One Day, Three Test Drives: Driving the Models We Missed

While we get to drive a host of new cars, many aren't necessarily the spec, we'd personally buy. Sometimes we want a lower trim level, a different engine, and always the manual transmission option. So every now and then my curiosity takes me to a dealership to seek out some of these vehicles. Yesterday was one of those days.

Smart to Drop Gas-Powered Fortwo, Will Sell Only EVs in North America

Smart has decided to pull the plug on its gas-powered Fortwo in the U.S., and has decided to only sell its  Smart Electric Coupe instead.

Review: 2016 Smart Fortwo Passion

Words by Andy Lilienthal, photos by Mercedes Lilienthal

I’ll admit: I’m a bit surprised Smart is still around in the U.S. In a country where space isn’t at a premium in most places and people drive enormous pickup trucks to run errands in urban environments, peddling a microcar to Americans can seem like a bit of a stretch. However, Smart has been selling cars in the U.S. since 2008, and doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon.

When Scion released its iQ, I figured it was going to wipe out the Smart brand entirely. The iQ drove better and felt more solid, had Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability, and didn't require premium fuel. It seemed like a shoe-in to take over as King of the Microcars. Alas, Scion dropped the iQ for 2015, while Smart has unveiled an all-new version of the Fortwo. Hey, I’ve been wrong before.

2016 Smart ForTwo and ForFour Info

Smart has been around since 1998 selling city cars to people all over the world. Unfortunately, the gas-powered ForTwo leaves a lot to be desired in the drivetrain department, even for a city car as we found out in our 2011 Smart ForTwo Passion review. However, that is likely to change with the release of the all-new 2016 Smart ForTwo and larger ForFour.

There won't be any confusion as to whether or not these are Smart cars, as the ForTwo and even the ForFour retain classic Smart car styling elements. The front end will get the biggest change, adopting a more square fascia. We think the overall look is pretty good, and the ForFour seems like a great idea for the U.S.'s larger tastes. The new Smarts have a track that's nearly four inches wider, too.

Thankfully, the dreadful manumatic drivetrain will be deep-sixed for far a bona-fide manual transmission or dual-clutch gearbox. This automatically actuated manual transmission architecture was the car's Achilles heel, and prevented the car from being more entertaining and comfortable to drive.

The 2016 cars will still be rear engine, rear drive beasties with three-cylinder engines. Initially, there will be two engines: a 999cc normally aspirated making 71 horsepower, and an 898cc turbo version (!) making 90 hp. After the initial launch, Smart says there will be a basic 60 hp gas engine available as well.

Smart will also have three new lines: Passion, Prime, and Proxy (apparently the Pure is going away). The cars will be available with niceties such as LED daytime running lights, cruise control, instrument cluster with 3.5" LCD display, and a JBL sound system. Of course, the interior is also all new.

Other things of note include hill hold assist, a new McPherson suspension and twin-tube shocks with optional sports tuning (10mm lower and stiffer), a new rear axle, and new mechanical rack-and-pinion steering. In addition, the new ForTwo and ForFour have a crosswind assist feature standard, so no more worrying about being buffeted by strong side gusts.

 Of course, Smart is touting thing car's safety, despite it's diminutive size. It'll still have the tridion safety cell and all the necessary three-letter safety acronyms.

Currently, Germany, Italy, and China are the Smart's top markets and it'll be interesting to see if the car gains any traction in the U.S. market. Since it's being proven that practical four-door A-segment city cars, such as the Chevrolet Spark and even the Mitsubishi Mirage, will sell if priced correctly, I'll be watching to see how much the new Smarts retail for assuming we get the ForFour.

In the meantime, here are some basic dimensions for the little Smarts. I'm guessing Daimler, Smart's parent company, has learned a thing or two since the car's debut; we'll see how much in the coming year.

Small Car Highlights From the 2014 Portland International Auto Show

2015 BMW i3

The 2014 Portland International Auto Show will be held February 6–10 at the Oregon Convention Center. Subcompact Culture attended the press day on February 5 to get a preview of some of the latest rides. And while there were exotics, sports cars, SUVs, pickups, and just about everything else there, we attended for the small cars ... of course.

