buying a car

Compact vs Sub-Compact: How Small is Small?

by

There are those who say that size matters when it comes to fuel efficiency. For many folks, “to get great gas mileage, you have to drive a small car,” is a prevailing mindset. But the big question is: how small is small? Will a compact or sub-compact car fit your needs? Do you really need something larger … or perhaps even smaller?

If you’re in an urban setting, with tight parking conditions, a tiny inexpensive car may be your best bet. There’s nothing like zipping through traffic and scoring those tight parking spaces with ease. But it’s a dramatically different story out on the open road. Would you be comfortable duking it out with double tractor trailers and dump trucks on the Interstate while driving a microcar like the Scion iQ or Smart car?

The chart below provides a list of compact, subcompact, and microcars available – or (possibly) soon to be available – in the American market. Compacts, subcompacts, and microcars are often referred to as C-, B-, and A-Segment cars, respectively.

Compact / Subcompact / Micro Cars (with reviews)

Compact Cars (C-Segment) Subcompact Cars (B-Segment) Micro Cars (A-Segment)
Audi A3 Chevy Sonic Chevy Spark
Audi A4 Fiat 500 Ford Ka
Buick Verano Ford Fiesta Mitsubishi i MiEV
Chevy Cruze Honda Fit Smart
Chevy Volt Hyundai Accent Scion iQ
Dodge Dart Kia Rio  
Ford Focus Mini Cooper  
Honda Civic Mazda2  
Honda CR-Z Nissan Cube  
Honda Insight Nissan Juke  
Hyundai Elantra Nissan Versa  
Hyundai Veloster Scion xA  
Kia Forte Scion xD  
Kia Soul Toyota Prius c  
Mazda3 Toyota Yaris  
Mitsubishi Lancer Volvo C30  
Nissan Sentra    
Scion tC    
Scion xB    
Subaru Impreza    
Suzuki Kizashi    
Toyota Corolla    
Volkswagen Golf    
Volkswagen Jetta    
     

Read more

List of New Car Rebates

by

Thanks to the kindness of the folks at Edmunds, we’ve just added a list of current new car rebates. This is something that’s been often requested and discussed at length. Until now, we lacked the resources to maintain the data. Now that the federal government’s cash for clunkers program is a fading memory, a new … Read more

Cash For Clunkers Qualifications

by

Hold onto your hats (and your wallets). Uncle Sam’s Cash for Clunkers program is roaring down the track. The federal government’s Cash Allowance Rebate System (CARS), has set aside $1,000,000,000 to jump start ailing automotive sales by giving individual consumers $3,500 or $4,500 credits towards the purchase of a new vehicle with a higher fuel economy rating.

The CARS program is set to run until November 30th of this year, or until the funds are exhausted. Congress may or may not renew the program when the allocation runs out.

The Cash for Clunkers rules include eligibility requirements for both the surrendered and new vehicles. Unfortunately, the vast majority of folks will not qualify.

The car, truck, or SUV that’s turned in must meet the following requirements:

Read more

22 MPG Combined?

by

The time to retire old paint might be just around the corner. If your old car is rated at 18 miles per gallon (MPG) or less, you might be eligible to receive up to $4500 towards the purchase of a new (and perhaps only slightly) more fuel efficient car. To be eligible for the new Cash for Clunkers program as proposed by the House of Representatives, new cars must be rated at a minimum of just 22 miles per gallon (MPG) combined.

What’s next … members of Congress appearing on car commercials?

More as this develops …

2009 Cars that Achieve 22 MPG Combined or Higher

Read more

Cash For Clunkers: Family Unfriendly?

by

There’s an unfortunate wrinkle in the Federal Cash for Clunkers proposals. As proposed, the programs discriminate against large families.

The Clean Car Rebate Act of 2009 (H.R.1808) offers a modest sliding scale of rebates for vehicles that have a combined average of 28 miles per gallon (MPG) or more.

That’s all well and good for folks that can get by with a vehicle that fits into those criteria. A compact four passenger car should have no problem averaging 28 MPG.

But what about families that need to transport five or more people safely and comfortably? How many vehicles qualify for the program?

Under this proposal, large families will not receive funds to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle that fits their needs … because the criteria for qualification is flawed.

One solution might be to fund swaps with a specific vehicle-by-vehicle MPG improvement qualification threshold. For example, a 6 MPG improvement threshold might provide a rebate for folks swapping a Ford Expedition for a Ford Flex.

Take a look at the vehicles that currently qualify for H.R.1808 (as initially proposed) and envision how six people would fit into any one of them. Then, consider how many of these vehicles are built in the United States.

This bill while well-intentioned, needs tweaks …

Read more