with this "racing version" of the European Car of the Year. A 5-speed manual tranny and a 1.4L turbo 4 cyl producing 135hp and 152 ft-lb torque is this little buzzbomb's powertrain. Included on the dash is a analog guage for turbo pressure and a little LED light that comes on to tell the driver when to shift. Huh? Does someone need that? Oh well, this little sparkplug is going to the Geneva Auto Show shortly. This is the type of car that I wish the people over here would support and ask for. The success of the Mini and the possible success of the SmartForTwo might swing things towards more subcompact car support.
For this car you would want to buy one with the stick shift, for sure, eh?
i rented an echo, which is a yaris with an older body. i never drove a car that screamed 'cheap' as much as that car. about 6 months ago i rented a kia rio also with an auto trans. it was a much better car and got really good gas mileage.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Don't forget that podred's Yaris S is the hatchback - 4 inches less of wheelbase will contribute to a noticeable improvement in handling among other things. None of the magazines have tested the S hatchback, as it has only been out a few months. All the Yaris S tests you read will be of the sedan.
As far as magazine "sluggish" comments go, podred was referring to the base Mini Cooper, NOT the S, in his comparative comments. If you will look up a few acceleration comparisons you will discover (lo and behold!) that the Yaris and the Cooper are within a half a second of each other in the 0-60, some drives putting them almost even. And the Yaris has a very flat torque curve, so it pulls strongly at around town speeds.
iluv: yeah, I saw the announcement of the Abarth going to the auto show next month. It is a CRIME we don't get cars like this in the U.S.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I believe you have a valid point. Sometimes I believe the support of the vehicle is more for the future of other small cars rather the Smart itself. Other than its small size the Smart doesn't have much going for it.
I'm sure the Fiat 500 Abarth will be a real hoot. Abarth have a long history of doing amazing things with small Fiats. AFAIK there will be a manual 'box only. Auto in an Abarth would be like putting a manual into a RR Phantom - no market. Having now seen a few new Fiat 500's on the road, I have to say it looks really good. They've done a great job of building a new car with the spirit of the old one, (unlike the BMW MINI which bears no relation to the real thing IMO).
As for the "gear change" LED - no, nobody needs it; it's just a little race-car type gimmick to add a smile. Probably cost about 10 cents to fit and adds 25gm weight, (guessing), so where's the problem? I can think of other bits of kit that are fitted to cars that add far more in cost and weight that we could do without - sunroof on a car with A/C, electric rear windows, power seats, remote fuel filler release, power tailgate/boot lid, (trunk). Need I go on ? Yes, some are nice to have but do we really need 'em ?
I didn't think the Civic felt too bad, and ditto the Saturn Astra. I guess I'd call them "snug". And the Versa and Sentra aren't too bad, either, but a little tighter feeling to me. Didn't really care for the feel of the Yaris, Fit, or Aveo, though. And one thing that I found odd about the 2008 Corolla (or are they calling it an '09?) is that the LE model, with the extra seat adjustments, doesn't seem like the seat goes back as far as it did with the '03-07 style.
I was sort of hoping for more from the Smart, though. I figured that since it didn't have a back seat, that they'd be a bit more generous with front seat legroom.
I didn't sit in a Mini this time around, but I seem to remember the previous model was okay with legroom, but was tight with elbow room. The Focus has always seemed tight to me, legroom wise. Now the Cobalt/G5 and Caliber feel pretty good to me, legroom-wise, but they're starting to push the envelope of what a small car should be, especially with regards to weight and fuel economy.
"Don't forget that podred's Yaris S is the hatchback - 4 inches less of wheelbase will contribute to a noticeable improvement in handling among other things. None of the magazines have tested the S hatchback, as it has only been out a few months. All the Yaris S tests you read will be of the sedan."
I was pretty sure he was comparing it to his cooper S. And yes Technoride and Car and Driver are talking a two door "liftback" Yaris S. Not as sure about US news.
