen was
A question for big car drivers
How the fuck do you drive?
I have a slightly longer and wider than usual SEDAN and I struggle in the city. I can’t imagine steering a massive hunk of shit
Very carefully.
Went from a subcompact coupe to a “midsize” crossover, and it’s terrifying. Can’t see shit near me because of how high I sit. Can’t see shit next to me because of the big-ass B pillars, and the short window puts the pillar right next to my head.
The main 2 reasons I switched?
1: My hybrid coupe was a horrible gas guzzler at 36MPG, the SUV gets 90+ MPGe.
2: People in big-ass SUVs kept trying to kill me. Hasn’t happened nearly as much since I got a car that would do consequential damage to them if they run into me.
Get those stick on mirrorlets, that let you see around the B column and right into your blind spot.
Any mirror from any brand would work, here’s the first link off DuckDuckGo: https://www.autozone.com/safety-and-security/blind-spot-mirror
They’re a game changer if you have a hard time seeing there. Takes some fiddling to angle them just right, but worth it.
You just cant see whats in your way up close, so it’s less anxiety inducing to drive than a full size sedan. “What you don’t know can’t hurt you” 🤪
But more seriously, its probably the trick of perspective: the higher the seating position makes the vehicle footprint feel smaller and feel like you’re moving slower and also makes it easier to see over the smaller cars in traffic 😅
(I don’t actually own one but have driven my sisters one on occasion)
Drive an electric F150. It’s legitimately a skill to drive the thing. I went from a “Prius C/Aqua” to the truck because I have a horse to haul. I legitimately think there should be a special license endorsement to be allowed to drive it. I would vote to require such extra testing if given the chance.
Oh man I would be all over tiered licensing. For size and performance, the basic license probably shouldn’t cover that can accelerate like a Tesla.
I’d reckon all the electric cars accelerate in the same tier unless it’s the bz4x/Soltera which are literally the worst vehicles on the market right now.
Nissan Leaf 0-60 in 7 or 8 seconds depending on model. That’s about the same as a standard Mazda 3. The Tesla Model 3 can do it in half the time. Not even close to the same tier.
I stand corrected lol. Nissan leaf is basically just stuck in 2014 in all honesty. They still even use the Japanese connector that no other car uses. It’s basically a glorified golf kart. I completely even forgot they sell them new still.
Everything else > bz4x/Soltera >> Leaf lol
If you buy a 2025 Leaf for over 20K, you got robbed lmao.
I don’t think “Leaf bad” undermines the actual point that a 3 second 0-60 time is wildly unnecessary and dangerous for the average driver, it was just illustrating that not every EV is performance-spec. I’d personally gate anything faster than 6, maybe 5 seconds under a “sport” license and traffic violation penalties should be more severe in that class of vehicles to more accurately reflect the relative risk to others.
Oh absolutely. However, the Leaf is bad for every other reason besides its acceleration speed though.
Gating licensing based on acceleration speed doesn’t really make much sense. It should be based on vehicle mass, stopping distance or driver visibility. Being able to quickly accelerate makes it safer for highway driving and it’s the driver’s responsibility not to treat the suburbs as their personal drag strip.
Lol you think the leaf is bad, my cmax plug in take 12 seconds to get to 60mph on electric only
To be fair, that car was last sold new in 2017 according to my search. I was arguing for 2025 models.
The fact that there’s no special licensing needed for RVs despite being the same size as buses and larger than most commercial trucks makes no sense.
1000% yes, it’s absolute madness. Should need a CDL for those.
I would like to see fines for reckless driving have a “large/lethal/unsafe modification” upgrade.
You wanna get drunk and meatcrayon yourself? Be my guest. Get blitzed and take your dually Dodge Ram with 4" wheel spacers down residential roads at highway speeds? Hope your ass is ready for a lifetime prison sentence.
I have a legitimate work reasons to own a pickup and I don’t drive in the city. When I do, it’s a box trunk for deliveries and I hate it. I fucking hate staring at shiny Escalades with only one person in it.
I’mma give this one to the lady on the bottom right. Not for the reason she states, but if you got 7 kids you gotta pile in, a Corolla ain’t gonna cut it.
A minivan will hold as many kids, is safer than an SUV, and they are on the smaller end of the SUV sizes.
I do think minivans should be more common as being more practical, but I don’t see how they’re safer. They also tend to be less fuel efficient due to aerodynamics. They tend to have a lower floor with more or less the same ceiling height. That gives them a larger frontal cross section compared to an equivalent sized SUV.
This applies to vans and trucks, as well. Trucks based on the same platform tend to have better mileage than the van.
They are safer to pedestrians because they tend to have lower and more curved hoods (making impact at low speeds less dangerous) and they also give better visibility to the driver.
I have a little Mitsubishi Outlander that seats 7 and I’d cut off a toe for a minivan.
My teenager has to crawl through the hatch to get in her seat lol.
