Are Americans Too Big To Drive Small?
05-26-11, 03:09 PM
#1
Are Americans Too Big To Drive Small?
Would appear that way.
http://autos.aol.com/article/are-ame...o-drive-small/
http://autos.aol.com/article/are-ame...o-drive-small/
Karen Steelman, a stay-at-home mom from Athens, Ga., has tried to like small cars. She read plenty of reviews, kicked their tires, and has even taken a few test drives.
But none of them make her feel safe. And none of them make her feel comfortable.
Steelman has a body mass index of about 37 – seven points above the obesity mark. She's among a growing number of Americans who feel they are too big to comfortably drive a small car.
"I want to be environmentally friendly, but unless I am in an SUV these days ... I find no pleasure or comfort in driving," she says.
Automakers have long tried to figure out how to get Americans to buy smaller cars. But with obesity rates climbing, at least one analyst says there's little point in trying.
Growing waistlines simply prevent a lot of U.S. drivers from feeling comfortable or secure in smaller cars. So, unless the entire country goes on a diet, says Dan Cheng, vice president and partner at business consulting firm AT Kearney, we may be destined to keep driving big cars no matter how much a gallon of gas costs in the future.
Cheng says the number of light trucks – a segment of the car market that includes SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks – has increased steadily since the 1970s. And so has the percentage of adults in the U.S. who are classified as obese.
The number of obese people in the U.S. is expected to increase from 40% this year to about 43% in 2018, Cheng says. Cheng predicts that will keep almost half the population from even considering a small car except for purely economic reasons as small cars tend also to be cheaper than big cars or SUVs.
Calculating the "real" obesity rate in the U.S. is a little tricky. Cheng's 40% rate is at the high end of estimates. The Center for Disease Control says the overall self-reported obesity rate in the U.S. is 26.7%, with nine states reporting obesity rates over 30%. In any case, the rate is nowhere close to the 15% rate the CDC considers to be a healthy obesity rate.
Small cars have made up 22.6% of the U.S. car market so far this year. Back in 2008, small car sales made up about 28% of the market, back when gas spiked over $4 a gallon.
Smaller cars and alternative fuels are critical to President Obama's plan to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. The President last week promised to cut oil imports by a third by 2025. To do that, the country will have to slash its petroleum use.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made fighting childhood obesity one of her public service missions, but so far no one in the Obama Administration has made the connection.
But none of them make her feel safe. And none of them make her feel comfortable.
Steelman has a body mass index of about 37 – seven points above the obesity mark. She's among a growing number of Americans who feel they are too big to comfortably drive a small car.
"I want to be environmentally friendly, but unless I am in an SUV these days ... I find no pleasure or comfort in driving," she says.
Automakers have long tried to figure out how to get Americans to buy smaller cars. But with obesity rates climbing, at least one analyst says there's little point in trying.
Growing waistlines simply prevent a lot of U.S. drivers from feeling comfortable or secure in smaller cars. So, unless the entire country goes on a diet, says Dan Cheng, vice president and partner at business consulting firm AT Kearney, we may be destined to keep driving big cars no matter how much a gallon of gas costs in the future.
Cheng says the number of light trucks – a segment of the car market that includes SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks – has increased steadily since the 1970s. And so has the percentage of adults in the U.S. who are classified as obese.
The number of obese people in the U.S. is expected to increase from 40% this year to about 43% in 2018, Cheng says. Cheng predicts that will keep almost half the population from even considering a small car except for purely economic reasons as small cars tend also to be cheaper than big cars or SUVs.
Calculating the "real" obesity rate in the U.S. is a little tricky. Cheng's 40% rate is at the high end of estimates. The Center for Disease Control says the overall self-reported obesity rate in the U.S. is 26.7%, with nine states reporting obesity rates over 30%. In any case, the rate is nowhere close to the 15% rate the CDC considers to be a healthy obesity rate.