If it goes into the speed shop there will be a lot of work to bring it up to something like a Mazda Speed. That will change the whole ball game admittedly but buying HP is one very expensive proposition. Unless he does something like they do to the CRX a speed shop is going to have a hard time making the Yaris S a Cooper S killer let alone a street rod sleeper.
I see things like this a lot at the little strips for the import crowd. They do improve their cars a lot but not enough to to take down the hopped up Civics, Accords, Sentras, and Mazdas. The little motor in the Yaris just gives everyone else too big of a head start. I don't know how it is for you in your area but down here they are all over the road like ants.
Good post. And too the point about the changes in philosophy in building the new generation of small cars. What most of us loved about some of the old small cars was simplicity and light weight. I did love some of the old Italian cars even if I got to know my mechanic by his first name.
Many of these little cars of the past were interesting but they were easily over shadowed by what the majority of the buying public wanted and so we simply don't get to see such cars here anymore. It isn't that they don't work or that no one would buy them it is just that not enough people are interested in a basic car with very few options when you can get ones with most of those options for about the same price. You mentioned power seats and hatch releases. You might add power windows and automatic door locks. Yet many of these options are almost standard on even entry level cars. I haven't seen may new cars with manual windows in a while even though I am sure they still make them. I am not talking about on the lot I am talking about in peoples driveways. People's values have changed and the basic car has suffered. At least in the US.
This sounds something like my friend's long ago Tercel 2-door. I fit in the back, and was stunned. And you can get a TRD rear bar for this, and shocks/springs if you're so inclined. I would think the 185/60s would be OK, those are 'tall' these days!
At least the availability of the Smart will, to some extent, eliminate the "Europe/Japan has all those small cars, they'd be hits if they'd just sell them over here." discussions.
"At least the availability of the Smart will, to some extent, eliminate the "Europe/Japan has all those small cars, they'd be hits if they'd just sell them over here." discussions."
I think a lot of that is wishful thinking on the part of people that haven't driven some of those cars. There was a time when we had access to many of the cars driven in Europe. Believe it or not i once had a NSU Prince. I can't even remember if it has 900 CCs. We have had Renaults, Peugeots, Fiats all flops in our country. Subaru started out selling some real small cars and almost lost their shirt. Suzuki has a few tiny cars they had to pull off of the market. The real issue is the people want the opportunity to try or even buy some of the cars they see but would quickly discover they have limited appeal. Whenever I read about how Europe gets such great little cars and we are deprived I simply say to myself, Fiat X-19, LeCar, Yugo.
in the old numbers would be about 38/46 or so. I am sure someone has the link to the EPA's on-line calculator handy, plug it in and tell us all. Pulling 40 mpg in all-city driving, as I am sure many would do if it was rated for 38, is a very significant differential over pretty much ALL the cars on the market, including the subcompacts.
And what if it is more fun to drive and/or much easier to park? I'm not talking about that silly front-in curbside parking they keep demonstrating in the pictures I have seen and at the dealerships, I am talking about squeezing it between two cars parallel to the curb.
Plus it's tall and therefore spacious on the inside.
I don't mean to so vehemently defend the Smart cars, and I agree they represent a niche like many sports/sporty cars do, but it is silly to just dismiss them out of hand. For some significant percentage of people, especially commuters, the Smart would serve all usual driving needs on a weekly basis.
Stopped by a Toyota dealer last night, almost got talked into trading in the Echo for a Yaris S hatch. Darn, that thing is cute! And it has a nicer interior by far than the sedan, which was designed by a different team in a different country (here in the States, I believe). I am thinking the base 'S' with only cruise and alloys added. I prefer manual accessories (locks windows mirrors), which make even more sense in a 2-door than they do in my 4-door Echo.
boaz: "The real issue is the people want the opportunity to try or even buy some of the cars they see but would quickly discover they have limited appeal." Those are the softies! :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes you are correct my friend. It was those softies however that chased the small car out of the showroom and in some cases out of the country. It would be nice if you could import whatever you wanted and we didn't have to worry about safety regulations that the NHTSA keep pushing like they do. But for you and I these cars are right next door. Many of these small cars can be had in Mexico and still they don't make it over the border. You live farther from me than the Mexican car dealers.
