Who's buying small cars? Lots of people
If you're been following the green car world for a while, then this AP story from yesterday isn't really news. But for the rest of America, the fact that smaller cars are becoming more and more popular as gas settles in at around $3 a gallon is newsworthy. And some market analysts are quite excited about the trend. In fact, Jim Sanfilippo, senior industry analyst for Bloomfield Hills-based Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc. told the AP that, "I don't think there's a segment that's come to life quite so quickly and robustly." The subcompact market is up 43 percent this year so far, but that only means the automakers have sold 151,848 of the small cars this year compared to 9.8 million cars and light trucks. Sales of the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit have been high this year, and GM's Daewoo affiliate has the highest-selling subcompact with the Aveo.
[Source: AP]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alex Nunez 9:52PM (8/17/2006)
I think it's more than just the $3 gas, Sebastian. It's that combined with the fact that the automakers are making some seriously attractive, well-equipped small cars right now. I believe that the Fit, for example, would have probably sold well regardless of gas price.
But high gas prices AND good cars? Bonanza. Things like the Fit and newcomers (to us, at least) like SMART show that you can be cheap to run but not be boring. People like that.
And, of course, there are the compact hybrids like Civic and Prius -- cool small cars with the added attraction of interesting technology under the skin.
Not a bad time to be a car shopper, indeed.
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Jan Notzon 1:42PM (8/18/2006)
When the heck are they going to build a small, hybrid flex-fuel? If I could get a hybrid, flex-fuel Toyota Yaris or something similar, I'd be at the dealership right now!
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John Anderson 7:08PM (8/18/2006)
I drive a Yaris with 35K km on it (Alberta driver ed).
Great little city car. Lots of fun to drive. The adolescents love it. Not an embarrassment. Anything but. Has seen performance driving training action at Calgary's Race City, courtesy, South Alberta BMW Club under the tutelage of Porsche's Chief Performance Driving Instructor. Again, not an embarrassment. Very stiff.
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Brenda 9:29AM (8/19/2006)
Great
Collegiate Cars
Filled with fun, affordable and smart buys, this list of best cars for college students includes the likes of Dodge... This is what I see when I try to see the 7 best cars for college... If I copy and paste, then the following shows up: , Scion and Honda. Where do I go to find the 7 best cars. This happens everytime I try to get auto information. Edmonds comes up, but what was promised is never there... please help me....
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Brenda 9:35AM (8/19/2006)
Where are the total Electric cars???? GM crushed quite a few recently.... WHY? Could the oil companies and the current admin. have something to do with this...? At any rate, please bring them back. I have been trying to get a totally electric car for 2 years.. The closest ones are in Oregon, CA and Southern FL.. I am in the FL panhandle, an extremely backward area... I am an ART teacher that promotes conservation. I would like to practice what I teach the children. They have recently produced a solar cell that can produce 7 units of power rather than the 1 unit that the current cells produce.. lets get with it and get these new cells developed and put onto these electric cars... We have a planet to save here....
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Vida Pernick 12:56PM (8/19/2006)
Just bought a Smartcar Fortwo about 3 weeks ago. I'm having the time of my life! Driving it is so much fun. I gave up a Z4 BMW for this and enjoying it tremendously! It gets between 40 and 60 mpg. I've driven on I-95 @ 75 mph, and I feel totally secure. The body is built like a race car with steel frame. Hit a wall @ 70 mph and it might buckle before it reaches your knees. It comes in convertibles, too. What a great green car. They're all over Europe and Canada...why not here? People still love big cars. But that'll change. You'll see.
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Mike 11:04AM (8/23/2006)
I did read on one of these blogs recently that the Smart Cars will be arriving in the US but it is going to get closer to 30 mpg instead of 60 to meet EPA regs.
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Vida Pernick 4:09PM (1/01/2007)
In answer to the blog right after mine, the SmartCar will probably come to the US in '08. It will be distributed thru-out the country at about $15,000. I presently get about 37-38 mpg, but I have a "heavy" foot. And I'm really enjoying the pure fun of driving my little SmartCar.
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