Then Americans should buy lighter cars.
/s
The NHTSA has enacted standards for increasing fuel economy and lowering emissions in the US. It sets MPG standards based on the size of vehicles. Smaller cars are naturally going to have better economy than larger vehicles, so they set higher MPG requirements for them.
Rather than try to meet those tighter standards, they are increasing the size of cars, so as to qualify for the looser standards.
Minimum sizes and weights have been introduced, ostensibly to keep manufacturers from dropping safety features, but really just to game statistics by reducing the size difference between vehicles involved in collisions.
Safety features like side curtain airbags require considerable space to deploy safely. Side windows used to be at elbow-level in most vehicles; now they are at shoulder level to accommodate explosive restraints. Explosive restraints have been mandated, even where static restraints make more sense.
TL;DR: For better or worse, the small cars Americans want to buy are illegal for manufacturers to produce.
Turns out maybe cars != freedom after all…
Haven’t driven in nearly four years now. Now, I had to specifically moved to a city with actual public transit infrastructure, and I still have to choose where I rent based on nearby ammenities, but it still absolutely fucking blows driving out of the water. Don’t have to worry about gas prices, insurance, maintenance, parking, or road rage. Cars are a giant money-sink that have been forced upon Americans. It’s not surprising that as people are generally getting poorer, having to deal with that giant financial burden is really awful.