Pest Control Cube: Alpha Ecological's Nissan

Who needs a big-ol' panel van when a subcompact tall wagon will do? That must be Alpha Ecological's theory;  they displayed two of their Nissan Cubes at the Portland International Auto Show. A "green" pest control company, Alpha slaps a roof rack on the Cube's roof (to hold the ladder), and paints the cars with the company's colors.

Alpha currently operates in six states, but definitely has the best pest control vehicles in the U.S. I love to see companies switching to small vehicles and installing roof racks.

LINK
Alpha Ecological

What the hell? Crazy trike downtown Portland

What the what is this? Spotted downtown PDX, this trike looked to be home built. With obvious V8 power, this three-wheeled contraption undoubtedly could move. However, it is quite odd. The rear must have had at least six sets of lights. But hey: just another day downtown Portland.

 

Portland Auto Show: Fiat 500

Here is the Fiat 500 in the flesh. Yes it is very small but I really like it.

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2011 Portland International Auto Show

It's that time of year again: Time for the Portland International Auto Show. While not exactly New York, Detroit, LA, or Chicago, it's here, and there will be a good amount of vehicles. I'll be there tomorrow for the media day. Stay tuned for photos! Vehicles of note: Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, 2012 Focus, and more.

LINK:
Portland International Auto Show

Should Subaru sell the Trezia in the U.S.?

So here's the new Subaru Trezia, the latest Subaru subcompact. It's going to be on sale in Japan and Europe in 2011. Yes, it's based on the Toyota Verso, but it is going to be sold as a Subaru. It will be sold with an AWD option, too. FYI, the car is the size of a Honda Fit.

Subaru has previously said that it won't enter the B-segment in the U.S. However, this might make for a great entry-level Subaru (even though it's mostly Toyota). However, would Subaru owners be willing to buy something smaller than an Impreza, or are Subie owners content with the size of the Impreza and larger?

I would be be willing to guess that here in Portland—the Subaru capital of the U.S. (if not the universe)—it'd sell well. Then again, Portland is a microcosm of the car buying society. What do you think? Should Subaru enter the B-segment with the Trezia?

Daihatsu Midget II on Watanabes screams its 660cc heart out

Be it the fact I have Gran Turismo 5, or just a lunar phase, but I've been kind of on a Daihatsu Midget kick. Essentially a 660cc phonebooth with a spare tire on the front, the Midget stole the hearts of both Americans when it showed up in the Gran Turismo series.

Anyway, people do drive these things, and this video is one of the cooler ones. Love the Watanabe-style wheels, and just listen to that thing, screamin it's little engine out. Coolness, and I want one. Heck, I've even seen one in Oregon before.

Clean Corvallis Beetle

Mercedes (my wife) caught this ultra-clean mustard-yellow Beetle in Corvallis, OR. So simple, so classy. Looks like it might be lowered on some basic, classic chrome wheels. The Beetle is truly a classic subcompact, and this is Beetle simplicity done right.

Monster Tajima's SX4, now in new GoPro livery!

If you've ever A) watched the Pikes Peak Hill Climb or B) played Gran Turismo, you're likely familiar with Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima and his domination of the race course in a Suzuki. Well, his crazy-fast, aero-equipped SX4 is sporting a new livery: GoPro Cameras, complete with 20" forged blue HRE wheels. Love it.

SOURCE: HRE

Tokyo Auto Salon: Toyota GRMN iQ

The Tokyo Auto Salon is going on, and this little guy is one of several cars Toyota is showcasing. The GRMN (Gazoo Racing tuned by MN) iQ features a host of custom parts including bodywork, suspension, and wheel/tire upgrades. I believe it's got a supercharger on it, too. Although I'm not terribly taken with the front end (I don't dislike it), I do like the rear. It reminds me a bit of a video game racer or something. Like.