But they don't import them because they are afraid the softies as you call them won't bite. Those softies killed your Echo. Now maybe that failure has worked towards the Yaris' benefit because it has put together a cadre of loyal Yaris owners that are a loyal as old VW owners. But putting an S on a Toyota isn't like a SI on a Honda or a Mazdaspeed on a Mazda of a Spec V on a Nissan. As you have said they didn't even upgrade the sway bar. The bigger tires and a S do not a sport car make. Not with 106 HP and 103 LBF. of torque.
40/45 for 2007. Early reports seem to be in the mid 30s for city driving and 40-50 for highway trips; pretty good for a brand new car that hasn't been broken in yet (deliveries started a month ago).
33/40 doesn't seem too outstanding mpg for such a tiny car.
It is when you consider that using the same EPA figures most non hybrid small cars only get low to mid 30's highway. That means that the Smarts city mileage comes very close to most cars highway mileage.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The hatchback has a few advantages:(test drove and poked around in both today in fact)
- The dash has that nice upper glovebox. - The armrest in the sedan is so far back that it's useless so no big deal there. - The rear seats in the hatchback *recline* and move back and forth! - The headroom is 3-4 inches higher as a result. I hit my head at 5'7" in the rear on the sedan and was comfy exactly like in the Fit in the hatchback) - Less weight. - There is a nice flap that you can put over the gap between the rear seats and the back "trunk" area. This gives you a pretty useable and nearly flat loading area. Actually it measured better than a 2009 Matrix in all dimensions except for length! You can actually fit a larger box in the hatch than in a Matrix. Go figure.
What it needs immediately: - Replace brakes with dual piston after-market models. Doubly so if you don't have the ABS option. - Alloy wheels. 14 inch alloys from a Corolla or similar car are fine. You want 14 inchers because the thing badly needs taller profile tires to smooth out the ride. I had 13 inchers on my old Mercedes so 14s are more than adequate for such a small car.(might even consider 13 alloys and taller tires - save some serious money) - Beefed up rear swaybar/etc. The rear end is dodgy, to be honest. But a simple $200 after-market "fix" is all it likely needs. - Better speakers. The radio is fine, though. - A place to store CDs that's out of the sun.
Wow, you are and I are on exactly the same page. It needs a rear sway just like its predecessor the Echo did. That rear sway makes a world of difference.
I like the design of the 15" alloys so much that I would just order those with the car - that's a 185/60 tire I believe, which is smooth-riding enough for me while still providing good response when you turn the wheel.
The stereo sounds like crap to my untrained ear. I would want separate tweeters in addition to replacing all the stock speakers. Toyota radios generally aren't better than barely adequate either, but I would wait to hear what it sounded like with the upgraded speakers before changing out the head unit.
The brakes I would probably leave alone just because it is such a small light car, but it would be nice if the 'S' had rear discs to go with the ABS.
The amount of room inside this car, even for rear passengers, is absolutely AMAZING given its exterior size.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm 6'3", around 200 lb. Maybe I'm longer in the legs, than you, though? All I remember was that the seat was low enough that my butt cheeks were the only thing touching the base cushion, and that left my thighs unsupported.