Small cars have made up 22.6% of the U.S. car market so far this year. Back in 2008, small car sales made up about 28% of the market, back when gas spiked over $4 a gallon.
Smaller cars and alternative fuels are critical to President Obama's plan to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. The President last week promised to cut oil imports by a third by 2025. To do that, the country will have to slash its petroleum use.
First Lady Michelle Obama has made fighting childhood obesity one of her public service missions, but so far no one in the Obama Administration has made the connection.
05-26-11, 09:51 PM
#4
Lexus Champion
As for people driving smaller cars, we've been waiting for the trend to shift for how long now? Cars are actually getting bigger and bigger which I think is downright stupid. A regular 4 door sedan today is a huge compared to 20 years ago, and take a drive through the average parking lot, so many large cars and SUVs.
05-27-11, 05:19 AM
#5
Boardroom Thug
I would say the younger generation think they are environmentally conscious, but in reality they consume far more resources than any generation before them. The sheer amount of electronic gadgets they go through in a year is quite amazing for starters.
As for people driving smaller cars, we've been waiting for the trend to shift for how long now? Cars are actually getting bigger and bigger which I think is downright stupid. A regular 4 door sedan today is a huge compared to 20 years ago, and take a drive through the average parking lot, so many large cars and SUVs.
As for people driving smaller cars, we've been waiting for the trend to shift for how long now? Cars are actually getting bigger and bigger which I think is downright stupid. A regular 4 door sedan today is a huge compared to 20 years ago, and take a drive through the average parking lot, so many large cars and SUVs.
They also may be more aware but that’s not the primary reason their buying small cars, much of that is economics. Cars are expensive as hell anymore to get something of size, gas prices are high and it’s been a tough job market for that generation as well.
Yeah I could see where some people are too big for small cars by their own fault.
The article says the lady is a Mom and I find that funny because even if she was normal size I don’t know many Moms that want a small car these days, it’s hard enough lugging everything around in a mid-sized car or SUV.
05-27-11, 06:57 AM
#6
The younger generation is also the throw away generation wasting and consuming a lot.
They also may be more aware but that’s not the primary reason their buying small cars, much of that is economics. Cars are expensive as hell anymore to get something of size, gas prices are high and it’s been a tough job market for that generation as well.
They also may be more aware but that’s not the primary reason their buying small cars, much of that is economics. Cars are expensive as hell anymore to get something of size, gas prices are high and it’s been a tough job market for that generation as well.
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05-27-11, 09:10 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
On the OT, I don't see where being overweight is that big a deal in fitting into smaller cars. I sample and test-drive a lot of small cars myself, and while I'm not a 400-lb. Sumo Wrestler, despite my 6' 2" height, I'm definitely what you could call overweight......maybe by 40 or 50 lbs. Yet, with rare exceptions, I manage to get into most small cars today with few problems......the only real problem I've had with modern small cars is the Lotus Elise....the Miata is also a little tight, but less-so, especially in the later-generation models.
First of all, most small cars today have tilt, and sometimes tilt/telescope, steering columns.....you can adjust the wheel away from your gut. Second, FWD, with its inherent greater interior space efficiency, replaced RWD on most small cars decades ago. Third, some small cars, especially the more expensive ones, have memory features for the power seats, so you just push a button and the seat automatically goes to where you want it to be before you even step in or out. Fourth, auto seats, even in small cars, are being designed now with form-fitting support in mind, so you're not just sitting on a tiny little vinyl-covered half-park-bench like you were decades ago. Fifth, some small cars (especially VWs and small Audis) have a "D"-shaped flattened-bottom to the steering wheel so that it helps clear big fat legs.
Last edited by mmarshall; 05-27-11 at 09:18 AM.
05-27-11, 10:08 AM
#9
I've always seen the fattest/biggest people hop out of the smallest cars and always wondered how they fit in there. They always drive little cars like Cavaliers, Cobalts, old Saturns, Civics, S2000's, and Miatas.
