---

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

[/align] Some motorists may be too big for their cars.[/align]
The growing girth of Americans is colliding with government-mandated warning labels on all 2006 or newer cars that list the maximum weight — passengers and cargo — that's safe to carry.

Many two-seat sports cars, including Mazda MX-5 Miata and Chevrolet (GM) Corvette, aren't certified to carry two 200-pound adults, according to a government formula aimed at tire safety.

Many five-passenger vehicles are rated about 850 pounds, maxxing out if their five occupants weigh more than 170 pounds each. Six 200-pounders would overload the seven-passenger Dodge Grand Caravan minivan.

At 265 pounds, Ron Larson of Henderson, Nev., says he and his 150-pound wife were unaware of the limitations two years ago when they leased a Cadillac XLR two-seater with a 362-pound capacity. "If the dealership knew there was a weight restriction, they should have told us," he says. And the information should be on the window sticker, not the door frame, he says.


The XLR can carry more, but hasn't been certified for it, says Terry Connolly, GM energy and drive quality director. "When we put a label on a vehicle, we need to be conservative."


Honda (HMC) spokesman Sage Marie says that beyond the 400-pound weight limit in the S2000 two-seater, "We can't be responsible for the vehicle's dynamic characteristics," although an undisclosed safety margin is built in.

---