One thing I have to admit getting a small car allows people to drive a lot more like they did when they could afford a big car or SUV. When I bought the Tahoe I knew I would get less than half the mileage I got with the Focus. What that does is when I do take the Tahoe out I drive like I have a egg under the gas pedal. I use Cruise control and set it to a reasonable cruising speed whenever I get the chance. With the Focus I would drive a lot more agressively. I notice the same thing with other people in smaller cars. They jump off of the lights and wind their cars out to try and keep up with traffic heading out of town on the weekends. How do I know they are winding them up? Just ask my friend Nippon how many RPM his Echo is pulling at 65 and 75 MPH. My Tahoe is doing about 1600 RPM at 65 and 1800 at 75. My Focus was pulling down about 3000.
I have a rather extensive car collection of mostly new (1905 and newer) exotics: Ferrari F40, F50 F430, luxury/performance euro cars ie: BMW, M3, M5. M6. MBZ, SL65 (V-12) AMG, E63 AMG, Aston Martin DB9 Coupe,
Then some not so exotic or luxurious but "fun" cars: 05 Mini Cooper S, 08 Yaris S Hatch, 06 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, 08 Corvette Z06, etc.
So with choices like these guess which ones I enjoy the most when it comes to day to day driving around the city our out for a weekend in the typical Pacifi Coast, Hwy 1, Traffic? (I live in Newport Beach).
Yes you guessed it, I like to be in either the Mini Cooper S or the Yaris, now that I have had it turbocharged which, along with some other mods have brought it up a nice 188 hp on the Dyno. These cars are so zippy, mauverable, and fit in so well so as to not be notice for the most part. It's nice to be a able to refuel wihout drawing a crowd.
Sure the others are in some cases World Class Cars, but after it's all said and done the places they can be driven (not just motoring around in congested traffic) are quite limited.
Now when it comes to trips over 100 miles, then the Aston is a very nice car to drive as are any of the MBZ's or BMW's.
As far as the Ferraris are concernded, I only take those to car shows, or out on Track Days with some of my ex-racer friends, as having raced together years ago. We are safe on the track together and therefore it's quite a fun time. I mean, why have a terrific Ferrari if you cannot take it out and just jump on it ! To experience the true capabilities of the car is one aural and physical delight.
My Boat was in Newport for years. There is no time during the day you can "enjoy" driving on PCH or Newport Blvd. But I can see the Mini as a daily driver maybe the 3 series. A charged Yota would be like taking a quarter horse on a packing trip with all the lights on PCH. There was a joke some of us made about navigation along the coast between Santa Monica and San Diego. "Just look for the most BMWs and MBs and you knew you were across from Newport."
We were down by Josh Slocums just down the street from the Ferrari and RR dealer.
I have been in the Mountains for the last 19 years but when we go down to visit friends on Balboa we are depressed by the traffic on PCH. In fact the traffic on the 55, 22, 5, and the 405 is depressing even on the weekend. What tracks are left down there now? Is Carlsbad still open? I think the last time I was there it was for a birthday party at the Balboa Bay Club.
Hey podred, now that you have powered up the Yaris, have you lowered it at all? Did you put a rear sway on it? At 2300 pounds, the weight of the Yaris is very much in its favor for sportifying endeavors! :-)
Oh, and boaz: the Echo is very relaxed at speed. Using my ear and 25 years of aural 4-cylinder experience, I would say it is turning about 2600-2700 at 65 mph, and a shade under 3000 rpm at 75 in fifth. Very manageable, the noise is not intrusive at all IMO. But then, tire roar is the noisy aspect of that car's character.
As for "winding it up", that's half the fun of driving a small 4-cylinder car! :-) But the Echo is so light, I don't have to wind it up to pass most of the cattle (minivans and SUVs ;-)) on the highway
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Naah, I looked up the gear ratios (0.864 5th and 3.526 final) and tire size (906 revolutions per mile) and did the math. Toyota threw just about every nonhybrid trick in the book at it, which is why it gets as good mileage as it does.
