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Comments
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Might it have something to do with the costs involved in certifying the Polo in the US?
How many units do you think VW can sell here in the States? Could they offer it at a price point under the Golf or Jetta S ($16K)?
Who did I forget?
Subie, Volvo, Audi, none of these have subcompacts. Mazda is about to give up on the Mazda2 in the US (it was doomed anyway with the Mazda3 beating it in MPGs and all).
With a smaller car margins are crucial, in fact I bet most lose money.
Well like I said before, I was actually thinking of volume automakers when I first made the comment, and none of these are volume automakers. In fact, Mazda isn't either, but the 2 is a fun little car. If they are really thinking of dropping it, that's too bad....
VW could sell the Polo under the base price of a Jetta, I bet. It IS made in Mexico....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Plus, why lower transactions costs? It might cannibalize Golf sales.
I'm speculating. It would actually be fun to sample a Polo GTI.
Yeah, figure 160-180HP to compete with the new Fiesta ST.
Those are hot hatches! And, figure 30-35 MPG highway as well.
What's not to like?
Would the 2.0L from the Civic fit in the Fit?
(hmm, that doesn't look right when I type it)
140HP might make the Fit quite the funster to drive.
For the Sonic, are there chips available that would turn up the HP on the 1.4L turbo?
Speaking of heavy, the Sonic could be lighter, maybe a diet wouldn't hurt. They handed out the blueprints for the EcoTec to tuners, so I'm sure the turbo will accept a tune.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I keep thinking how much fun a Mazda2 with a SkyActiv 2.0L engine would be, bwa ha ha. But that's actually the main reason they're dropping it: it doesn't get the FE of the 3, but is almost as expensive. They're not like Nissan and Toyota where they can build a subcompact cheap enough to be profitable here.
It's hard, subcompacts are really city cars, they're about city FE and fitting into small streets and parking spaces. Outside of the cities they're out of their element, and we have too much mass transit in most of our cities to compete with. Plus much of US culture is highway-oriented, which favors compacts and midsizers over subcompacts, which are too small to get decent aerodynamics.
The car with the lowest cD of any production car is the last-gen Honda Insight, with a cD of 0.25. Oh, and yes, it's a subcompact.
Subaru is 14% owned by Toyota, not a controlling or even a very INFLUENTIAL share of ownership. They may partner on some technologies and models like the BRZ, but that doesn't even come close to making tiny little Subaru a volume automaker.
As for subcompacts being out of their element outside the cities, I drive mine between the Bay Area and Sacramento all the time, where it performs just fine and pulls low 40s for mpg now that it is more broken in.
More to the point, it pulls 39 mpg as a running average, including all my local driving - just try to achieve that result in any of the supposedly 40-mpg cars out there....
However, it would be nice if the subcompacts got powertrains as sophisticated as their compact and midsize brethren, which of course they don't because they are built to a price point. Too bad there aren't more like the Mini, but without the spotty reliability and the eye-searing interior.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
"The European subcompact isn't scheduled to come to the United States, but top management says the Polo could be engineered quickly to U.S. specifications if needed."
How do you define "needed?"
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Outside of the Accent/Rio cousins, there aren't any subcompacts that hit it until the modified Fiat 500 shows up. On the other hand, subcompacts generally get great city mileage, even compared to the class of 40 MPG compact cars. That's what they're designed for. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just that they're not always the best fit. Particularly on the highway...they can get by on the highway but I'd never suggest a regular highway driver buy a subcompact.
Some do.
For example, it's funny that the Accent and Rio get DI, but the Elantra and Forte do not.
The Sonic LT is a DI turbo, and the 1.8l Cruze doesn't have DI. Nor do some of the 2012 Malibus (2013 catches up).
There are a few exceptions, at least.
Insight cheats a little by being a 2 seater only. Tall hatches have aero issues with the roof that suddenly stops.
Not only that, but a tall hatch is going to have more frontal/surface area to push through the wind. A car can have a low coefficient of drag, but it it still presents a big enough surface area to the wind, it might take more effort to move it than a car with a higher coefficient of drag, but less surface area.