I never understood why cars today are so much larger in physical size, yet the interior is tiny. Cars like Camrys and Accords are massive in size now, compared to the old school ones, but the interiors are still small. I went to a new car show back in March that had all of the new models and I noticed that cars are huge now.
I never understood why cars today are so much larger in physical size, yet the interior is tiny. Cars like Camrys and Accords are massive in size now, compared to the old school ones, but the interiors are still small. I went to a new car show back in March that had all of the new models and I noticed that cars are huge now.
05-27-11, 10:22 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
On the OT, I don't see where being overweight is that big a deal in fitting into smaller cars. I sample and test-drive a lot of small cars myself, and while I'm not a 400-lb. Sumo Wrestler, despite my 6' 2" height, I'm definitely what you could call overweight......maybe by 40 or 50 lbs. Yet, with rare exceptions, I manage to get into most small cars today with few problems......the only real problem I've had with modern small cars is the Lotus Elise....the Miata is also a little tight, but less-so, especially in the later-generation models.
First of all, most small cars today have tilt, and sometimes tilt/telescope, steering columns.....you can adjust the wheel away from your gut. Second, FWD, with its inherent greater interior space efficiency, replaced RWD on most small cars decades ago. Third, some small cars, especially the more expensive ones, have memory features for the power seats, so you just push a button and the seat automatically goes to where you want it to be before you even step in or out. Fourth, auto seats, even in small cars, are being designed now with form-fitting support in mind, so you're not just sitting on a tiny little vinyl-covered half-park-bench like you were decades ago. Fifth, some small cars (especially VWs and small Audis) have a "D"-shaped flattened-bottom to the steering wheel so that it helps clear big fat legs.
Also (again OT and related to the article), the safety of the leading small cars in last few years has improved tremendously, despite some people's dated perceptions as noted in article.
05-27-11, 12:16 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Yes, that's true to a large extent, especially with the Honda Civic and VW Beetle. But, in an all-else-equal crash between a smaller, lighter vehicle and a larger, heavier one, the laws of physics dictate that the larger, heavier car will have more rolling (kinetic) energy, and inflict more damage on the smaller vehicle. Of course, the design of crush-zones, airbags, steering-columns, fuel-tank materials, seatbelts/harnesses, and a number of other factors plays a big role on safety, no matter what the vehicle size. Volvo and Mercedes, for example, have been at the safety-forefront for years, though some other manufacturers are now catching up.
05-27-11, 12:42 PM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
To bring a 2011/current perspective with some substance, their are more than just the Civic and Bugs with excellent safety. In fact the Bug is getting left behind. Read the May 2011 news release by IIHS and note that "Top Safety Pick (small car) winners are the 2012 Ford Focus and Honda Civic, along with the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Nissan Juke, and Toyota Prius hybrid."
05-27-11, 12:42 PM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
I think if they stop making the consoles in the cars so damn big and filled with buttons then pretty large people will be able to fit into these little cars, I drove a Honda civic in college that people used to call a clown car. It was so small but my friend and I could comfortably fit in the car . He is 6'6" and I am 6'5" and both of us were over 300lbs at the time.
05-27-11, 12:56 PM
#14
Pole Position
Maybe if they drove smaller cars it'd squeeze some fat out of them. Haha! But really, I have no sympathy for fat people and I hate SUVs. Going from 400lbs to 200lbs is much easier for them, than us going from 200lbs -180lbs. Just eat one less meal. Is that too much to ask?
05-27-11, 01:08 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
I drove a Honda civic in college that people used to call a clown car. It was so small but my friend and I could comfortably fit in the car . He is 6'6" and I am 6'5" and both of us were over 300lbs at the time.
Sometimes NBA-sized guys can fit into small cars, but to do so, they have to rake the seat-back-angle so much that they look like they are flying an F-16.