My husband and I were in a terrible car accident years ago on a freeway in Chicago. He suffered nine broken ribs and a broken clavicle. Our sedan was totaled, so we had to buy a new car. He has kept choosing larger cars ever since because “next accident I WANT TO WIN”!
I drive a 4runner, my wife and I were rear-ended by a Suburban. The Suburban lost that one. It was totaled. I was able to follow the ambulance. Wife had whiplash and concussion I had a bruised shoulder. Our 4runner was repaired and we are still driving it.
husband also have anxiety when he drives small car with us on it.. he felt a little at ease driving a truck if me and the kids is with him. he drives a bit paranoid with small car for some reason.
Before it became more of a fashion trend, large trucks were used because america is full of off-road terrain and a lot of people work blue collar jobs. You need to have a large truck to haul tools, trailers. And you need it high enough off the ground so that your truck won’t get stuck in the mud
yep, a pickup used to be a cheap work vehicle that a blue collar guy didn't mind beating the heck out of on gravel roads and jobsites. now it's more expensive than a luxury car, and just as fancy.
The US car industry continue to build larger cars because is cheaper and easier to build because they don't have to meet the same fuel economy numbers as smaller ones.
Side-note: the bigger car being more fatal is somewhat misleading. The stat is for fatal crashes that large trucks are involved. So if a heavy, large truck pancakes a subcompact and the truck driver survived but the sub didn't then the truck would be put into that stat... There are exceptions, but you should find better stats by looking at crash type, speed and age.
I have a truck because of a few reasons. 1: live on a farm and haul things all the time. Secondly, we have a camper and go camping often as a cheap vacation. Use the truck to tow the camper. Next, there is no trash pick-up around us. It's a lot easier to throw trash in the back of a truck than a car or suv. If the trash leaks it's easier to wash the bed of the truck vs the trunk of a car or back of a SUV.. Plus, to get to my shooting range you need a truck or suv with 4 wheel drive because you have to drive through a couple of creeks.
I am alive because I was driving a one ton pickup when I was rear ended by a semi which had bad or no brakes. The frame of the pickup was bent, but I lived though swelling in he spinal column and four fractured vertebra caused partial paralysis which mostly went away after 2 1/2 years.
Things to think about. Older cars were designed to travel because air flight hadn't taken off for common people. Brits have narrow roads because a lot of roads and buildings were layed out ling before car use. Families were bigger back then. Trunk space was huge because, have you seen old luggage? They were trunks and people packed a lot back then because traveling vacations were very long. So many other reasons for large cars back then.
I was going to buy a new car last year, but it wouldn’t fit in my garage. So had to measure every car till I found a Lincoln suv that fit. Btw I’m 77.🙋♀️❤️😍
The people talking in favor of regulations are usually anti large vehicles. The larger trucks can carry a bigger payload or pull a larger load. With 4 wheel drive, they can go places others cannot. They are fun for the whole family!
The funny thing is that it's those same people complaining that are causing the government to create these emissions laws with the loophole that's making the vehicles bigger 😂
It was so sweet - the neighbors I grew up next to were quite wealthy, for a middle-class neighborhood. The only things they splurged on was a brand new Cadillac for each of them every year. And the husband always opened the car door when he was driving his wife somewhere.
It just comes down to what the government leeches are invested in at the time...If they couldn't make money on the regulations they wouldn't give a tiny rat's butt...
To answer your question, YES, my husband and I have always owned SUV's and pickup trucks, and one of the reasons is to feel safer because we're higher off the ground and feel safer than if we were in a small car with big trucks towering over us. There are other reasons too, like we live in the Midwest, and in the winter we need the 4 wheel drive in an SUV and pickup truck. There are other reasons too, but definitely a feeling of safety being in a larger truck.
Yesterday, no everyday, I've driven as of late, I have to drive my car as far over as I can because I share the roads with combines. Now those are huge! I don't mind because they are bringing in the harvest.
The only reason I would want a truck is for the towing capacity because a love camping trip and being able to haul my own stuff, and the truck bed for laying down and watching lunar eclipse and stuff. But nowadays trucks are expensive to own. A less you get a 1990’s truck. I used to drive my mom‘s Ford ranger 2001 back in the day around the farm it was small in the cab but nice size truck bed.
Had to stop when they said big cars are un safe. Bullshit, only people in the 10% compact cars are saying that. I want my family in a full size so they survive.
My grandfather, born in 1913 to immigrants parents, grew up in a large, poor family. He had to quit school at age 14 or 15 to begin working. He eventually opened his own business, worked very long hours for many years, and invested his money so that by the 1970s, he was able to afford a giant Cadillac. He was proud that his wife could ride in a luxury car. Until he died in 2007, he was convinced that a larger car was automatically safer. He was uncomfortable riding in my modern compact car. I tried to explain that the multiple airbags and other safety devices made my new small car safer than his old large one, but that was alien to what he understood.
I absolutely love my 2000 Ford F250 SuperDuty truck. We got it ehrn we had our own business because we needed it for the amount of weight we took to the construction sites without it getting stuck in the mud. The body is metal and not fiberglass, making it safer in an accident. The downside is the price of the tires and gas cost. Even though the gas can be expensive, it has never left me on the side of the road. We have a smaller truck that has died on the side of the road even though they have the same level of maintenance. I've never had a Ford die on the road, but other vehicles have. Also, it was a Ford that saved my life when I was hit head-on by a drunk driver. It was also a gas hog, but the metal body did the job.
Big cars usually means more room for air circulation. My family still has the Suburban from road trips for the purpose. Because me and my younger sister will get motion-sickness inside smaller or more cramped cars.