Plus a minivan is 100x easier to get kids in and out of compared to an SUV. Honestly minivans might be peak transport vehicle form factor…
…minivans and hatchbacks: purposefully-designed suburban utility vehicles, all the respect in the world for both…
They are for peak for transporting 4-6 people and some cargo. Or a couple people and a lot of cargo. They are more fuel efficient than SUVs and use all the available space for their footprint up to the roofline.
Minivans are basically the mid sized truck version of vans.
That used to be literally true: back in the early '90s, the Ford Ranger pickup truck and the Ford Aerostar minivan shared a lot of parts (along with the Ford Explorer SUV).
Still true. For many larger platforms that have frame on body construction, the van and truck are almost identical except for the shell put on top. But you’ll see a lot of shared parts even in unibody stuff.
I have a “midsize” SUV and went on vacation with seven people, and it could hardly hold all of us even with a luggage rack on the hitch. We rented a minivan at our destination, and it EASILY fit all seven people and luggage with room to spare and was more comfortable. It also was a hybrid and got > 30mpg. Definitely wanting to rethink that SUV purchase now.
I’m now suddenly suspecting that 7 seater compact cars are not a thing in places like the US. We got 7 seater Avanzas here in the third world, but come to think of it, there might be some regulatory thing preventing this format of car from being sold in some places.
It’s good. We used taxis like that a lot in HS before anyone in the friend group was 18 (yes yes you let your kids drive at 16 in the US how open minded of you to create more car customers like that), it came out to very little per person when you had like 6-7 people sharing essentially one small economy car.
I think it wouldn’t be the most convenient since you can’t put much cargo with all the seats up, but like there are more formats out there right? First gen Honda Odyssey size is what I would have in mind - surely some manufacturer is still making something similar?
Tank-on-wheels is a ridiculous default design
That last panel is why the entire “fuck cars” movement is a joke. You can’t have real solutions if you don’t have real empathy.
If that’s your take, you have no idea what you’re talking about
Even if we outright banned cars with no nuance or forethought whatsoever, that would still save billions from climate change.
I think the bottom right one is supposed to be sympathetic and more making fun of the catch 22 of the car arms race caused by all the other panels.
If that’s why the movement is a joke, then why are there several upvoted posts here saying that one is a legit reason?
The grains of salt I take when going to a fuckcars sub:
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Most, not all, but most people online and in reality live in congested cities full of cars, and 90% of the sub will be their POV.
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Carbon emissions are bad, full stop
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Living even in a suburban area makes you an outlier
They could change their names to fuckallthesecarsinparticular but I get how offputting that is.
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I don’t think you’ve spent much time here if you think that “fuck cars” is being said without empathy. None of us think that nobody should be allowed to own a car and that there aren’t legitimate use cases. Just that the vast majority of cases are Not That and for how dangerous and inefficient they are, along with infrastructure that only considers the experience of people in cars, the extent that cars have taken over and define our lives (again, as non-single-mothers-of-seven) is ridiculous.
Also, station wagons used to exist. Mini vans still exist. You could transport this many kids and not have to drive a massive truck that’s likely to mow one of them down in the driveway before you even notice they’re unaccounted for. There are other “real solutions” for this person. In fact, that single mother would have a far more peaceful time transporting her family if the cars around her were both smaller in size and fewer in number. Our interests are aligned, you see.
Have you tried having some empathy for those that are strained by the financial burden of owning a car? Society should consider people that don’t want and shouldn’t need to own a car just as much as it considers people who do need to own a car. Go project your lack of “real empathy” somewhere else cause it’s definitely misplaced here.
I mean here is a comparison between a minivan and a 3 row EV SUV:
https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/honda-odyssey-2017-minivan-us-vs-kia-ev9-2023-suv/
Not every SUV is a Suburban or Escalade.
Also, a wagon is not a replacement for a Minivan, the station wagon jump seats that I grew up with were firmly in the crumple zone, and would prevent any cargo from being loaded.
The person who wrote this comic never shopped for a family hauler, or has shopped for a family hauler and ignored their lived experience to make a quip.
Here’s the thing: “Family-hauler” is so dumb. In a sane society, that wouldn’t even be a thing. Those kids should have the freedom to get around on their own, but they can’t because of all the super-sized “family-haulers” that would kill them.
My taxes paid for the road, I’m going to use the road. It’s called getting value for your money, walklet-tier comic XD
The bottom right is really the only valid reason. I’d love to get a small car but between them not really being sold in the US anymore and the crash incompatibility, I gotta pass.although there is increasingly little to live for so maybe I’ll just get a donorcycle and say fuck it
I settled on a mid sized suv as the compromise. Seating for four, and I have a family of four. Big enough to go with traffic but small enough to be reasonably efficient. Big enough to carry a lot but small enough to fit in narrow lanes and parking spots
Get a small enough car and you can just pass under them.
No, it’s a terrible reason. It’s complicit with the system for a level of danger reduction that is really not enough, and intentionally endangering other kids for your own children’s benefits. You merely continue the cycle. It’s short sighted at best.
Does anyone really need 7 children?
Fittingly, seven of Charles Darwin’s children survived to adulthood.
It’s safer for drunk driving if the other cars are the ones turned to smithereens.
