All Hail The Small Car The New King Of The Road

Australia has long had a love affair with large vehicles

, from the trucks and road trains that traverse the Outback in all weathers, to the family sedans that flourished from the 1950s until the start of the new century. The key requirements in a family car fifty years ago, however, are not the same as they are today. Fuel was cheap in those days, so performance in terms of fuel economy was not an issue. More important was whether the vehicle, loaded up with five or six family members and a dog, would tow the family caravan over the range to the beach once a year.

Mechanical reliability was important since families had little cash to hand over to qualified mechanics, and if there was plenty of room in the back for the kids to sleep at the drive-in, that was a bonus. Of course, that world is long gone, and the death of the 6 or even 8 cylinder large sedan or station wagon has been slow and painful. The emphasis today is on fuel economy, safety and accessories, and the car needs to be small enough to comfortably fit into the parking spaces that also seem to have shrunk.

There are many reasons for the demise of the large vehicle, including the cost of car finance, but the one not often mentioned is the change in the family demographic. Large families now are rare, there are many more single parent families, and equally as many couples who have no children. For these new family groups, small cars are quite adequate and with the improvement to engine design over the years, have all the power needed to do the school run, get the groceries, and take a long run to the beach or the mountains.

Small cars handle well on wet roads and around corners, are easy to park, especially in tight spots and these days, incorporate all the safety features expected of a much larger and more expensive vehicle. Air bags specialised braking systems and other safety features are standard in most new small cars which generally rank at the top end of the crash testing ratings. Registration, that state charge that allows the driver to use the public road system, also favours the small car, with the cost rising according to the number of cylinders. Small cars are also cheaper to buy so the cost of Brisbane car finance is reduced.

For fuel economy, you cant go past a small car. Fuel costs are now prohibitive for many car owners, and leisurely sojourns into the country on a whim are a thing of the past. Most people do a lot of short trips around the city and suburbs, so a gas guzzler is the last thing they need. There is no sacrifice in performance with todays small engines as the technology now available squeezes every last ounce of grunt out of the vehicle.

We are fast moving towards a society where larger vehicles will seem an indulgence. Small vehicles have all the style, features and performance of their larger rivals, and best of all, leave more money in the bank where it belongs.

by: Sheree Cummings

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