small car demands keeps prices high

[GL]

just in case anyone is planning on buying a smaller, economical car in the near future:

Rising gas prices are increasingly pushing consumers into smaller cars, and with demand for small cars near all-time highs, they may now be growing more expensive.

The AP reports, "Small cars are now the largest segment of the U.S. auto market, accounting for 18 percent of new car sales. Last year U.S. consumers bought a record 2.8 million of them, and with sales up 4 percent in the first quarter this year, the record almost surely will be shattered." The auto industry has been slow to react, and is only now ramping up production of the hottest-selling small cars. Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst for the Waltham, Mass.-based consulting firm Global Insight, said the spike in small car demand "happened too rapidly for the American automakers to take sufficient action."

the rest of the story @ u.s. news & world report...

 

[Riverrick]

I'll bet you and Metta are fun at parties.

 

[GL]

I'll bet you and Metta are fun at parties.

hey now, i'm fun at parties.

most of the time anyhow.

 

[Riverrick]

I'll take your word for it.

Actually, your thread depresses me because I've been thinking I need to trade my Jeep Liberty in for something smaller. I think things are only going to get worse.

 

[GL]

especially when he let me grab his ass as much as i did.

I grabbed so much of it i should have been arrested for theft.

i can honestly tell you that i didn't mind one bit.

'sides it wouldn't be a jub meet if somebody didn't grab my ass.

I'll take your word for it.

Actually, your thread depresses me because I've been thinking I need to trade my Jeep Liberty in for something smaller. I think things are only going to get worse.

i too worry that things will get worse before they get better. i think you might have to shop around to find the best deal possible but i'm sure its do-able. have you looked at the saturn vue hybrid? that one has my interest but having just paid off my car i'm not too eager to get into another car payment.

 

[Riverrick]

i can honestly tell you that i didn't mind one bit.

'sides it wouldn't be a jub meet if somebody didn't grab my ass.



i too worry that things will get worse before they get better. i think you might have to shop around to find the best deal possible but i'm sure its do-able. have you looked at the saturn vue hybrid? that one has my interest but having just paid off my car i'm not too eager to get into another car payment.

No, I haven't. I'm interested in the Prius, of course. But anything over 30mpg would be good.

I just got my copy of the April Consumer Reports Auto Issue so I'm going to peruse it.

 

[cozmik]

I'm not really looking at small cars, but increasing fuel prices are definitely pointing me in certain directions and causing me to rethink the big engine options.

 

[gmoney]

Maybe this should be my next purchase. I've started to see them around Atlanta lately.

 

[Riverrick]

Maybe this should be my next purchase. I've started to see them around Atlanta lately.

What is it?

 

[cozmik]

What is it?

That's a Smart ForTwo

 

[GL]

I'm not really looking at small cars, but increasing fuel prices are definitely pointing me in certain directions and causing me to rethink the big engine options.

i read in motor trend a couple of months back how ford has plans to phase out their v8's and are going towards high output v6's for cars like the mustang. i would imagine we are looking at the demise of the small block v8's.

Maybe this should be my next purchase. I've started to see them around Atlanta lately.

a dealership just opened up last month here in town. i see them being test driven all the time.

 

[gmoney]

What is it?

It's called "The Smart Car"

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/

 

[Golliwog]

That, my friend, is the Sardine Can, the V2 model, deluxe. I will be glad to sell you mine, at a small markup.

 

[cozmik]

I don't really care for the big OHV V8 really, to me it's not big loss. My best friend is about to kill himself at the thought of losing them though! lol

Turbo 4 & 6 is the way to the future. Even BMW is realizing that now, and they had pretty much sworn off turbo engines a couple years ago. Now they're playing catch up with most other European manufacturers.

 

[Riverrick]

That's interesting. I've never heard of them before.

They aren't even rated by Comsumer Reports that I can see.

 

[GL]

I don't really care for the big OHV V8 really, to me it's not big loss. My best friend is about to kill himself at the thought of losing them though! lol

Turbo 4 & 6 is the way to the future. Even BMW is realizing that now, and they had pretty much sworn off turbo engines a couple years ago. Now they're playing catch up with most other European manufacturers.

i've pretty much sworn off anything bigger than a 4 altogether.

That's interesting. I've never heard of them before.

They aren't even rated by Comsumer Reports that I can see.

they're new to the market, this year i believe.

 

[cozmik]

they're new to the market, this year i believe.

New to the U.S. market, they've been sold in Europe for years. They have a Smart ForFour and even had a Roadster too.

 

[GL]

New to the U.S. market, they've been sold in Europe for years. They have a Smart ForFour and even had a Roadster too.

you're right. i stand corrected.

 

[theblackajah]

I'm surprised that a lot of you seem to have never seen the Smart Car before. We have a few of them up here in Vancouver, and they've been around for years...

I guess the US automotive industry is just very conservative, which explains why the Japanese automakers are simply outclassing them at every turn.

 

[cityboy-stl]

Maybe this should be my next purchase. I've started to see them around Atlanta lately.

It's cute but it also looks like a death trap. I'd be scared to drive it on the highway. And the first time we had two inches of snow you'd be stuck.