Future of subcompact cars?

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I guess it depends on what you need.

Both my jobs are close to home, so gas prices really don't affect me either way.

Not really a fan of the sub compacts, they feel too small for me. How compacts, on the hand hand- I like. Pretty much most of what we have driven over the past 15 years or so (Cobalt, cavalier, Neon) Just give me some stuff, and a comfy seat, and I am am good to go!

I still stayed in the Compact range with my new Equinox, as I really don't anything bigger at the moment. Plus, with my LS, in stayed under 30k, can't stomach higher than that....


I get the feeling small is on the way back sooner than we think....
 
My old 67 Beetle was my 1st subcompact and I never knew that, ran forever...now folks want 6000 dollars for one of them,,,how does that work..
 
I liked my '04 Jetta wagon, great size. I didn't like the poor a/c and how it seemed to always be dirty on the rear, so I wanted a sedan again. My '99 Camry has the same small feel. And I much prefer it over our '11 Camry. Pretty sure that old Camry still counts as a compact these days.

Not sure how much longer I can really take it, though. While CUV's aren't too bad, it seems every pickup truck has its headlights at rearview mirror height--and as LED's get seemingly brighter, it's getting more annoying to drive at night. Next vehicle might have to be CUV.
 
I also believe that the small and mid-size segment will bounce back once the price of gas jumps up significantly. It is in the best interest of the manufacturers to have the consumer believe that the car segment is dying. Just like with the housing bubble, they want to sell, sell, sell until the last possible moment. And of course, once the market goes through a correction, they will all act like no one saw this coming.
 
I love small cars, had some 240sx, MR2, ect. However, once i got my Golf wagon, it became the perfect size. Its still very light, nimble, yet offers incredible utility. So in my biased opinion, the Sportwagen has become the smallest car that could be considered for daily use. I can stack a pallet of freight into the car with the rear seat down. I can take 3 large adults out to lunch. With sticky tires and bigger wheels it handles great. The stock suspension blends comfort and handling well. I imagine it would handle exceptionally well with some upgraded (rougher) suspension. It's just a bit boring with front wheel drive so the urge to buy something stupid like a V10 Audi S6 comes and goes from time to time.
 
Originally Posted by JHZR2
There will always be a segment of the population who wants a small, cheap, efficient car.


I used to work on TONS of these, Usually Hyundai Accents or Ford Festivas/Fiestas.

These have always been HUGELY popular on Indian Reservations;
It used to be when a Native American gets a big government check, they always go out and buy the cheapest car/cars that they can get.
 
We aalways seem to think the Europeans drive little cars because gas is expensive in that region. True, but the real issue as I see it after spending a lot of time over there on business for 25 years is the ability to park a small car in a tiny space. That is often more important to someone in a European city than gas mileage. We don't have that issue here, for the most part, and sometimes seem baffled when cars like the two seater (forget the name) don't get really good gas mileage. Its all about available real estate along the street!
 
Death traps. Next...

While gas prices might spike again, it may be a while as fracking is still on the rise and US output is still increasing and estimated reserves in Saudi Arabia have also increased in the latest audit. This may be like people planning for the next depression.

Meanwhile I don't mind paying a little more in gas so I can carry a little more armor to do battle with all those crazy drivers out there.
 
Originally Posted by Bluestream
Cheap gas, and 0% interest rates (free money) have distorted the car market towards pickups and SUV's. What could go wrong?

I Imagine if cars loans were 8% more would be buying smaller cars.

BINGO!
Everyone's been playing the "if gas prices were to hit $$$, then everyone would want one!" game since the late 90's. Still, SUV's/crossovers have a very promising future.

The above reason is why things will never change. We are living in a time of gross excess. Where gross over-consumption has become the normal way of living... and is expected.
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Originally Posted by dareo
It's just a bit boring with front wheel drive so the urge to buy something stupid like a V10 Audi S6 comes and goes from time to time.

May I just say that is not stupid.
We use our Lexus for trips to the grocery twice a week. A tank of premium fuel lasts easily 2 months.

My spouse and I insisted we wanted something comfy and classier than the Focus it replaced for our grocery trips.
I demanded it have RWD and be reliable, while she wanted an "exciting" and "bold" color.

Having 306 hp is just the icing on the cake and suits our grocery trips perfectly.
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I have seen a lot people buy more than they can afford. As far as small cars are concerned my F-150 rolls down the road great but I can get around town and go on short trips much easier in my Civic. I mainly use my truck as a boat puller 150 miles back and forth to the river and I don't hardly ever drive it in the winter. Trucks are nice but I have never felt I had to impress others by being seen in it all the time. I only put about 5,000 miles per year on my truck and will probably keep it a long time since book value doesn't give much extra money for low miles (47,000 on the 2014 F-150).
 
