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The way I look at it, I can enjoy the lighter weight and better fuel economy* of the smart every day, while I would only enjoy the marginally better crash protection of a larger car once. We all must die sometime, and one day is as good as any other.
* true, a TDI Golf can do about as well as a gas smart, but a diesel smart would whoop up on it
Of course, you are right - we do need cheaper diesels over here ASAP.
The $23,090 price was probably for the outgoing Mark V model.
So we're talking ~$10,000 more than a Smart ForTwo. Not exactly the same price class. With incentives you could probably buy a pair of ForTwos and have those 4 seats after all!
TDIs get a tax rebate, though, how much again?
For me what kills a diesel is that the fuel itself costs a good 10% more around here.
Real-world? My car sits at work for ten hours in 25F temps.. I get heat in less than a mile (about three minutes)... According to the article, the TDI is much longer than that... and on extra cold days... very, very weak heat, if any at all...
That's a dealbreaker for me...
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In contrast, our Subaru produces good heat after ~2 miles of driving. The heated seats are a bonus because they warm up in just seconds. :shades:
The Miata's heat system is also good.
Now... where I live, you can find diesel just about everywhere... but, slow/weak heat, and evidently, only one guy named Jurgen in each state that really knows how to do the proper maintenance... and well.. I'll just take a pass...
If I drove 30K mi./yr, and lived in a warmer climate... the resale and fuel mileage might be worth it.... but, for me? I'd rather have a GTI, than a Golf TDI... about the same price, too...
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http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/14/top-gear-takes-the-new-fiat-500-diesel-out-- for-a-spin/
This is what we need, though. Small, frugal, and a better alternative to the Smart.
I've had a similar experience...my Pilot warms slowly, and even when it is warm, it never feels like the heater is very strong. And I'm usually pretty sensitive to too much heat. None of my previous Hondas have been this weak. The Forester I had previously, though, that sucker kicked out heat early, and lots of it. Subaru knows their market, that's for sure.
In that C&D article, they were saying the TDI was cool even in 40 degree weather, which isn't even that cold. They need the spec heating the Canada model gets, I guess.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-2011-fiat-500-1-2-european-spec/
Sigh. The older I get the more I think it's just plain bigotry by the Japanese and Europeans that they treat us like 50IQ idiots when it comes to the bumbed-down cars that we are offered in the U.S. It's almost as if they are *trying* to make these cars fail.
Yes, they do.
Not only does the heat pump out early and plentifully, but also the heated side mirrors not only melt ice but also warm up and make rain evaporate. Even in a misty rain they stay completely clear.
My Sienna has heated mirrors, but they only work to clear ice, and are not effective in rain the way our Subaru is. Notable difference.
Also, the Forester gets one more bonus - wiper de-icers. They clear the area where the wipers park, and prevent ice build-up. I'll take every little bit of help I can get.
When it snows, my wife and I fight over who "gets" to take the Forester. Loser takes the Sienna.
And my Miata?
No way, it stays parked. Summer tires. Even the torsen works like an open diff on ice.
She has a long, 45 minutes to an hour, mostly highway or mountain back road commute. Perfect for a torquey diesel engine.
The problem is she just can't drive a manual and I won't spend 1,200 bucks more for the DSG that requires a 400 plus dollar service every 45,000 miles.
She learned on her own after buying her first new car - a 79 mazda glc wagon - with a 4-speed manual. They learn quickly when they have to drive it home.
I have even tried teaching her on old junk trades that don't matter and she still gets too nervous.
That was many moons ago...now they are married, have a kid, and my brother still complains about driving that car. :P
The Legacy has real snow tires on it (of course this year its only snowed 2x) but that thing is a tank. And that's on the days the Accord is frustrating to get out of the sub-division.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
Americans Still Shunning Small Cars Even As Gas Prices Rise (Straightline)
When AutoPacific asked consumers in January of last year if they would consider a small car to replace their current car, 24% said yes. That number dropped to 12% by January of 2010.
This is obviously written to make it LOOK like the number WILLING to trade for a smaller car dropped by half. But without knowing how many of that 24% ACTUALLY traded for a smaller car in that timeframe, we don't know what the actual decrease was (if a decrease at all).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
(Green Car Advisor)
:P
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
So far,so good from what I can tell. Looks like the concept isn't getting the normal watering down. Interior is intact, too.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
But it leaves me wondering how this slots in with the Cruze. (??)
