What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

ateixeira · February 2013

With paddles, even.

And it's a good auto - at the Zoom Zoom Live event the automatics were lapping quicker than the sticks.

andre1969 · February 2013

Yeah, you'd think if they can fit a 6AT in the Miata...

But, I wonder if there's enough room under the hood of a Mazda2 for a 6-speed automatic to fit sideways? At least, I'm presuming a 6-speed would take up more space than a 4-speed, but could be wrong.

Another thing to consider is that, there are several aspects to an economy car. There's good fuel economy, and a cheap base price. They might be able to get better economy out of a Mazda2 with a 6-speed auto, but would the improved fuel economy offset the increased cost?

And, comparing the Mazda2 to its peers, its 28/34 rating isn't too bad. The Yaris is a touch better, at 30/36. The Versa, with the 4-speed auto, is 26/35. However, with the CVT it's 31/40. The Fit is 28/35 with the 5-speed auto, or 27/33 with the "S5" auto.

Kirstie_H · February 2013

A reporter would like to speak to a new MINI owner. If you have purchased a MINI in the last 6 months and would like to share your story, please send your daytime contact info to pr@edmunds.com no later than Friday, Feb 8, 2013 at noon PT/3 p.m. ET.

bpizzuti · February 2013

It should really fit unless the problem is that it doesn't fit vertically.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2013

gear the Mazda2 for acceleration? Who cares about going fast in a Mazda2? How goofy. The car is just going to be slow no matter what they do, unless of course they turbo-charge it.

How about ghastly mileage being more of a concern? If I bought one I'd drive it hard if I wanted, putz around like a Grandpa in town if I wanted. I'd have a ball with the thing, gear-head bewazzled or not.

But a car like this should get at least 40 mpg, it's ridiculous that it doesn't. Oh well. Still my favorite Mazda by a long George Bush drive. Now watch this drive!

Zoom-zoom

kreuzer · May 2013

info on the toyota yaris 4 door hatchback in rear end collisions? I like this car a lot, but worry about back seat riders in a rear end collision. Would like to hear from all who have had good/bad stories having to do with real life safety with the Yaris. Don't mean to drum up any bad memories, so please forgive me!
Thanks all

thegraduate · May 2013

Check out crash tests; they're going to give you a better idea of how the Yaris fares in crashes better than anecdotal evidence. Obviously if you're hit by a big rig, the less crumple space between you and the truck, the more likely you are to be "run over" in the back seat, but otherwise, there aren't many "unsafe" small cars on the road these days.

okieeagle · June 2013

Well, I guess Ford has fixed the footwell problem in the 2013 Fusion model. I just purchased one, I'm 6'2" and have not noticed any issue with the footwell. In fact, it is quite roomy.

stever · June 2013

Consumers' Favorites: Best Economy Cars

stever · June 2013

A reporter would like to speak to a buyer of a Techno Pink Chevy Spark. If this is you, and you would like to share your story, please send your daytime contact information to pr@edmunds.com no later than Monday, June 17, 2013 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

andre1969 · June 2013

I drove a 2013 Fusion this past weekend, at a Ford-sponsored test drive event. Actually, I was impressed at the location and angle of the dead pedal. It worked fine for my 35" inseam and size 12 foot.

The main areas where the Fusion came up short for me was in the back seat. Legroom was tight, and I had to crouch to keep from touching the ceiling. Overall, both front and rear, the car is not as roomy as the 44.3" front and 38.3" rear legroom numbers might suggest. I could still fit in the front, but when they throw around numbers that generous, I'm expecting a seat that goes back so far I can barely reach the pedals.

typesix · June 2013

Ford has been going in reverse as far as backseat room for several models. The Fusion, Escape and Taurus all have less backseat room than previous versions. Same for the 2013 Chevy Malibu, so much that it's one of the reasons the Malibu is being redesigned for more backseat room. The new Toyota Avalon is same, with decreased backseat room.

andre1969 · June 2013

Yeah, I noticed it in the Taurus (versus the 500) and Avalon as well, and the Malibu was, IMO, an especially serious offender. One exception though, is the 2014 Impala, which I found quite comfortable, both front and rear.

The outgoing Avalon seemed huge inside to me, compared to a Camry. But with the new one, I don't see nearly as much difference. I wouldn't say they're totally redundant yet, because at least the Avalon does look more upscale.

Yet, at the same time, it seems like the smaller cars keep on getting bigger. It's to the point now that some models marketed as compacts, such as the Cruze, Dart, and Sentra, are technically at the low end of the midsized segment, according to the EPA. IIRC, the Civic was very close, but not quite, at the compact/midsize threshold. I imagine that the 2014 Corolla, which is on something like a 106" wheelbase, will technically be a midsize as well.

I noticed the 2013 Accord seems a bit smaller inside than the preceding model, as well. But, to maintain some legroom dimensions, it seemed like it used smaller, thinner seats.

igozoomzoom · June 2013

The 2013 Accord actually has a bit more legroom than the 2012 (38.5" vs 37.2"). Overall, the 2013 has 103 cu ft. or passenger space versus 106 cu ft. in the 2012.

