What Does "Cab-Forward Design" Mean?
Mike & Lynn Key
What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
--
---
Cordially, R. Michael Key
"Extremism in the pursuit of prudence is no vice"--Greasy Fingers, Chicago
Gangsters
"I stink, therefore I offend"--Da Card, Greasy Fingers' little brother
HOG FVR
Mike & Lynn Key wrote:
> What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
> car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
> a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
It means you'll be that much closer to the action
if your involved in a head on colition...
Actually the front drive train is moved forward,
and the rear wheels and axle moved back, creating
more interior space in a car. Look at the Chrysler
LH cars. Visually they look like they are ready to
break in the middle... from where I see it!
Pretty nice cars, just the same!
--
-Karl Fengler---------------- BRONCO*351 - FXDWG -
- hog f...@iname.com -- or -- karl_f...@hp.com -
-!! You Have Strayed Upon The Motorway To HELL !!-
Ahwickham
In article <35607...@news1.ibm.net>, "Mike & Lynn Key" <fla...@ibm.net>
writes:
>What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
>car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
>a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
>
>
It means there is no room in the car for your knees and you have to lean WAY
forward and look up to see whether the stop light is red or green. PITA if you
ask me.
-Andy -*.||||.*-
77 CJ-5
87 RamCharger
"All opinions are stated as fact."
Dan Hartung
Mike & Lynn Key <fla...@ibm.net> wrote in article
<35607...@news1.ibm.net>...
> What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the
TV
> car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there
actually
> a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
It doesn't apply to many 4x4s, so far as I know ... why are you asking
here?
It's a design evolution most prominent in certain Chrysler products, such
as the Intrepid. The "cab" of the car -- meaning the cabin containing the
passengers -- is moved forward, increasing the legroom and overall
interior space. This is accomplished by rearranging the drivetrain and
engine placement, and sliding the wheels out more toward the corners.
The idea was to buck a trend toward smaller, cramped cars, while avoiding
a return to the bloated gas-guzzlers. The cab-forward cars are generally
more of a driver's car, with a better, longer, wider suspension, and a
higher
comfort level. An attempt to combine comfort with driving pleasure.
While not every car today would be self-described as "cab-forward", I
believe this principle is a key influence on 1990s sedan designs. So it's
not as distinctive an advantage as it was for the early release of these
Chrysler products.
[followups to rec.autos.driving only]
Gixer
I think that it is used to describe the practice of making the interior space
larger by using a fwd to reduce the amount of space the engine takes up. Also
the base of the windshield is pushed forward to give the vechicle a sleeker
look.
Mike & Lynn Key wrote:
> What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
> car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
> a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
>
DJ
On this day Sat, 23 May 1998 08:55:02 +0100 this surf Gixer
<ho...@ricochet.net> did cometh forward and pronounce that:
>> What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
>> car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
>> a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
I take this as meaning like a van or the Chrysler Voyager,Toyota
Previa type vehicle where there is not a big bonnet and the
engine/drivetrain is more under the body than in front...
Cheers DJ
I don't suffer from insanity,I enjoy every minute of it...
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JPoulos451
Pretty much nothing. Like when Chevy says driver control system or Ford says
quality is job1. It is all ad hype.
Derrick Williams
Incorrect, "cab-forward" design is a very real concept. Chrysler is the pioneer
of this philosophy, pushing the wheels toward the corners and the windshield
forward. Others have followed their lead (i.e. Pontiac wide track, "wider is
better"). Some may argue that this idea isn't new, but it seems that Chrysler
brought it to the public's attention. My step-mother owns a 1994 New Yorker that
is a "cab-forward" product. It is very comfortable and stable. Don't get me
wrong, there is a HUGE amount of hype behind a lot of products that aren't
really better than their predecessors.
-Derrick Williams
Peter D. Tillman
In a previous article, hog...@iname.com (HOG FVR) says:
>Mike & Lynn Key wrote:
>
>> What does "cab-forward design" mean"? It's mentioned quite often in the TV
>> car commercials. It seems like a meaningless phrase to me. Is there actually
>> a car made with the cab in the back? Thanks.
>
>It means you'll be that much closer to the action
>if your involved in a head on colition...
>
>Actually the front drive train is moved forward,
>and the rear wheels and axle moved back, creating
>more interior space in a car. Look at the Chrysler
>LH cars. Visually they look like they are ready to
>break in the middle... from where I see it!
>
>Pretty nice cars, just the same!
>
Umm -- got one of these as a rental TOD. OK but nothing
special. Not in the same league as a Camry or Accord -
tho IB they're cheaper. And Chrysler hasn't licked their
reliablity problems - maybe Mercedes will whip them into
shape?
