subject: All You Should Know About Small Cars [print this page] It is been some time because the sub-compact vehicle marketplace has garnered such attention in North America. Our buddies in Europe have usually recognized the virtues of tiny vehicles.
But here in North America, SUV's have dominated parking lots at the local Pier 1 for more than a decade. Nevertheless as existing gas rates inch forward and with future rates looking uncertain (they're certainly going to be greater than these days) much more individuals are acquiring small, fuel-efficient automobiles. We've observed lots of activity in the segment lately.
Toyota has introduced the Yaris, Hyundai has substantially revised the Accent, Kia has updated the Rio, Honda has launched the Suit, and Nissan will introduce the Versa in May possibly of this year. And let's not forget Scion using the xA and xB. Getting a car inside the sub-compact marketplace makes sense to get a variety of reasons. Initial, it introduces new, young buyers to the brand.
If their encounter is great they'll stick with the manufacturer as they develop up and move to a bigger automobile. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mazda and other folks all got their commence in the sub-compact car market place. Secondly, it offers a safety net throughout economic downturns. If gas costs rise unexpectedly, the knee-jerk reaction is to get a small, more fuel-efficient vehicle. And these vehicles are fuel-efficient. The brand new Honda Fit for instance, gets an estimated 33 miles per gallon within the city, 38 mpg on the highway. Tiny automobiles provide couple of compromises. But these are no one-show ponies. Beyond gas efficiency they provide respectable performance. The Toyota Yaris has 106 horsepower which may not sound like a lot, but tipping the scales at only 2315 lbs, it has a power-to-weight ratio close to that of the 220 horsepower Hummer H3. And these automobiles can carry just about anything. With all the rear seats up, the Honda Match can swallow 21.3 cubic feet of gear. A Ford Crown Victoria by comparison can hold 20.6 cubic feet worth of cargo in the trunk.
The domestics haven't invested a lot in little automobiles not too long ago, if ever. The Chevrolet Aveo is basically a re-badged Daewoo and does not provide the level of refinement as the others. The Ford Focus is larger and much more expensive, as is the brand new for '06 Dodge Caliber. But using the uncertainty of gasoline prices and growing competition inside the segment, GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler would be wise to supply competitive providing in this phase and introduce initial time consumers to their respective brands. For most manufacturers, having aggressive sub-compact vehicles has grown the company and created manufacturer loyalty, some thing the folks in Detroit have been attempting to do for a while now.