2015 BMW i3 

One of the most notable and exciting small cars at the show is the 2015 BMW i3, which is an EV with an optional inline two-cylinder 650cc range-extending gas engine. The vehicle makes 170 hp and 184 lbs./ft. of torque and will weigh in at about 2,700 lbs. It's estimated the small front-drive BMW (a first for the brand) will get 125 eMPG. By the way, yes, it's got 20" wheels wearing 165/65/20 tires. That's a new one. The interior is simply stunning, to be frank. There's futuristic yet simple design throughout, including a gorgeous wood dash area in front of the passenger, and suicide doors. Made with scads of carbon fiber, the i3 will start out at $42,275.

2015 Subaru  WRX STI

Another highly anticipated vehicle at the Auto Show is the 2015 Subaru WRX STI. The standard '15 WRX isn't slated to go on sale until April, but Oregon is Subaru country, and Subaru was able to bring the hot- rodded WRX STI, which won't go on sale until June, to the Portland show for all to see. Making 305 horsepower out of its 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder mill and delivering power too all four wheels, the new STI will likely be a beast despite the somewhat toned-down sheet metal. However, the big wing and gold wheels are back, and are likely to appeal to the rally car crowd. Can't wait to drive this one.

2015 Volkswagen Golf

Another popular car here in the Pacific Northwest is the Volkswagen Golf, and this is the new MkVII model. Complete with revised sheet metal, the new Golf also gets a new 1.8-liter turbocharged engine standard (vs. the past 2.5-liter five cylinder), as well as a revised TDI turbochraged diesel. The gas engine will make 170 hp and 184 lbs./ft. of torque. The new TDI makes 150 hp and a whopping 236 lbs./ft. of torque. Expect TDI mileage to be in the low 40s when it's released. By the way, 52% of all VWs sold in Portland, OR are TDIs—far more than any other market in the U.S.

2015 Ford Fiesta ST

Ford's sporty Fiesta ST has been out a few months now, but this was the first I'd seen one in the flesh. wearing stunning Molten Orange Metallic paint, the ST is truly a hot hatch. A turbocharged 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine making 197 hp and 202 lbs./ft. of torque, a six-speed manual gearbox, unique alloy wheels, and different front and rear fascias make this the Fiesta to get if you're looking for a pocket rocket. This one had the optional and awesome Recaro seats, too. Love this thing, and can't wait to drive one. 

In addition to the above vehicles, there are a host of other new small car—and other cool bits—to check out at the auto show:

Fiat 500 Gucci

Kia Soul

Fiat 500L Trekking

Buick Encore

Folding paper Scion xB

Nissan Versa Note

Will Orders' twin-turbo Toyota GT86 rally car

Classic Volkswagen Bug

Custom Honda CRX

Brazuka Smart ForTwo

New Smart EV Bike

Hyabusa-powered Smart Car = Smokey Donuts

The Hyabusa-powered Smart ForTwo is the stuff of Internet legend. Videos of this vehicle have been on YouTube for years, and they just keep coming. I'd sure like a ride in this thing. I'd sure love to drive it. Now this is a ForTwo I can really get behind.

FYI, I believe this vehicle resides in Austria.

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.

In the Driveway: 2013 Smart Electric Drive

In the driveway this week is a wee little thing: The Smart Electric Drive, or ED (note the clever logo on the car's pillar ... get it?). This "amped" up ForTwo is all electric, which means no more terrible transmission like on the gas version . Instead, it's a single speed. Initial impressions are that it's got good pickup from 0-40, but the thrust peters out after that. I've had it up to 55 mph thus far, but it will take a while to get there. Some interior bits seem flimsy, such as the turn signal stalk and some dash bits. However, this urban runabout is incredibly nimble and compact. The coiled-up charging cord is also an EV first for us. Luckily, it's long enough to reach our exterior outlet. And yes, it's small enough to be parked on our concrete patio slab.

More later ... stay tuned.

