How Much Does a Car Weigh?
Modern cars, trucks, and SUVs weigh anywhere from one ton to nearly five tons.
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Wondering how much the average car weighs? It's a question that's come up more often in recent years. The addition of safety equipment, luxury amenities, and the increasing size of modern automobiles continue to push the numbers on the scales higher and higher. The average 2020 model-year vehicle weighed 4,166 lbs according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That’s a 30% increase from 1981, when the average vehicle weighed 3,200 lbs.
Vehicle weight influences attributes such as safety and fuel economy. In general, a heavier car is better for occupants and worse for anyone outside of the vehicle in a collision. All else being equal, a heavier vehicle will use more gas and emit more carbon dioxide. Mass also affects how a vehicle accelerates, handles, and stops, with lighter vehicles being more nimble.
What Does My Car Weigh?
Don't worry—you don't have to break out the scales. The easiest way to find your own vehicle's curb weight is to crack open the owner's manual where the specifications page will show how heavy your particular model is. You can also check out the manufacturer's website or the brand's media site to search for your vehicle’s technical specifications. If you can’t locate the information, you can weigh your car for a fee using the scales at a truck stop.How Much Do Subcompact and Midsize Cars Weigh?
Logically, the lightest new vehicles on the market are also among the smallest.Subcompact sedans and hatchbacks like the 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage, 2022 Hyundai Accent, and 2022 Chevrolet Spark check-in with curb weights in the range of just over 2,000 to 2,600 lbs. The 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster also falls into this lightweight range.
The average midsize sedan family sedan checks in at a little more than a thousand pounds heavier. A common model like the 2022 Toyota Camry weighs between 3,310 lbs for the base model and 3,590 lbs for the fully-loaded V-6 trim. The 2022 Subaru Legacy checks in at 3,790 lbs in the top trims, in part because of the added weight of its standard all-wheel drive.
How Much Do Crossovers, SUVs, and Trucks Weigh?
Compact crossovers, given their larger dimensions and the availability of all-wheel drive, can frequently push past midsize sedans on the scales. The 2022 Ford Escape weighs between 3,298 lbs (base model) and 3,884 lbs (plug-in hybrid), which is similar to Toyota's RAV4 (3,380 to 4,300 lbs). On the other hand, larger SUVs can stretch across a wider spectrum, from a midsize 2022 Kia Telluride at 4,112 lbs to a full-size 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV at 6,181 lbs.The latter is relatively portly due to being based on a full-size pickup platform. Trucks like the 2022 Ford F-150 (4,021 to 5,540 lbs) and the Chevrolet Silverado (4,400 lbs to 5,150 lbs) are some of the heaviest non-commercial vehicles on the road.
How Much Does an EV Weigh?
Due to the weight of the batteries, electric vehicles tend to be significantly heavier than similarly-sized vehicles powered by gas or diesel engines. For example, at 3,563 lbs, the subcompact 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV is roughly 1,000 to 1,500 lbs heavier than a gas-powered Accent or Mirage.
In the SUV and truck world, the difference is even starker. The 2022 GMC Hummer EV has a battery with more than three times the energy storage of the Bolt EV’s pack and is expected to weigh more than 9,000 lbs. That’s nearly 50% more than the gas-powered Cadillac Escalade.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Benjamin HuntingBenjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.
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