That shot wheelbase is the key to a subcompact. It gives it maneuverability and parkability in cramped areas that a compact or midsize just can't fit into.
Versa
Sonic
Fit
Accent
Fiat 500
500 sales have really picked up.
(Not surprisingly)
What is notable about that list is that the Fiesta isn't there. They brought out the Focus, which crosses over the Fiesta in price and has better fuel economy, not to mention good reviews, and I bet Fiesta sales just TANKED.
Interesting to me that the 500 made the list but the Mini did not - better lease deals at Fiat? I have seen pretty good deals for the base models of both....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
500 is cheaper than the Cooper, especially with incentives.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Can't say I like anything about them...
Other than the Fit, most Fiestas are way above the price point of the cars on that list...
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2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
As long as they keep making them in 6-speed manuals, I'm good to go! Oh yea, my only nit pick, and my kids agree with me on this... it either needs to be a 7-speed or just move each gear up slightly. First gear is good for about 10 feet before you need to go to 2nd, and it just feels like a 7th gear would work on the highway. But this is a minor nitpick for us.
Interior room is really good. We've moved my daughter into college with one car having all her stuff and the two of us in. I think the most stuff I've ever put in was moving string orchestra instruments to a concert. I had two full-size double basses, three full-size cellos, and assorted violins and violas tucked in corners, along with a front seat passenger and all doors and hatches closed with nothing sticking out of any windows.
Guess I'm Versa-tile :shades:
If the car was *ahem* fitted out the way I wanted I'd consider it. But no auto climate control, MPGs aren't as good as the Mazda3, and it doesn't handle quite as well. Maybe the next redesign.
As for the Versa, one reason it might be selling well is that the recent restyle made it look like a much more expensive car than it is, IMO. However, I think it's just the sedan that was restyled and not the hatchback.
I remember sitting in a hatchback Versa, and being impressed at the back seat. I'd say that if you need 4-passenger seating, the Versa's a better pick than the Fit. But if you value cargo space, the Fit seemed better suited in that regard.
The Fit and Versa have great legroom for compact cars. Not subcompact, COMPACT. The Focus's backseat is tiny, the Mazda3 isn't a lot better. The Elantra GT's backseat is smaller than the Touring but still decent sized. The trophy goes to the current Impreza but the Fit is close behind.
The Versa hatch is still the old design. The sedan is redesigned. So you really need to specify.
Seems like our microcars are everyone else's subcompacts.
Hasn't had a single mechanical issue, but I miss my Mazda3.
My complaint would be road noise. Space was abundant.
Actually, so was road noise.
Of course Versa will only be in year two, as will Sonic and Accent/Rio, and Fiesta will only be in year 3, so Honda might hold an edge for a while. IF they take the redesign seriously and stop making the customer pay extra for basic stuff (if it can even be had at any price).
However, taking redesigns seriously is not something they seem to remember how to do, judging by the last few years.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It's price position here is much lower in comparison.
My wife's '06 Jazz continues to just get on with life. No drama, no surprises and is the car of choice vs my S60 if we are a party of 5x adults. Rear leg-room is tons better and the higher, more upright seating makes 5-up a breeze compared to the leather-clad Swede. Of course, it's the good old 1334cc 3-pot with 75bhp so sure isn't a fireball but it does do what it says on the tin and that buys a lot of forgiveness. A 2.0 Vtec would be a blast but I suspect we'll see a Bugatti TDi before that appears.
"Architect Scott Kula used to ride a Vespa scooter to catch a train from Montclair, N.J. to his office in Manhattan. Now, he drives a Fiat 500 for the first leg of his commute.
"It's my Vespa with four wheels," says Mr. Kula, 49, who works designing stores for Coach International, the luxury goods company.
The number of cars under 160 inches long offered in the U.S. has grown to 13 models from nine since 2009."
Dinky, Yes, But Don't Call Them Cheap (WSJ)
Her sons helped her pay for them. :shades: