I cannot believe how big compacts have gotten today. They are now bigger than a car that was inbetween midsize and compact. Just look. My grandma's Cobalt is bigger than my Grand Am. Not that this is a bad thing, but if I want a compact, I want a compact. Not some vehicle that could be considered a midsize 10 years ago. No wonder it takes so much for a vehicle these days to feel fast...

Then again, maybe I'm just stuck in the past like Sixty8... :P

I thought the Grand Am has always been classified as a compact.

It always slotted inbetween the Sunfire/Sunbird and the Grand Prix in size. I'm not sure what it was classified as, though... I've seen it as both. I prefer inbetween. :P

Because from what I know the J twins are sub-compact, then the Ns are compact.

Yes, I did forget about that since I am only 5'7" and 140lbs.

The reason cars are getting so much bigger is because every automaker keeps trying to top each other with "roomiest interior", longest wheelbase, widest hip room, etc. Part of the problem (for the US anyway) is that our obesity epedemic is making everything bigger...from cars to movie theater seats. Cars got small in the late 70s and early 80s due to high gas prices...I have a feeling that if gas prices keep going up, cars will begin to shrink again.

Satty, you are not 6'3" and 220 pounds! :o


Yup, cars seem to grow these days with each successive generation, then they have to slot something in underneath... Chevy Aveo, Ford Fiesta, Nissan whatever, Honda Fit, etc... all intro'd to take the place of "compacts" that grew. I think safety standards and the all-important "crash test scores" may have something to do with this phenomenon as well.

Look at an early-80s/late-70s Accord or Camry/Cressida. That puts things in perspective.

I agree BV, the Civic has gotten bigger than the Accord used to be. My Datsun was the biggest car in thier lineup in 1984, basically the Maxima or dare I say Q45 of it's day and yet it is freekin tiny compared to a 2005 Altima!

Look at an '87 Seville compaired to my 04 CTS.

lol wats funny is the size of last generation Impala compared to a early 90's caravan

Those Sevilles and Eldorados mucst be the smallest production cars EVER to have a V8.

Almost bought one for $300 wiht 242,000 miles last year. The guy said it needed a few suspension pieces replaced.

Edited August 25, 200519 yr by Sixty8panther

Just look at an old Mini and a new one... or a '65 Mustang Fastback and an '05 Mustang... cars are huge now!

There are exceptions to the rule though...

Where's our beloved Land Yachts!? :(

Those Sevilles and Eldorados mucst be the smallest production cars EVER to have a V8.

Almost bought one for $300 wiht 242,000 miles last year. The guy said it needed a few suspension pieces replaced.

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Allante'

All this discussion is interesting, but we're missing the important point here: what's with all the cats under the red Cobalt? :lol:

My guess is: "When something negative about the Fiero is posted on C&G, a cat is killed." So for the sake of the cats, don't say bad things about the Fiero. :lol:

Edited August 25, 200519 yr by ToniCipriani

You know whats really nuts? The Cobalt Coupe is only EIGHT inches shorter than the Equinox.

never realized it was so big....until I parked next to a 90-something Cavalier. It's still small enough though, that you can zip in and out of traffic rather well.

Edited August 25, 200519 yr by Turbojett

But in fact the Cobalt went down in size compared to Cavalier. It's shorter in length and wheelbase. It just looks fatter I guess.

Well, I still don't like how big cars are getting. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hate big cars. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really love small cars. Hence why my favorite car is the Fiero... As for the cats.. Toni said it well, but it includes everything Pontiac (doesn't include any minivan or SUV... bleh). :D Actually, my Gma has a bunch of cats that she hates. I have a bunch of cats at my house too... Damn cats... Too many of those little pussies. :lol: :P

I thinkt he Cobalt coupe looks so big because of the high beltline and trunk. The new Mustang looks big because of the same thing.

Just saw a G6 coupe driving down the road for the first time. It's pretty tall, but very well proportioned. In motion and in profile it looks very good, not different enough to be stunning, but very good in profile. Pretty sure it was the gTP since the wheels looked really good in motion and you could see the big old calipers. The car is all Pontiac, especially the rear.

But in fact the Cobalt went down in size compared to Cavalier. It's shorter in length and wheelbase. It just looks fatter I guess.

[post="3922"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

You'd never know by looking.

Trailblazer vs. Blazer. That's a weird one to look back on. My car (Aurora) is 2/5" shorter than an Expedition (205.4 vs. 205.8) and only less than a foot shorter than some classic boats ('58 Cadillac - 216.8").

Only an 8 inche difference between my cobalt and nox yes i got both altho i want an HHR

BV: "Sign the Bring back the Fireo Petition or the Kitten gets it!"



* No Kittens were harmed in the making of this post.

Lol is there really a petition

You'd never know by looking.

[post="4084"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I parked my car side by side to a Cobalt last time. It is larger.

BV: "Sign the Bring back the Fireo Petition or the Kitten gets it!"



* No Kittens were harmed in the making of this post.

[post="4145"][/post]

A kitten just died because Sixty8 mispelled Fiero...

Edited August 26, 200519 yr by ToniCipriani

well we knew wat he meant

Sixty8... Mispelling Fiero... Hello little kitty. What's that you say? You want to die? ...Well then... I guess I'll do you a favor. Now close your eyes because this is going to hurt.... BANG!!!! Ugh... I'm covered in blood... :lol: :D ;) Oh and Sixty8, it's not "sign the petition" ...It's donate to the Fiero Fund, or the kitten gets it. It's in my sig... Now get it right! :P

92 Grand Prix v. 2005 G6

Yep they are getting BIGGER! But they are allso getting HEAVER! Look at the #'s in the last 10 years your tipical model by name has gained 500LBS.

Yes. My only gripe on the G6: it's a porky.

Crash standards and increasing competition to produce a stiff, quiet body structure are two reasons why curb weight is increasing. The higher beltlines on today's cars are really alarming compared to, say, something from the 60's. Before that, beltlines were pretty high, as we know. Higher seating positions are demanded by most customers today as well, another reason for the taller cars.

Crash standards and increasing competition to produce a stiff, quiet body structure are two reasons why curb weight is increasing.  The higher beltlines on today's cars are really alarming compared to, say, something from the 60's.  Before that, beltlines were pretty high, as we know.  Higher seating positions are demanded by most customers today as well, another reason for the taller cars.

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I noticed that too..even in the Aveo you sit up high...

Yah I was driveing my 85 Camaro the other day and a new Mustang GT passed by me. It was ((GIGANTUS!!)) It seemed like its lower side window beltline was at the same hight as my ROOF!!

Cars grow with every generation, but that opens up new slots for smaller cars. It also leads to the death of large cars like the Caprice. In perhaps 15-20 years, the Impala/replacement could be dropped, leaving the Malibu/replacement, which replaced the compact Corsica about ten years ago, as the largest.

Back in the 90s, the Cobalt coupe would have been more in the sports coupe wars (Prelude, Probe, et al) than trying to line up against the Civic and Corolla coupes.

Corolla has a coupe now?

Not now...

Back in the 90s, the Cobalt coupe would have been more in the sports coupe wars (Prelude, Probe, et al) than trying to line up against the Civic and Corolla coupes.

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It sort of is, still. There's always the entry-level sport coupe model, that it falls into quite nicely.

Another thread full of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Or something like that.

Hmmm...

Just think about the difference between the 1976 Impala and a '77. I also like how people call my 1981 and 1985 heavy monsters. What said people dont realize is that quite a few cars made today weigh as much as the 2 cars mentioned here. The GTO is one of them. The new Camaro is another. I am sure the list goes longer.