The average car purchased in 2023 emits higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) than its 2013 equivalent. This is due to the large proportion of SUVs in the mix, which tend to be bigger and heavier.
Ive recently replaced the engine, but I hope to keep driving my 08 Speed3 for another decade. It's annoying having everything else in the road so much larger, but I don't want anything this size.
The US started phasing in roof crush requirements in 2012, which caused manufacturers to put in more metal for the frame. That meant reducing visibility and all but requiring backup cameras.
Why do we need roof crush requirements? Because those SUVs have a high center of gravity.
This has been the way of things. Cars are just plain unsafe, and trying to make them safe also makes them worse at everything else, including being affordable.
That's definitely a problem, but the ridiculously high belt line of modern cars isn't really as affected by that though. All modern cars are basically the equivalent of the old man who pulls their pants up to their nipples.
Look at the 1990s impala vs the last gen Impala. Rear visibility is nonexistant in it because the trunk is so high.
Seems like a lot if manufacturers are just bad at design because my Forester has incredible visibility, easily the best of any car I've owned. It's arguably a bit ugly because of it, but I don't care about that much.