Are cars REALLY getting smaller?

[Crazy Dazz]

I keep reading "people aren't buying large cars any more," but is that really true?

Now I have NO empirical evidence to back this up, its just my perception, but I believe cars are actually getting LARGER.

Thinking back to the day when a "small" car was a Corolla/ Escort/ Gemini/ Lancer/ 120Y, it seems to me that those cars (and their equivalents) have gotten progressively larger, bigger engines, and more features. Similarly the "Mid" sized cars, Cortina/ Corona/ Torana/ 200B/ Sigma, have also gotten larger, more powerful, and better featured.
The first Honda Civic was a lawnmower with doors, now its practically mid-sized.
Meanwhile smaller cars have been introduced, Fiesta/ Yaris/ Barina/ Micra/ Mirage, and they too have started to grow.

It's very easy to look back to the Falcon/ Kingswood/ Valiant of the day and ASSUME that today's Falcon and Commode is the logical successor. But is it?

Back in the day your standard XB Falcon put out about 100kw and 250Nm, the upmarket 250 was a bit more power and IIRC around 325Nm.
Todays Mondeo has more interior space, more luggage space, and more power.

I LOVE the Falcon, and I think the current offering is excellent, but realistically it is more equivalent to yesteryears' Fairlane. There's still a market, but it was never that big.

I think for a long time, people just came along for the ride. They were happy for their cars to keep getting bigger, better, and more powerful.
But suddenly there has been an awakening. Particularly with all the BS about greenhouses, people have realised that they don't NEED 200kw. Today's "family car" is more likely to be mid-size (or even "small") 4 cyl, and those would have bought a wagon now buy an SUV.

This isn't unique to Ford and Holden. Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, etc, all had larger models that have been discontinued and replaced.

We also have to accept that Marque loyalty is absent outside enthusiasts. So lost Falcon sales won't translate directly to Territory, Mondeo or Focus sales, but many to Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, etc.

Getting right off my original topic here, but Falcon also had the problem of being Australian produced which made it bloody expensive. I think its reasonable for what you get, but if you don't NEED a Falcon why pay for one?

[Nova 8]

Have you seen a new mini next to a classic mini.

[Nikked]

Yes, there are a lot more smaller cars getting around, the typical "small" cars are growing, a corolla is bigger then a SV21 Camry for example, but there are smaller cars under that name plate now...

[Yellow_Festiva]

You are correct. In most cases when a new model is released I have noticed that a selling point is that it is XXmm longer / wider and it has YY litres more boot space.

Camry is a good example of this. I consider it a large car and certainly not a medium car.

Even the new Smart micro car is 20cm longer than the old one.

I think cars should be categorised based on the actual size.

Full sized 5.11m+
Large 4.7m-5.1m
Medium 4.4-4.69m
Small 3.9-4.39m
City 3.5-3.89m
Micro 3.49m and below

Or something like that....

Weights are interesting as well - cars are so full of tech , gadgets and safety today they are much heavier than in the past, even when overall dimensions remain the same.

I think from memory my old LV Diesel Focus weighed the same as dad's old XF Falcon.

[Nikked]

Keep in mind, as a small car grows, a medium car grows, and a large car grows...so really, there is some relevance to the classification.

[XR Martin]

Falcon has remained basically the same size since the XR.
Even a Corolla is taller than an FG.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Even a Corolla is taller than an FG.

As is the Fiat 500.

Surprised? I was!

[Windsor220]

That's why Falcon/Commodore have become irrelevant. Small cars have become big enough for half the price.

[PepeLePew]

Nothing like a Crazy Dazz Sunday thread.....interesting question and observation

[Uncle Tone]

Just bought a new Audi S3 for the wife. It's as big inside as a 2000 model A4.

[onfire]

I've recently bought a brand new 'small' car to use to primarily drive an hour to work each day, (ps. XR8 ute for sale) and was initially hesitant in doing so, yet I've been blown away. I did buy at the mid-higher end of the affordable micro/small car market.

It keeps up the pace no worries in town and surprisingly kills it on the highway, it's no means a super-car but will out handle almost any large car I've driven on tight and twisty roads.

In fact, I have a completely different sort of fun giving it a hard time than I do in the XR8. Nothing quite compares to a V8 on a long road, yet I couldn't drive the Ute the way I do the hatch without a tone of over steer and worn tyres.

There are a lot of larger car, sportier dynamics to improve handling and ride: full sized 15" wheels, stiff suspension and very low to the round and comes fully loaded with all wiz bang stuff on the inside.

I doubt I'd even buy a large Australian built NA 6 cylinder car again.

[CoupeKing]

The parking spots have gradually been getting narrower. Gives a false impression that the car I got is too wide, or its my *** when I try to get out.

[OzJavelin]

Since I got my license I've always had at least one "full sized" American 60s car in my garage .. And always had people carry on about what a big tank it was. In recent years those people who said that will be driving a dual cab 4x4 or wagon (eg Land cruiser) and seem to think nothing of it .. Despite those things being longer, wider, taller and typically heavier. The only think my yank tanks have over them is bigger engines with bigger (usually .. But not exclusively) thirst.