The real reason us cars and trucks are larger than the European ones has to do with emission laws because the laws are based on the emissions VS the vehicles size. So to sum it up the larger the emissions the larger the vehicle becomes to skirt the law
I drive a truck because I prefer to be higher up, I feel safer. It has 4x4 so I can go off road and handle snow . I also haul loads of firewood, feed, building supplies and a boat when we go fishing.
I went with what I have for a truck because it was more cost effective, not because it was bigger. My mother's smaller truck done up in its' trim package was $55,000.00. Because my truck is done up in a more budget oriented trim it was $10,000 cheaper than my mother's smaller truck and is capable of hauling more than her's. She could have gotten one like mine and saved some money but it's too high off the ground for her to get in to without issues. She paid more for her small truck because it has a fancier trim and it's easier for her to get in and out of. Plus we got our trucks in 2020 so there weren't many choices to choose from.
One thing the video did not mention, that is one of the main reasons cars have gotten bigger over time is that the profit margin on a F-150 is way more than a Ford sedan. So that's part of why Ford dropped almost every sedan model they had.
As for the trucks, it's the government mandating it. The emissions laws say that if the vehicle is under a certain size it's limited to however much carbon emissions. If you're a manufacturer would you spend a ton of money making the vehicle more efficient while making it worse for it's intended purpose or would you just make it bigger so the emissions law doesn't apply? Pretty easy choice
I only had one pickup over the years, a basic Nissan pickup with 5-speed manual transmission and no frills. It was small and handled almost like a sports car. I put a camper top over the bed for transporting band gear.
The rule on light trucks is that if it seats fewer than 4 people, it is a truck.. if it seats 4 or more, it is considered a passenger vehicle. This iss why so many light trucks came with barely usable 'jump seats' during the 80's and 90s .
I have a 124 Spider Abarth, but I don't drive it very often. My daily driver is a Cadillac XTS. I love a big sedan. My dad always drove big Oldsmobiles growing up, so I guess that's just what I consider normal. We also have a mid-size SUV that we drive on longer trips or if we have long-term guests who need a vehicle during their stay.
Size disparity is why most in my family drive trucks!! Living on a farm or in rural areas also plays a big part in that. When grocery shopping is an all-day affair and it is 80 miles one way, I only shop 3 times a year. I need a truck to haul it all. Back in the 60s and 70s, the cars were cool and each one was unique. You could tell the make, model and year of the car just from seeing it on the road.
I owned a Buick Regal Grand sport and a Buick Encore. The same cars in The UK falls under the Vauxhall brand and is built by Opel. My four-door Regal looked exactly like the British counterpart, and came from Germany.
Basically, when they wrote the emissions laws, they made a bad assumption that "heavy trucks" would be those used for work. The auto makers just started marketing large trucks to regular consumers. Most prominently, they established and reinforced the idea that a big pickup is masculine.
I drive a 2018 F-250 and a 1986 4x4 Square body Chevrolet Silverado. I have had the Chevy since I was 18. I'm 53 now. My 18 year old son has a 2015 F150. It's strange to me that other Countries don't drive trucks .
I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 dually. It cost as much as a small starter home. And, the reason I did is I haul a 6 horse slant, or a 5th wheel trailer or a boat. I bought it in 2018 and I love my truck, I call her the grey ghost 😂
I've always had big trucks.I've had two chevy suburbans One of them with a big block 454 And my newest truck is a 2021 Ram 1500 classic with a Hemi. I'm a horsepower and torque Junkie I love my big trucks And I put them to use
Whaaahooooo my kinda day car,love these.When I was younger,we had those big steering wheels,no power steering, or disk breaks.In Brooklyn we would grab the fins when roller skating on those Cadillacs,We had rolled up windows,the little vent windows u could break into your own car.After you locked the keys in them.I learned on a Mustang 3 speed.
My sister and I had a ‘56 Chevy Belair. It was a beautiful baby blue and white. It also had the access to the gas tank in the tail light and we had a lot of fun with that. This was when gas stations were full service stations where you stayed in your car and an attendant would come to your car and fill up your tank, wash your windows and check your oil levels if you asked. It was all in the price of the gas. Very often the attendants were young guys who never wanted to admit to a girl that they didn’t know something about cars. They would walk around the car looking for the access, then walk around again. Sometimes they would try to pull down the license plate because it was there on some cars. They would walk around again. They just didn’t want to ask us because we were girls. It sounds crazy now but that was the way it was. Some of them would ask on about the third or fourth trip around the car. If they didn’t ask we would call them over to our window and just tell them.
If you think these are big, you should see some of the old big vans that we used to have in the 90s! My family had an 11 seater van and it was huge! It was more like a bus!
Trucks are heavier (momentum in an accident) and have larger crush zones (further from the accident) Live in ND, and we have a lot of snow. Me: Ram 2500 crew 6.7L inline 6 Wife: Ram 1500 crew 5.7L hemi
I drive an '04 Cadillac CTS. The smooth ride and responsiveness is why I bought it. It is comfortable. My son has a big truck he uses in his plumbing business. It must be in our blood - My dad always had a big truck and my mom always had a Cadillac. I did have a Porsche in the early 80s, and it was fun, but since then, I've opted for bigger cars.
I own a 2014 FORD F-150 XLT XTR 4X4. it's very roomy inside. Actually it's a 6 passenger vehicle. Has the 5.0V8, rides like a luxury car. We use it for our farm as it's supposed to be. Has scratches & dents, but that's what happens when your truck isn't a pavement princess. Also own a 1988 TOYOTA 1 Ton dual wheel box truck. In the US we also have roads like you mentioned that are wide enough for 1 vehicle, & we too have to pull off onto the shoulder to pass each other. As a car guy, I have too say I actually like some of the small vehicles you have across the big pond. I've owned a '76 TRIUMPH 1500 back in the '90s. That convertible was actually smaller than the Midget. A woman in our town has a MINI COOPER Pickup truck. I'd actually love to get my hands on it. She uses it on her farm, and to pick up supplies in town. It's right hand drive too.
