This is an easy one: rollover safety standards and the cave-like cabin they create. In other words, I’d pay for excellent outward visibility (lower beltline, thinner pillars, more glass area) and take on the risk of possible more injury in a crash. Good data in appendix A, here: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Pub…

Couldn’t agree more. Obviously no one wants anyone hurt or killed due to rollovers, but the fact that there is no data on the worse visibility/blind spots leading to more accidents make it hard to do any kind of tradeoff analysis.

That’s awesome. It does seem manufacturer dependent. Subarus and Hondas are up there with better forward and side visibility. OEMs are catching on; the launch of the current-gen Ford Escape as well as Jeep Grand Cherokee lauded the “bigger side windows/thinner pillars.” Someone out there is listening. It’s a tough…

Yeah, the terrible outward visibility is due to the current safety regs with rollovers. And no, there isn’t data on number of lives saved due to better and thicker pillars versus number of accidents, including those with pedestrians and bicyclists because the driver can’t see them...

This.

Crappy outward visibility due to the high beltline and thick pillars. Also Toyota styling inside and out.

BMW i3. No better city car.

Good points.

The European regulators created rules that incentivize “weak” plug-in hybrids. No surprise that those weak PHEVs don’t work so well. Also, the WLTP test is pretty far from reality too. No surprise the real world results turned out this way.

This.

Yup. The XLE trim has the second row bench.

Yeah, you’re right. It looks better than the regular Highlander, and that sells well. Too bad there’s not a Grand Highlander Prime.

True that. And let’s see how short this “short bonnet” really is? 70s full-size van short?

Fun fact: the Lexus SC convertible was the last car to come from the factory with a cassette deck. Year? 2011.

Your local Pre-Owned Lexus Manager has entered the chat.

Thanks for this. I agree. One can envision EVs with various sizes of batteries being offered in the future after we Americans get a grip on ourselves.

Willys 230 OHC Tornado has entered the chat:

Thanks for this. Much appreciated.

Dad once said, “never buy a car named after an island.”

Always wondered who that narrator was.