Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

What you don’t mention are the increased negative externalities of your larger vehicle, including a higher chance of killing people, more road space used for parking, worse visibility for others, etc.


But mentioned: the increased road damage by heavier vehicles.

The Forth Power Law. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_power_law


Most SUVs (crossovers) have the same or smaller footprint than the equivalent sized sedan.

Keep in mind nowadays most SUVs aren't trucks with the cab extending to the rear instead of a bed. They're cars that are slightly lifted with a taller profile. As an example, I have a Hyundai Elantra, which is longer than the equivalent Hyundai SUV (Tucsan)...


I'll be sure to let my elderly mother know she's making society worse by going with the HRV instead of the Civic.

In a world where ~half of all SUVs are some poof-ed up variant of a compact car a nuance free opinion like yours is just insufferable.


Yet you suffer it.

And yes, your mother is more likely to kill someone in a larger, heavier, vehicle. I don’t see how anything you said refutes that.


It's not like she bought a 4Runner or Suburban. She bought a Honda compact car that's been stretched on the vertical access.

We all spend the 2000s listening to the "they're less safe because they roll over more" screeching broken record and while statistically that was true to an extent nothing really came of it, everyone decided that yeah they do but they like the tradeoff. You just sound like a 2020s cover of that. Why ought I to take your hand wringing seriously?


Because I’m expressing myself politely and clearly without resorting to childish attacks?


Man, I really hit that one out of the park with my choice of the word "insufferable"

These typical crossovers that most people buy are more or less a direct replacement for the sedans they used to buy. Sure they're probably statistically worse at the margin but people derive a bunch more utility out of them than the sedans they replaced, which is why the form factor is carried over as best they can to the compact and subcompact hatches (impreza, c-max, etc). You have every right to tell people they ought not to be doing what benefits them because of some nebulous change at the margin that's only visible once you apply a bunch of statistics, and I have every right to call you a moron over it. But what do I know, I drive a minivan.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: