# Drivers; All else being equal, would you prefer a larger car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361 "2011-01-04T13:48:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/21 "2011-01-04T17:33:43Z")
I bought a 2009 Outback after my boss heard I was looking to replace my Corolla, and informed me that not buying something with AWD would be a potential career limiting move. I resented being extorted in to joining the rest of the SUV/crossover driving herd, but I freaking **love** that car. It has a crap ton of cargo room, a reasonable amount of grunt for a four banger, better handling characteristics than any of the cheap compacts I’ve tooled around in over the years, and, thanks to the boxer, can take a corner without feeling like it’s about to tip over, despite the ground clearance. I’m kicking myself for not buying the turbo, actually. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/22 "2011-01-04T18:22:27Z")
I really want a small car. I drive a midsized pickup right now, and it’s been time to replace it for a while now. I want something small, something drivable, something parkable. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/23 "2011-01-04T18:32:11Z")
Mine is a Rav4, which is perfect for me. Just the right size. It’s a tiny little SUV, so I get to sit higher up than I would in a car and it does better in the snow, but it’s small, so I can maneuver and park and am not driving a boat. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/24 "2011-01-04T18:52:38Z")
Given as I’m pretty sure even a 3-door Yaris is bigger than the Toyota Tercel I have, I think I have to go with “yes, I’d prefer a larger car”! That said, when I do replace this one (it’s going to happen one day, I swear!) I’ll likely stick to a smallish car, though still 4 doors. I park on the street, and I love being able to fit into tiny spots all the other cars are bypassing. I have no interest at all in driving an SUV or minivan, and even my mom’s Mazda 3 seems gigantic to me. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/25 "2011-01-04T19:03:04Z")
I’m a long-legged guy, so I definitely prefer a car with ample legroom. Aside from that, size usually doesn’t matter, but once in a while it’s really handy to have lots of cargo space. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/26 "2011-01-04T19:26:41Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > I bought a 2009 Outback after my boss heard I was looking to replace my Corolla, and informed me that not buying something with AWD would be a potential career limiting move. > > I resented being extorted in to joining the rest of the SUV/crossover driving herd, but I freaking **love** that car. It has a crap ton of cargo room, a reasonable amount of grunt for a four banger, better handling characteristics than any of the cheap compacts I’ve tooled around in over the years, and, thanks to the boxer, can take a corner without feeling like it’s about to tip over, despite the ground clearance. Yeah, but Subaru took it too far with their 2010/2011 models of the Outback. Raised it by a few inches, increased the width by 3 inches, and essentially completed the conversion from wagon into SUV. The new one drives like an SUV (no road feel and it feels unstable on curves) and it’s too damned tall to easily get a kayak on. Not to mention that the bloated new body styling looks like every other generic SUV on the road. From all of this, you can probably tell where I fall on the big vs. small spectrum. I went into a Subaru dealership last week with cash in my hot little hand, test drove the 2011 Outback, and left disappointed. (The new Outback has been a super hot seller for people looking to downsize from full-SUVs, but there’s been a lot of discontent from old-school Outback drivers who dislike the size, handling, and style of the new model. Fat lot Subaru cares – they’re laughing all the way to the bank.) ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/27 "2011-01-04T20:32:23Z")
I have a Ford F150. I love it buy sometimes I want a smaller more agile car. In a perfect world, I’d have both! ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/28 "2011-01-04T20:39:44Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > No. My Prius is almost too big, having gotten used to a Saturn for a long time (though it is nice being higher off the road.) If I feel like I need to drive a big car I can drive our truck - and I seldom if ever drive it unless I absolutely have to. Pretty much this. I’ve got a Prius and I wish it was a bit smaller in some aspects. My previous car was a PT Cruiser and while I really miss the cargo space (take out the back seats and fold down the passenger seat and there was pretty much nothing that wouldn’t fit in there). The one thing I miss is sitting up high like the pickup truck I used to own. So if I could get the Prius put on a Highlander frame and tires with the same gas mileage, I’d be really happy. Sure, I’d get weird looks, especially if I put KC lights on top, but it’d be damn cool. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/29 "2011-01-04T20:49:24Z")
Get in a bad wreck with something bigger than you and you’ll never drive a small car again. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/30 "2011-01-04T20:51:50Z")
The new Legacy is the car I’m looking at getting in the next 4-8 weeks and it’s slightly bigger than my current 3-series, unfortunately. I do a lot of tight city parallel parking and will for the foreseeable future, so something mid-sized is about as big as I’m willing to go. Next year I’ll be moving to a neighborhood with tight parking as well. Something small is out of the question; I drive my little brother around a lot and he’s an ample 6’2; he just feels comfortable in the backseat of my current car. If I lived in Suburbia, I’d appreciate a slightly larger car (full sized sedan or small SUV) but nothing huge. My mom’s Land Cruisers were always a hassle, albeit being gorgeous and beautiful cars that were comfortable and luxurious. They’re best suited for a truly rural area. ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/31 "2011-01-04T21:47:24Z")