Spotted: Next Generation Smart ForTwo

The folks over at Autoblog are showing pics of the next generation Smart ForTwo, or at least what they believe is the new ForTwo. From the rear shot, you can see the car wearing a Renault badge, which apparently because the vehicle has been built using Twingo parts. Bonus points of the über-mall roof rails. I hope they make production. All kidding aside, I wonder what they're for?

SOURCE

Smart Fortwo successor spotted wearing new nose (Autoblog)

The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: The Smallest Entry Into the EV Market

2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive in Portland, Oregon

When I ask what someone thinks about Portland and its culture, they typically mention its all-around funkiness, an anything goes type of an attitude, and it’s propensity to embrace all things “green.” Well, I live in Portland and believe the above statement is pretty much true. I also believe the 2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive EV I had the pleasure to drive last Thursday would fit wonderfully in this quirky, edgy, and all-around tree-hugging town. Along with its petite five-foot wide, five-foot high, and under-nine-foot long size, this microcar has a lot going for it. It’s a fun, completely customizable, and peppy little electric runner.

Is this a Smart BRABUS rental car?

I rented a car from National Car Rental in Grand Junction, Colorado last week—a very nice 2013 Ford Edge Limited. (I could've had a Yaris, but who'd refuse a free upgrade?) Anyway, when I was returning the Edge last Thursday, this Smart was in one of the rental return spots. That's not just a Smart ForTwo, that's a Smart ForTwo BRABUS. I had to walk down and look at it. I mean, does National really rent this? Why not just a Smart ForTwo?

I took a look inside, and there was a soda in the cupholder. Maybe the car hadn't been cleaned out yet. There was a parking tag hanging from the rear view mirror, too. I am not sure what the tag was for, but perhaps it's just an employee vehicle parked in a rental slot for the day. I could not confirm whether it belonged to someone or was actually a rental. Interesting. 

Cars with manual windows, mirrors, and locks

Today we say farewell to our 2012 Nissan Versa 1.6 S sedan review vehicle. This Spartan car proved to be good in many respects, although basic. No power windows, now power locks, no power mirrors, etc. Frankly, I didn’t know there were any cars left on the U.S. market without these three power items. This prompted me to see which other new vehicles are available without power features:

Chevrolet Sonic: Manual windows and mirrors (LS)

Chevrolet Spark: Manual windows and locks (LS)

Ford Fiesta: Manual windows and locks (S)

Honda Civic: Manual windows (DX)

Jeep Patriot: Manual windows and mirrors (Sport)

Kia Rio: Manual windows, mirrors, and locks (LX)

Kia Soul: Manual mirrors (Base)

Kia Forte: Manual windows, mirrors, and locks (LX)

Nissan Versa: Manual windows, mirrors, and locks (1.6 S)

Smart ForTwo: Manual windows and mirrors (Pure)

Toyota Yaris: Manual windows and mirrors (LE)

I think I hit almost all of them. Are there any 2012 or 2013 models that I missed? If so, let me know. Are you in a different country that the U.S.? Which cars don't have power locks, windows, or doors where you are?

June 2012 subcompact sales

Quite a bit of numbers in the green this month. The Fiat 500 was flexing its Italian-bred muscles this month with a sales increase of more than 122% vs. a year ago; year-to-date sales are up a staggering 319%. In a distant second is Nissan's Versa, still up an impressive 101.3%, and Kia's quick-selling Rio over +87.7%. It should be noted that Chevrolet's Sonic is quite popular: It's now the third best selling b-segment vehicle. Not bad for the new kid on the block.

Again, the big loser was Honda's CR-Z hybrid declining more than 50% vs. June '11, and is down 70% year to date.

In other sales news, the Smart ForTwo outsold the Scion iQ this month, but year-to-date sales still have the iQ in the lead.

Also, Suzuki, is only reporting that overall brand sales are up 1%, and that increase was led by the SX4, which was up 5%. No year-to-date info was given.

