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Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?
8635 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 11:53 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: nippononly (Oct 22, 2009 7:19 am) 
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| microcar in your link there shows a micro car that looks a bit sportier-tiny than their current micro the Micra. Not a bad micro-shape. | |
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"Ford CEO Alan Mulally said the company won't bring the Ka minicar to the U.S. He told the trade paper that the Ka is too small for American tastes and the Fiesta will be the smallest car in the lineup." Ford Ka Not Coming to the U.S. Says CEO (Inside Line) 
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 11, 2009 1:38 pm) This suit, Mulally, is mistaken...when petrol prices begin to rise this type of vehicle will again be in vogue...the Smart and Toyota's new micro will continue to clean up in this niche, so to speak. "What fools these mortals be"... lol Peace!<-AladdinSane<-  -
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 11, 2009 1:38 pm) Ford needs to focus on making the Fiesta a success without distractions... |
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Replying to: tifighter (Nov 11, 2009 1:58 pm)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Nov 11, 2009 3:07 pm) Anyhow, this is Ford were talking about, and bringing over their Euro cars has not exactly been a lay-up in the past. Remember the first few years of the Focus? Or the Contour? The XR4Ti and Scorpio were disasters, if you really go far back. Anyhow, they need to get the Fiesta right...ported over from Europe with the same level of quality from that market. They can't have the same recall problems that plagued the Focus at rollout; many US consumers won't be forgiving to ANY US car company now after public money started flowing (yes I know Ford didn't take public money). I hope they get it right... |
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Replying to: tifighter (Nov 11, 2009 1:58 pm) http://www.iihs.org/research/hldi/composite_cls.aspx?y=2006-2008 4Runner 4x4 72 56 66 (and this isn't nearly as big as a Surburban or Land Cruiser) Yaris(4 door) 207 192 134 They could bring it over, but it's so badly outclassed that it would result in a greater that 4:1 imbalance between itself and a typical SUV in a crash., since it is a class smaller than even a Yaris. If you look at the actual aftermaths of Smart Car crashes versus SUVs, as well as it is engineered(probably the best in the whole world right now, actually, in terms of crash safety), it just can't compete. 5000+ lbs just obliterates 2000lbs every time. The Smart car is safe versus normal vehicles in Europe. Just these metal v8 behemoths that are everywhere over here are something it was never designed to cope with. It's not a bad decision for Ford to say "too small - people will get killed". EDIT: I used to be firmly in the small car crowd for almost two decades. But in the last decade or so I've come to the realization that big is the game in the U.S., and you're an idiot not to put as much metal between yourself and these things as you can reasonably manage. I'd personally not buy any car smaller than a Civic given what I see driving around next to me. Note - that a Civic can get roughly 40mpg highway AND still be acceptably safe is a testament to Honda's engineering and goals.
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Replying to: plekto (Nov 11, 2009 6:06 pm)
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Replying to: lhanson (Nov 12, 2009 12:08 pm) At least, that's my guess. I remember reading some crash study results from years ago that said the Corvette was actually a very safe car, although it had a very high death rate. And, if you drove a Corvette like you'd drive a Yaris, it WOULD be a safe car. Also, even though those big SUVs and trucks might look intimidating, I believe the majority of crashes are still single-vehicle crashes. Running off the road and into a tree or ditch, that sort of thing. Small cars are usually fairly safe, as long as they're the ones doing the hitting, and not the ones getting hit.
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