The Sidekick makes it maiden 4WD voyage

I was able to take my project Sidekick on my company's annual snow run this weekend, and I'm happy to report the little 4x4 did great! It's truly amazing how capable a vehicle with a true four-wheel drive system can be. Once things got a bit deeper, I put the Sidekick into 4WD low, and crawled through the snow. I was likely the lowest vehicle on the trail, but I went everywhere all of the larger (and heavier) vehicles went.

That light weight enabled me to, more or less, float across the top of the snow, where others may get stuck. If fact, I only got hung up once (see left). I had initially aired down the tires to 20 PSI for better traction. However, the one time I got hung up, we aired all the way down to 10 PSI—what a difference an additional 10 PSI made. I was able to crawl out of the deeper snow (with a push from a few guys), and up the hill without issue. Pretty awesome.

However, I was not the only small 4x4 on the run. There was another Sidekick/Tracker, too. This vehicle, however, was highly customized with a solid front axle swap, larger wheels, a large lift, and a turbocharged Mustang engine (I think it was a 2.3-liter turbo), which sounded awesome. More pics of that later.

A small 4x4 has its disadvantages, though. The short wheelbase and narrow track can mean—especially in the snow—that the vehicle gets bucked around in the ruts. Plus, when that back end starts to come around, it happens fast. I nearly put it into a ditch, but was able to drive out of it. Again, 4WD low rules.

For anyone that hasn't been "wheeling" before, it's a lot of fun, and a lot more difficult that most might imagine. It can be a very technical endeavor; it's not just thrashing through the woods.

The Sidekick's first outing was smashing success. Looking forward to the next off-highway adventure!

Just a test

Testing out a new app. Here is the Yaris.

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Tune ups are a beautiful thing.

As you may have read, I did a tune-up on my '95 Suzuki Sidekick this past weekend. It was a basic ignition tune: spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap, and rotor (I threw in a new air filter in there, too). Although I hit a snag along the way (thanks to what was likely a bump of the ignition coil plug by yours truly), the results of this tune up are impressive. I've never done a tune up that made such a difference to the way a vehicle drives.

Previous to changing all the things that make sparks in the engine bay (sans the coil), I had a noticeable rough idle and a distinct bogging in the lower RPM range, which caused a lack of power. However, after I got the vehicle running, both of these symptoms disappeared. The trucklet runs stronger and smoother than before. Also, after futzing with the temperature sending unit, my engine temperature gauge appears to be functional. Oh the luxury.

The last result was a gain in overall power. Although this sounds like a Captain Obvious statement, it was very noticeable, especially on the highway. I mean, let's face it: The Suzuki Sidekick isn't exactly a powerhouse (mine was rated at 95 hp at the crank), so every little bit helps when trying to keep up with traffic on the freeway.

This miscellaneous rambling, of course, can be applied to all gasoline-powered vehicles. Keep those cars and trucks tuned up, and you'll get better gas mileage and more power. You can thank me later for such prophetic advice.

Tune up troubles Part 2: The culprit

Ah ha—I found the problem with the ignition on my Suzuki Sidekick. After much help from the posters at Suzuki-Forums.com, I used the OBDI to its fullest and determined that code 41 meant an ignition failure (big thanks to Kick-Fix.com). It had to be either the ignition coil, the ignition control module, or the noise suppression filter. I couldn't figure it out. In a last-ditch effort, I unplugged everything that had to do with the ignition system, and replugged it in. Then it happened: It fired. Holy randomness.

I decided to wiggle the connections that I had monkeyed with, and found out it was the ignition coil connector (e.g. the positive and negative wires going to the ignition coil). A quick wiggle would kill the running engine. Well, at least I figured it out. Now to make it reliable.

Chevrolet Sonic: This ain't an Aveo

Here are the official pics of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The Sonic is the replacement for the Aveo, and at least from the looks of it, this is a great improvement.

