Comment by Braxton1980

It's also due to the size of the vehicles that are popular today. SUVs and pickup trucks(used as family vehicles).

However the increase has also been offset with weight savings in other places.

- The use of aluminum in suspension components and body panels

- Long ago the move to unibody over body on frame for small cars

- smaller engines, V8s weigh more than an inline 4 cylinder and require heavier suspension components.

For example a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th weighs around 3200lbs which is slightly heavier than a 2022 VW Golf GTI (3150~)

I see comments that blame safety technology (electronic components) for increasing the weight of a car but a blind spot monitoring system probably weighs less than 5lbs. A rear camera is also around that.

Structural safety and airbags do add to a cars weight but these changes have made cars extremely safe.