You are here: Forums Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

8866 messages,  Last post on Mar 12, 2010 at 9:13 AM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, smart fortwo, MINI Cooper

#6594 of 8866 Re: Scion tC [imidazol97] by texases Dec 12, 2007 (8:00 pm)
Replying to: imidazol97 (Dec 12, 2007 7:50 pm) Wearing out points - some would last, some would burn quickly, I remember it had something to do with how the rest of the ignition system was set up. Maybe something about the condenser? It's certainly been a while since I used my dwell tach!
#6596 of 8866 Re: Scion tC [imidazol97] by andre1969 Dec 12, 2007 (8:09 pm)
Replying to: imidazol97 (Dec 12, 2007 7:50 pm) I don't remember now which engine that Celebrity had. Actually, I was under the impression that it was the 4-cyl that was more reliable? I know 2 people who had Cavalier Z-24's, an '87 and an '89, with the 2.8, and both of them blew a head gasket. The '89 had about 100,000 miles, and at that point my buddy just got rid of it. With the '87, I don't know the mileage, but my friend's father, who was a metro bus mechanic, was able to fix it.   As for the points, I'd always heard that they should be replaced every 12,000 miles. Once I started delivering pizzas in that Dart, I lost track of just how fast the miles were racking up. I had changed them in 1994, when the car had maybe 280,000 miles on it. So, no big shock, I guess, when I was pushing 320-325,000, and the dang things fried in late 1996. Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 12, 2007 8:19 pm) lilengineerboy (Dec 12, 2007 8:41 pm) andre1969 (Dec 12, 2007 8:56 pm)
#6598 of 8866 Re: Scion tC [imidazol97] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Dec 12, 2007 (8:19 pm)
Gentlemen! The group should get back on topic unless you all feel you are played out on this subject, and we can button it up?   Shiftright Visiting Host
#6599 of 8866 Re: Scion tC [andre1969] by lilengineerboy Dec 12, 2007 (8:41 pm)
Replying to: andre1969 (Dec 12, 2007 8:09 pm) Yeah, one of my friends did pizza delivery in CA with a Isuzu Rodeo until I pointed out that for the maintenance costs + gas, he would be better off with a subcompact beater. He had a string of beaters, Colts, Isuzu Imark diesel (was that basically a Chevette?) and a Civic Hondamatic (you had to shift it from first to second). I think he ended up with a small fleet of VW Rabbit diesels. I think about the pizza guys now and the trans-am/camaro/Mustang they are so proud of, and driving high-powered RWD car in snow and can't help but wonder why they don' have a Festiva for work and that other car for play. Replies to this message: andre1969 (Dec 12, 2007 8:56 pm)
#6600 of 8866 Re: Scion tC [lilengineerboy] by andre1969 Dec 12, 2007 (8:56 pm)
Replying to: lilengineerboy (Dec 12, 2007 8:41 pm) I pretty much did a string of beaters when I delivered pizzas. Started with the '68 Dart, then a '79 Newport, then briefly an '86 Monte Carlo (got t-boned after 3 months), then back to the Newport until its water pump went out and I figured a 10 year newer car ('89 Gran Fury) with less than 1/3 the miles (73K versus 250K) would be cheaper and more reliable (it wasn't). Fortunately, by the time I bought my 2000 Intrepid, I had dug myself out of debt and was able to start putting some money away, so I wasn't ragging that new car into the ground like I had been with the others. I also lucked out that gas prices shot up right after I got that Intrepid. And going from a 11-13 mpg premium-burning ex-police car to something that I actually took talent to sink below 20 mpg on lo-test really helped out with the fuel bills.   Only time I ever had a problem with snow was one night I was using my grandmother's '85 LeSabre. When the Intrepid was new, I'd drive that LeSabre on bad nights, because I'd rather the other idiots on the road bounce harmlessly off that old, long-since-paid-off beast rather than total a new car with roughly 5 years of payments still on the books. Well, stupid me, I came back to the store and parked on ice. When I went out with the next delivery run, the car did nothing but sit and spin. Luckily, another driver saw me and helped push me out. I remember we also had another driver, an Indian guy with a late 90's Corolla, who got stuck in the snow. Sometimes it's not the car, but the nut behind the wheel! IIRC he got stuck a few times!   I had some fun times back in those days but gawd, looking back, I hope I never have to do it again! I guess if I ever ran into a situation where I needed some quick cash, I'd try bartending or waiting tables. I'm done ragging cars out just to sling some pizzas.
#6601 of 8866 sales are way up by nippononly Dec 13, 2007 (12:37 am)
from anything subcompacts have ever achieved in the past. I think perhaps it IS time to wrap this topic up...certainly the market seems to be saying there isn't a whole lot "wrong with these new subcompacts".
#6602 of 8866 You're right nippon... by iluvmysephia1 Dec 13, 2007 (12:47 am)
there is absolutely nothing wrong with subcompacts at all. All is well in their universe. The planets have all sufficiently lined up in the automotive enthusiast's world to put this pup to sleep.   Night all!!
#6603 of 8866 You guys are forgetting the whole reason... by andeet Dec 13, 2007 (4:27 am)
Why Toyota put the I4 Camry, Highlander engine into the tCs not I6...So it could get good gas mileage & cheaper to make in production. Toyota could easely put that 16,xxx-17,700 price to 23,000. I personally get better gas mileage than '08s. I don't know why maybe cause it's officially broken in (at 61k miles) or the Cold Air Intake does add few more miles? I get about 28 combined and at 3.00 bucks per gallon; costs me less than 30 bucks to fill up. It's much better smoother ride than the xA. Lexus IS300's and tC's do have alot of similarities like same tire size and same alloy wheel design. I also think they were built on the same T.M.C. Japanese factory line.   I do think it's interesting that Toyota is giving all new model designs bigger engines. Like '09 Corollas are getting Toyota's 1.8L Dual VVT-i four-cylinder engine: 132 hp and get estimated 27/35 mpg city/highway for Standard, LE and XLE models while the S and XRS models will get 158 horsepower version of Toyota's 2.4L VVT-i four-cylinder engine with drop mileage to 22/30 city/highway.   I will say this: in fact I have read this type of statement in many car reviews online & on publication. "More the test driver or editor drove the car for everyday usage. The more they have fun driving it." That's so true! And that's why I have 61k miles on a '07! Replies to this message: dromedarius (Dec 13, 2007 6:32 am)

You are here: Forums Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?