2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Gets a Big Price Reduction

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car didn't have a 2013 model. Instead, dealers sold what was left of the 2012 stock. That's changing for 2014, as there will be a bona-fide '14 model year. However, there's bigger news: The subcompact EV will get a whopping price cut of more than $6,000 while adding more standard features.

A '14 i-MiEV will start at $22,995—$6,130 less than the previous model. After the $7,500 federal tax incentive, this brings the cost down to $15,495. Places such as California have another incentive of up to $2,500, making the price $12,995. Now that's a pretty darn good deal.

The new i-MiEV also now comes with features such as heated front seats, a CHAdeMO DC-quick-charge port; a battery warming system, heated side mirrors, rear door speakers, leather-covered steering wheel, fog lights, aluminum wheels, and more.

We reviewed the i-MiEV and found it great in the city and so-so on the highway. The interior was Spartan and the vehicle had a range of 62 miles (less than the Spark EV). However, at the new price, perhaps Mitsubishi might coerce some people who were thinking about an EV to actually take the plunge.

Review: 2013 Nissan Juke NISMO

The NISMO (NISsan MOtorsports) name has been around since 1984. The tuner has been heavily involved in racing over the years, and has also offered tuning parts for a variety of Nissans. Turnkey NISMO cars first started with a Skyline GT-R in Japan in the early 2000s. In 2002, the Sentra Spec V ended up with an available NISMO variant, as did the 350Z, and other vehicles. These cars had all kinds of different parts. From suspension and engine changes, to seats and spoilers, the NISMO-equipped Nissans add more spice to the driving experience. For 2013 we saw the introduction of two new NISMO vehicles: The 370Z and, of all things, the Juke crossover. The Juke has been out for a few years now but is still as polarizing as it was when it first came out. People either love the looks or detest them.

November 2013 Subcompact Sales

I should start out by saying that I missed doing October's subcompact sales, so you'll have to forgive me. Sometimes life gets int he way of blogging.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, November was a great month for overall auto sales, and several models showed nice double-digit gains in November. The big winner was the Kia Soul, posting up a gain of more than 77%. In a distant second was the Hyundai Accent, followed by the Smart For Two. The big loser this month was the Mazda2, which was down 71% vs. Nov. of '12. Also in the not-so-prestigious down-more-than-60% club are the Toyota Yaris, Scion iQ, and Nissan Cube. If you've followed previous months' sales, you probably aren't surprised. I'm not. But hey, enough chit chat; onto the big board.

Make/Model	% Nov. '13 vs. '12	Units % Nov. '13	YTD '13 vs. '12	YTD
Kia Soul	77.3	12870	2.9	111734
Hyundai Accent	42.4	4641	-8.1	53358
Smart ForTwo	36.2	959	-6.7	8409
Ford Fiesta	25.9	4642	30.2	66597
Honda Fit	24.9	4140	7.1	48896
Honda CR-Z	20.9	295	5.5	4166
Nissan Juke	14.8	3446	14.8	35081
Hyundai Veloster	6.3	2216	-15.9	27664
Chevrolet Spark	1.9	1741	219.2	32418
Kia Rio	-0.8	2474	1.7	38586
Nissan Versa	-5.7	8327	5.6	108488
Chevrolet Sonic	-6.1	4712	7.9	81211
Mazda MX-5 Miata	-8.7	337	-6.9	5504
MINI Countryman	-10.8	1435	2.6	18788
Scion xD	-16.5	667	-17.2	8343
MINI Cooper /S Convertible	-22.5	252	-6.5	4488
MINI Cooper /S Hardtop	-30.6	1727	-8.8	26267
MINI Cooper /S Clubman	-31.3	330	-10.3	5324
MINI Coupe	-38.9	91	-10.3	2702
Fiat 500	-41.0	2138	-16.0	33510
MINI Roadster	-44.4	109	27.4	2098
Nissan Cube	-60.8	310	-28.9	5029
Scion iQ	-62.4	234	-53.7	3845
Toyota Yaris	-67.5	712	-27.7	20741
Mazda2	-71.0	724	-35.6	10529
Buick Encore	na	2663	na	29195
Fiat 500L	na	937	na	5981
MINI Paceman	na	631	na	2612

Review 2: 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV

Nothing makes you realize how much or how little you drive like spending time with an electric vehicle. The mere thought of EVs brings up phrases like "range anxiety," and thoughts about how someone could never own an EV because they only get 80 miles on a charge. And while a purely electric vehicle might not work for everyone in every place, they do work very well as commuters in certain places.

For example, I drive about 22-25 miles a day. It rarely gets colder than the upper 20s and seldom hotter than the upper 80s here in Portland, so battery life is quite predictable. We own three gas-powered vehicles, so it would be very easy for us to ditch one of them (sorry Toyota Yaris, you'd be the one to go), and go completely electric. I will say between Mercedes and me, we've driven nearly all of the electric vehicles on the market (sans the Tesla Model S), and both agreed the Spark EV could find its way into our driveway some day. It's the right size, fun to drive, practical, and we like the looks.

