Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Instead, they are going to do to the Fiesta what Toyota did with the Vitz in 2000: giving it a plastered-on trunk (and calling it the Echo), which everybody thought looked ridiculous.
At least we will get the 5-door. :sick:
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
However, I do think the 4-door Yaris works pretty well as a notchback...although for a subcompact, it's really not all that tiny. But I imagine the hatchback styles are still more practical.
The only reason I have the Accord is because I got used to Honda in the old Civics and older Accords. They were very easy to "optimize." Of course, my '07 might as well have been a Buick for how interesting it is, but lesson learned.
I guess another measure of this will be Subaru's success. All the kids with WRXs will grow up or have needs change...will they get a glorified station wagon with high profile tires and no third row?
They're big now and make a good family/sports sedan.
Thankfully we don't get the Toyota Vitz, (Vitz ??), and sub-compact sedans have gone to the great automotive scrapyard in the sky. I really don't think a Fiesta sedan is going to be at all pretty or funky. Maybe they should re-name it the Ford Eric or something. (With apologies to any Erics out there).
Whilst out in Lincoln, (UK), to-day I noticed one of those old Japanese van-with-windows things that passed for people-carriers and were imported in, (thankfully), very small numbers. This one was a Nissan, I think, and proudly bearing the model name of Bongo Friendee.............I kid you not ! Bet Ford wishes it had thought of that one; a real sure fire seller for the young, trendy market segment. Or maybe not. Sounds like the options list should include a couple of grams of something to smoke and a tie-dyed kaftan. Sorry, off topic..........again.
That one is a Mazda.
This was the Ford:
They're big now and make a good family/sports sedan.
I think the first part contradicts the last part (it certainly did with the Honda), but that is a debate for another forum.
Yeah, luckily for you they have in the UK, but not in the old US of A. We get the fugly Versa sedan (a chopped Versa 5-door with a trunk glued on), the fuglier Aveo 4-door (even the Aveo 5-door is no prize in the beauty department), and the Yaris 4-door, which is the best-looking of this group, but that is truly faint praise (and the 3- and 5-doors are much better-looking IMO).
Now Ford plans on continuing this tradition with the Fiesta, and I guess we should count our lucky stars that they have seen fit to also offer the 5-door. In much the same way that Toyota eventually started to sell the 5-door Yaris here, I hope Ford will come around and offer the Fiesta 3-door (in RS trim, Ford, C'MON!) a year or two after the initial launch.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I guess the other concern is that the Fiesta is more expensive in Europe so it has more features. I hope there is a balance between content and pricing here...the Contour started with a lot of equipment but got de-contented year after year as they tried to meet a pricepoint.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
40mpg
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
Subaru had too much overlap. Every car was small/medium sized. Every single model from the Impreza to the Tribeca had the exact same 16.9 gallon fuel capacity.
That's just wrong. Something had to change.
Outback sales were up 142% in November, so who are we to argue with that?
C&D has a write-up on the new Suzuki Kizashi. It's about the size of the outgoing Legacy, and 0-60 in 7.2s with the 4 banger/6 speed manual combo. Too bad the AWD model only comes in a CVT...
And there is now the Abarth 500 Esseesse, (sounds as SS). Thiss little beassty hass some 180bhp, IIRC, but what iss desscribed as "firm" susspension - read rock ssssolid. Goes like thingy though, by all accountss. :shades:
The "ordinary" Abarth 500 could well replace my Volvo S60 D5...........I'm getting tired of being grown up
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Attached link takes you to an EVO magazine test, head-to-head Abarth vs Mini Cooper S. I've made my mind up but you must read and decide for yourself, (here's a clue - I've been sensible for too long)......be interested in your opinion. Enjoy.
Abarth vs Mini"
Although I'm afraid, since I've read its even smaller than a MINI, it ain't gonna cut it as a 2-kid hauler.
