Take a look at this size comparison of the robots sent to Mars...It explains why Spirit, Opportunity and Sojourner could use the bouncing balloon (airbag) landing and Curiosity used the sky-crane landing. Curiosity's EDL (Entry, Descent and Landing) also allowed for much greater accuracy in hitting a particular landing site.
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Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) mockup (right) compared with the Mars Exploration Rover
(Spirit/Opportunity) (left) and Sojourner Rover (center) by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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| Wheel size comparison: Sojourner, Mars Exploration Rover (Spirit/Opportunity), Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity).
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