[cjrp]

I'm not sure it's regulation; in the UK you can buy a brand new Dacia Sandero for just under £15k (~$20k), and we have pretty strict safety and emissions regulations. I think it's more about consumer demand, and auto manufacturers realising there's more profit in selling higher-end models.

[everdrive]

Fair enough. I'm really fixated on the ballooning vehicle sizes in the US, which is a CAFE / chicken tax concern, but that is definitely not the only factor.

[cjrp]

Ah yeh, that's true; and isn't there something like a very heavy vehicle can be recorded as a business expense, so people are more like to buy trucks even when they don't need them?

[everdrive]

I've got a 2024 Nissan Frontier, and there's anywhere between 6-12 inches of empty space in front of the radiator. It could be a smaller truck, easily. But that won't be built -- gets dinged by CAFE. Breaks my heart every time I look at that truck's huge, unnecessary nose.