# Why this Stupid Styling Trend? (Swept Down Rooflines) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311 "2016-01-16T05:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/1 "2016-01-16T05:50:18Z")
It seems a lot of new car designs scrunch down the rooflines in the rear…Land Rover Evoque, KIA Soull , Mercedes-Benz S550… this must really reduce the headroom for the rear seat passengers. Add in a sunroof, and it really must be tight. Is this an attempt to be more aerodynamic/lower drag, or just another foolish styling trend? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/2 "2016-01-16T11:59:30Z")
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The examples you’ve given are so different it’s hard to find points of similarity. The Land Rover looks like the roof doesn’t slope down much at all, rather the bottom of the window line slopes up, the Mercedes is a big car with no lack of cabin room, and the Soul appears to be a small boxy thing with a straight roof. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/3 "2016-01-16T19:35:01Z")
The downward-sloping rooflines are mostly for aerodynamics’ sake. Helps ease the flow of air off the back of the car and reduce turbulence behind, which helps immensely with drag. My own pet peeve is the little tiny windows and very thick roof pillars on cars nowadays. I’d like to be able to see out of my car, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/4 "2016-01-16T19:37:09Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > My own pet peeve is the little tiny windows and very thick roof pillars on cars nowadays. I’d like to be able to see out of my car, thank you. My joke is that they’re thinking ahead to self-driving cars. After making it virtually impossible to see out of your car, any self-driving system will demonstrate fewer accidents than a human driver. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/5 "2016-01-16T20:38:36Z")
> [@botsgotme](#): > > It seems a lot of new car designs scrunch down the rooflines in the rear…Land Rover Evoque, KIA Soull , Mercedes-Benz S550… this must really reduce the headroom for the rear seat passengers. Add in a sunroof, and it really must be tight. Is this an attempt to be more aerodynamic/lower drag, or just another foolish styling trend? Ah, you mean that dumbass “4-door coupe” trend that started with the Mercedes-Benz CLS, where they want the roofline of a coupe on a sedan. Then it migrated to other cars like the Land Rover, BMW X6, and Murano. Now its everywhere. Basically an attempt to tell buyers they aren’t old and settled for wanting something practical by making it less practical. “See you’re not some stodgy oldster in a luxury sedan. Of course you aren’t just another soccer mom in a boxy SUV, which they bought to avoid a minivan, which they bought to avoid a station wagon…” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/6 "2016-01-17T13:00:39Z")
I’ve rented a couple of cars with those effectively tiny rear windows and other odd curves which make backing up a complete gamble. Form over function. I miss my old 323 hatchback. Really nice view out the back. ---
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-styling-trend-swept-down-rooflines/743311/7 "2016-01-17T13:32:49Z")
I agree-if I were to buy a car, I’d buy one of those Scion XA “cube” cars-enrmous room, and great visibility-a perfect design.