That road you pointed out as being for 2 cars, is also for 2 cars in the US. Those rural dirt roads are often like that where 2 cars really won't fit, both cars would have to slow way down and slowly pass each other by driving off the shoulder. But these are rarely traveled roads and experiencing oncoming traffic on them is considerably rare. It happens and the cars will pass, and maybe it happens 2 or 3 times on the 20 miles of road.
Crashes are definitely something I think about in a car. I currently have a Kia Soul and I worry about my safety if I were to get hit by a much larger vehicle (which is pretty much ALL vehicles in America. They’re huge!). If I had the money I’d be in a midsize to large SUV.
I think the Mazda Miata still exists in the US. She's a small roadster weighing in at a mere 2400 pounds. She seats 2, has a 2.0 liter I4 engine, and a 6M transmission in the base model. I'm guessing she would fit your description of a spider car.
Since cars are pricey you need a car that fits your needs. I have a small minivan which is still bigger than the 10 seater we toured Europe in the 90s. I worked with scouts and groups where piling in people or stuff on a regular basis. Even though don't do it as much like to have the storage for road trips and when I commuted to work about an hour round trip the car becomes a home away from home or mobile office
I don’t think they mentioned that a lot of the trucks weights happened when they became four door which added a new section to the truck. It didn’t just happen to make it longer and heavier because of no reason. When they showed the weight and length as compared to the mid 90s it was misleading because there were no four door models at that time.
Lewis..... Yeah, more European car makers here in the US have been introducing their own SUV models. Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari.... And even on another scale, makers like Mercedes-Benz have been introducing more affordable model lines and SUV lines as well.
Ford introduced the Maverick truck a few years ago and it has been very popular. It's about the size of the Ranger before it was discontinued. I think we've kinda hit the peak for massive full size trucks and people are buying up the smaller trucks like the Maverick like crazy. It also helps that these smaller trucks are more reasonably priced, starting about $20~$25k and the base model, single cab, 6.5 foot bed RWD F150 is gonna run you $40k, with no extra options. Make it a base model 4 door, 6.5 foot bed with 4WD and you're looking at $54k. Do dealers usually carry the base models with options? Not usually. They tend to have the higher end, Platinum and Lariat models that will run you anywhere from $70k to $100k.
We also love larger suv's for family's since it is concerted safer. if you live outside of the city you probably will be involved in one car crash in your life, but you probably will hit between 4-12 deer's in your life.
I've been driving small cars my whole life. A small sedan to a coupe to a crossover. I've been looking at a large suv for a while now like a 4Runner or similar. At the same time, i want a kei truck lol
Yeah i can't see an F350 fitting on some of the smaller town roads at all. Those of us who use our trucks as trucks, we really miss the standard 8 foot bed
At one time Ford made distinct models for the UK. Now Ford USA and Ford UK share the same models. I'm in the U.S. and I had a Ford Fiestsa, a Focus and now a Fusion (Mondeo). The Puma is the Escape in the USA and I believe as the Ranger is the same too. Both Mustang and Mustang Mach-E are available in both countries. The U.S. no longer has the Transit Connect van. The UK has the Puma and the US gets the big Trucks and SUVs.
Hi Lewis, I have a midsize SUV shown at 9:33 in the video. I chose this vehicle because it has an extremely high safety rating. I live in a large city and drive in a lot of traffic and there are a lot of accidents. I don't like the idea this is only a 4 cylinder SUV because it is not powerful but does get get 26 miles per gallon and saves me a tiny bit of money. My SUV has a lot of room and airbags everywhere. It is also large enough to give me a very smooth ride on the road. In the US purchasing a new car most people do so by emotion. You get to a dealer and see a SUV you like but they show you one that is bigger and and only $23.oo dollars a month more than the one you are looking at your emotions take over and logic goes out the door and there you are with the bigger vehicle. Oldest trick in the books. I knew what I wanted, told the dealer if he didn't have it I would find one that did, and bang, my SUV appeared. Having more room is so nice but it is also safer.
I didn't think about it, but my mother wanted me to get a 1960s large car, hopefully steel, because if I got in a wreck, I'd "win" from size alone. I ended up with a tiny Honda, but I did end up on the wrong end of a wreck or two. When I'd saved up enough, I got an SUV from the 1990s because it gave me height, better view of the road, and weight if I got smacked.
My 2005 Daytona edition Ram 1500 weighs 4250 lbs. Now days the same "size" truck weighs over 5600 lbs. It's absolutely ridiculous. I blame it on added electronics. All of these newer vehicles have entertainment systems with large touch screens and all other kinds of stuff.
1:37 - Yes, but that's only because your government hasn't done anything about it. The US used to have a lot of roads like that, but either they either bought the land they needed to widen it or they put a grandfather term into the property deeds that when the current owner sells or dies, the lot that passes to the next person will be smaller by the amount the government needs for the road.
A lot of cars and station wagons were bigger back in the 50's, 60's & 70's to help with ride quality. More people took family vacations, where in some locations the roads were not very good or non-existent. Having a vehicle with a long wheelbase helped with comfort and kept the parents from killing their kids. Also, back in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's you didn't see as many large trucks in the city as you do now. There were only a couple of car manufacturers that made 4 door crew cabs, back then. Now just about every manufacturer makes them. Also, trucks were more utilitarian, vinyl interiors, no AC, no power anything, except for maybe brakes. It wasn't until recently trucks became a sort of status symbol, with leather interiors and electronic everything. Most people who buy large trucks may not even use them for hauling, maybe towing a trailer every now and them but that's about it.