This wasn't the first time I've spent time with the Spark EV. Last time was at the vehicle's launch, which just so happened to take place in Portland, too. I got to spend the day with the subcompact EV and immediately developed a fondness for it, much of which comes from the fact that it's tiny and has 400 ft/lbs of torque. I was really looking forward to driving it for a week. Fast forward to now, and I must say, I'm still very fond of this EV.

Happy Thanksgiving From Subcompact Culture

From us here at Subcompact Culture, we'd like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for all of the readers out there; we're thankful for good food and great friends and family. We're also thankful to have so many cool small cars available these days. Whether it's a tiny A-segment city car, or a compact 4x4—we're glad they're available. We're also thankful for rallycrossing early 1990s Toyota Corollas. Just because.

So which small car are you most thankful for?

Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Compact Camping Vans

Mitsubishi Delica with 4WD and a diesel engine—a great compact camper.

 As I conduct my daily craigslist search for those vehicles that seemingly no one wants, I began to think about camping. We typically take our Suzuki Sidekick camping, since I can remove the back seat for cargo, throw stuff up on the roof rack, and I don't worry about it getting dented/damaged much. Plus, it's always fun to do some off-pavement exploring. But as my co-worker and I say on a regular basis, sometimes ground clearance is more important than 4WD. So I started looking up 4WD vans and other vehicles that might make cool campers.

Small Car Highlights from Tokyo and LA Auto Shows

Auto show season is upon us. The two that are going on right now are the Tokyo Motor Show and LA Auto Show. I am, unfortunately, at neither. However, that doesn't mean I've been oblivious to some of the cool small car concepts and production vehicles that have appeared. Here are a few that have caught my eye.

Daihatsu Kopen Concept

The Kopen (or Copen) is a tiny two-seat convertible. Past iterations have looked a lot like miniature Audi TTs. However, the above-pictured Kopen Concept from the Tokyo show look much less Audi. No mention of a powerplant or anything, but it is eye catching.

Honda S660 Concept

This one falls into the "please please please please please build it and bring it to North America" category. This tiny two-seat Honda, which will likely not come to this side of the pond, will be powered by a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine making 100 horsepower and have a retractable roof.

Nissan Sentra Nismo Concept

Moving back to this side of the ocean, Nissan is showing off its Sentra NISMO concept at the LA show. Powered by an amped-up version of the Nissan Juke engine (1.6-liter turbocharged four cylinder making 240 hp), Nissan has taken is not-so-exciting Sentra and made it into something special. Kudos for not calling it an SE-R, by the way. As we mentioned in our 2013 Sentra review, the new Sentra is very improved, and if they offer it with the turbo powerplant, it might just be great.

Nissan Juke Nismo RS

Since we're on the Nissan subject, Nissan showed off its Juke Nismo RS at LA, too. It takes the already tarted-up Juke Nismo and adds 18 more horsepower, 26 ft/lbs more torque (total of 215 hp and 210 ft/lbs of torque), a limited-slip differential, and Recaro seats among other goodies. That's the good news. The bad news is you still can't get the AWD version with a manual—it's a CVT or nothing. You can, however, get a FWD and manual. We'll post up our 2013 Juke Nismo review in the coming weeks.

2015 Subaru WRX

Here's the nex-generation Subaru Impreza WRX. Powered by a 2.0-liter direct-injection boxer engine, the car makes 268 hp (up three from the last gen) and 258 ft/lbs or torque, up 14 ft/lbs. It'll be available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT, which seem odd, but I'm sure Subaru will be able to sell more units if they offer it up with an automatic, too. They say 0-60 times will be in the mid five-second range, and of course it'll have AWD. We own a 2013 model and love it. The '15 looks much more bland, but it'll likely drive fantastically.

Toyota Aqua Convertible Concept

In Japan, the Prius c is called the Aqua, and Toyota brought a fun drop-top convertible concept to the Tokyo Motor Show. While the Prius c isn't the epitome of excitement, this tiny topless Toyota looks great and would undoubtedly a be a good time. You can read more about it at Autoblog.

Daihatsu FC凸DECK

As if I had to tell you this came from the Tokyo show, the Daihatsu FC凸DECK is a cabover thing powered by a fuel cell. It's crazy concepts like this that make me look forward to the Tokyo Motor show every couple of years. It's crazy, it's kooky, and it's totally Japanese. So cool, so unlikely to make production, and so wonderful.