Wish me luck. I am adding this car as an extra, as I already drive a 2007 Lexus sportscar that cant be beat. I just need a change, space for shi tzu, golf clubs, and camera equipment and this little car has it. When the hard top goes down on the Lexus, into the truck, space is gone and the back seat is similar to Porsch. I think I will love it. Wait and see! Only fancy stuff it has is the navigation system and the big radio. R
The market for it dried up. By 1995, people who bought SUVs either wanted them to haul their kids to school or to go rock climbing. Same reason the 2-door Explorer and S-10 Blazer died.
Is anyone else thinking that the Car Stock Exchange they have set up could get very interesting in regards to the SMART car? There are several Sub-Compacts on there right now but all the prices of all the cars are hugely overpriced.
I'm buying 100% stock in the Forester. Sales are going to skyrocket with this new model. And yes, I'm betting on it.
Sssshh, don't give away my secret.
Edit: max is 25% for one car.
So I picked budget/performance cars for the other 3: STI, EVO, and BMW 1 series. I'm sure I'll go down in flames for picking 3 compact performance cars and no fuel efficient ones!
ah, but like alot of players, I believe you misunderstand the game.
The price of the stocks represent the number (in thousands) you believe will be sold in the US in the first 6 months. Surely you don't think Subaru will sell 70k or 80k Foresters in 6 months?
Same goes for almost everyting in the game so far.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Ehh I have inside information being in car sales myself and I actually trade real stocks using an E*Trade account so I have an experience.
I logged on for the first time saw all the stocks in the 90 plus dollar amount and just shorted everything till priced dropped into the 60-70s. Now I am trying to decide what to do with prices rising.
Hang onto my short positions, trim and/or elminate the biggest winners to plow that money into the rising stocks for bigger shorts???
OR
Eliminate my shorts in the lowest priced stocks and ride them up?
Not sure what I am going to do yet but I broke my own cardinal rule of investing with all the trading craziness I spent all my money. I have no cash reserves at all which is the thing I am always telling people not to do.
I noticed all the stocks trend towards about $70-75 in price. Surely they don't expect the Cooper Clubman, for instance, to sell 70k per year? :confuse:
Check the help page of the game site. Also read the forums the host just posted. It seems MOST players misunderstand the game, making it quite difficult for those who do understand it to play it well.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Comments
For this car you would want to buy one with the stick shift, for sure, eh?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
As far as magazine "sluggish" comments go, podred was referring to the base Mini Cooper, NOT the S, in his comparative comments. If you will look up a few acceleration comparisons you will discover (lo and behold!) that the Yaris and the Cooper are within a half a second of each other in the 0-60, some drives putting them almost even. And the Yaris has a very flat torque curve, so it pulls strongly at around town speeds.
iluv: yeah, I saw the announcement of the Abarth going to the auto show next month. It is a CRIME we don't get cars like this in the U.S.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
As for the "gear change" LED - no, nobody needs it; it's just a little race-car type gimmick to add a smile. Probably cost about 10 cents to fit and adds 25gm weight, (guessing), so where's the problem? I can think of other bits of kit that are fitted to cars that add far more in cost and weight that we could do without - sunroof on a car with A/C, electric rear windows, power seats, remote fuel filler release, power tailgate/boot lid, (trunk). Need I go on ? Yes, some are nice to have but do we really need 'em ?
Just an old Brit having his two-cents' worth.
I didn't think the Civic felt too bad, and ditto the Saturn Astra. I guess I'd call them "snug". And the Versa and Sentra aren't too bad, either, but a little tighter feeling to me. Didn't really care for the feel of the Yaris, Fit, or Aveo, though. And one thing that I found odd about the 2008 Corolla (or are they calling it an '09?) is that the LE model, with the extra seat adjustments, doesn't seem like the seat goes back as far as it did with the '03-07 style.
I was sort of hoping for more from the Smart, though. I figured that since it didn't have a back seat, that they'd be a bit more generous with front seat legroom.
