Chrysler products, in general, seem to have the flimsiest doors.....followed by domestically-designed GM cars (not necessarily the SUVs).

But remember that, no matter how flimsy the door sheet metal itself feels, or how it sounds when it closes, that underneath are strong, DOT-approved, steel guard beams to pass a side-impact test. If it doesn't pass, the car can't be sold in America.

 

Wow, I saw my first CC on the street last weekend. I guess that justifies the millions they spent on pointless ads.

 

Bingo!

If both serve the same purpose then I'll rather take the lighter one. Why take on the additional weights when it is not necessary? The feel? I'll pass.

Also not to forget that most of the time the "heavy feel" is due to the door hinge design rather than the actually weight of the door. Some people like the heavy feeling but others like the ease of opening/closing with the lighter ones. At the end it's to each of his/her own.

 

I agree much of the feel at least concerning "heaviness" is the door hinge design.

But the sound and solidness of a Lexus and Mercedes door is above most of the competition giving a extra sense of quality. When I do door opening/closing comparisons of the Lexus IS and new Mercedes C-class in my quiet garage I can hardly tell any difference in terms of the quality feel and sound.

And I'm not a fan of car companies only doing what's required by law when it comes to side impact and door safety. It's common knowledge that side impact exposes the "weakness" in current car designs more than any other type of common collision and it's viewed as the area for increased focus on life-saving attention. So I prefer the more solid doors of the Benz/Lexus/Beemers for example for safety reasons, IMHO, not a good place to give lightness the highest priority.

 

This reminds me of when I read some users saying that BMW heaving is so heavy it hurts their arms, and that they want light, over boosted and numb steering becuase it "feels good".

There's nothing great about light, flibsy feeling doors. My Honda Accord, in comparison to the Volkswagen Passat, feels like they are half the weight. The strikers are less substantial, the hinge is much less substantial (plastic pull, my god), and the weather stripping is less intricate. The sound when it closes doesn't sound anywhere near the vault like doors of the Passat. It's called build quality. To each their own.

 

I agree, and buyers of premium cars often demand it.