We have 3 cars - my Ford Ranger, my wife’s Ford Escape, and a Saturn Ion we got for the kid to go to school and such. For back-n-forth commuting to work and such, I’d rather have something smaller than the Ranger. I’d probably drive the Saturn if the kid wasn’t driving it. It’s got a 5-speed manual that’s just fun to drive. But when I need to haul stuff or tow something, the truck does great. I just brought a freezer home over the weekend, and hauled a load of wood for my brother, too. Yeah, it won’t pull something like a 5th wheel camper trailer, but I really don’t want anything like that, any way. > [@Nadir](#): > > Get in a bad wreck with something bigger than you and you’ll never drive a small car again. Maybe, maybe not. Modern cars are engineered to protect the occupants better than ever. Consumer Reports compared crash tests recently, using a [1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu](http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?&p=consumer+reports+crash+tests+1959+ford&vid=415371428111&dt=1253633211&l=113&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D415371428111%26id%3Dc537f6c7c82deb23fa9bb950bd72312c%26bid%3D%252fJfaHtrxHcecHQ%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fvideo.msn.com%252fvideo.aspx%253fmkt%253dxx-kl%2526vid%253d13fb95fc-9c30-42e6-a5a5-6c5c5a58fe4a&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.msn.com%2Fvideo.aspx%3Fmkt%3Dus%26vid%3D13fb95fc-9c30-42e6-a5a5-6c5c5a58fe4a&tit=2009+Chevy+Malibu+vs+1959+Bel+Air+Crash+Test&sigr=12fbijbh9&newfp=1). The results showed that the driver of the '09 would have had little injury compared to that of the Bel Air driver. I’d take something with a suite of air bags, crumple zones, side impact bars, etc any day. Yeah, a VW Beetle may not protect you from a Freightliner like it would a Prius, but let’s compare apples to apples, at least. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/32 "2011-01-04T21:48:58Z")
> [@Nadir](#): > > Get in a bad wreck with something bigger than you and you’ll never drive a small car again. My Mini was written off by a taxi driver running a red light the other direction. I replaced it with another Mini. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/33 "2011-01-04T21:51:37Z")
I’d love to have another Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis. Those were far and away the best cars I’ve ever owned. Dead reliable, fast, handled and maneuvered great. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/34 "2011-01-04T22:01:06Z")
> [@Nadir](#): > > Get in a bad wreck with something bigger than you and you’ll never drive a small car again. Huh. I have and I do. I have a Suzuki Swift currently. My next car will be Mini. My neighborhood is full of small, windy streets. Plus, who wants to pay for petrol? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/35 "2011-01-04T22:15:38Z")
Nope. I already drive a mid-sized, four-door sedan and that’s pretty much what I like in a car. If anything I might go slightly smaller into the compact zone with my next vehicle. The only thing I dislike with this one is the wide turning radius ( and the premium fuel requirement, but that’s unrelated to size ). ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/36 "2011-01-04T22:27:22Z")
Yesterday, I was given a Lincoln Town Car as a loaner. It could barely go round corners, and while small cars have their advantages, I think I’ll stick with my Jaguar. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/37 "2011-01-04T23:18:37Z")
Absolutely not. I hate big cars and don’t feel comfortable driving them (although I am perfectly capable of it). I felt most comfortable in my '93 Geo Metro and least comfortable in my '94 F150 (I needed a remote for the radio because I couldn’t reach that far). We currently have an '08 Accent and an '89 Wrangler. I am perfectly comfortable in the Accent. I like the wrangler for driving (love the practically unbroken 360° visibility) but getting into the damn thing is a bitch and I would like to install a step (and it doesn’t even have a lift kit installed). I suppose I’d be more comfortable in larger vehicles if I could convince my body to have a 30-year growth spurt but I don’t see that happening so I’ll stick to cars for short people. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/38 "2011-01-04T23:24:54Z")
> [@RalfCoder](#): > > Maybe, maybe not. Modern cars are engineered to protect the occupants better than ever. Consumer Reports compared crash tests recently, using a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu. That was a badly staged pre-conceived conclusion of a test using the notorious GM x-frame, possibly the worst frame design ever. The angle of impact and and apparent condition of the Belair (evidenced by the brown cloud) clearly favored the newer car, as the NHTSA wants you to believe. Physics is physics and crumple zones aside, big beats little head-on every time. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/39 "2011-01-04T23:30:17Z")
> [@Gleena](#): > > Huh. I have and I do. > > I have a Suzuki Swift currently. My next car will be Mini. My neighborhood is full of small, windy streets. Plus, who wants to pay for petrol? Same here. My first ever brand new car was an Accent that I had only had for 6 months. It died at 55 MPH on the side of a very large, very old pickup truck. My passengers and I all walked away from it (although the whiplash and panic attacks took a while to go away). I have also had my side of a Ford Tempo slammed into by an 18-wheeler, followed by a guard rail. I still prefer driving smaller vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361/40 "2011-01-04T23:41:45Z")
Is wish my Corolla had an inch or two more legroom. It could, if the driver’s seat would slide all the way back until it touched the rear seat. I don’t know why it doesn’t. It’s a waste to have that space and not be able to use it because the seat rail isn’t long enough. I mean, making the rail longer is a lot easier than making the car bigger. If I had money to spare right now, I get something just a little bigger, and sporty, but not big. I don’t want to drive a car over about 3000 pounds, at least while I’m single. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drivers-all-else-being-equal-would-you-prefer-a-larger-car/566361.md?page=3)