In The Flesh: Vespa 946 Scooter

I was lucky enough to get some super secret spy photos at the un-crating and setup of the new Vespa 946 down at Portland Vespa. They got a call early in the day that the shipment would arrive late. The 946 gets shipped in a larger than usual crate so it didn't fit on the morning truck.  It seems Vespa is eager to protect their expensive limited edition scooter. The bike retails for $9,946 and there will be only 250 units shipped to the United States. No doubt the price and rarity will make this an instant collectible.



The 946 is stylistically inspired by the 1946 MP6 prototype, their first step through model. The MSRP reflects the last three digits of the year. The styling evokes the spirit of the MP6, but the details make it look thoroughly modern. They are elegant and refined, skewing from the more simple and utilitarian design of the original, a scooter designed as cheap transportation for post war Italy.

Review: 2013 Smart Electric Drive

This is the third chance we’ve gotten to spend time behind the wheel of a Smart vehicle. The first time, Andy reviewed a gas-powered 2011 ForTwo Passion Coupe. The car had a go-kart-like ride, a minuscule turning radius, tight and precise steering, and worked great in the city. And while it could keep up with traffic on the highway, city navigation was its forte. The Smart ForTwo laughed at even the smallest of sedans trying to wedge themselves into parking stalls downtown or on Portland's inner East Side. Indeed, this vehicle must've been created by the Parking Gods. We did, however, think the interior materials, build quality, and herky-jerky transmission left a lot to be desired.

The second time we met a Smart, albeit briefly, I attended the launch of the 2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive in our beloved tree-hugging, electric-car-crazy hometown of Portland, OR. I only had a small bit of seat time with the vehicle, but felt that its electric motor, which is located between the rear wheels (and is a joint venture between Bosch and Daimler) had enough power to tackle a steep 7% grade and keep up with traffic. In its “kickdown mode” this car could generate two minutes of 55 kilowatt power, going from 0-60 mph in less than 12 seconds. And, along with its petite five-foot wide, five-foot high, and under-nine-foot-long size, this microcar felt like it had a lot going for it—more so than its gas-powered sibling—especially in the fun-t-drive department. That electric motor was peppy! Plus, being electric, there was no more terrible transmission. I learned this mini-mobile had 79 miles of range in the city, 59 highway, and 68 combined with an eMPG rating of 122 city, 93 highway, and 68 combined. Pretty impressive, considering  it was estimated that it would cost about $1.00–$1.20 a day to charge the vehicle. Paying on average only a few hundred dollars a year to keep its wheels running isn’t too shabby. For '13, the vehicle is available in CA, CT, MA, MD, ME, NJ, NY, OR, and RI. However, the company says it should be charging up everywhere for 2014.

The third time we met was just a short time ago, and I spent an entire week with the Smart Electric Drive. Would I have a different opinion of this all-electric runabout compared to my initial 15 minutes of seat time at the launch? Would I like it just as much or more than I did a few months ago during the Portland media launch? Well, the short answer is yes and no.

Third-Generation MINI Cooper Hardtop Revealed

MINI revealed its latest version of the Cooper Hardtop today. New engines, new features, and a revised body are part of the third-generation Cooper.

The new MINI is 4.5" longer, 1.7" wider, and 0.3" taller than the current MINI Cooper Hardtop. The wheelbase grows 1.3 inches to 98.2". Of course, the interior has grown too: The luggage compartment up 3 cubic feet to 8.7 and the seat surface has been lengthened 0.9". You can note the exterior growth in the photo at the bottom.

Under the hood, MINI Coopers will be powered by one of two turbocharged TwinPower engines. The first is a 1.5-liter three-cylinder making 134 hp and 162 ft/lbs of torque (170 in overboost). MINI states that cars with this engine will go from 0-60 in 7.4 seconds (manual) and 7.3 seconds (automatic). Top speed will be 130 mph. 

Cooper S models will receive a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 189 hp and 207 ft/lbs of torque (221 in overboost). Here, 0-60 drops to 6.5 seconds (manual) and 6.4 seconds (automatic). 

Speaking of transmissions, the cars will be equipped with either an all-new six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. Start and stop technology will also be available on automatic versions. 

MINIs will continue to have fully independent suspension systems. The company's Dynamic Damper Control is all-new to the MINI, however. This allows for a more comfort-oriented ride or a direct, sporty ride. 

 

Of course, MINI will continue to offer stylish, funky interiors (complete with circular gauges) and all of the safety equipment you'd expect on a new car. North American pricing has not been announced. European MINI Cooper Hardtop pricing will start at €17,900 EUR ($24,199 USD); €23,800 EUR ($32,175 USD) for Cooper S models. 

Like nearly all new cars, even the MINI keeps getting bigger. And while it's not drastically larger, it definitely is bulked up. So my questions is this: Will we see a downsized MINI in the future? (Remember the MINI Rocketman concept?) I am glad to see the new engines and I can't help but love the idea of a three-cylinder turbo, especially one with good horsepower and torque.