Make/Model	June '12 vs. June '11	Units, June '12	YTD June '12 vs. June '11	YTD
Fiat 500	+122.2%	4004	+319%	20706
Nissan Versa	+101.3%	8746	+32.7%	60919
Kia Rio	+87.7%	3668	+87.7%	22396
Scion xD	+76.9%	1017	+6.7%	5502
Hyundai Accent	+56.9%	5660	+51.8%	36470
Nissan Juke	+52.7%	3101	+7.2%	18728
Toyota Yaris	+43.3%	2007	+70.9%	19971
MINI Countryman	+27.6%	1819	+13.7%	9260
Suzuki SX4**	+5.0%	NA	NA	NA
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	+6.7%	539	+2.9%	2692
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+4.6%	2601	-2.5%	14729
Honda Fit	-6.7%	4584	-29.4%	24290
Kia Soul	-9.9%	10199	+15.7%	63635
Mazda2	-13.2%	938	+34.7%	10151
Ford Fiesta	-17.1%	4589	-25.6%	31326
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-30.9%	560	-28.5%	2823
Nissan Cube	-45.8%	711	-64.5%	4085
Honda CR-Z	-57.7%	409	-70.0%	2404
Chevrolet Sonic	--	6785	--	42240
Smart ForTwo	--	1017	--	4748
Scion iQ	--	702	--	5084
MINI Coupe	--	252	--	1565
MINI Roadster	--	224	--	990

Numbers reflect sales in the United States.
**Suzuki is only reporting that June, 2012 SX4 sales were up. No year-to-date info was given.

Smart puts out a big tweet to defend its small car.

What do you do when someone insults your brand via Twitter? You make an infographic, damn it.

Clayton Hove, who runs a snarky blog about ads, tweeted that he saw a bird crap on a Smart car and that it was totaled because of the avian poo.

Smart saw the tweet, and in response, replied via Twitter, that it couldn't be just one bird, and produced the above infographic showing exactly how many bird craps it'd take to compromise the car's tridion safety cell. Well there you go. It sounds like this snarky attack with an infographic rebuttal will likely benefit both parties. However, I'd bet it benefits Hove more, since every auto blog site out there is linking to his site. Still, well played, @SmartCarUSA.

Now about that transmission ...

May 2012 subcompact sales

Some big gains in May in terms of subcompact sales. The Hyundai Accent, Fiat 500, and Toyota Yaris all posted triple-digit gains (month over month), and the Fiat 500 posted a huge year-to-date gain of 432%.

Fading into sales oblivion is Honda's CR-Z two-door, two-seater hybrid, selling a miniscule 296 units, down 81% from this time last month; year to date sales are down about 72%, too. Heck, even the Nissan Cube looks like a sales champ compared to the CR-Z.

Kia's Soul is the sales success so far this year with Nissan's Versa hot on its trail. Chevrolet's new Sonic is actually in third place, but there's a sizable margin between second and third. The other American competitor, the Ford Fiesta seems to be sliding.

Make/Model	May '12 vs. May '11	Units, May '12	YTD May '12 vs. May '11	YTD
Hyundai Accent	+303.2%	6166	+51.0%	30810
Fiat 500	+128.0%	4003	+432.0%	16702
Toyota Yaris	+108.3%	3521	+74.6%	17964
Nissan Versa	+80.3%	8643	+25.6%	52173
Nissan Juke	+66.2%	3298	+1.3%	15627
Kia Rio	+59.5%	4019	+87.7%	18728
Scion xD	+19.6%	1019	-2.1%	4485
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	+23.3%	650	+2.0%	2153
MINI Cooper/S Countryman	+3.9%	1776	+10.7%	7441
Suzuki SX4	-1.0%	1112	-3.9%	4948
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	-3.5%	2679	-3.9%	12128
Kia Soul	-9.1%	10146	+22.4%	53436
Ford Fiesta	-14.6%	6080	-26.9%	26737
Mazda2	-21.1%	901	+44.9%	9213
Honda Fit	-34.5%	3879	-33.2%	19706
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-35.7%	507	-27.9%	2263
Nissan Cube	-51.8%	724	-66.9%	3374
Honda CR-Z	-81.0%	296	-71.7%	1995
Chevrolet Sonic	--	7205	--	35455
Scion iQ	--	897	--	4382
Smart ForTwo	--	703	--	3731
MINI Coupe	--	287	--	1313
MINI Roadster	--	254	--	766

Numbers reflect sales in the United States.

