Small Cars Coming Back?

[jyl]

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/after-years-of-going-big-american-car-buyers-are-downsizing-801a81b8?st=UntKpT&reflink=mobilewebshare_permalink

https://jalopnik.com/americans-are-finally-downsizing-because-bigger-cars-ar-1851727505

Both articles say the same thing, but the WSJ may be paywalled.

The US carmakers are screwed if so. They still can’t make money on small cars.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Man I hope so! I’ve always felt like the pivot from small cars to crossover SUVs was shortsighted at best, pandering to trends as opposed to legitimate need. All trends come full circle, and it was only a matter of time until consumers realized that their crossover SUV was only a hatchback in overpriced SUV garb.

[pwd72s]

Ford in deep doo-doo with their decision to make Mustang (electric ones clogging the lots) their only real cars, pushing hybrid & electric for trucks and SUV's. Drove by the local dealership..trucks and Bronco models flooding the lot.

[LWJ]

Seems a reasonable development.

[stevej37]

40 mpg is awesome.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Small pick-ups the size of a 2001 Tacoma would be nice.

[Tobra]

I keep thinking about Kei trucks from Japan

[Chocaholic]

Small SUV’s seem practical and reasonably fuel efficient. But as a motorcyclist, nothing scares me more than all the 90 lb women around here driving giant Denalis, Range Rovers and Escalades while playing with their phones after “doing lunch” (drinking wine) with each other.

[GH85Carrera]

I saw a Ford Maverick, Pickup the other day. It isn't a giant oversized pickup! Still bigger than the old S-10s from Chevy. It is a hybrid and not insane priced.

I will stick to my trusty old 1986 El Camino. I can still haul my wife's gardening supplies from the local nursery, and feel like I am in a car. I have hauled everything from manure (in bags) to a $490,000 RC30 aerial camera in it.

The size of modern pickups is just insane. Not everyone is pulling a large boat or trailer. For those that do, there are lots of options.

[oldE]

I got rid of my last pickup 6 years ago. I realized I almost never needed it once the horse trailer was sold and hated 20 mpg. My BIL has a 10' trailer which pulls quite nicely behind the wife's Golf Sportwagon. If I need to move anything bigger, I'll rent a truck or have it delivered.
I do need enough room to be comfortable on a long drive. My "old man's car" seems to be the right size for me. SUVs or mini utes never appealed. Just not my thing.
Different strokes for different folks.

Best
Les

[KNS]

The Jalopnik article reported people shopping smaller car due to the unaffordability of the latest offerings. Also mentioned were rising insurance premiums and repair costs. We're reaching a point were simply owning basic transportation along with insuring the vehicle (hope you're not involved in an accident) is too much for those of average means. A simple fender bender even for something like a Civic or Corolla is crazy expensive now due to all the tech installed in the front and rear of the vehicle.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by KNS

A simple fender bender even for something like a Civic or Corolla is crazy expensive now due to all the tech installed in the front and rear of the vehicle.

Not really. It's just simply crazy expensive.

I'm saying this as the tech is not that prevalent on these cars but I'm about 15 years behind with the cars I work on AND it also depends on where the car is hit.

I remember the first time I saw a Lexus with a broken (car) level sensor and that pointed the headlights up or down to make up for the angle above or below level.

[Tervuren]

Thanks for the reminder of how much my car insurance went up this year.

Never made a claim on my insurance in my life.

Originally Posted by KNS

The Jalopnik article reported people shopping smaller car due to the unaffordability of the latest offerings. Also mentioned were rising insurance premiums and repair costs. We're reaching a point were simply owning basic transportation along with insuring the vehicle (hope you're not involved in an accident) is too much for those of average means. A simple fender bender even for something like a Civic or Corolla is crazy expensive now due to all the tech installed in the front and rear of the vehicle.

I'm somewhat cursed as I'm a tall person that likes small cars.
And very few small cars are made for people of my build.
I know I fit in a smart car, and oggle the idea of adding a manual smart car.

But this reminder on insurance costs, ugh.

[Erakad]

Small cars.......for the vertically challenged. For the rest of us, I'm 6-5, I'll keep my 3 row SUV that is easily entered and exited! Hybrid version are getting 30+ MPG,

[Otter74]

Although I am not going to be buying a new car anytime soon, or ever (I’ve had one new car in my life, and it was a gift in 1993) I would be very happy to see small, inexpensive cars come back to the US market. People want and need cheaper cars. they probably want cheaper cars more than they want smaller cars, but I think there’s market enough for like B segment cars, if not A. I think something like a Dacia/Renault Duster would be really well received here. It’s a small “crossover”, not too large or too high, but large enough and not too low for market tastes. It’s cheap, and you can tell, but again it’s cheap and it’s also really good at what it is. Honda stopped selling the Fit here because the HR-V cannibalized its sales, but I wonder if there will be a better market case for it in the near future. The current Fit is a fantastic car, and it’s also a car that hasn’t grown at all through multiple generations. Re: the Maverick, it is the size of a Ranger and it’s relatively inexpensive and also efficient, especially as a hybrid, and Ford sells every one they can build. They’ve been constrained by plant capacity ever since it came out and recently expanded production to help meet demand.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Not really. It's just crazy expensive.

My wife's 2017 Macan cost over twice as much to insure as as my 85 911 with agreed valuation of $95,000. So a regular 8 year old vehicle is more expensive to insure than my pure analog toy. I have to guess the cost of a new hood and the cameras and proximity sensors, and parts is more expensive than my antique.

[creaturecat]

hoping Toyota resurrects the 510.

[rfuerst911sc]

I have often wondered if cars/trucks were offered Ala carte would people actually order vehicles stripped of the nannies ? If you could get manual windows/mirrors , no front/rear sensors , no touchscreen etc etc what % of the population would order that way ?

Maybe having plain Jane low option with less complicated systems is a way to lower cost . And possibly lower insurance cost of repair . But if only 2 % of the population would order this way it would have no impact .

[JackDidley]

I dont care what people drive but I am amazed at what they drive. I am a small guy. 5'7 and 150 pounds. Never liked driving a car the size of my living room. My daily drivers since 1980 have all been 2 seaters. Most of my friends drive 4 door full size trucks. I told one guy I need a parachute for when I jump out. I think it will be a long time before the general public moves to small cars. People are getting bigger and they need bigger seats in bigger cars I guess.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Small pick-ups the size of a 2001 Tacoma would be nice.

Bingo! Ironically, it's CAFE standards that prevent them. Some weird bureaucratic rule based on the footprint of all 4 wheels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azI3nqrHEXM&ab_channel=AllCarswithJon