The Good and Bad of Micro and Mini Cars
Micro cars have been popular in Europe for many years. The rise in gas prices prompted demand for these tiny automobiles in the United States. According to smartusa.com, the Smart ForTwo was the first micro car to enter the marketplace in the United States. The eight-foot, eight-inch vehicle is the smallest car available in the U.S. and carries a driver and passenger.
There are several mini cars that compete with the Smart ForTwo including the Honda Fit, MINI Cooper, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris and Chevrolet Aveo. Great gas mileage and easy parking are the main benefits of owning a mini car. And, most of the cars in this category are affordable. However, safety is a major concern for the micro/mini car segment.
According to a study released by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in April of this year, “the Honda Fit, Smart ForTwo, and Toyota Yaris are good performers in the Institute’s frontal offset barrier test, but all three are poor performers in the frontal collisions with midsize cars.”
In August, the IIHS release the results of a roof-strength test for mini cars. A strong roof helps protect occupants in rollover crashes, according to the study. The Chevrolet Aveo has the weakest roof, and the Smart ForTwo has the strongest of the 2009 micro and mini cars tested. Additionally, “the Smart earns the highest rating of good compared with acceptable for the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, MINI Cooper, and Toyota Yaris. The Aveo is rated marginal,” said the study.
If you’re interested in learning more about micro and mini cars, specs for the 2009 models are below:
Smart ForTwo (pure 2-door hatchback, automated manual transmission)
Cargo space: 8 cubic feet
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 33 mpg, Highway 41 mpg, Combined 36 mpg
MSRP: From $11,990
Capacity: 2 passengers.
Honda Fit (4-door hatchback, automatic)
Cargo space: 57 cubic feet
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 28 mpg, Highway 35 mpg, Combined 31 mpg
MSRP: From $15,550
Capacity: 5 passengers
MINI Cooper (base model, manual)
Cargo space: 24 cubic feet
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 28 mpg, Highway 37 mpg, Combined 32 mpg
MSRP: From $18,550
Capacity: 4 passengers
Hyundai Accent (GS base, 2-door hatchback, automatic)
Cargo space: 15.9 cubic feet (luggage)
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 26 mpg, Highway 35 mpg, Combined 29 mpg
MSRP: From $12,070
Capacity: 5 passengers.
Toyota Yaris (base, automatic)
Cargo space: 26 cubic feet
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 29 mpg, Highway 35 mpg, Combined 31 mpg
MSRP: From $13,005
Capacity: 5 passengers
Chevrolet Aveo (LS 4-door sedan, manual)
Cargo space: 12.4 cubic feet (luggage)
EPA Mileage Estimates: City 27 mpg, Highway 34 mpg, Combined 30 mpg
MSRP: From $11,965
Capacity: 5 passengers
2 Responses to “The Good and Bad of Micro and Mini Cars”
I think the problem for the US market is the popularity of much larger cars and the larger geography of the country. Here in Europe this mini cars are much more popular as we have much less mileage to cover and aren’t under threat from being squashed by a huge SUV at every street corner
By Clio on Apr 30, 2010
The USA will have a hard time accepting this platform for cars. People love their SUV’s and high performance coupes/ sedans. It’s going to take a few generations and some SERIOUS oil problems.
By e60 m5 on Aug 6, 2010