April 2012 subcompact sales

From the numbers below, it looks like April, 2012 was a mixed bag for the smallest of the small cars. Although the usual suspects were up at the top, there have been a few cars that seem to be in a slump, such as the Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 (which has done well YTD vs. 2011).

The big winner was Toyota's redesigned-for-2012 Yaris with sales up over 115% vs. April, 2011.

The big loser this month, Honda's two-seater hybrid, the CR-Z, which moved a paltry 334 units for a whopping drop of 81.6% vs. this same time last year. In what appears to be continual slump, Nissan's funky Cube, which now going on eight straight months of sales drops of more than -60% vs. the same time last year. Yikes.

Chevy's Sonic continues to sell very well; Fiat's 500 looks healthy, too. And yes, the Scion iQ has now outsold the Smart ForTwo for two consecutive months. On to the big board!

Make/Model	Apr. '12 vs. Apr.'11	Units, Apr. '12	YTD Apr. '12 vs. Apr. '11	YTD
Toyota Yaris	+115.1%	4274	+68.0%	14443
Kia Rio	+55.6%	4006	+97.2%	14709
Hyundai Accent	+40.3%	6160	+30.1%	24644
Nissan Versa	+30.0%	8335	+18.5%	43530
Kia Soul	+2.5%	10716	+33.1%	43290
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-7.8%	521	-5.1%	1503
MINI Countryman	-10.3%	1533	+13.1%	5665
Nissan Juke	-12.0%	2887	-8.3%	12329
Suzuki SX4	-15.0%	854	+9.0%	4195
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	-22.2%	2621	-4.0%	9843
Mazda2	-23.4%	1048	+59.3%	8312
Scion xD	-24.0%	916	-7.0%	3466
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-36.9%	508	-25.3%	1756
Ford Fiesta	-43.9%	5135	-29.9%	20657
Honda Fit	-60.5%	3202	-32.9%	15827
Nissan Cube	-66.9%	573	-69.5%	2650
Honda CR-Z	-81.6%	334	-69.1%	1699
Chevrolet Sonic	--	6387	--	28250
Fiat 500	--	3849	--	12699
Scion iQ	--	962	--	3485
Smart ForTwo	--	764	--	3028
MINI Coupe	--	290	--	290
MINI Roadster	--	258	--	512

Numbers reflect sales in the United States.

March 2012 subcompact sales

March proved to be a mixed bag for subcompacts. The Kia Rio proved to be the biggest seller, with sales up more than 117%. The mechanical twin, the Hyundai Accent, also sold well, as did the Nissan Versa, Kia Soul, Suzuki SX4, and Toyota Yaris. The Juke was up slightly, too.

The biggest loser, yet again, was the lowly Nissan Cube; its sales down more than 69% from last year. The Mazda2 stumbled this month, but is still up healthily for 2012.

In terms of YTD sales, Nissan's Versa is still at the top. MINI's Cooper/S Convertible—a niche vehicle—sold the fewest units.

It should be noted that Chevrolet's Sonic is selling quite well for its first year. Also, Fiat moved quite a few 500s in March, too. With the recent spike in gas prices, I wouldn't be surprised to see numbers up in the next couple of months, however. Onto the big board!

Make/Model	Mar. '12 vs. Feb.'11	Units, Mar. '12	YTD Mar. '12 vs. Mar. '11	YTD
Kia Rio	+117.8%	4509	+119.1%	10703
Hyundai Accent	+45.3%	8337	+27.6%	18484
Nissan Versa	+40.7%	15587	+16.0%	35195
Kia Soul	+35.7%	13607	+47.7%	32574
Suzuki SX4	+28.0%	1368	+18.0%	3341
Toyota Yaris	+25.6%	3547	+53.8%	10169
Nissan Juke	+1.9%	4165	-7.1%	9442
Scion xD	-0.8%	1080	+1.1%	2550
MNI Cooper/S Hardtop	-7.4%	2817	+5.4%	6828
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-8.2%	493	-3.5%	982
MINI Cooper Countryman	-8.7%	1579	+25.2%	4132
Ford Fiesta	-33.6%	6502	-23.6%	15522
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-36.1%	497	-19.3%	1248
Honda Fit	-36.8%	4559	-20.9%	12625
Mazda2	-38.7%	1533	+88.7%	7264
Honda CR-Z	-69.3%	536	-63.8%	1365
Nissan Cube	-69.4%	929	-70.1%	2077
Chevrolet Sonic	--	8251	--	21863
Fiat 500	--	3712	--	8850
Scion iQ	--	1285	--	2523
Smart ForTwo	--	999	--	2264
MINI Coupe	--	336	--	736
MINI Roadster	--	144	--	254

Numbers reflect sales in the United States.

