Chevrolet Spark

[Nerd Racing]

I test drove a RIO 5 with a friend of mine recently, she was looking for a small micro car and it was awful compared to my 2. She even agreed.

Fastorbust test drove a fiesta and the 2 and he picked the 2 as well.

The handling and "on road go kart" feel of the 2 well exceeded my expectations and sold the car in my book. a 6th gear would have been nice, but I still get 37 mpg average.

[Spike]

What I'll never understand about the 'new line' car shows, is that they always have a 60/70's muscle car in pristine condition, just to show how far they've come..

In my opinion, today's car market has gone down the tubes. I understand insane amounts of safety and emissions standards.. but why can't they have something look decent instead of a bubble?

I'd say the Challenger and Mustang look decent enough, and I like the Ford Flex (although I'd 'woody' it, if I ever got one). But thazzit. Everything else looks like a version of Germany's 'People's Car', the pre-VW Bug variation. An ugly bubble. I've gotten to where I can't tell a Chevy from a Dodge from a Lexus. It just seems like the same platform and shape, with different trim packages.

Just my 2 cents worth of venting for the day.

~Joe

[sketchman]

I test drove a RIO 5 with a friend of mine recently, she was looking for a small micro car and it was awful compared to my 2. She even agreed.

That's interesting. It's not a deal if you hate it, I guess.

I get 37mpg from my old (99 with 193k on it) 2.0 Escort wagon. I'm sure it's not as fun as the 2, but IMO they still aren't trying hard enough with new cars in the MPG dept.

[deathegg]

It's interesting that the Spark is about as heavy as my bigger '10 Yaris hatch, and I'm getting better mpg - about 36 city - on a daily basis than the EPA estimates on the Spark (although I know the estimates don't reflect reality). And that's with my yaris having over 20 more HP. I'll be keeping the Yaris I think!

[Nerd Racing]

That's interesting. It's not a deal if you hate it, I guess.

I get 37mpg from my old (99 with 193k on it) 2.0 Escort wagon. I'm sure it's not as fun as the 2, but IMO they still aren't trying hard enough with new cars in the MPG dept.

its not that they aren't trying hard enough, its that the new cars are so darn heavy with all of the required safety equipment, and are so choked back with emissions equipment.

[deathegg]

its not that they aren't trying hard enough, its that the new cars are so darn heavy with all of the required safety equipment, and are so choked back with emissions equipment.

I'd have to agree AND disagree with that. Yes, back in the 70's, they didn't know how to make HP/MPG/CLEAN EMISSIONS work together. But look at today's engines; they're very efficient, make good hp, and you can practically breath the exhaust it's so clean.

So, the problem isn't emissions equipment, it's the weight of the safety equipment that is mandated; whether it be something like 10 airbag systems or the very structure of the car itself. There was an interesting little article, I think in a recent Car & Driver, which describes what happens when even a little thing is altered.

New cars have to have a crush zone for PEDESTRIANS, so that if you hit someone, the poor guy doesn't get seriously hurt. That mandated the raising of the hood and front, so that there's a minimum clearance between the hood and the hard engine. THAT required the cowl to be raised a similar amount, which requires the roof to be raised so people can see out the car, which required a larger body, etc. And then all of that "required" them to use much bigger wheels and tires, to fill out that bigger body. All the weight adds up.
Then of course all these airbags, etc.

I'm all for safety, but at what point does it become too much?

[sketchman]

I'm all for safety, but at what point does it become too much?

Me too, but it's kinda like anti-virus software. Unless it just doesn't let the user do ANYTHING with the system/vehicle it's a "striving after wind", trying to attain the unattainable. The only perfectly safe car is the one you're not in. I don't think the health and safety "enthusiasts" will ever understand the real limits of what they can do to safety-fi something, and so it'll only get worse.

[sketchman]

Maybe if the US economy flops hard enough we'll get these.


I'd have one. Reminds me of Tuck or Roll from A Bug's Life.