'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
Volkswagen's new Polo--slated to enter the U.S. market within three years--narrowly beat the Toyota iQ to win the 2010 European Car of the Year award.
The Polo scored 347 points against 337 for the iQ city car. The new Opel Astra was No. 3 with 221 points followed by the Skoda Yeti (158 points); the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (155 points); the Peugeot 3008 (144 points) and the Citroen C3 Picasso (113 points).
VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said the new Polo, the fifth generation of the subcompact car, was designed to address customer expectations with even greater uncompromising standards.
“We are naturally very pleased to see our efforts validated in the form of this award," Winterkorn said in a statement.
Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said VW could launch a Polo sedan in the U.S. in 2011 or 2012 followed by a hatchback with more space than the European model.
If sold in North America, the Polo would be priced under the Jetta at between $13,000 and $15,000, Jacoby told Automotive News in an interview in April.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20091201/CARNEWS/912019997
Looks like a really nice little car, and for $15,000 I think it would do a lot of things better and for less money than the Honda Fit.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
And rated at 40mpg? Only problem here is that this looks to be yet another one of these new cars in which the manual actually makes LESS mpg than the automatic. :-(
I will be picking up a new car to replace the Echo in the next year or two and this will be at the top of the list. But I WILL have to check out the Abarth too.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
They make the Abarth 500 out to be the little annoying brother that's tagging along with big bro Mini-Cooper. Sounds like they found a lessely-made shifting experience and worse handling and road sense on the Abarth 500. But does this really sound like anything new to anyone who's anxiously awaiting the Fiat-sler Abarth 500 here in the States? Of course it doesn't.
And it does nothing to stave off my un-Abarth-ed excitement for the Abarth 500. :shades:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2012 Chevrolet Spark, an AW Flash Drive
This is General Motors' first-ever true mini car, the Korean-built Chevrolet Spark--all 143 inches and 1,900 pounds of it.
In fact, the writer's opinion seems to mostly be summed up by this line:
But what do you expect for $10,000?
0-60 in more than 12 seconds, highway mpg rated 40+ for both manual and auto, due out in about two years. I kinda wish it would sell well for the sake of both GM and the future success of microcars in America in general, but I get a whiff of maximum cheaping out for people on fixed incomes here. And it will come from Korea, the source of GM's VERY underwhelming Aveo currently.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20091201/CARREVIEWS/912019996
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The Abarth shows its hand on the first pass, and I mentally move my bets to the Mini. Two faults manifest themselves instantly and both are fundamental: the steering and the chassis.
At low speeds the grip and firm ride gave me confidence, but now I’m travelling faster, feedback and accuracy matter and the electric power steering fails dismally. No more than a distant hint of information trickles through the squeezable, flat-bottomed rim; an electric ‘tzzzz’ is the only hint that your inputs are having some bearing on wheel angle. It’s such a shame given the grip and tenacity the front end exhibits.
One of the most important aspects of any car I buy for fun is the quality of the steering, something that ALL cars with electric steering are getting wrong nowadays. It appears that Abarth has been worsened by the same bugaboo. :-(
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
My guess is that once the economy picks up gas prices will head north again and $4-5+ a gallon gas will make micro cars more popular.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
NOW you're talking. Ecoboosts runs on 87 octane, too.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
December 7, 2009 - 12:01 am ET
LOS ANGELES -- The Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 are two budget cars on the same platform, but Ford and Mazda still labored to differentiate them.
The cars have different engines, lengths and sheet metal. Ford will offer a sedan and hatchback in the United States, while Mazda will sell only a five-door. Mazda also sells a three-door in Europe.
The two vehicles made their world debuts in U.S. trim last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Both got redesigns for Europe in 2008.
Each brand's variant carries its own parent company's engine. Despite Mazda's "zoom-zoom" marketing, the Ford engine is more powerful and features variable camshaft timing.