I didn't sit in a Mini this time around, but I seem to remember the previous model was okay with legroom, but was tight with elbow room. The Focus has always seemed tight to me, legroom wise. Now the Cobalt/G5 and Caliber feel pretty good to me, legroom-wise, but they're starting to push the envelope of what a small car should be, especially with regards to weight and fuel economy.
I was pretty sure he was comparing it to his cooper S. And yes Technoride and Car and Driver are talking a two door "liftback" Yaris S. Not as sure about US news.
If it goes into the speed shop there will be a lot of work to bring it up to something like a Mazda Speed. That will change the whole ball game admittedly but buying HP is one very expensive proposition. Unless he does something like they do to the CRX a speed shop is going to have a hard time making the Yaris S a Cooper S killer let alone a street rod sleeper.
I see things like this a lot at the little strips for the import crowd. They do improve their cars a lot but not enough to to take down the hopped up Civics, Accords, Sentras, and Mazdas. The little motor in the Yaris just gives everyone else too big of a head start. I don't know how it is for you in your area but down here they are all over the road like ants.
Many of these little cars of the past were interesting but they were easily over shadowed by what the majority of the buying public wanted and so we simply don't get to see such cars here anymore. It isn't that they don't work or that no one would buy them it is just that not enough people are interested in a basic car with very few options when you can get ones with most of those options for about the same price. You mentioned power seats and hatch releases. You might add power windows and automatic door locks. Yet many of these options are almost standard on even entry level cars. I haven't seen may new cars with manual windows in a while even though I am sure they still make them. I am not talking about on the lot I am talking about in peoples driveways. People's values have changed and the basic car has suffered. At least in the US.
I think a lot of that is wishful thinking on the part of people that haven't driven some of those cars. There was a time when we had access to many of the cars driven in Europe. Believe it or not i once had a NSU Prince. I can't even remember if it has 900 CCs. We have had Renaults, Peugeots, Fiats all flops in our country. Subaru started out selling some real small cars and almost lost their shirt. Suzuki has a few tiny cars they had to pull off of the market. The real issue is the people want the opportunity to try or even buy some of the cars they see but would quickly discover they have limited appeal. Whenever I read about how Europe gets such great little cars and we are deprived I simply say to myself, Fiat X-19, LeCar, Yugo.
And what if it is more fun to drive and/or much easier to park? I'm not talking about that silly front-in curbside parking they keep demonstrating in the pictures I have seen and at the dealerships, I am talking about squeezing it between two cars parallel to the curb.
Plus it's tall and therefore spacious on the inside.
I don't mean to so vehemently defend the Smart cars, and I agree they represent a niche like many sports/sporty cars do, but it is silly to just dismiss them out of hand. For some significant percentage of people, especially commuters, the Smart would serve all usual driving needs on a weekly basis.
Stopped by a Toyota dealer last night, almost got talked into trading in the Echo for a Yaris S hatch. Darn, that thing is cute! And it has a nicer interior by far than the sedan, which was designed by a different team in a different country (here in the States, I believe). I am thinking the base 'S' with only cruise and alloys added. I prefer manual accessories (locks windows mirrors), which make even more sense in a 2-door than they do in my 4-door Echo.
boaz: "The real issue is the people want the opportunity to try or even buy some of the cars they see but would quickly discover they have limited appeal."
Those are the softies! :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes you are correct my friend. It was those softies however that chased the small car out of the showroom and in some cases out of the country. It would be nice if you could import whatever you wanted and we didn't have to worry about safety regulations that the NHTSA keep pushing like they do. But for you and I these cars are right next door. Many of these small cars can be had in Mexico and still they don't make it over the border. You live farther from me than the Mexican car dealers.
But they don't import them because they are afraid the softies as you call them won't bite. Those softies killed your Echo. Now maybe that failure has worked towards the Yaris' benefit because it has put together a cadre of loyal Yaris owners that are a loyal as old VW owners. But putting an S on a Toyota isn't like a SI on a Honda or a Mazdaspeed on a Mazda of a Spec V on a Nissan. As you have said they didn't even upgrade the sway bar. The bigger tires and a S do not a sport car make. Not with 106 HP and 103 LBF. of torque.
