Car enthusiasts are constantly talking about how modern cars tend to get bigger with each successive redesign. The traditional complaint from car enthusiasts seems to be that modern cars are larger, less enjoyable, and less connected to the road than their predecessors — and that each redesign takes them further down that path.
But just how true is this? I’ve wondered just how much cars are growing — so I’ve retrieved the length figures, over time, of seven popular modern cars. Now you can see exactly how much bigger they’ve gotten over the last few years or decades. Are these increasing lengths really "ruining" the character of these cars? That’s for you to decide — or maybe it’s for me to rant about in a future column.
BMW 3 Series Sedan
1982-1991 (E30): 170.2 inches
1992-1998 (E36): 174.5 inches
1999-2005 (E46): 176.0 inches
2006-2011 (E90): 178.0 inches
2012-present (F30): 182.0 inches
Chevy Corvette
1963-1967 (C2): 179.3 inches
1968-1981 (C3): 182.1-185.3 inches
1983-1996 (C4): 176.5 inches
1997-2004 (C5): 179.7 inches
2005-2013 (C6): 174.6 inches
2014-present (C7): 176.9 inches
Dodge Grand Caravan
1984-1990: 190.5 inches
1991-1995: 192.8 inches
1996-2000: 199.6 inches
2001-2007: 200.5 inches
2008-2016: 202.5 inches
2017-present (Pacifica): 203.6 inches
Ford Explorer
1991-1994: 184.3 inches
1995-2001: 190.7 inches
2002-2005: 189.5 inches
2006-2010: 193.4 inches
2011-present: 197.1 inches
Honda Civic sedan
1984-1987: 164.0 inches
1988-1991: 166.5 inches
1992-1995: 173.0 inches
1996-2000: 175.1 inches
2001-2005: 175.4 inches
2006-2011: 177.0 inches
2012-2015: 178.1 inches
2016-present: 182.3 inches
Toyota Camry
1983-1986: 173.2 inches
1987-1991: 178.0 inches
1992-1996: 188.0 inches
1997-2001: 189.8 inches
2002-2006: 189.2 inches
2007-2011: 189.2 inches
2012-2017: 190.9 inches
2018-present: 191.3 inches
Volkswagen Jetta
1980-1984: 168.1 inches
1984-1992: 171.1 inches
1994-1998: 173.2 inches
1999-2005: 172.4 inches
2005.5-2011: 179.3 inches
2011-present: 182.8 inches
Of course, the automotive industry trend is largely "bigger, bigger, bigger" with each passing redesign. But there are a few noteworthy surprises. For instance, both the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta have a period where they don’t really grow — even though the most recent versions of both models have grown substantially. The Toyota Camry ballooned in 1992 — but it hasn’t changed much since then. And like a Hollywood celebrity desperate to keep getting starring roles later in life, the Corvette never seems to get any bigger with age. Find a car for sale
Doug DeMuro is an automotive journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications. He once owned a Nissan Cube and a Ferrari 360 Modena. At the same time.
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