When writing about the virtue of small vehicles, first a word about the resources that back up the facts. There have been plenty of similar articles about the virtue of small vehicles published such as “Why Small Vehicles are Better than Big Cars.”
There is nary a Car and Driver, Forbes, or News Article and that seems to match Detroit’s insistence on big cars, SUV’s and Trucks. Ford is stopping selling cars entirely except for the Mustang. Chevrolet has abandoned the Chevrolet Cruze.
It’s as if most of the Automakers have drawn a line in the sand and said, “We’re going to make big cars, with big price tags, and the public be damned” and the mainstream media is echoing Detroit’s mantra. Never the less, there are some great reasons why smaller cars are better:
1. Their prices are reasonable.
A typical car or truck today costs around $36,000, which means if you finance it, your monthly payments will be around $670 per month for 4 years, providing you put down 20 per cent. Yikes! Many people rent apartments for less. Say, for instance, if you buy a $16,000 Toyota Yaris, with no money down, your payments would be around $372 a month.
2. Subcompact cars are much easier to park
The shorter wheelbase makes parallel parking a snap in a subcompact car. Driving a smaller car means you will be ready to fit into smaller spaces and still open the door without hitting the adjacent car. They also providea variety of latest parking opportunities that are off-limits to large sedans or SUVs. Modern small cars are not any longer only suited to buyers on a budget, as most offer most an equivalent comfort, safety, and convenience features as larger models.
3. Much cheaper to maintain
A set of tires on a luxury vehicle, large SUV or Crossover alone may run you $1,000 per set. It is estimated that over 5 years, you will pay $4,000 in repairs and maintenance, $6,000 in fuel, $4,000 in insurance and lose $10,000 in depreciation. If you buy a Ford F150 truck, you’ll pay $5,000 in repairs, around the same $4,000 insurance, but pay $10,000 in fuel costs and lose $14,000 in depreciation, not to mention paying twice the cost for the vehicle.
4. Better for planet
Ultimately, we’d like to be smarter about what we drive and the way we get from Point A to Point B. Maybe meaning limiting how often we fly to far-flung destinations, or just limiting how often we drive to the mall to shop for things we don’t need, things that required spent-fuel to urge to the shelf. If pollution isn’t a true danger or threat, then we should always just carry on burning up oil and pretending the party won’t end. in point of fact, global climate change is an inconvenient truth, and future generations are getting to pay the piper for our indifference.
5. Smaller Autos are Packed with technology and innovations
In the past, an economy car more resembled a Fred Flintstone car where you needed to use your foot as the break. Today, most manufacturers have taken as many of the innovations and safety features that have evolved in their larger cars. This makes smaller autos a great value.
6. Just plain fun to drive
With their shorter wheelbase, quicker reaction time, fantastic gas mileage, and economy on the pocketbook, as Europeans, home of the Mercedes Benz, the BMW, and Porsche have long figured out, small automobiles can be a gas to drive. You may not go off-roading with them, or tow a 50-foot camper, but their speed and acceleration will get your blood pumping.