Ford also is debuting a six-speed, dry-clutch automatic transmission here, mostly because the European market prefers stick shifts, said Steve Pintar, Fiesta chief program engineer.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20091207/RETAIL03/312079967/1113
The Fiesta sounds like the more fun of the two, which shouldn't be the case given Mazda's whole brand mission, IMO. With the Mazda having a less powerful engine, I wonder which will have the better fuel economy.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Without a doubt, the 'Cooper is a very competent car and the baby Abarth does have some "quirks". Guess which you go for depends upon your personal preferences as I think they are two similar - but different - experiences.
The two on-road cars I have most enjoyed driving were a late 1960's Lotus 7, (pre-Caterham), with a Ford 1500cc engine and twin Webers and my late, lamented Skoda Fabia vRS. Both had real character, had to be actually "driven" and would bite your butt if you got lazy whilst er, "making progress"..............but the rewards were always there for those prepared to work at it, as were the almost permanent smiles. I have a feeling that the Abarth 500 is from the same school and that's why I could see me buying one. (after a drive to confirm, of course). However, I'll keep the Volvo until about this time next year and, who knows, Skoda may have delivered on the promised Fabia vRS replacement by then..........that would truly complicate things. :confuse: I don't want just quick and competent, I want quick, (enough), and FUN !!
At present, the wait-list for an Abarth 500 here in UKland is around early-Summer 2010. We're obviously not alone in our impeccable taste. :shades:
To nippononly : don't get too hung-up on the apparent downsides of electric steeering. It's not how it does it but what you can do with it that counts.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
barber,stylist, ... the woman cutting my hair got to talking about her commute. She had moved to town from 45 miles away a while back and loved being 5 minutes away from everything. And it snowed in town yesterday, and she didn't miss her Geo Metro, which was awful in snow.So we got to talking Metros - her all time best was 61 mpg. Her father loved working on them so her's was always in good shape. Dad wound up with 7 running Metros at the height of the $4 a gallon gas crisis and wound up selling all of them for around $2,000 each. Most were purchased for a couple of hundred bucks.
Repeat after me; "I will learn to love electric steering. I will learn to love electric steering".
Not working ? Didn't for me, either, but at least it's better than the old recirculating ball
lash-upsystem.I'd want a 5 door so it would be Mazda2 for me.
Bummer is that would exclude the sportier engine.
I don't get this - Ford made it a point of telling us how the Contour was different from the Mondeo, our loss IMHO. GM made the Saturn L series different than the Opel Vecta, and that bombed, too.
I guess it's OK to differentiate when you ADD power.
I never got 61mpg. Usually it was 45 or so.
Still, gas spiked so my timing was perfect. I sold it just as oil went way down.
23 Civic Type-R / 22 MDX Type-S / 21 Tesla Y LR / 03 Montero Ltd
If this thing can make 45 mpg in my commute and has the handlng of a CRX, it will almost certainly be my next car with any 0-60 time under 10 seconds.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Plus it'll be lighter.
Ditch the batteries to lighten it more and boost the power a bit and call it an Si, and I might be interested.
I think this stands a chance at being more like the CRX if they only build an Si model.
1. They have said it will have a PROPER HANDLING PACKAGE. The current Insight is a squishy thing on tiny gas-saver tires with terrible braking and terrible skidpad numbers. The CRZ will be neither.
2. They have said they will get it down to a maximum of 2500 pounds for the 2-seat North American version. That compares to 2750+ for the Insight, IIRC.
It is my hope that the North American executives will prevail, and this will also (at some point) get a non-hybrid powertrain with a bit more power (how about the existing Civic engine, Honda??), for an SI trim. Last I heard, Honda NA had already asked for this, and the folks over in Japan were resisting offering it.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
[Edited]
Add VTEC-iii Type RRR-R or whatever to boost power to 130-140 or so, and keep it light. Very light.
A 2300-pound coupe with 130 hp, a 6-speed, and a lowered suspension with 16s and some 205mm tires? Could be a lot of fun. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)