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Economy car links
Economy car links and future model news
The prices of certain new station wagons and midsize sedans are coming down, and the upfront cost for a pre-owned 2007 or 2008 model should run about the same as for a new 2009 compact or subcompact car. Check out the ConsumerSearch reports on
We've also posted archived, older reports if you're considering a pre-owned car or station wagon. You can find reliability and resale data at websites like ConsumerGuide.com, Edmunds.com and the Kelley Blue Book website.
Aside from the sources listed in the Our Sources section, we find the following websites to be useful:
FuelEconomy.gov is a government website containing updated EPA fuel-efficiency estimates for individual vehicles. Statistics for past and current model years are included, and economy ratings for older models have been updated to reflect the current testing standards.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit organization that tests vehicles and assigns safety ratings in an attempt to cut the number of annual losses due to car crashes. Cars are evaluated based on three different impact scenarios, and scores are fairly easy to understand and interpret.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts government-sponsored crash testing of most current vehicles. While its methods differ somewhat from those of the IIHS, the NHTSA website still offers a wealth of information about each car's performance in testing, as well as coverage of potential safety concerns and advances in engineering technology.
Inside Line is Edmunds.com's online enthusiast-oriented website. While magazines print periodic updates of their long-term test fleets, Inside Line takes this to a higher level, publishing regular, descriptive updates that relate what it's like to live with the wide variety of cars in their fleet.
Informative press releases and news items can be found at Autoblog.com.
On the horizon for compact cars
Car manufacturers are responding to increasing demand for small, fuel-efficient cars with many new models planned for introduction in the next few years.
Toyota has a new mini-compact city car to compete with the Smart ForTwo. However, the tiny new Toyota iQ boasts a big advantage: room for three adults and one child. It's a two-door hatchback measuring less than 10 feet long. Already on sale in Europe, the iQ is rumored to reach the U.S. next year, possibly under the Scion brand name.
Hyundai could also get into the U.S. mini-car market with the i10, a petite five-door hatchback with room for five occupants. Currently built in India and sold in about 70 countries, the ultra-low-priced Hyundai i10 may or may not reach the U.S. market. Hyundai says it's unlikely, but some industry experts say otherwise.
General Motors has announced that it will bring at least one new small Chevrolet hatchback to the U.S. market. The Chevy Spark is an ultra-compact five-door that will hit the European market with 1-liter and 1.2-liter engines. Based on the Chevy Beat concept that debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, the Spark is expected to ultimately arrive in the U.S. in 2011. Chevrolet plans to replace the aging Cobalt in 2010 with the new Cruze compact sedan.
The new Ford Fiesta, already on sale in Europe, is projected to hit the U.S. market sometime in 2010. Ford will put a trial fleet of 100 Euro-spec models in American drivers' hands in 2009 to help build public awareness ahead of the car's formal American debut.
In the U.S., Volkswagen's smallest car is the Rabbit, but that's going to change. A U.S.-market version of the Polo is being developed as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback. A 2011 arrival is expected.
The popular Mini Cooper range has expanded to include a limited-production all-electric version, called the Mini E. Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Mini E will be leased to only about 500 customers in Southern California and the New York area in 2009. A bank of lithium ion batteries replaces the rear seat, and charging is claimed to take just 2.5 hours. Driving range on a full battery charge is said to be about 150 miles.
A possible competitor to the standard, gas-powered Mini Cooper is the Fiat 500, a retro-styled mini-compact from Italy. However, Fiat first needs to establish a distribution channel in the United States. A partnership with Chrysler is one possibility that has been discussed, but nothing has been finalized as of this writing.
South Korea's Kia will replace the Spectra sedan with the 2010 Kia Forte, introduced at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The sharp-looking Forte compact sedan is about an inch longer than the Spectra, with either 156 horsepower in base trim, or 173 horsepower with the step-up four-cylinder engine. Kia says the Forte sedan will go on sale in early summer 2009, followed by a coupe later in the year.
Mitsubishi has confirmed it will introduce its five-door Lancer Sportback in the United States. Likely to reach showroom in mid-2009 to compete better against the Subaru Impreza lineup, the Lancer Sportback's powertrains will be similar to those available in the current sedan models.