But you are correct about the current 2010-2013 Taurus vs. the 2005-2009 Five Hundred/Taurus. The older car was 108 cu ft. and the current model has 102 cu ft. of interior space. Rear leg room decreased from 41.2" to 38.1" (3.1" less in the current model).

nippononly · December 2013

Looks like Fiesta is the first sub to significantly pass the 40-mpg threshold, with the new 45 MPG SFE model with the 3-cylinder turbo. More power than a Honda Fit, and 12 more mileage points on the highway as well!

Of course, the new Fit debuts in a few short months, and I am assuming that since it has been left in the fuel economy dust, Honda will have made major improvements. The small cars should lead the way to good fuel economy IMO, yet they don't because manufacturers want to keep them cheap (and hence low-tech) and don't want them competing too hard with their precious hybrids.

The only car to break this mold is the Prius C - $2500 more than the Fiesta SFE at base price, and with EPA numbers of 53/46. So it is fairly cheap, and has great gas mileage as well. It's also slower than dirt and despite its inherent advantage of low weight has crappy handling (and super numb controls, but that's another story).

Would love to see one of the fun-to-drive subs come out with a diesel (or hybrid) powertrain while keeping the fun baked in.

Fiesta was one of the top ten selling cars worldwide this year (and Polo was another). Imagine that: two subcompacts in the top ten! (And Fiesta sold more than 66,000 here in the U.S., pretty impressive for a subcompact...they are catching on more all the time! )

nippononly · April 2014

Did anybody notice that Buick's biggest sales success story this year is the (technically subcompact) Encore? Could be a big new sales trend towards these subcompact CUVs in the next few years.

I think the HRV (Honda's entry in this segment based on the Fit) is kinda weird looking. My fave is still the Juke, so there's no accounting for taste! :-P

stever · April 2014

The HR-V hasn't been on my radar. Maybe the Encore should be. We're looking at storage closely; the Encore has ~48 cubes with the rear seat down, the Soul has around 60 and the xB is 70.

The magic seats in the HR-V would be appealing.

The upcoming Chevy Trax has some Jukey fender bumps, and looks a bit boxier in the back. (I like Jukes too, but the roofline kills cargo).

PF_Flyer · April 2014

@nippononly said:
Did anybody notice that Buick's biggest sales success story this year is the (technically subcompact) Encore? Could be a big new sales trend towards these subcompact CUVs in the next few years.

>

I think that we're seeing economic effects more than anything. I'm seeing a LOT more lower price point (and therefore, smaller compact and subcompact) vehicles on the road. I've thought all along that prices on vehicles have gotten too high, and based on the number of Versa sedans (which I don't particularly care for) I'm seeing on the roads, that entry level pricing seems to be pretty popular

nippononly · April 2014

It's nice that we are seeing more and more models with better equipment and nicer materials like you could only get in bigger cars before. That will bring more people into the fold I think.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2014

Nope it only weighs about 2300 pounds, and the reason it gets such lousy gas mileage is that it is geared for acceleration. It's quite speedy around town.

Upon another year of time and further thought on the matter, my current thinking is we're paying about $3.49 a gallon for unleaded regular here in Alamogordo, NM, now. If I were to trade for a 2015 Mazda 2 in December 2014 or so, the fact that the Mazda 2 is geared for acceleration is actually very cool with me. I would just make sure I bought the 5-speed or 6-speed that Mazda will place in the "Hazumi" 2 for 2015, to be able to enjoy it to the full.

What's making this more fun for me is I actually like and almost love the current 2 enough to pretty much be interested in making the outgoing Mazda 2 my daily driver. It's that little frontward tilt to it and the Mazda "smiley-face" front end looks more stylish or acceptable in the little 2 than it does on the Mazda 3 or Mazda 6.

I don't want a car payment again and the '08 Lancer GTS is at 123,000 miles and counting and running like a champ. So I'll only trade when I need to and don't want a payment again, the Mitsu is paid off, thankfully. But if I had an automotive "wild hair" day this would probably be the little rig I would trade for. I'm thinking with the Lancer GTS' value in trade I could get smallish payments in the $200-$250 a month range for only 3 years or so.

nippononly · April 2014

Bad news about the next-gen Mazda2 (and the Yaris that will be based on it) and the new Honda Fit coming this fall are they will all be built in Mexico, as opposed to Japan where they are all built now.

Historically the Japanese (and most others) have done a bad job of transplanting their build quality to Mexican auto plants.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2014

That is not the best of news. Might have to wait and evaluate the build quality for a bit.

andre1969 · April 2014

@iluvmysephia1 said:
That is not the best of news. Might have to wait and evaluate the build quality for a bit.

Hey now, my 2012 Ram came from Mexico...don't put a curse on me, now!

iluvmysephia1 · April 2014

Having said that, I can't see Honda or Toyota or Mazda putting up with shoddy quality of any of their cars made anywhere. If it's got their name on it, right? Right. That's how we need ta think about that, right, andre1969?

stever · April 2014

A reporter would like to speak to a car shopper under the age of 34 who is unsure whether you should lease or buy. If this is you, please send your daytime contact info to pr@edmunds.com by Friday, May 2, 2014 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

benjaminh · June 2014

The all-new 2014 Mini, with its BMW-engineered 1.5 liter 3-cylinder turbo, is rated 42 mpg on the highway by the epa. Impressive!

But does anyone who owns one have any real-world results that equal that?

Ford's Ecoboost engines seem to have trouble meeting their epa ratings in the real world, and I'm wondering if the same is true here or not.

What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

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