Available in sedan and hatchback, the Sonic will be powered by a standard 1.8-liter engine making 135 hp and 123 ft./lbs. of torque. The bigger news is the availability of the 1.4-liter Ecotec turbo engine. Although this mill cranks out 138 hp—only three more horsepower than the normally aspirated 1.8 liter—it generates 148 ft./lbs. of torque. Both engines will be 16-valve, DOHC units. In fact, these are the same engines found in the larger Chevrolet Cruze. The 1.8 will be available with either a five-speed manual or six-speed auto; the 1.4 liter will get the six-speed manual. FYI, both engines will run on 87 octane; no premium fuel needed. Mileage figures haven't been released.

Suspension wise, you'll get an independent front and torsion rear. Brakes will be disc front, drum rear with ABS, of course. You'll also be able to get factory 17" wheels/tires, too. Curb weights haven't been released.

On the inside, the Sonic looks very nice—head, neck, and shoulders above the current Aveo. Sonics will have digital speedos, analog tachs, "tubular" outboard climate outlets, and other modern-like goodies.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to this one. And who would've thought Chevrolet would have the "hot turbo hatch" offering in the U.S.? Oh and by the way, this one will be made in the U.S., not Korea.

Vintage Electric: Early electric car from Oregon

There's a lot of talk about electric cars these days, but really, they're nothing new. Electric cars have been around since the early part of the 1900s, but the gasoline engine ended up becoming more popular.

My neighbor, John (who has a great Studebaker Hawk, by the way), came up to me the other day with a photo of the car above, and the photo was dated 1920. He wondered if I might be interested in it for my blog. John said the photo was indeed from 1920, and this was an electric car here in Oregon. I'm not sure if the car was in his family or if it was a friend of the family's. Regardless, this is an electric vehicle.

A quick Google search for electric cars from the '20s yielded Detroit Electric, a company that offered cars in this time frame. Many of the vehicles looked identical to the above photo.

According to the Wikipedia site, a Detroit Electric car was advertised to have an 80 mile range, but one test yielded more than 200. Granted, the top speed was only about 20 mph. Hey, beats a horse and buggy! It's cool that this electric car was here in Oregon this early. We tout ourselves has having such advanced technologies, but nearly 100 years ago they were running electrics! Granted, lots has changed, but still.

Pretty neat old photo of a neat old car. Thanks for the photo, John!

Tune-up trouble

So is it still a "tune up" if the car won't start afterward?

I spent my Saturday working on my '95 Suzuki Sidekick project. My dad and I successfully installed new manual window regulators, fixed a rattling rear tailgate, and worked on some trim pieces. The day was going good: Too good.

When it came time to do the "tune up" aspect (plugs, wires, cap, and rotor)—the easy stuff—things got ugly. Actually, nothing got ugly until after everything was done. Plugs: Check. Wires: Check. Rotor: Check. Cap: Check. Staring: FAIL.

So, I decided to try to eliminate the variables. I put everything back to the way it was and it still won't fire! I drove the damn vehicle to my dad's house (he's got a garage, I don't), started and stopped the thing three times without incident, but when I try to make everything nice and new, it won't start!

So now it's Sunday, I drove my dad's Jeep home to my house, and now have to go up there and try to figure things out. I thought I might have screwed up the firing order, but no dice, at least yet. I'm getting fuel; it cranks robustly; but won't catch. I think I need a spark tester. Grrr ...Let's hope I don't have to have the thing towed to the mechanic's. Good thing I have AAA ...

Cool. Oregon. Smart.

My wife, Mercedes, snapped a photo of this Smart car in a parking lot at a shop in the Portland area. This is a pretty cool rally-esque ForTwo, actually. Custom steel wheels, light bar, custom paint—not bad!

December 2010 subcompact sales: The finale

So, 2010 is in the record books. How did the last month of subcompact sales pan out as well as the year's big winners and losers?

The Kia Soul took the top spot in 12/10, up 126.1% over this time last year. However, it was Nissan Versa that sold the most units in December. New on the chart are the MINI Countryman and Nissan Juke crossovers. Note the strong Juke sales thus far. Fiesta is welling well among the genre, too.

