Small car sales mixed

The latest issue of Automotive News has an article about why some small car sales are up, and others, well, not so much. You'd think that with $4.00/gallon gas, most smaller vehicles would be flying off lots, but that's not always the case. AN says factors such as image and production are factors when buyers are looking at small vehicles.

According to the article, sales changes from 2007 to 2008 have been very good for vehicles like the Toyota Yaris (up 50.4% from 2007), the Honda Civic (+20.2%), Honda Fit (+64%) and Ford Focus (+35.7%).

On the "not so much" side of things, the Mitsubishi Lancer is down 7.7%, the Pontiac G5 is down 5.8%, and the Chyrsler PT Cruiser is down a whopping 38.3%. Granted, none of these are subcompacts, but they are still considered small cars. The Chevrolet Aveo, which is a b-segment vehicle, is up only 2.3% from last year.

Other factors the article lists as being bad for small car sales: supply disruptions, bad powertrain choices, and production constraints.

This news comes amidst news that Honda is going to bump up it's supply of Fits for the U.S. market due to high demand. Looks like Honda and Toyota are definitely doing something right!

Widebody Smart is wide. More of the obvious at 10:00.

I saw this on Autoblog.com. While I think Smarts are cool, the Koenigsmart looks like it's got a bit too much goin' on. And while I think tuned Smarts are neat, the Koenigsmart just doesn't do it for me (I believe it's just an apperence package anyway). Regardless, I'll spare you the "not so Smart looking" line, though. Ooops -- I guess not.

Five years of Scion

Wow -- it's amazing to me that Scion has already been around for five years. It seems like just yesterday that I was lusting after the bbX concept, hoping that the JDM Toyota bB would come over to the U.S. Low and behold, it came, and I bought one after seeing an xB at the Chicago Auto Show.

I giveToyota a lot of credit for taking a risk with the Scion brand, the xA and xB in particular, as there were few other subcompacts on the U.S. market at the time, sans the Aveo, Accent, and Mini. The xA and xB were, in my opinion, partially responsable for making subcompacts into something other than just "economy cars."

I miss my xB sometimes (pictured above; overall it was a great vehicle. Now if they'd just bring over the new JDM bB! (Hey, it worked the first time, let's try it again, Toyota!)

To mark Scion's 5th year in the U.S., below are a couple of links to my favorite Scion-related Web sites.

LINK
Scionlife.com
Clubxb.com
Scion.com

Toyota "Aygo Crazy" (get it?)

So what do you get when you combine a subcompact Toyota Aygo microcar (it's smaller than a Yaris) with a Toyota MR2 engine? You get a crazy vehicle -- in fact, it's the Aygo Crazy (as in "I go crazy"). Mid engine, flared bodywork, fast acceleration, and great handling. I'll take two.

LINK
First Drive: Aygo Crazy (Autocar)

Lots-o-Subcompact News

Over the last week or so, there has been SO much info on subcompact cars lately. Now that gas in the U.S. is over $4.00 a gallon (avg.), there certainly seems to be more stories on subcompacts than ever before. Here are links to a few of the stories I've noticed:

Motor Trend: 2011 Ford Fiesta vs. 2009 Honda Fit

Autoblog.com: Chevy Aveo Pricing set

Autoblog.com: Toyota iQ caught testing

Top-Quality Subompacts

According to J.D. Power and Associates' latest quality survey, the top three subcompact cars are:

1) Honda Fit
2) Kia Rio
3) Hyundai Accent.

According to the J.D. Power, "The Fit earned top scores for the mechanical quality of its body, interior and features. At the same time, it rated poorly on the design of its body and interior."

While I'm not surprised about the Fit taking the #1 spot, I am surprised about the Rio and Accent. (Keep in mind the Rio and Accent share a chassis and powertrain.) It goes to show that the Korean automakers are definitely on the up and up as far as quality goes. I test drove an Accent and hated the shifter. I drove a Rio 5 and was much more impressed overall, but still didn't like the shifter much. Regardless, with a stellar warranty, and ever-improving quality rankings, Korean cars are the ones to look out for.

LINK
2008 Initial Quality: Subcompacts

Nissan Cube at Autoblog.com

The folks over at Autoblog.com have managed to get their hands on a JDM-spec Nissan Cube. This little vehicle, whose next generation is supposed to come to the U.S. soon, is set to steal the hearts of first-generation Scion xB owners.

Autoblog's Cube is the e4WD model that uses the standard front-wheel drive platform, but incorporates an electric motor at back to turn the rear wheels. Pretty cool stuff.

Anyone that's ever wondered what it's like to drive one will probably find this a very entertaining read; I did.

LINK
In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Nissan Cube

New small cars for 2009-2010

Automotive News published a list of the upcoming small cars coming to America in the next couple of years. The list includes the Pontiac G3 (above), currently sold in Mexico, and in Canada where it's called the Wave. And yes, it's a clone of the Chevrolet Aveo. GM wants to boost it's fuel economy average in the U.S., and by adding another fuel-efficient vehicle will do so (Isn't that kind of cheating?) Here's the list:

2009
• Dodge or Chrysler hatchback (Nissan Versa-based
• Honda hybrid hatchback
• Kia Soul
• Kia Spectra
• Mazda3 redesign
• Mazda Kabura
• Nissan Cube
• Pontiac G3
• Scion tC redesign
2010
• Chevrolet Beat
• Ford Fiesta
• Honda CR-Z hybrid
• Mini Crossover
• Saab 9-1
• Suzuki Swift
• Toyota Prius redesign

I'm most excited about the Suzuki Swift, which I've liked for some time. The hybrid CR-Z, which some are calling the "return of the CRX" should also be entertaining.