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Don't worry, they are disappearing in Europe as well, mostly (imho) thanks to ever stricter security standards. I read that it's very hard to design a small car
by RamblingCTO 3y ago
Don't worry, they are disappearing in Europe as well, mostly (imho) thanks to ever stricter security standards. I read that it's very hard to design a small car that adheres to modern standards.
- Arnt 3y agoSource?
- RamblingCTO 3y agoQuick googling: https://europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/automakers-fight-rescue-small-cars-extinction-eu-rules-bite https://europe.autonews.com/sales-segment/automakers-fight-r... > "New CO2 rules will require automakers to fit thousands of euros of tech to each car," Max Warburton, an analyst at research and brokerage firm Sanford C. Bernstein wrote in an April report. "Big cars have the price points and margins to cover these costs. Small cars simply do not. These segments may soon be abandoned by many manufacturers."
- Arnt 3y agoOh, so it's about inexpensive/expensive cars, and size is just something that correlates with that. I see.
- tonyedgecombe 3y agoI think the real reason is it's very hard to make money on a small car.
- cookiengineer 3y agoI think the VW beetle would disagree. The Avtovaz Lada, too. Opel Corsa, Mazda Familia, Fiat Uno, Trabant 601, Toyota Corolla, VW Golf, Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza... All of those the best or second best selling models of their manufacturers.
- Paianni 3y agoMost of those are B and C-segment cars, which are holding up ok in Europe. The real collapse has been choice and availability in the A-segment. The Fiat New 500 might be the last new offering for a while.
- tonyedgecombe 3y agoThe fact they are best selling in the range doesn’t mean they are profitable.
- etempleton 3y agoTo make money on a small car you have to sell volume and small cars don’t sell volume in the US compared to bigger vehicles. The top three selling vehicles every year, by a large margin, are Ford F150, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram. If the big high margin vehicles sell in volume there is little incentive to create small low margin, low volume cars.
- leokennis 3y agoI love my 2010 Honda Jazz (called Fit in the US). Small, can carry loads of weirdly shaped stuff, roomy enough for two adults and two kids, unbreakable. And on summer holidays I rent a roof box for about €100/week so I can fit all our luggage.
- forinti 3y agoI have a 2016 Fit and had a first generation Fit before that. They are the most reliable cars I've ever had. I'm a fan of the Toyota Yaris too. It's such a shame they were discontinued.
- leokennis 3y agoMy first car was a 1999 Yaris, bought in 2014 for €1,250 with 320K on the odometer. Shifting gears sometimes took some force but otherwise drove like a dream...and the "holographic" gauge-screen-thingy was brilliant. Oh, and the back bench which you could slide backwards and forwards to choose between trunk space or leg room! The best thing is, I sold it in 2016 with 400K on the odometer for €1,000...likely it's still chugging along nicely as we speak :-)
- nicelunch 3y agoThe Honda fit 2016 is my first car, and only car. I can't imagine getting another car. It's just too good!
- mysterydip 3y agoI'm in the market for my next car (new or used), and I'd prefer something small like the fit/jazz. But I have 3 kids instead of 2, which seems like my only options from the last decade are MPVs or SUVs. I'd love to be wrong, though.
- leokennis 3y agoThe back bench of my Jazz easily fits three kids (and had three seatbelts) comfortably for normal trips.