[nradov]

Bullshit. There are many competing auto manufacturers. No one is compelled to buy larger, more expensive vehicles. There are smaller, cheap vehicles available to those who want them. If I want a little penalty box like a Hyundai Elantra or Nissan Sentra the local dealers have base models in stock and ready to sell today.

Larger vehicles are more comfortable, safe, and practical (for anyone who doesn't need to worry about parking issues). It doesn't take advertising to convince consumers about that, it's just reality.

[post-it]

A Hyundai Elantra of today is significantly bigger than it was ten years ago. It also used to be the second-tier model above the Accent, which was discontinued.

Ditto with the Sentra and the Versa.

This is my point exactly.

[jagraff]

Large vehicles are safer for the occupants of the vehicle, however they do increase danger for pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in a collision. There is a reasonable argument that reducing vehicle size would save lives overall

[sneak]

This is a myth. Larger vehicles are not safer for their occupants; they merely feel that way.

[Supermancho]

> This is a myth. Larger vehicles are not safer for their occupants; they merely feel that way.

I'm pretty sure it's not, because physics. A tank is safer than a bike for the poilot, when there is a collision. This data is a little muddled, but follows common sense.

Large SUVs and Pickups: These vehicles have the lowest occupant fatality rates, averaging 14 deaths per million registered vehicles for SUVs compared to 48 per million for sedans. Large luxury SUVs often register statistically zero deaths in specific three-year studies.

[nradov]

Nope, not a myth. While the data is noisy and there are some confounding factors, the IIHS driver death rates show a clear correlation between larger size and fewer deaths.

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/driver-death-rates-by-make-and-...

[Tangurena2]

Domestic manufacturers used to build & sell compact pickup trucks. Nowadays, the only pickups on the market are huge fatmobiles. The profit margin in trucks is much higher than the profit margin on passenger cars.

[nradov]

You can buy a Ford Maverick compact pickup truck from your local dealer today.

The profit margins on larger trucks are higher precisely because that's what consumers want. No one is forcing them to buy those vehicles.

[satvikpendem]

Compare the Maverick to a Japanese kei trucks, they so impressed the current president that he signed an executive order allowing them, if they're manufactured in the US.

[fuzzfactor]

Good example of what they have in Japan right now.

The Maverick is quite sizable compared to the original Ford Ranger too, which was still bigger than the regular Japanese trucks that were all over the US after oil skyrocketed the first time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukmzZ5DXBqQ

[linkregister]

Pedestrian deaths, including children, have risen in lockstep with light truck adoption in the United States, while they have fallen in countries without this phenomenon.

[stickfigure]

It isn't about weight, it's way stupider than that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpuX-5E7xoU

Tall grilles are a purely aesthetic choice. We could create safety standards for pedestrian impacts and end this inane trend. And still drive trucks!

[adrianN]

The VW Up electric sold really well but was discontinued.