This will take everyone back a bit. The first car I ever owned was made in Germany and called an Opel. It had a little four-cylinder engine, got about 30 miles per gallon, and was a neat little scoot during my high school days. Back then it was considered a “compact car” but nowadays, it would be equivalent to about the length of a mid-size.
That car right there inspired my love for small cars. While everyone else was driving these giant sized V-8 gas drinking hogs, I was tooling around in my little four-cylinder compacts, and I haven’t looked back since. Heck, I even bought a brand new Yugo at one time, (remember those?), and I averaged over 40 miles per gallon!
Well, the newest idea in environmentally friendly automobiles are called “Mini cars.” These are regular gasoline powered autos that any tiny, close in dimensions to the popular Smart Cars on the road today. Most of them boast over 40 miles per gallon in fuel economy, and virtually every major car company will be coming out with their very own version. These are all slated to hit showrooms for the 2011 model year, or sooner.
So here for your enjoyment is a quick run-down on some of the major players and their autos, for the upcoming mini car segment.
Chevrolet Spark—The Spark is Chevy's entry into the mini car lineup, and you knew that with all the bail-out money Chevrolet received, they would have something good. This is a four passenger mini that still gets 40 miles per gallon, and doesn’t look like a rolling ball. Look for it to have either a 1.0 or 1.2 liter engine that will put out around 80 horsepower. It's a refreshing and needed change from the folks with the bow tie emblem.
Ford Fiesta—Old name, new car. The new Fiesta is the most normal looking of the minis, if you can call it normal. It will still manage about 40 miles per gallon on the highway, seats four, and along with the Chevy, might make the best family car of this type out of all of them. It is claimed that compared with the other autos in this class, the Ford Fiesta has the nicest interior of the bunch. This sounds like a serious contender to me.
Mazda Mazda2—The name is not a misprint, it’s actually called the Mazda2. This car is tuned more for a sporty ride and offers 102 horsepower and 40 mile per gallon efficiency. The Mazda Mazda2 boasts the most standard features in this class, things like a jack for MP3 players and keyless entry, among others. You’ll still get great fuel mileage, and you’ll also get a sporty ride.
Toyota Scion IQ—Probably the snarkiest looking mini of the lot is the Scion IQ. It looks racy, all hunkered down with a front and rear spoiler, big wheels and aggressive stance. Granted, it only has a 90 horsepower engine, but it is still quick and lively. It seats four people, although one of those has to be a child, and it comes with 10 airbags, making it, perhaps, the safest mini that will be on the road.
Nissan Juke—This mini can only be called a “pocket rocket” due to its 180 horsepower turbocharged engine. The styling is aggressive as well, incorporating many design tricks from rally cars and motorcycles, of all things. It will come with optional four-wheel drive for terrific all year round road-ability, the only one in this class to offer that. All this performance will come with a little sacrifice in fuel mileage, although most reviews say it will be “competitive” in that area. It will seat four people, and will also be the most expensive auto in this segment.
Expect all of these cars to base price at well less than 20,000 dollars, with some priced in the low teens, both the Chevy and the Ford leading the low price way. And Because Action speaks louder than words, if these mini cars take off sales wise, as well they should, the end of the giant gas guzzlers may finally be in sight, and one of theses minis may be the next new car I own.
Source: BecauseAction.com
