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A comment on The end of cool small cars. Parent comment

Re:The end of cool small cars by pandaman on Wednesday August 30, 2023 @09:19PM (#37331335)
It's not a bit higher up, it's quite a lot and makes a lot of difference in adverse weather (like getting water in your engine or not getting water in there and driving safely through a flash flood, for example). Also the visibility is quite different, especially at night, due to low beams covering much less space in front of a low car [1][2]. The higher stance allows for large tires and smoother ride. Getting in and out of the car, especially with children in seats is much easier.

This is without getting into the actual instances of hatchbacks and SUVs on the market. There is more choice and variety in SUVs.

1. https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/toyota/prius-4-door-hat...

2. https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/toyota/rav4-4-door-suv/...

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Re:The end of cool small cars by simfree on Thursday August 31, 2023 @12:09AM (#37332349)
Sounds like the low beams are mis-aimed if they are generating a much larger light pool and likely dazzling other drivers on the road at night.
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Re:The end of cool small cars by pandaman on Thursday August 31, 2023 @08:16AM (#37336004)
I am pretty sure IIHS is setting up lights according to the DOT regulations when they test. As the report says: "The low beams never exceeded glare limits".

It's simple geometry - headlights at the same angle will intersect with the ground farther when they are higher off the ground.

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Re:The end of cool small cars by arethuza on Thursday August 31, 2023 @09:23AM (#37336773)
But does that have any noticeable impact on the driving experience - can't say I've ever noticed any difference in headlight lighting between SUVs and "normal" cars?
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Re:The end of cool small cars by pandaman on Thursday August 31, 2023 @10:23AM (#37337613)
It depends, makes a difference for me as I like to be aware of the surroundings. Seeing that some people drive while looking into their phones, I figure, it may not matter for everyone.
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