You wouldn’t be alone, when you’ve looked at the lines in a parking space and wondered “How am I supposed to park my car in there?”. Whilst modern cars appear to be getting bigger, car park spaces seem to be remaining the same size, giving us less and less room to get out of our new larger cars without causing the odd dink or scratch.
That is what prompted our article to find out if modern vehicles are getting larger and why it is happening.
Are Cars Getting Wider?
All signs point to “Yes!” Here are just a few examples –
The Land Rover Defender is 16% wider and 12% heavier than its predecessor. A 1970’s Range Rover took up 69% of a parking space, which is the same footprint as the Ford Focus of today!
The 2019 BMW 3 Series’ weight grew by an astonishing 42% with its waist band now some 27% wider than in the 1983 model.
A modern Ford Fiesta and Range Rover are both 23% broader now versus their first generation. A modern mini is now 55% bigger than its 1970s equivalent.
Taking into consideration how some vehicles have changed from their first generation to now, the Mini Cooper has expanded by 33% in the 58 years it’s been in production – if this rate of growth continues, the ‘Mini’ Cooper will be wider than a current Range Rover!) by 2066.
Are Cars Getting Lighter or Heavier?
More than half of todays modern vehicles have seen their weight increase by over 35% when compared to their first generation. Only two cars haven’t see a big jump in weight through the years: the Porsche Cayenne whose weight hasn’t changed, and the Audi Q7, that has got lighter, yet only by 6%.
The Range Rover has gained 658kg, which is a mere 36% weight increase when compared to one car that saw its weight rise by 64%: the Mini Cooper! You can tell there isn’t much ‘mini’ about the Mini Cooper anymore: it saw the biggest length and wheelbase increase of all the models analysed.
Are New Cars Taller Too?
While the majority of cars have got bigger, more spacious and heavier, height has not seen a huge change. In fact, almost half of new cars analysed have become shorter through the years.
The Land Rover Defender lost 4% of its height when comparing the current generation with the 1983 model. On the other end of the scale, a modern Ford Fiesta saw the biggest difference being 11% taller (around 142mm) than its first generation
3 Reasons Why Cars Are Getting Bigger?
If you’re scratching your head, wondering “Why do cars keep getting bigger?”, then wonder no more!
There are a number of reasons, starting with the fact that smaller cars used to be cheaper to produce, and consequently more affordable. Nowadays, production costs are similar for large and small vehicles, so there is a higher number of larger cars on the market. Additionally, finance deals are available to most, so it’s easier to buy big luxury cars.
Once upon a time, you paid a deposit, paid a bit every month and then at the end of three years, you rinsed and repeated. The amount you paid reflected the amount of metal you ended up with.
Now though, the finance market is so competitive that you can get a lot of car for not much money per month. As such, we’ve been buying bigger cars and, because of that, manufacturers make more of them.
Most cars on British roads used to be generally designed and produced in the UK, with the slim English streets in mind. In the last decade, the number of imported cars has increased exponentially: from 2007 to 2017 the number of imported vehicles increased by over 45%. These vehicles tend to be larger, with wide freeways in mind when designing them.
Another reason is safety. If you think back to the safety features in a car from the 60’s you know we’ve come on leaps and bounds, but all those additions need space. The result is bigger cars with crumple zones, and that accommodate lateral and frontal airbags. In the old days, cars were quite literally metal boxes with wheels. Now though, they’re full of things to make them safer than, well, thin metal boxes.
Cars are bigger because safety cells, airbags, crumple zones and more all need plenty of space in order to fit them. It’s a fallacy to think only big cars are safe. Even the small ones can handle a good thump.
We expect more of our cars these days too – Back in the day, you would buy a small car for small trips, and have the big family car for longer adventures. Now though, we expect even the smallest of motor to undertake the biggest of journeys.
As such, the small cars of today make cars like the original Mini, the Fiat Cinquecento and the original Vauxhall Corsa look positively microscopic. Modern day small cars have to do big car things.
We spend more time in our cars these days and they have more technology and more use than they did 50 years ago. All of these additions require extra space.
The increase in car sizes really started with the SUV era but people now want large cars, if most people had the option of choosing between a Ford Fiesta or a Ford Kuga they’d take the Kuga.
We somehow feel that bigger cars are better, and say more about us and how successful we are. People have also become accustomed to the higher driving position often offered by larger cars as we’ve become far more familiar with driving in SUV’s.
The car buying public are demanding more and more of their cars, not only do we want comfort, we also want performance, we want MPG/range, we want space for luggage and a 0-60 time of less than 6 seconds. The side effect of this is car growth, EV and Hybrid technology means we now need to find room for batteries and electric motors.
What does the future hold?
It’s not all doom and gloom, micro cars are now also becoming “a thing” and will surely become more popular for inner-city dwellers in years to come as parking space becomes more scarce and nipping around city streets becomes more difficult. Check out the Citroen Ami which is now the smallest car you can buy in the UK.
Should you think about downsizing your current vehicle?
Although it may be perceived that bigger is safer, this simply isn’t the case. Vehicle manufacturers include top specification safety features in all of their smaller models of cars too.
Larger cars also have other disadvantages too, including poor fuel economy, difficulty parking in confined spaces etc. by contrast smaller cars are fuel efficient, easy to manoeuvre, and often a lot of fun to drive. A small car is always an excellent choice in city environments where parking is a premium.
Help to buy right!
If you are considering downsizing your car, then here at Car Auction Buying Service, we’re dedicated to finding the very best deal at auction for you, attending events arranged by British Car Auctions, Manheim and Aston Barclay, plus many more. We assist in bidding and provide the support you need to buy successfully from the auction; without the need for you to travel across the country.
Thanks to our multiple trade accounts we pay much lower buyers premiums compared to private buyers. We then pass that saving on to you! We scrutinise the cosmetic reports and mechanical reports that accompany each vehicle. Our team can also provide trade price warranties and deliver your car to any location in the UK.
To find out more, or to inquire about buying your next vehicle from a nationwide or local car auctions, please give us a call on 0121 769 1729. Alternatively, you can fill out our online form