Cheers -- Pete
95 Subaru Legacy
96 Pathfinder
SNOWMAN629
>It's mentioned quite often in the TV
>>> car commercials.
only in Chrysler commercials ( well maybe dodge too )
Erik
On Mon, 01 Jun 1998 16:38:49 -0500, Derrick Williams
<der...@writeme.com> wrote:
>Incorrect, "cab-forward" design is a very real concept. Chrysler is the pioneer
>of this philosophy, pushing the wheels toward the corners and the windshield
>forward. Others have followed their lead (i.e. Pontiac wide track, "wider is
>better"). Some may argue that this idea isn't new, but it seems that Chrysler
>brought it to the public's attention. My step-mother owns a 1994 New Yorker that
>is a "cab-forward" product. It is very comfortable and stable. Don't get me
>wrong, there is a HUGE amount of hype behind a lot of products that aren't
>really better than their predecessors.
>
Chrysler is merely marketing an old, intuitive design used in
sportcars for decades. Just look at the old Lamborgini from the mid
70s. Chrysler isn't a poineer of this philosophy, but I must say that
their cars have certainly improved over the past 5 years... although I
still won't buy one.
remove ++ to e-mail
HOG FVR
Derrick Williams wrote:
>
> Incorrect, "cab-forward" design is a very real concept. Chrysler is the pioneer
> of this philosophy, pushing the wheels toward the corners and the windshield
> forward. Others have followed their lead (i.e. Pontiac wide track, "wider is
Pontiacs been using that SLOGAN since the 1960's,
> better"). Some may argue that this idea isn't new, but it seems that Chrysler
> brought it to the public's attention. My step-mother owns a 1994 New Yorker that
> is a "cab-forward" product. It is very comfortable and stable.
Comfortable compared to what? Any car in that class, or even
smaller with 1 or 2 people is can be comfortable.
> Don't get me
> wrong, there is a HUGE amount of hype behind a lot of products that aren't
> really better than their predecessors.
> -Derrick Williams
The HYPE for it is pretty HUGE, compared to it's actual value
for 90% of the buyers. After all how many cars do you see
that have 6 people in them? Most I see on my commute have 1,
maybe 2 people!
-- Karl Fengler
-- hog...@iname.com ---- or ---- karl_f...@hp.com --
-!! You Have Strayed Upon The Motorway To HELL !!-
- BRONCO*351 - FXDWG -
HOG FVR
Funny they don't mention that in their mini van commercials,
and that's the very same concept, to an extreme!!!
Jim Janecek
In article <199806020504...@ladder03.news.aol.com>,
snowm...@aol.com (SNOWMAN629) wrote:
> >It's mentioned quite often in the TV
> >>> car commercials.
>
> only in Chrysler commercials ( well maybe dodge too )
it means NO ROOM FOR 4WD.
(just trying to get the thread relate to the group somehow)
--
do not hit reply to email me (I don't read that account)
instead: janecek <at> tezcat <dot> com
thanks
Dan Hartung
SNOWMAN629 <snowm...@aol.com> wrote in article
<199806020504...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
> >It's mentioned quite often in the TV
> >>> car commercials.
>
> only in Chrysler commercials ( well maybe dodge too )
Well, Chrysler (particularly Dodge) made it a big selling point because
it became a design hallmark for their 90s generation of vehicles (Intrepid,
Stratus, heck -- even Neon and RAM), but it's evident in other brands
as well. For example, the VW New Beetle.
Stephen H. Westin
HOG FVR <hog...@iname.com> writes:
> Derrick Williams wrote:
> >
> > Incorrect, "cab-forward" design is a very real concept. Chrysler is the pioneer
> > of this philosophy, pushing the wheels toward the corners and the windshield
> > forward. Others have followed their lead (i.e. Pontiac wide track, "wider is
> > better"). Some may argue that this idea isn't new, but it seems that Chrysler
> > brought it to the public's attention. My step-mother owns a 1994 New Yorker that
> > is a "cab-forward" product. It is very comfortable and stable.
Well, I drove a couple of Ford Scorpios that were arguably more "cab
forward" than any Chrysler.
But really, "cab forward" basically means that the greenhouse sits
farther forward on the car; sort of the opposite of the '60s long
hood/short deck look.
There really isn't a lot of room to move the passenger compartment
forward. Engines aren't getting much smaller, there are things like
front suspension and driveline in the way, and crush space is needed
for front-end collisions. So "cab forward" tends to wind up with
moving the cowl (the base of the windshield) farther forward, away
from the driver. And perhaps moving the backlight header (the top of
the rear window) forward. Neither of these does anything good for
passenger space.
Chrysler's "cab forward" cars tend simply to have a cowl far forward
and rear wheels move aft. This tends to improve rear hip room at the
expense of trunk space. They don't manage to reduce the space taken by
the drivetrain; in the two cases I've looked at, the distance from the
driver's feet to the front bumper was slightly *greater* than in some
competitive vehicles.
I also am amused that the new LH's are billed as "the next generation
in cab-forward design", when their overhangs have *increased*:
i.e. the wheels are farther from the corners than they used to be.
So "cab forward" is a very successful Chrysler slogan; it's arguably a
styling fashion, but no more.