I had a 1979 Chevy LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) in high school (1986 grad ) I totally miss having that little all around useful, fuel efficient, easy-to-park truck. Before seatbelt laws I'd pile a bunch of friends in the back and we'd go everywhere! I hate these huge trucks that are just for show. I love the old classics & hot rods , but some of these trucks as daily drivers is just purely nonsensical.
A few years ago my Father in law backed his old Cadillac out of his driveway at the same time as his neighbor backed his Fiat sportscar out. The Fiat was totaled and the Cadillac had no damage.
The inside of these cars, especially the 50s/60s ones, is not necessarily bigger. A lot of it is sheet metal sculpture. And studies have shown a high percentage of off-road capable vehicles never leave the pavement. It's all about self-image and making a statement.
I live in the middle of the country and the pickup truck has always been popular here as a working truck. The SUV market has been so massive that even the luxury automakers had to get involved.
We have roads in America where big cars and buses can fall off the side, usually in far rural areas. These are places you want to drive a really freaking small car if you can, because even those might be too large, but thankfully those roads are not terribly common. Also, cars are part of America's core culture. The "badass" appearance of many vehicles is very deliberate. Many cars are as much art as they are transportation, meant to appeal visually as well as get you where you're going. As for massive trucks, they're supposed to be workhorses as well as transportation, able to pull and carry heavy loads. However, not all of us have huge vehicles, or at least, not huge by American standards (although my mother's car might be massive by your standards). Subaru Outback from '07 is larger on the inside than the outside and is much smaller than most everything else on the road these days. Of course, Faithful (that's her name, the car) was purchased for safety reasons, not her size; if you want to survive snow driving in the mountains, you basically buy a Subaru.
it is absolutely true that there are people here who say "If I get in a crash I want to win" what's really funny is the big urban assault vehicles they buy are the :LEAST safe in a crash.
@@christinezehnle7552 I'm not going to spend all day interviewing people for youtube. and the rest you can find for yourself by googling vehicle crash safety ratings.
Damn, my husband and I have 2 four door trucks and a Toyota Camry car!!! I drive the Camry and GMC four door four wheel drive truck! My husband drives his Ford f150 ford 4 door truck.
I've never been into big cars. I had a 2 seater in my youth, a massive GMC SUV when the kids were little so I could carry the soccer team and now I drive 2025 Genesis GV80 cuz I'm into luxury. I'll take massaging seats over size any day.
You don't have to get a huge truck, they do make trucks half the size that you could "pimp out" to make it look huge. When you come to the US, you'll be able to actually see the difference.
Btw, I cannot understand electric cars in the US. I understand if you don't leave the city, but I'm guessing traveling would be a nightmare - mostly because I wouldn't have the patience to wait for your car to charge, hell no 😆😆😆
My husband and I were in a terrible car accident years ago on a freeway in Chicago. He suffered nine broken ribs and a broken clavicle. Our sedan was totaled, so we had to buy a new car. He has kept choosing larger cars ever since because “next accident I WANT TO WIN”!
I drive a 4runner, my wife and I were rear-ended by a Suburban. The Suburban lost that one. It was totaled. I was able to follow the ambulance. Wife had whiplash and concussion I had a bruised shoulder. Our 4runner was repaired and we are still driving it.
husband also have anxiety when he drives small car with us on it.. he felt a little at ease driving a truck if me and the kids is with him. he drives a bit paranoid with small car for some reason.
Before it became more of a fashion trend, large trucks were used because america is full of off-road terrain and a lot of people work blue collar jobs. You need to have a large truck to haul tools, trailers. And you need it high enough off the ground so that your truck won’t get stuck in the mud
They used to be cheaper back in the day, then yuppies discovered them and prices, went through the roof
yep, a pickup used to be a cheap work vehicle that a blue collar guy didn't mind beating the heck out of on gravel roads and jobsites. now it's more expensive than a luxury car, and just as fancy.
Exactly! Once someone owns their first pickup. They never go back. LOL.
The US car industry continue to build larger cars because is cheaper and easier to build because they don't have to meet the same fuel economy numbers as smaller ones.
Prices went through the roof when manufacturers started adding luxury features like back up trailer assist and such.
Yes, a larger car for protection is a thing here in the USA
Yeah, I do feel safer in the f250. But get three times the mileage in the Honda
@@Keepithonest7 I feel the same way in our 1/2 ton GMC truck then when I'm in my Honda Accord.
@@Keepithonest7 gas is cheap here, even with inflation considered. first world problems.
Hecks ya
@@MoeMan216 nah. It’s about economic value.
Side-note: the bigger car being more fatal is somewhat misleading. The stat is for fatal crashes that large trucks are involved. So if a heavy, large truck pancakes a subcompact and the truck driver survived but the sub didn't then the truck would be put into that stat... There are exceptions, but you should find better stats by looking at crash type, speed and age.
I have a truck because of a few reasons. 1: live on a farm and haul things all the time. Secondly, we have a camper and go camping often as a cheap vacation. Use the truck to tow the camper. Next, there is no trash pick-up around us. It's a lot easier to throw trash in the back of a truck than a car or suv. If the trash leaks it's easier to wash the bed of the truck vs the trunk of a car or back of a SUV.. Plus, to get to my shooting range you need a truck or suv with 4 wheel drive because you have to drive through a couple of creeks.
I live in the firestorm plagued NorCal part of the USA. I drive a big four wheel drive Jeep Grand Cherokee because I want to live.
A lot of people need big trucks because they use their vehicle for work.
I do. Many people in the trades need a truck.