On the flip side, it was the long-in-the-tooth Kia Rio taking last place for December, down 76% over last year. The Nissan Cube did surprisingly bad, too. Unsurprising was the slow-selling Smart, which, surprisingly sold more than 500 units last month. Also, the newcomer Mazda2 is selling rather slowly, too.

So which were the top five subcompact sellers in 2010?

1. Nissan Versa: 99,705
2. Kia Soul: 67,110
3. Honda Fit: 54,354
4. Hyundai Accent: 51,975
5. Chevrolet Aveo: 48,623

... and the bottom five sellers:

1. Smart ForTwo: 5,927
2. MINI Cooper S/Convertible: 7,022
3. MINI Cooper S/Clubman: 8,389
4. Scion xD: 10,110
5. Suzuki SX4: 11,606

Below is the big board; I'm looking forward to seeing what 2011 will spell for subcompact cars.

Make/Model	Dec. '10 vs. Dec. '09	Units Dec. '10	YTD '10 vs. '09	YTD sold '10
Kia Soul	+126.1%	6,367	+112.2%	67,110
Nissan Versa	+49.8%	10,201	+20.3%	99,705
Chevrolet Aveo	+20.2%	4,037	+26.2%	48,623
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+13.7%	2,568	+5.4%	20,658
Honda Fit	+10.3%	4,860	-18.7%	54,354
Suzuki SX4	+10.0%	1,226	-44.0%	11,606
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	+7.0%	428	+13.1%	7,022
Scion xD	-11.7%	824	-29.8%	10,110
MINI Cooper S/Clubman	-13.4%	749	-23.0%	8,389
Toyota Yaris	-29.0%	3,422	-36.7%	40,076
Hyundai Accent	-32.9%	2,784	-23.7%	51,975
Smart ForTwo	-34.0%	570	-59.4%	5,927
Nissan Cube	-64.5%	1,085	+7.0%	22,968
Kia Rio	-76.0%	944	-29.0%	24,619
Ford Fiesta	--	5,212	--	23,273
Nissan Juke	--	3,163	--	8,693
Mazda2	--	834	--	3,021
MINI Countryman	--	575	--	575

A Daihatsu delivery vehicle in ... Winona, MN?

You can run into Kei cars in the most unlikely of places in the U.S. Case in point, this Daihatsu Atrai (aka "Hijet"), which is a rural delivery vehicle for Winona County in southwest Minnesota. How cool, though? I spied this little guy outside of the DMV in Winona.

This model features four-wheel drive and a twin-cam, 12-valve, three-cylinder engine.

 As you can see, this is a right-hand drive vehicle with a manual transmission.

 Yep, it's a tall vehicle. In fact, as I was taking photos, a lady stopped and said, "looks a bit tippy, eh?" Yes, ma'am. Not a corner carver. But, it looked like it had plenty of cargo room.

Of all places, I didn't expect to see this thing in Winona. But this show that municipalities/cities are buying imported kei vehicles for service duty. There must be a niche for these in the U.S.! Well, it might be a niche of a niche, but still. I wonder where they get parts and who services this little thing?

Welcome to 2011: More small cars, free decals

SubcompactCulture.com decals are free!

 Well here we are in 2011. We all have those New Year's resolutions. Weight loss, exercise, financial blah blah blah, etc. So here are my subcompact New Year's resolutions:

- Continue to update Subcompact Culture on a regular basis (duh)
- Get some fresh, new reviews of the latest subcompact vehicles
- Get my '95 Suzuki Sidekick fixed up and ready to hit the trails
- Get more user submissions

Speaking of that last one, if you've every got a story, want your car featured, or just want to say hi, never hesitate to send me an e-mail!

In addition, as usual, SubcompactCulture.com decals are always free! simply shoot me an e-mail with your mailing address and if you'd like a decal in silver or white.

Welcome to 2011, and thanks for reading.