Cars are much bigger in America than anywhere else and there's a reason why
- Cars are much bigger in America than in the rest of the world
- Cheap gasoline and wider roads are two reasons as to why
- An illusion of safety from bigger vehicles is another factor
Published on Mar 31, 2025 at 9:27 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that cars – SUVs, for example – are very big in America.
America loves to supersize things, whether it is cars, hotel rooms, houses, or burgers.
Large pickup trucks and SUVs are probably more common in the United States than anywhere else in the world.
But it’s more than one thing, like cheap gasoline, that makes America’s cars so big. There are several factors that help explain why the USA loves giant vehicles.
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Cheap gasoline and bigger roads in America are two reasons
Two of the main reasons why cars in the USA are so big are lower gasoline prices and bigger roads.
Gasoline prices may have gone up in America over the past few years, but it is still better off than many other countries.
Gasoline is taxed far less in the United States than it is nearly anywhere else in the world.
According to Kiplinger, a gallon of gas costs $3.75 in the USA in 2024.
That compares to around $6.98 in the UK and a staggering $12.16 in Hong Kong.
American roads are also designed to accommodate larger vehicles.
Those, in turn, are produced due to the cheaper fuel that Americans can take advantage of.
Streets and parking spaces are wide, while Europe had developed before America.
Hence so many narrow, country roads unsuitable for large vehicles and smaller parking spaces.
And thanks to electric cars, size doesn’t matter as it no longer affects fuel economy.
An illusion of safety with larger cars
Another reason larger vehicles are so popular in America is the feeling of safety they provide.
This isn’t an illusion, either.
Information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, backs this up.
Bigger and heavier vehicles offer more protection than lighter, smaller ones.
This is thanks to the longer front ends that better absorb the energy from crashes and crumpling.
Larger vehicles will also continue to move forward in accidents.
That means those inside are subject to much less force as a result of the crash.
These days – to some extent, at least – that has changed.
SUVs and pickups now have lower-mounted energy-absorbing structures, to match smaller cars.
So while they might not be as safe as they once were, large cars do still offer a little bit of an advantage over their smaller siblings.
As we can see, there is more than one reason why cars and vehicles are much bigger in the United States.
Also, people in the US just like things bigger, right?
Don’t even get us started on Texas.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