Sure, but that number is nowhere near the number of people that actually own big trucks.
@@Grizazzle depending upon where you are. Farm county has lots
I am alive because I was driving a one ton pickup when I was rear ended by a semi which had bad or no brakes. The frame of the pickup was bent, but I lived though swelling in he spinal column and four fractured vertebra caused partial paralysis which mostly went away after 2 1/2 years.
Things to think about.
Older cars were designed to travel because air flight hadn't taken off for common people. Brits have narrow roads because a lot of roads and buildings were layed out ling before car use. Families were bigger back then. Trunk space was huge because, have you seen old luggage? They were trunks and people packed a lot back then because traveling vacations were very long. So many other reasons for large cars back then.
I was going to buy a new car last year, but it wouldn’t fit in my garage. So had to measure every car till I found a Lincoln suv that fit. Btw I’m 77.🙋♀️❤️😍
The people talking in favor of regulations are usually anti large vehicles. The larger trucks can carry a bigger payload or pull a larger load. With 4 wheel drive, they can go places others cannot. They are fun for the whole family!
The funny thing is that it's those same people complaining that are causing the government to create these emissions laws with the loophole that's making the vehicles bigger 😂
Back in the day, people had 10 kids. You needed a big car for the whole family to go somewhere lol Then they made station wagons. 😊
It was so sweet - the neighbors I grew up next to were quite wealthy, for a middle-class neighborhood. The only things they splurged on was a brand new Cadillac for each of them every year. And the husband always opened the car door when he was driving his wife somewhere.
My Grandparents did the same. Something with cadillac, that you always bought the new model every year?
You need a place to sleep when your toxic family throws you outta the house. 😂
My grandfather had a great 1957 Cadillac Sedan de Ville ( a penniless Finnish immigrant arrived in the USA)
Yeah so much more than status... it was the dream
I had an ‘83 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Brougham. Pretty big for a two door sedan.
I have a 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury with bucket seats, center console and a Commando 383 bored 30 over.
Awesome 💪🤘
At what point did the government give themselves permission to regulate what Citizens buy in cars? Screw them.
It just comes down to what the government leeches are invested in at the time...If they couldn't make money on the regulations they wouldn't give a tiny rat's butt...
Yeah, those fireballs are just fine. I like ignoring safety so I can make another buck 🤨
💯
When liberals took control of the agencies that just pass stuff they aren’t supposed to.
When they forced cars to have catalytic converters and unleaded gasoline.
Damn Lewis, you belong in the US bro.
To answer your question, YES, my husband and I have always owned SUV's and pickup trucks, and one of the reasons is to feel safer because we're higher off the ground and feel safer than if we were in a small car with big trucks towering over us. There are other reasons too, like we live in the Midwest, and in the winter we need the 4 wheel drive in an SUV and pickup truck. There are other reasons too, but definitely a feeling of safety being in a larger truck.
12:03 absolutely my dad used to mumble “mines bigger than you, and I probably have better insurance than you”
I had a dodge Ram black with silver rims that I absolutely loved 🥰
My daughter totaled a Ford Focus...So we bought her a TRUCK. Yes. Protection is a good thing.
Yesterday, no everyday, I've driven as of late, I have to drive my car as far over as I can because I share the roads with combines. Now those are huge! I don't mind because they are bringing in the harvest.
You need to look into US laws. It's our laws that make our trucks, etc.. HUGE
I had a lot of trucks,because I had horses,needed to pull a horse trailer.My sister drove a truck with 3 on the tree.
You don’t see three on the tree anymore.
I miss the old days.
Drove a 72 Chevy Cheyenne with 3 in the tree. If you had one today it would be about theft proof…lol
@@Keepithonest7
That’s right!
Four on the floor is almost there haha
The only reason I would want a truck is for the towing capacity because a love camping trip and being able to haul my own stuff, and the truck bed for laying down and watching lunar eclipse and stuff. But nowadays trucks are expensive to own. A less you get a 1990’s truck. I used to drive my mom‘s Ford ranger 2001 back in the day around the farm it was small in the cab but nice size truck bed.
Well tiny tiny cars for a tiny tiny country and big bad cars for a big bad country
No, no. It's feelings of inadequacy. Studies have show the average erect penis in the UK is 13.13 cm and in the US is 11.66 cm.
My view on Big Cars is it offers Safety. The bigger the vehicle the safer you feel. True or not that’s how I feel.
Trust me there are many rural roads in America that are as small as yours and we also have to sometimes back up or find a way to pass.
I have a 2016 Ford Focus! I FREAKING love this car! All black hatchback!👍👍👍👍
Had to stop when they said big cars are un safe. Bullshit, only people in the 10% compact cars are saying that. I want my family in a full size so they survive.
I love my 4 door Jeep. I can go practically any where, have more cargo space and I'm not getting stuck in a Midwest winter.
My grandfather, born in 1913 to immigrants parents, grew up in a large, poor family. He had to quit school at age 14 or 15 to begin working. He eventually opened his own business, worked very long hours for many years, and invested his money so that by the 1970s, he was able to afford a giant Cadillac. He was proud that his wife could ride in a luxury car. Until he died in 2007, he was convinced that a larger car was automatically safer. He was uncomfortable riding in my modern compact car. I tried to explain that the multiple airbags and other safety devices made my new small car safer than his old large one, but that was alien to what he understood.
I absolutely love my 2000 Ford F250 SuperDuty truck. We got it ehrn we had our own business because we needed it for the amount of weight we took to the construction sites without it getting stuck in the mud. The body is metal and not fiberglass, making it safer in an accident. The downside is the price of the tires and gas cost. Even though the gas can be expensive, it has never left me on the side of the road. We have a smaller truck that has died on the side of the road even though they have the same level of maintenance. I've never had a Ford die on the road, but other vehicles have. Also, it was a Ford that saved my life when I was hit head-on by a drunk driver. It was also a gas hog, but the metal body did the job.
