Why are new cars so TALL ?

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by bestclimb

So knowing that an aircraft goes just as far in a glide heavy or light why bother with the water ballast?

It's because with the extra weight, the sailplane has more potential energy at a given height, so can travel faster/further between thermals. Of course there's a tradeoff: you climb slower in thermals, but if the thermals are strong, it's worth it. I guess figuring it all out is what makes it a sport :-) (I never got into competition myself, just liked to go play around a bit.)

For an automotive equivalent, consider the difference between me driving the pickup down a mountain empty, or loaded with logs. I'd coast a lot further (and have increased braking distance) with the load.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Length of cars matters more than length in sailplanes. There are not many cars under 13 feet long that can fit four people ~6'-4" tall, in relative comfort.

Sure, but I don't want to fit four people in my car, comfortably or not :-)

To me this is the real problem: all the automakers are designing their cars to suit the same subset of the market. They probably use their focus groups (maybe the same group!) and so on, and discover that say 60% of the public wants to sit upright and carry four people, so they all build a car for that market, not realizing that they're all throwing away the other 40% of the market.

[Frank Lee]

Thunderbirds started out as 2 seaters; when they grew into 4 seaters sales increased. Insight could end up the same way. People like to bring a cannon to a knife fight.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Thunderbirds started out as 2 seaters; when they grew into 4 seaters sales increased.

Except they were selling to different people. The ones who would have bought a 2-seater T-bird bought Jaguars & MGs instead, while the ones who bought the 4-seater probably would have bought a Galaxy with a big engine. So in the big picture, Ford probably lost overall sales.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

A seating position that is nearly bolt-upright is far more comfortable than a semi-reclined seating position.

Yup. In general the transmission of NVH -- and road shock -- is less noticeable to pax with an upright position versus a semi-reclining one. I can say that my "personal preference" is for the latter but one need only test it on a long day behind the wheel I've learned.

The perception of ride quality is at least as important as it's measured qualities. Or so I read some time ago about the shortened wheelbase of luxury cars versus their predecessors; that the closer one is to the front wheels, the better an upright position is. (Maybe it was Cumberford). It certainly matches my experience: the front axle center at 6' away is a better ride than at 3.5' from the seatback or B-pillar of a sedan.

As to tall versus low a mid-fifties Imperial was "more comfortable" for seating height (taller) and greater headroom (accommodated hats) than was it's mid-60's successor, even though the latter has a similar wheelbase, weight and better design in re aero, roadholding (more work with less effort) and drivetrain, etc. The greatest subjective change beyond seating was in glass area ratio. Ingress & egress was similarly better beyond a door width comparison.

I recall Cumberfords example of a 1997 Ford F-150 cab being given a trunk in order to form the body of a car as being a decent example of both aero and practical use for a sedan. Too low is no better than too tall (4wd trucks) for many people. A tall sedan makes sense to me.

There are good reasons SUV's & pickups are popular when one looks at them in this way. It isn't just overall size & weight, or, the bad reasons. I would also want it to be able to tow a 7k trailer. If one looks at the need of an extended family for a car versus a driveway full of "personal vehicles" then a sedan of the sort described above trumps the air-conditioned go-karts in all ways.

.

[rbrowning]

"Americans keep getting larger, but this is usually seen in the gut area versus their height"

What afflicts the gut usually effects the butt. That extra padding raises your hip level up, making your head higher.

Also the recumbent position may be great for aerodynamics, but it may hurt your back.

Just my $.02.

[discovery]

Beacuse basket ball players use to ride the buses from city to city, now each of them got his own wheels add the victoria secret girls that is a hell of indistry right there.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by rbrowning

Also the recumbent position may be great for aerodynamics, but it may hurt your back.

Yeah, right. That's why NASA & the Russians have their astronauts seated in an upright position [\sarcasm]

[ConnClark]

Side impact standards are the reason cars have gotten taller. They get all but the legs people above the bumper of the standardized impact vehicle for the test. This allows them to build the car cheaper and lighter and still pass.

[Frank Lee]

Supporting data or something? Interesting.