Comments on: Weighty Issue: Cars Grow Fatter. Cost More. Lexus Flagship Is Case In Point http://www.automobilesdeluxe.tv/weighty-issue-cars-grow-fatter-cost-more-lexus-flagship-is-case-in-point/ Covering the worlds greatest cars Sun, 06 May 2012 09:15:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Distiller http://www.automobilesdeluxe.tv/weighty-issue-cars-grow-fatter-cost-more-lexus-flagship-is-case-in-point/#comment-6393 Distiller Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:47:31 +0000 http://www.automobilesdeluxe.tv/?p=6514#comment-6393 Ja, but couple of things here. For one, on average old cars really are cramped (talking about European cars). To have proper ergonomics inside needs space and volume. Realistically, even a 15 ft long car will only seat two comfortably. So once you want to seat four, yo're on the way to 17 ft plus. And volume brings weight. And then there are really stupid things like the European Union pedestrian safety regulation (whatever it's called), that causes all those high noses on new Euro-cars. High requires long equals weight. And not to forget the role of the media and the ever increasing crash-test requirements. Makes a car heavy as a tank! Comfort features also add a lot of weight, as do those new safety and nanny features for the elderly. But I think the industry really has to focus more on the essentials. In Europe there is a clear trend that the average consumer no longer is able to afford all the niceties the industry developed in the last 20/25 years. Hence the huge success of the likes of Dacia and Skoda. And look at what people are really buying for their own money! Even a BMW 3/Audi A4 class is big. Mercedes E and BMW 5 class are terribly nice to drive but they are 85+ pct company cars, meaning paid for by everybody thru higher prices for products and services. Besides the also regulation driven porkiness the industry will have to re-focus on what is really useful, and figure out a way to pack it into affordable cars. Reduced weight will then probably be a natural by-product. Ja, but couple of things here. For one, on average old cars really are cramped (talking about European cars). To have proper ergonomics inside needs space and volume. Realistically, even a 15 ft long car will only seat two comfortably. So once you want to seat four, yo’re on the way to 17 ft plus. And volume brings weight.

And then there are really stupid things like the European Union pedestrian safety regulation (whatever it’s called), that causes all those high noses on new Euro-cars. High requires long equals weight.

And not to forget the role of the media and the ever increasing crash-test requirements. Makes a car heavy as a tank!

Comfort features also add a lot of weight, as do those new safety and nanny features for the elderly.

But I think the industry really has to focus more on the essentials. In Europe there is a clear trend that the average consumer no longer is able to afford all the niceties the industry developed in the last 20/25 years. Hence the huge success of the likes of Dacia and Skoda. And look at what people are really buying for their own money! Even a BMW 3/Audi A4 class is big. Mercedes E and BMW 5 class are terribly nice to drive but they are 85+ pct company cars, meaning paid for by everybody thru higher prices for products and services.

Besides the also regulation driven porkiness the industry will have to re-focus on what is really useful, and figure out a way to pack it into affordable cars. Reduced weight will then probably be a natural by-product.

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