Big cars usually means more room for air circulation. My family still has the Suburban from road trips for the purpose. Because me and my younger sister will get motion-sickness inside smaller or more cramped cars.
The real reason us cars and trucks are larger than the European ones has to do with emission laws because the laws are based on the emissions VS the vehicles size. So to sum it up the larger the emissions the larger the vehicle becomes to skirt the law
Also until recently the average height for males in the US was between 6ft and 6ft 2inches
Huh? That makes no sense.
I drive a truck because I prefer to be higher up, I feel safer. It has 4x4 so I can go off road and handle snow . I also haul loads of firewood, feed, building supplies and a boat when we go fishing.
I went with what I have for a truck because it was more cost effective, not because it was bigger. My mother's smaller truck done up in its' trim package was $55,000.00. Because my truck is done up in a more budget oriented trim it was $10,000 cheaper than my mother's smaller truck and is capable of hauling more than her's. She could have gotten one like mine and saved some money but it's too high off the ground for her to get in to without issues. She paid more for her small truck because it has a fancier trim and it's easier for her to get in and out of. Plus we got our trucks in 2020 so there weren't many choices to choose from.
One thing the video did not mention, that is one of the main reasons cars have gotten bigger over time is that the profit margin on a F-150 is way more than a Ford sedan. So that's part of why Ford dropped almost every sedan model they had.
As for the trucks, it's the government mandating it. The emissions laws say that if the vehicle is under a certain size it's limited to however much carbon emissions. If you're a manufacturer would you spend a ton of money making the vehicle more efficient while making it worse for it's intended purpose or would you just make it bigger so the emissions law doesn't apply? Pretty easy choice
I only had one pickup over the years, a basic Nissan pickup with 5-speed manual transmission and no frills. It was small and handled almost like a sports car. I put a camper top over the bed for transporting band gear.
The rule on light trucks is that if it seats fewer than 4 people, it is a truck.. if it seats 4 or more, it is considered a passenger vehicle. This iss why so many light trucks came with barely usable 'jump seats' during the 80's and 90s .
I have a 124 Spider Abarth, but I don't drive it very often. My daily driver is a Cadillac XTS. I love a big sedan. My dad always drove big Oldsmobiles growing up, so I guess that's just what I consider normal. We also have a mid-size SUV that we drive on longer trips or if we have long-term guests who need a vehicle during their stay.
Size disparity is why most in my family drive trucks!! Living on a farm or in rural areas also plays a big part in that. When grocery shopping is an all-day affair and it is 80 miles one way, I only shop 3 times a year. I need a truck to haul it all. Back in the 60s and 70s, the cars were cool and each one was unique. You could tell the make, model and year of the car just from seeing it on the road.
I owned a Buick Regal Grand sport and a Buick Encore. The same cars in The UK falls under the Vauxhall brand and is built by Opel. My four-door Regal looked exactly like the British counterpart, and came from Germany.
Basically, when they wrote the emissions laws, they made a bad assumption that "heavy trucks" would be those used for work. The auto makers just started marketing large trucks to regular consumers. Most prominently, they established and reinforced the idea that a big pickup is masculine.
Texas here : my regular vehicle weighs 3300 kg empty.
I drive a 2018 F-250 and a 1986 4x4 Square body Chevrolet Silverado. I have had the Chevy since I was 18. I'm 53 now. My 18 year old son has a 2015 F150. It's strange to me that other Countries don't drive trucks .
I drive a Dodge Ram 3500 dually. It cost as much as a small starter home. And, the reason I did is I haul a 6 horse slant, or a 5th wheel trailer or a boat. I bought it in 2018 and I love my truck, I call her the grey ghost 😂
I loved my old Ford Ranger because of the smaller size. The new version looks the same size as full sized trucks.
I've always had big trucks.I've had two chevy suburbans One of them with a big block 454 And my newest truck is a 2021 Ram 1500 classic with a Hemi. I'm a horsepower and torque Junkie I love my big trucks And I put them to use
Whaaahooooo my kinda day car,love these.When I was younger,we had those big steering wheels,no power steering, or disk breaks.In Brooklyn we would grab the fins when roller skating on those Cadillacs,We had rolled up windows,the little vent windows u could break into your own car.After you locked the keys in them.I learned on a Mustang 3 speed.
My sister and I had a ‘56 Chevy Belair. It was a beautiful baby blue and white. It also had the access to the gas tank in the tail light and we had a lot of fun with that. This was when gas stations were full service stations where you stayed in your car and an attendant would come to your car and fill up your tank, wash your windows and check your oil levels if you asked. It was all in the price of the gas. Very often the attendants were young guys who never wanted to admit to a girl that they didn’t know something about cars. They would walk around the car looking for the access, then walk around again. Sometimes they would try to pull down the license plate because it was there on some cars. They would walk around again. They just didn’t want to ask us because we were girls. It sounds crazy now but that was the way it was. Some of them would ask on about the third or fourth trip around the car. If they didn’t ask we would call them over to our window and just tell them.
If you think these are big, you should see some of the old big vans that we used to have in the 90s! My family had an 11 seater van and it was huge! It was more like a bus!
Trucks are heavier (momentum in an accident) and have larger crush zones (further from the accident)
Live in ND, and we have a lot of snow.