40/45 for 2007. Early reports seem to be in the mid 30s for city driving and 40-50 for highway trips; pretty good for a brand new car that hasn't been broken in yet (deliveries started a month ago).
It is when you consider that using the same EPA figures most non hybrid small cars only get low to mid 30's highway. That means that the Smarts city mileage comes very close to most cars highway mileage.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
- The dash has that nice upper glovebox.
- The armrest in the sedan is so far back that it's useless so no big deal there.
- The rear seats in the hatchback *recline* and move back and forth!
- The headroom is 3-4 inches higher as a result. I hit my head at 5'7" in the rear on the sedan and was comfy exactly like in the Fit in the hatchback)
- Less weight.
- There is a nice flap that you can put over the gap between the rear seats and the back "trunk" area. This gives you a pretty useable and nearly flat loading area. Actually it measured better than a 2009 Matrix in all dimensions except for length! You can actually fit a larger box in the hatch than in a Matrix. Go figure.
What it needs immediately:
- Replace brakes with dual piston after-market models. Doubly so if you don't have the ABS option.
- Alloy wheels. 14 inch alloys from a Corolla or similar car are fine. You want 14 inchers because the thing badly needs taller profile tires to smooth out the ride. I had 13 inchers on my old Mercedes so 14s are more than adequate for such a small car.(might even consider 13 alloys and taller tires - save some serious money)
- Beefed up rear swaybar/etc. The rear end is dodgy, to be honest. But a simple $200 after-market "fix" is all it likely needs.
- Better speakers. The radio is fine, though.
- A place to store CDs that's out of the sun.
I like the design of the 15" alloys so much that I would just order those with the car - that's a 185/60 tire I believe, which is smooth-riding enough for me while still providing good response when you turn the wheel.
The stereo sounds like crap to my untrained ear. I would want separate tweeters in addition to replacing all the stock speakers. Toyota radios generally aren't better than barely adequate either, but I would wait to hear what it sounded like with the upgraded speakers before changing out the head unit.
The brakes I would probably leave alone just because it is such a small light car, but it would be nice if the 'S' had rear discs to go with the ABS.
The amount of room inside this car, even for rear passengers, is absolutely AMAZING given its exterior size.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
If the seat was higher overall, or if the base cushion was tilted, it would have helped immensely. The seat cushions are also pretty thinly padded.
I wonder what kind of mileage it gets when you drive it "peppy."
Just think of this picture in your minds eye.
I have a rather extensive car collection of mostly new (1905 and newer) exotics: Ferrari F40, F50 F430, luxury/performance euro cars ie: BMW, M3, M5. M6. MBZ, SL65 (V-12) AMG, E63 AMG, Aston Martin DB9 Coupe,
Then some not so exotic or luxurious but "fun" cars:
05 Mini Cooper S, 08 Yaris S Hatch, 06 Subaru Impreza WRX STi,
08 Corvette Z06, etc.
So with choices like these guess which ones I enjoy the most when it comes to day to day driving around the city our out for a weekend in the typical Pacifi Coast, Hwy 1, Traffic? (I live in Newport Beach).
Yes you guessed it, I like to be in either the Mini Cooper S or the Yaris, now that I have had it turbocharged which, along with some other mods have brought it up a nice 188 hp on the Dyno. These cars are so zippy, mauverable, and fit in so well so as to not be notice for the most part. It's nice to be a able to refuel wihout drawing a crowd.
Sure the others are in some cases World Class Cars, but after it's all said and done the places they can be driven (not just motoring around in congested traffic) are quite limited.
Now when it comes to trips over 100 miles, then the Aston is a very nice car to drive as are any of the MBZ's or BMW's.