February 2012 subcompact sales

Month two of 2012's auto sales in the book. Gas prices are up, and some small car sales are up, too.

For whatever reason, a fire has been lit under the Mazda2, with February sales way up over February, 2011 sales. Year-to-date sales are also way up over 2011. Also of note, the '12 Kia Rio is selling very well (especially for year-to-date sales), as is the redesigned Yaris, the refreshed Soul, and even the SX4 is up more than 50%.

The biggest loser continues to be Nissan's boxy Cube, which has been in the upper double-digits in terms of losses for months. Honda two-seater hybrid, the CR-Z, is also struggling with sales, down 59% for February and year-to-date sales. The other models weren't down all that much.

Of the new models not on the market for a year yet, the Chevrolet Sonic continues to be a hit, and is currently in third-place for YTD sales, despite being a new nameplate. The MINI Coupe and Roadster have been at low volumes, but that's likely expected for such a niche-market vehicle. FYI, not sure what's going on with Smart ForTwo sales reporting. The news releases I've seen say the numbers are since July 1, 2011. Really? Unfortunately, the Smart USA media site doesn't seem to work anymore. Odd.

Make/Model	Feb. '12 vs. Feb.'11	Units, Feb. '12	YTD Feb. '12 vs. feb. '11	YTD
Mazda2	+210.5%	2701	+316.2%	5731
Kia Rio	+94.3%	3598	+120.0%	6194
Toyota Yaris	+85.6%	3611	+74.9%	6621
Kia Soul	+62.7%	10876	57.7%	18967
Suzuki SX4	+54.0%	1214	+12.0%	1973
MINI Countryman	+46.0%	1294	+62.4%	2553
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	+40.2%	363	+1.7%	489
MINI Cooper/Hardtop	+25.7%	2427	+16.8%	4011
MNI Cooper/S Clubman	+24.6%	532	-2.2%	751
Hyundai Accent	+7.4%	5806	+16.0%	10147
Scion xD	+1.4%	818	+2.6%	1470
Nissan Juke	-1.3%	2947	-13.2%	5277
Honda Fit	-3.4%	4227	-7.2%	8066
Nissan Versa	-3.7%	10190	+1.8%	19608
Ford Fiesta	-12.0%	5518	-14.4%	9020
Honda CR-Z	-59.0%	466	-59.1%	829
Nissan Cube	-69.4%	687	-70.6%	1148
Chevrolet Sonic	--	7900	--	13612
Fiat 500	--	3227	--	5138
Scion iQ	--	864	--	1238
Smart ForTwo	--	769	--	1265
MINI Coupe	--	254	--	400
MINI Roadster	--	110	--	110

Numbers reflect sales in the United States.

January 2012 subcompact sales

Welcome to the first of the 2012 subcompact sales reports. Right out of the gate, the Mazda2 hit the ground running, up more than 530%. The Kia Rio, MINI Countryman, and Toyota Yaris, all did quite a bit better than they did in January 2011.

The big loser (not counting the '11 Aveo) was again the Nissan Cube, down a staggering 72.2%. Honda's diminutive CR-Z two-seater was down close to 60%, too.