People have forgotten how small, smaller cars used to be. Old yank tanks only look massive in comparison to them .. Not compared to modern Jap/Korean/Euro tanks.

[The Monty]

I just ditched a falcon for a focus. Fits three baby seats across the back and my dog crate in the rear. Also starting to set it up as a camper car for the five of us. It uses half the fuel of the falcon, costs less for everything else, rego, servicing, tyres, insurance. It also is a much better handling car.

[mik]

Imo It's not that big cars are not good, but small cars of old have evolved from Gutless economy shoe boxes to nippy capable well equipped economical cars, and in this day and age, people want them or family oriented suvs way more than big sedans.

[LoudPipes]

Small cars do appear to be getting bigger and big cars disappearing.
It would be interesting to know how many 2 car families there are.
Looking down my street 2 plus is the norm.
One for mum, one for dad and there is every change the older kids will have something as well.
Having a car in the driveway that is a bit smaller without being tiny has a lot of advantages and nicely offsets the almost mandatory SUV used for family duties these days.

[yearby]

Cars must be getting bigger, my big yank tank 73 mach 1 mustang looks tiny when parked along side my BF ute.

Peter

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by LoudPipes

Small cars do appear to be getting bigger and big cars disappearing.
It would be interesting to know how many 2 car families there are.
Looking down my street 2 plus is the norm.
One for mum, one for dad and there is every change the older kids will have something as well.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Not counting the ones I'm dismantling, we have 7. If my eldest hadn't moved to Melbourne to study it would be 8.
My 5th child is now old enough to learn and hence she'll be using the AU Hack.
The others all have their own.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by yearby

Cars must be getting bigger, my big yank tank 73 mach 1 mustang looks tiny when parked along side my BF ute.

Peter

My '69 AMC Javelin looks small compared to a current Corolla.

[Polyal]

Yeap my TE50 on its standard springs feels and is very low compared to just about every new car out there...its weird. I guess we can thanks safety structures for that.

[csv8]

Holden Cruze is same size as a 80"s Commodore...

[davenl5l]

^^^^^^ and as bad

[Ducati888]

I've got a 99 Pulsar that is absolutely cavernous inside compared to my 74 Fairmont Coupe.

Thankfully the Coupe is 100% cooler.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

When I was looking at purchasing the ST, I did some comparisons to other cars in overall size. I was surprised to find the ST is almost identical in size to a VL Commodore.

And even more surprising, the ST has a longer and wider wheelbase than an 80 series Landcruiser, and is only 40mm shorter in body length.

When I pull up in the driveway with the ST, the comments are similar to: "wow, look at that cute little thing". I bet if I rocked up in the driveway with an 80 series Landcruiser, it would be more along the lines of "why are you driving that giant beast".

Perceptions are amazing.....

Craig H

[Mr Hardware]

Quite right, cars are getting larger.
My 2007 Corolla is the same size (almost down to the millimetre) as my old 1989 Camry which is the same size as an EH Holden.
The falcon has stayed almost the same size since 1966. The falcon has NOT become irrelevant, it's just that you can get a car now that is 'big enough' and 'quick enough' for half the price.

[Vesper Martini]

How's this for an opinion: Australia never stopped wanting big cars. Falcon and commodore weren't in fact big enough!
many migrated to SUV's and more comfortable 4WD's
and yes small Cars have gotten bigger and more powerful and still sell new for 20-30K

[Alan D Segal]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

And even more surprising, the ST has a longer and wider wheelbase than an 80 series Landcruiser, and is only 40mm shorter in body length.

It is actually over 400mm shorter in body length, and over 400mm shorter in height.

[Professor Farnsworth]

Our Rio is only a couple of mm narrower than a VL Calais.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

How's this for an opinion: Australia never stopped wanting big cars. Falcon and commodore weren't in fact big enough!
many migrated to SUV's and more comfortable 4WD's
and yes small Cars have gotten bigger and more powerful and still sell new for 20-30K

While I agree with you its only the current landcruiser that is bigger then the falcon in overall exterior dimensions. They have never been bigger than the Falcon of GM equivalent nor has the Nissan Patrol until again maybe recently. and they are only marginally bigger in width and length and even wheelbase.
The falcon and commode are also configured better such you fit more and more comfortably. and any other SUV or similar is smaller again.
I think much of the migration has been elevated seat position and emasculated men wanting tanks to prove manliness.
Plus for similar sizes you can have a reasonably dynamic and frugal car for cheap money
As for new cars being bigger, look at the VW golf range. Same market sector since the 70's and the current car dwarfs the old one.
My 1997 AWD Suzuki swift is 40Kg heavier than a standard 2wd version but is still 245Kg's lighter than the current swift. See link for visual size difference
http://www.autocasion.com/actualidad...iva/galeria/3/
No doubt they are getting bigger but so are the average people.

JP

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by Alan D Segal

It is actually over 400mm shorter in body length, and over 400mm shorter in height.

You're right! One too few zeros

Or I meant the unit of measure to be cm, not mm

Either way, 40cm/400mm is not really very much when you consider the first impressions one would have of seeing both vehicles individually.

Craig H