<snip>
--
-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not
represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.
HOG FVR
I didn't write any of this...
Stephen H. Westin wrote:
> HOG FVR <hog...@iname.com> writes:
-- Karl Fengler
Bruno Melli
JPoulos451 (jpoul...@aol.com) wrote:
: Pretty much nothing. Like when Chevy says driver control system or Ford says
: quality is job1. It is all ad hype.
Doesn't Cab forward means you have less stuff in front of you to shield you
in case of frontal impact ?
Seems to me the old VW bus has the concept pushed to the extreme with the
engine in the rear. I'd hate to be in a head on crash in one of those...
bruno.
Jeff McCallie
cab forward means just that, they stretched the cab forward to give
added room in the pasenger compartment. that equals less room in the
engine compartment. try working on one!
SLoukes
There is another term called 'forward control' here in the UK which means that
the steering mechanism is ahead of the front axle.
Could this be what cab-forward refers to?
Steve
Dan Hartung
SLoukes <slo...@aol.com> wrote in article
<199806092244...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
Not nearly. "Cab-forward" (as previously explained in this thread) is
the auto design philosophy that pulls the wheels out toward the corners,
puts the engine sideways or at least forward, and stretches out the
people-carrying area (cabin or cab) forward. You end up with
a generous amount of legroom (compared with same-size vehicles),
a gently sloping windshield (also a dashboard as wide as the
Sahara!), and a very driver-friendly wide-track road-hugging car.
Lots of good qualities.
Prominent in the design of many 1990s vehicles. Chrysler especially:
Dodge Intrepid, Dodge Stratus, Dodge Neon, Dodge Ram Truck
(and their cousins in Plymouth and Chrysler nameplates). The VW
New Beetle and Passat are somewhat cab-forward.
Chrysler made a big deal in their early 90s advertising campaigns;
few other manufacturers even note it. But it's becoming more common,
because of its virtues.
Very little to do with 4x4s, by the way ....
Moake Brian
There is much more leg room for the front passengers than other vehicles in their
class. My wife bought a 93 Concord in Nov. I only agreed to get it because of the
amount of room and the surpising amound of HP from the little 3.5L V6.
Technically it is in the class with Taurus/Contour/Mystique/(whatever that Merc
Taurus is called)...I am 6'8" and can not drive the Fords but have no problem with
the Concorde/Vision/Intrepid.
I also don't have much prob with the old T-bird/Cougar but they are technically in
a smaller class than those other Fords. They are still not as roomy as the LH body.
(Yes, I am using the rental car industry's ratings for class)
: I also am amused that the new LH's are billed as "the next generation
: in cab-forward design", when their overhangs have *increased*:
: i.e. the wheels are farther from the corners than they used to be.
: So "cab forward" is a very successful Chrysler slogan; it's arguably a
: styling fashion, but no more.
except passenger room.
I have not looked at the new BAB (Big Ass Butt) LH's and cannot include them in my
statements.
Stephen H. Westin
Moake Brian <iw...@jove.acs.unt.edu> writes:
> Stephen H. Westin <westin*nos...@graphics.cornell.edu> wrote:
> : HOG FVR <hog...@iname.com> writes:
> : Neither of these does anything good for passenger space.
> There is much more leg room for the front passengers than other
> vehicles in their class. My wife bought a 93 Concord in Nov. I only
> agreed to get it because of the amount of room and the surpising
> amound of HP from the little 3.5L V6.
> Technically it is in the class with
> Taurus/Contour/Mystique/(whatever that Merc Taurus is called)...I am
> 6'8" and can not drive the Fords but have no problem with the
> Concorde/Vision/Intrepid.
Sigh. The Taurus/Sable is about 10 inches shorter, overall, than an
LH. The Contour/Mystique are smaller than that. If there's a space
advantage in the LH, it's not through efficiency. I haven't checked
this for the current generation, but the previous LH actually used
more vehicle length for the drivetrain than the old Taurus.
> I also don't have much prob with the old T-bird/Cougar but they are
> technically in a smaller class than those other Fords. They are
> still not as roomy as the LH body.
> (Yes, I am using the rental car industry's ratings for class)
Then an intermediate could be anything from a Corolla to a
Thunderbird, depending on the airport and your discount package. The
rental classes have more to do with cost and what the traffic will
bear than with size.
> : I also am amused that the new LH's are billed as "the next generation
> : in cab-forward design", when their overhangs have *increased*:
> : i.e. the wheels are farther from the corners than they used to be.
> : So "cab forward" is a very successful Chrysler slogan; it's arguably a
> : styling fashion, but no more.
> except passenger room.
Then why did they get bigger, but with no more headroom? Seven inches
of extra length, but just a couple of inches of extra legroom? The
DN101 Taurus suffers from the same disease; it's significantly bigger
on the outside than its DN5 predecessor, but with much less gain in
interior space.
> I have not looked at the new BAB (Big Ass Butt) LH's and cannot
> include them in my statements.
--