As far as the Ferraris are concernded, I only take those to car shows, or out on Track Days with some of my ex-racer friends, as having raced together years ago. We are safe on the track together and therefore it's quite a fun time. I mean, why have a terrific Ferrari if you cannot take it out and just jump on it ! To experience the true capabilities of the car is one aural and physical delight.
My Boat was in Newport for years. There is no time during the day you can "enjoy" driving on PCH or Newport Blvd. But I can see the Mini as a daily driver maybe the 3 series. A charged Yota would be like taking a quarter horse on a packing trip with all the lights on PCH. There was a joke some of us made about navigation along the coast between Santa Monica and San Diego. "Just look for the most BMWs and MBs and you knew you were across from Newport."
We were down by Josh Slocums just down the street from the Ferrari and RR dealer.
I have been in the Mountains for the last 19 years but when we go down to visit friends on Balboa we are depressed by the traffic on PCH. In fact the traffic on the 55, 22, 5, and the 405 is depressing even on the weekend. What tracks are left down there now? Is Carlsbad still open? I think the last time I was there it was for a birthday party at the Balboa Bay Club.
Oh, and boaz: the Echo is very relaxed at speed. Using my ear and 25 years of aural 4-cylinder experience, I would say it is turning about 2600-2700 at 65 mph, and a shade under 3000 rpm at 75 in fifth. Very manageable, the noise is not intrusive at all IMO. But then, tire roar is the noisy aspect of that car's character.
As for "winding it up", that's half the fun of driving a small 4-cylinder car! :-)
But the Echo is so light, I don't have to wind it up to pass most of the cattle (minivans and SUVs ;-)) on the highway
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
On the flip side, if that is accurate then this little engine is astounding to be able to pull 45-50 mpg in longer highway trips at 70-plus mph.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Some reading material: http://www.pressroom.com.au/pressroom/sample/presskits/echokit.htm
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
R
It's funny that a Mini is your practical car.
andys120, "Mystery car pix...." #15644, 3 Mar 2008 3:46 am
Car Stock Exchange
Nice to see you hanging in the Top 40 - I'm down in the 7th percentile and aiming for the Red Lantern award,
I'm not sure why it requires you to sign in at all since you are already logged on to the forums, but it makes me do it too.
Going to go short the Forester? :shades:
Sssshh, don't give away my secret.
Edit: max is 25% for one car.
So I picked budget/performance cars for the other 3: STI, EVO, and BMW 1 series. I'm sure I'll go down in flames for picking 3 compact performance cars and no fuel efficient ones!
The price of the stocks represent the number (in thousands) you believe will be sold in the US in the first 6 months. Surely you don't think Subaru will sell 70k or 80k Foresters in 6 months?
Same goes for almost everyting in the game so far.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I logged on for the first time saw all the stocks in the 90 plus dollar amount and just shorted everything till priced dropped into the 60-70s. Now I am trying to decide what to do with prices rising.
Hang onto my short positions, trim and/or elminate the biggest winners to plow that money into the rising stocks for bigger shorts???
OR
Eliminate my shorts in the lowest priced stocks and ride them up?
Not sure what I am going to do yet but I broke my own cardinal rule of investing with all the trading craziness I spent all my money. I have no cash reserves at all which is the thing I am always telling people not to do.
There's a whole CSX forum too btw, in case you missed that tab on the CSX page:
Car Stock Exchange
It's not seamlessly linked into the CarSpace forums yet
And you thought you killed too many hours reading the discussions here - now you get to obsess over your portfolio for hours and hours, lol.
Unit sales forecast is just 27k.
I'm betting it will do a lot better than that.
I thought that's how it was supposed to work?
I noticed all the stocks trend towards about $70-75 in price. Surely they don't expect the Cooper Clubman, for instance, to sell 70k per year? :confuse:
Check the help page of the game site. Also read the forums the host just posted. It seems MOST players misunderstand the game, making it quite difficult for those who do understand it to play it well.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S