Make/Model	Jan. '12 vs. Jan.'11	Units, Jan. '12	YTD Jan. '12 vs. Jan. '11	YTD Sales
Mazda2	+532.6%	3030	+532.6%	3030
Kia Rio	+169.6%	2596	+169.6%	2596
MINI Countryman	+83.5%	1259	+83.5%	1259
Toyota Yaris	+63.7%	3010	+63.7%	3010
Kia Soul	+51.4%	8091	+51.4%	8091
Nissan Versa	+8.5%	9418	+8.5%	9418
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+5.5%	1584	+5.5%	1584
Scion xD	+4.2%	652	+4.2%	652
Hyundai Accent	+2.3%	4341	+2.3%	4341
Honda Fit	-11.0%	3839	-11.0%	3839
Ford Fiesta	-18.0%	3502	-18.0%	3502
Suzuki SX4	-22.0%	753	-22.0%	753
Nissan Juke	-24.7%	2330	-24.7%	2330
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-35.8%	219	-35.8%	219
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-43.2%	126	-43.2%	126
Honda CR-Z	-59.4%	363	-59.4%	363
Nissan Cube	-72.2%	461	-72.2%	461
Chevrolet Aveo	-99.4%	16	-99.4%	16
Chevrolet Sonic	--	5712	--	5712
Fiat 500	--	1911	--	1911
Smart ForTwo	--	496	--	496
Scion iQ	--	374	--	374
MINI Coupe	--	146	--	146

December 2011 subcompact sales

We've reached the finish line for auto sales! However, before we get to the year-end totals, let's look at December itself.

The big winner for December was the MINI Crossover, up 244.5% vs. 2010. Next up, the all-new Kia Rio and its cousin, the Hyundai Accent. The Mazda2 had a good showing, as did the venerable Kia Soul, which rounds out the fifth spot.

The big loser for the last month of 2011 was technically the Chevrolet Aveo, but since it's an outgoing model, it hardly counts. If you throw out the Aveo's numbers, it's the Nissan Cube that trails the rest, down 62.6% vs. December '10 and only moving 406 units.

In terms of newer models, the Chevrolet Sonic proves it'll likely be a volume leader moving 5,743 units in December. We can welcome the pint-sized Scion iQ to the chart, too. It moved 248 units. You might notice the Smart ForTwo in the "new" part of the column. It turns out that Daimler has been only tracking 2011 Smart sales since July, '11, so rather that figure all the changes etc., I just listed it as a model that hasn't sold for a year.

Here are your top five subcompact sellers for 2011:

1. Kia Soul: 102,267 units
2. Nissan Versa: 99,730
3. Ford Fiesta: 68,574
4. Honda Fit: 59,235
5. Hyundai Accent: 55,601
Here are your bottom five sellers:

1. MINI Cooper/S Convertible: 4,964
2. MINI Cooper/S Clubman: 6,844
3. Scion xD: 9,573
4. Honda CR-Z: 11,330
5. Suzuki SX4: 12,519

Make/Model	Dec. '11 vs. Dec.'10	Units, Dec. '11	YTD Dec. '11 vs. Dec. '10	YTD Sales
MINI Crossover	+244.5%	1981	+2801.4%	16683
Kia Rio	+128.3%	2155	-18.3%	20111
Hyundai Accent	+90.9%	5316	+7.0%	55601
Mazda2	+60.9%	1342	+361.8%	13952
Kia Soul	+51.4%	9624	+52.4%	102267
Toyota Yaris	+31.9%	4514	-18.4%	32704
Suzuki SX4	+8.0%	1330	+8.0%	12519
MINI Cooper/S Hardtop	+7.6%	2762	-5.4%	28067
Honda Fit	+5.7%	5138	+8.6%	59235
Scion xD	+6.8%	880	-5.3%	9573
Nissan Versa	-2.6%	9939	0.0%	99730
Nissan Juke	-4.3%	3028	+251.3%	35886
Ford Fiesta	-29.5%	3673	+194.7%	68574
MINI Cooper/S Convertible	-30.1%	299	-29.3%	4964
Honda CR-Z	-35.6%	564	+115.1%	11330
MINI Cooper/S Clubman	-44.5%	416	-18.4%	6844
Nissan Cube	-62.6%	406	-37.0%	14459
Chevrolet Aveo	-99.4%	24	-41.2%	28601
Chevrolet Sonic	--	5743	--	15778
Fiat 500	--	2325	--	19769
Smart ForTwo	--	710	--	2652
MINI Coupe	--	253	--	953
Scion iQ	--	248	--	248