Me:
Ram 2500 crew 6.7L inline 6
Wife:
Ram 1500 crew 5.7L hemi
I drive an '04 Cadillac CTS. The smooth ride and responsiveness is why I bought it. It is comfortable. My son has a big truck he uses in his plumbing business. It must be in our blood - My dad always had a big truck and my mom always had a Cadillac. I did have a Porsche in the early 80s, and it was fun, but since then, I've opted for bigger cars.
I own a 2014 FORD F-150 XLT XTR 4X4. it's very roomy inside. Actually it's a 6 passenger vehicle.
Has the 5.0V8, rides like a luxury car. We use it for our farm as it's supposed to be. Has scratches & dents, but that's what happens when your truck isn't a pavement princess.
Also own a 1988 TOYOTA 1 Ton dual wheel box truck.
In the US we also have roads like you mentioned that are wide enough for 1 vehicle, & we too have to pull off onto the shoulder to pass each other.
As a car guy, I have too say I actually like some of the small vehicles you have across the big pond.
I've owned a '76 TRIUMPH 1500 back in the '90s. That convertible was actually smaller than the Midget.
A woman in our town has a MINI COOPER Pickup truck. I'd actually love to get my hands on it. She uses it on her farm, and to pick up supplies in town.
It's right hand drive too.
That road you pointed out as being for 2 cars, is also for 2 cars in the US. Those rural dirt roads are often like that where 2 cars really won't fit, both cars would have to slow way down and slowly pass each other by driving off the shoulder. But these are rarely traveled roads and experiencing oncoming traffic on them is considerably rare. It happens and the cars will pass, and maybe it happens 2 or 3 times on the 20 miles of road.
It also allowed the car companies to charge more. Those trucks cost a fortune, and a car payment to change a headlight. LoL
Crashes are definitely something I think about in a car. I currently have a Kia Soul and I worry about my safety if I were to get hit by a much larger vehicle (which is pretty much ALL vehicles in America. They’re huge!). If I had the money I’d be in a midsize to large SUV.
I think the Mazda Miata still exists in the US. She's a small roadster weighing in at a mere 2400 pounds. She seats 2, has a 2.0 liter I4 engine, and a 6M transmission in the base model. I'm guessing she would fit your description of a spider car.
In the 70s Pickups and trucks had less smogg equipment than cars. Every family I knew had both a car and a pickup. Some had more.
Since cars are pricey you need a car that fits your needs. I have a small minivan which is still bigger than the 10 seater we toured Europe in the 90s. I worked with scouts and groups where piling in people or stuff on a regular basis. Even though don't do it as much like to have the storage for road trips and when I commuted to work about an hour round trip the car becomes a home away from home or mobile office
11:45 - Absolutely
I would never ever drive a small vehicle 🚗
I don’t think they mentioned that a lot of the trucks weights happened when they became four door which added a new section to the truck. It didn’t just happen to make it longer and heavier because of no reason. When they showed the weight and length as compared to the mid 90s it was misleading because there were no four door models at that time.
Lewis..... Yeah, more European car makers here in the US have been introducing their own SUV models. Lamborghini, Porsche, Ferrari.... And even on another scale, makers like Mercedes-Benz have been introducing more affordable model lines and SUV lines as well.
Ford introduced the Maverick truck a few years ago and it has been very popular. It's about the size of the Ranger before it was discontinued.
I think we've kinda hit the peak for massive full size trucks and people are buying up the smaller trucks like the Maverick like crazy. It also helps that these smaller trucks are more reasonably priced, starting about $20~$25k and the base model, single cab, 6.5 foot bed RWD F150 is gonna run you $40k, with no extra options. Make it a base model 4 door, 6.5 foot bed with 4WD and you're looking at $54k. Do dealers usually carry the base models with options? Not usually. They tend to have the higher end, Platinum and Lariat models that will run you anywhere from $70k to $100k.
We also love larger suv's for family's since it is concerted safer. if you live outside of the city you probably will be involved in one car crash in your life, but you probably will hit between 4-12 deer's in your life.
FACTS Hahaha lol!!!!
We had a 56 Desoto loke that. Then a 59 Buick 4drhdtp, then a 421 SD Pontiac Catalina Ventura. Then a Cougar XR7. Then a Honda Accord. (My parents)
We need trucks, we have garages & barns. We haul wood, hay, riding lawn mowers, furniture, trailers & tons of snow on the roads!
My grandfather had a Triumph spitfire convertible in left hand drive.
I have a FORD 2019 Taurus. Last model year. I love it and its my 3rd Taurus. I am soooo upset FORD stopped making sedans
I’ve driven on those one-vehicle roads in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s crazy.
With all the towing I and other Americans do a large heavy truck is a necessity.
Between my boat and camper a mid size truck just wont cut it.
I've been driving small cars my whole life. A small sedan to a coupe to a crossover. I've been looking at a large suv for a while now like a 4Runner or similar. At the same time, i want a kei truck lol
Yeah i can't see an F350 fitting on some of the smaller town roads at all.
Those of us who use our trucks as trucks, we really miss the standard 8 foot bed
At one time Ford made distinct models for the UK. Now Ford USA and Ford UK share the same models. I'm in the U.S. and I had a Ford Fiestsa, a Focus and now a Fusion (Mondeo). The Puma is the Escape in the USA and I believe as the Ranger is the same too. Both Mustang and Mustang Mach-E are available in both countries. The U.S. no longer has the Transit Connect van.
The UK has the Puma and the US gets the big Trucks and SUVs.