Are we talking like Corolla vs Yaris? The proportions of this pic make it seem like it is darned close to the Cruze. Whereas the Yaris looks cartoonish.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
IMO, that's just too much overlap, something Chevy has had a problem with for years. I know it's sort of a lame duck and on its way out, but the Impala just isn't big enough, IMO, to be Chevy's "big" car. To me, it feels like a step down from a 1978-83 Malibu (I could at least fit in the back seat of one of those without hitting my head, or twisting my legs into obscene positions). Meanwhile the current Malibu seems like a slight step down from the old Celebrity (a bit tight on legroom in back for me, but oddly better than the Impala, and shoulder room definitely more suited for a compact). So if the Cruze ends up being like a Corsica, IMO that's just too close to the Malibu. And truth be told, the old Cavalier really wasn't that much smaller than the Corsica.
Ford and Chrysler, at least, seemed to do a better job differentiating their size classes. For instance, while the new Taurus (or the old Taurus/500/Montego/Sable) doesn't quite feel "full sized" to me, it definitely feels bigger inside than a Fusion/Milan, which in turn is a definite step up in size from a Focus.
Chrysler's really just down to two cars now, the Sebring/Avenger and 300/Charger. But again, while the 300/Charger (or the old Intrepid/Concorde/300M) never felt quite "full-sized", there was still a noticeable difference from the midsized cars, which again were a notable step up from a Neon.
I can see the rationale for the Japanese cars moving up the size rung, as they built nothing but small cars when they first came to the US, so they've spread out into just about all size classes. As some models moved up, there was room to bring in new models. But with the domestic brands, they already had larger cars (and if anything, the biggest cars are either standing pat, shrinking slightly, or getting dropped altogether). So in this case, moving the smaller cars up just causes them to compete with existing models.
I see a bit of Lancer in the greenhouse, but overall it definitely looks like a Chevy should.
The interior looks great. Consider the price class - IMHO this puts the Yaris to shame (I hate center-mounted gauges).
My wife will only drive a manual. She hates autos. Which greatly reduces our replacement vehicle options. Though I suspect it will be easy - the 1.8T jetta gets replaced with a decked out TDI 6spd. I doubt I would even need to say anything about it.
I apologize if these questions have been answered, I'm not keeping up too well these days!
A friend just bought one because he's over 6ft tall and its the only sedan he could find where he could have his seat in the proper spot and a rear facing child seat behind him!
As for the car - runs circles around the competition on price and options.
Bringing this full circle, I'd like to see Subaru improve the mileage on the Impreza. Right now a Legacy 2.5i is actually more fuel efficient!
I gotta confess, I'm not keeping up like I used to, either.
I think the main reason I could fit better in the back of the Malibu/Aura is that I could splay my legs and straddle the seat in front of me, but I couldn't do that with the Impala, so I had to practically sit sideways. The seats in the Malibu/Aura do have those little cutouts in the back for your knees, but they're way too low for mine.
IIRC, the Impala's back seat is also a bit higher than the Malibu's, and sometimes I've found that actually makes it tighter for me, since my legs are now more straight-out, rather than angled upward, so I need more fore/aft room, or whatever they call that measurement.
I have to admit though, I've been a bit impressed with the Aveos I've sat in at auto shows. I know they're usually ragged on as miserable little cars, but I don't think they're that bad. While there's no denying that they're small cars, they're actually roomier inside than I thought they'd be.
2008+ Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
I'm thinkin' Mitsubishi has this thing down better than The General.
2012 Chevrolet Aveo
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I think it also helps that the Lancer's grille seems wider and larger, while the headlights are smaller and a bit more toned down. I also like the way the Lancer has that forward thrust to it, and with the overall shape of the upper and sub-grille, with its surround, evokes slight memories of the 1957-59 Chrysler 300 Letter Series cars.
Still, not a bad effort for the Aveo.
Look at BMW - the 3 series looks fine. Apply the same style to the 1 series - it looks kinda dorky.
Though I agree - the Lancer is better executed.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
An Aveo doesn't compete with a Lancer or a Civic.... It's a Yaris or Fit... If you can buy that car for the low-mid teens, like the last one, it will be a big hit... Nice family resemblance to the Malibu..
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Still no news of the Polo.....will it or won't it for the U.S.? Have I missed a vital bit of news on that front?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
At the car show, they had the new Mazda 2 and the new Ford Fiesta.. both nice looking sub-sub-compacts, in four door hatch form..
Are those built off the same platform? Unfortunately, they had them roped off on a viewing stand..
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I am waiting to experience the Fiesta a little bit and looking forward to the sport version. The Mazda2 at NAIAS seemed to have a very different feel to them, in styling and execution, and sitting inside. Neither car is ready, so I don't know what they brought in terms of prototypes to display.
How different was the VW Fox from the Polo from that time era? I remember the Fox wagon felt a lot like the Rabbit I used to drive occasionally.
We were just noting the resemblance, though, especially the green house.
Mazda2 and Fiesta indeed share a platform. I'm curious to try both to see which drives sportier.
I thought I had read somewhere that VW will be bringing the Polo to the US in the next year or two.
A Polo GTI with the 1.4 TFSI would be quite fun, IMHO.