I love my Forester, but I know I should have bought a Mirage.

I think my next DD, once the Forester gets a lot of miles on it, will be a Mirage. They are cheap enough used.

I really love subcompact cars. Especially the more simple and more basic offerings.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
During the $4.50 gas we had some years back, a coworker bought a big honking truck. These behemoths weren't moving off the dealer's lot, so he got $8K incentive to buy one. He's sitting pretty right now.

I guess now is the time to buy a subcompact for any future rise in gas. I remember when gas was $4.50, used Geo Metros were commanding crazy prices.... much more than sober economics would dictate.


I'd love one of the recent 2500 crew cab 4x4 Diesels. I'm just waiting. The time will be right.

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Wait until gas prices spike again, the market will be flooded with CUV/SUVs that won't sell, and hybrids will be all the rage again. I think my solution of something big. something small, and all reliable yet old enough not to need full insurance coverage is a good way to go. Maybe GDI will raise SUV mileage enough to compete in high gas price periods-but I'm not sold on longevity yet, there's been a LOT of expensive issues (grenading Hyundai/Kias, etc.).


This^^

Good economical sedans are stupid cheap right now as all of the lemmings head for larger and thirstier vehicles, sales of which have been buoyed by cheap fuel.
Even my Accord Hybrid was quite cheap with Honda having taken a good whack at the sticker price and the selling dealer knocking another ten percent off.
Come the next fuel price spike, I'll be okay with fuel prices while those using four door pickup as family transport won't be so sanguine.
Not all CUVs are especially thirsty. Our newer Forester, as an example, will deliver fuel economy in daily use rivaling that of our '12 Accord.


All quoted for truth.

I think the new rav4 hybrid is around 34 city with awd...
 
I don't remember seeing significantly less CUVs during the fuel spike. The big SUVs and big pickups suffered somewhat, but the CUV?

The ones that "struggled" were being sold in the thousands per month. The Honda CR-V sales figures continued to explode throughout the entire period. Jeep Wrangler sales rocketed through this period as well, and that thing is a hog.

For popular CUVs, historically fuel prices have had absolutely no detrimental effect, and even the financial crisis seems to have cauaed their sales no serious injury. Honda sold more CRVs during the financial crisis than the boom that preceded.

Sorry, but I'm going to call "Not Friggin Likely" on the "gas prices are going to gut SUV/CUV sales" theory. Maybe the big boys with the V8s and turbo V6 engines.
 
During the last gas spike of $4.50 gas my daily driver was a well-kept, comfortable old Mercury Marquis that was a gas pig. The thought crossed my mind to get something with better gas mileage. When I sat down to do the math I found I would save at most $400 a year in fuel... not enough incentive to swap a good reliable, comfortable car with an unknown used car.
 
I like small cars too, and hope the world doesn't get over run with large SUVs! Whenever I rent a car when I'm travelling I always pick the smallest car, not just to save money but I find them for fun to drive. Stuff like the old Mazda2 or a Yaris for example.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Sorry, but I'm going to call "Not Friggin Likely" on the "gas prices are going to gut SUV/CUV sales" theory. Maybe the big boys with the V8s and turbo V6 engines.


Around town, our Forester gets about the same fuel economy as our Civic. It's only at high speeds on the highway that the Civic pulls ahead (because it doesn't have the aerodynamics of a brick).

A newer Civic would do better, but not that much better.
 
I would never consider one in my life. My first car was decent and nice (95 Honda Civic) but too old for cars that ride like that. I like comfort in compact and above. GTI is great minimum size and comfort level.
 
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Being that one will not be able to buy a domestic name-plated (or even a foreign name-plated one either, it seems, the way things are going) sub-compact hot hatch in this land in the future, I DO plan on keeping my little rally rocket running for as long as I live, or there is no more fossil fuel sold.
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I REFUSE TO buy an ill handling, way oversized, 'road tank' just because that's what everyone else here wants to drive, and subsequently, is exclusively what the manufacturers will sell in the future in this country.
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Originally Posted by emg
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Sorry, but I'm going to call "Not Friggin Likely" on the "gas prices are going to gut SUV/CUV sales" theory. Maybe the big boys with the V8s and turbo V6 engines.


Around town, our Forester gets about the same fuel economy as our Civic. It's only at high speeds on the highway that the Civic pulls ahead (because it doesn't have the aerodynamics of a brick).

A newer Civic would do better, but not that much better.


You make a good point.
Our newer Forester actually delivers better fuel economy on my wife's twenty five mile each way commute than did our '12 Accord.
OTOH, when conditions demanded neither much heat nor much A/C use, the Accord would do 34+ mpg on a long interstate run with the cruise set at 75 mph and that isn't happening with the Subie.
 
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