Hi Lewis, I have a midsize SUV shown at 9:33 in the video. I chose this vehicle because it has an extremely high safety rating. I live in a large city and drive in a lot of traffic and there are a lot of accidents. I don't like the idea this is only a 4 cylinder SUV because it is not powerful but does get get 26 miles per gallon and saves me a tiny bit of money. My SUV has a lot of room and airbags everywhere. It is also large enough to give me a very smooth ride on the road. In the US purchasing a new car most people do so by emotion. You get to a dealer and see a SUV you like but they show you one that is bigger and and only $23.oo dollars a month more than the one you are looking at your emotions take over and logic goes out the door and there you are with the bigger vehicle. Oldest trick in the books. I knew what I wanted, told the dealer if he didn't have it I would find one that did, and bang, my SUV appeared. Having more room is so nice but it is also safer.
I didn't think about it, but my mother wanted me to get a 1960s large car, hopefully steel, because if I got in a wreck, I'd "win" from size alone. I ended up with a tiny Honda, but I did end up on the wrong end of a wreck or two. When I'd saved up enough, I got an SUV from the 1990s because it gave me height, better view of the road, and weight if I got smacked.
My 2005 Daytona edition Ram 1500 weighs 4250 lbs. Now days the same "size" truck weighs over 5600 lbs. It's absolutely ridiculous. I blame it on added electronics. All of these newer vehicles have entertainment systems with large touch screens and all other kinds of stuff.
1:37 - Yes, but that's only because your government hasn't done anything about it. The US used to have a lot of roads like that, but either they either bought the land they needed to widen it or they put a grandfather term into the property deeds that when the current owner sells or dies, the lot that passes to the next person will be smaller by the amount the government needs for the road.
A lot of cars and station wagons were bigger back in the 50's, 60's & 70's to help with ride quality. More people took family vacations, where in some locations the roads were not very good or non-existent. Having a vehicle with a long wheelbase helped with comfort and kept the parents from killing their kids. Also, back in the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's you didn't see as many large trucks in the city as you do now. There were only a couple of car manufacturers that made 4 door crew cabs, back then. Now just about every manufacturer makes them. Also, trucks were more utilitarian, vinyl interiors, no AC, no power anything, except for maybe brakes. It wasn't until recently trucks became a sort of status symbol, with leather interiors and electronic everything. Most people who buy large trucks may not even use them for hauling, maybe towing a trailer every now and them but that's about it.
I had a 1979 Chevy LUV (Light Utility Vehicle) in high school (1986 grad ) I totally miss having that little all around useful, fuel efficient, easy-to-park truck. Before seatbelt laws I'd pile a bunch of friends in the back and we'd go everywhere! I hate these huge trucks that are just for show. I love the old classics & hot rods , but some of these trucks as daily drivers is just purely nonsensical.
A few years ago my Father in law backed his old Cadillac out of his driveway at the same time as his neighbor backed his Fiat sportscar out. The Fiat was totaled and the Cadillac had no damage.
I own a 2020 f150 4 door 6.5 foot bed. I get 22mpg regularly, while being able to carry my whole family, while being able to tow a big ass boat lol
it's a 4x4 with the 5.0 v8 to so i'm sure you ecoboost people get insane mileage.
Also we need bigger cars for all that road tripping lol!!! It's not just about status. These cars ARE gorgeous.
The inside of these cars, especially the 50s/60s ones, is not necessarily bigger. A lot of it is sheet metal sculpture. And studies have shown a high percentage of off-road capable vehicles never leave the pavement. It's all about self-image and making a statement.
The funny thing is that some of our pickups are just as big as some of the European lorries. ie Ford F-650.
I live in the middle of the country and the pickup truck has always been popular here as a working truck. The SUV market has been so massive that even the luxury automakers had to get involved.
We have roads in America where big cars and buses can fall off the side, usually in far rural areas. These are places you want to drive a really freaking small car if you can, because even those might be too large, but thankfully those roads are not terribly common.
Also, cars are part of America's core culture. The "badass" appearance of many vehicles is very deliberate. Many cars are as much art as they are transportation, meant to appeal visually as well as get you where you're going. As for massive trucks, they're supposed to be workhorses as well as transportation, able to pull and carry heavy loads.
However, not all of us have huge vehicles, or at least, not huge by American standards (although my mother's car might be massive by your standards). Subaru Outback from '07 is larger on the inside than the outside and is much smaller than most everything else on the road these days. Of course, Faithful (that's her name, the car) was purchased for safety reasons, not her size; if you want to survive snow driving in the mountains, you basically buy a Subaru.
I miss my Cadillac El Dorado !😢 Big beautiful yellow one with the fins.....
it is absolutely true that there are people here who say "If I get in a crash I want to win" what's really funny is the big urban assault vehicles they buy are the :LEAST safe in a crash.
Prove it
@@christinezehnle7552 I'm not going to spend all day interviewing people for youtube. and the rest you can find for yourself by googling vehicle crash safety ratings.
I buy a vehicle because I like it. I’m on my third Camaro!! 😆
More leg room, taller ceiling, more cargo space. More friends can fit. And if you need to, great place to sleep. Take your pick.
Damn, my husband and I have 2 four door trucks and a Toyota Camry car!!! I drive the Camry and GMC four door four wheel drive truck! My husband drives his Ford f150 ford 4 door truck.
I've never been into big cars. I had a 2 seater in my youth, a massive GMC SUV when the kids were little so I could carry the soccer team and now I drive 2025 Genesis GV80 cuz I'm into luxury. I'll take massaging seats over size any day.
That Genesis is a nice car
My Cadillac Deville is 1" longer than my long bed Silverado. 😂 Then the difference between my Cadillac and my Triumph Spitfire is wild.
You don't have to get a huge truck, they do make trucks half the size that you could "pimp out" to make it look huge. When you come to the US, you'll be able to actually see the difference.
Btw, I cannot understand electric cars in the US. I understand if you don't leave the city, but I'm guessing traveling would be a nightmare - mostly because I wouldn't have the patience to wait for your car to charge, hell no 😆😆😆