Autoblog: REPORT: Consumers increasingly shying away from small cars; owners unhappy

argatoga

argatoga

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http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/report-consumers-increasingly-shying-away-from-small-cars-owne/
When gas prices spiked above $4 per gallon in the summer of 2008, car buyers appeared to find their small car zen. Toyota Corollas, Honda Fits and Civics, Chevrolet Cobalts and Ford Focuses were flying off dealer shelves at a fevered pace, while truck buying dropped through the floor. Fast-forward to present day and car buyers are once again picking bigger vehicles while many of last year's "smart" small car buyers may be experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse.

A closer look at the current sales charts shows that Americans may not be too keen on small cars after all, as News Chief is reporting that America's compact car market has dropped 15% year over year. Even used small cars are taking a beating, as Kelley Blue Book reportedly told NC that small car residuals have dropped like a stone while larger vehicles are becoming increasingly valuable. In August 2008, truck prices dropped by 17% versus the same point in 2007, but from 2008 to 2009 overall truck sales jumped by 23%.

Perhaps the biggest issue here is that many of the customers who went small in 2008 are now unhappy with their more economical vehicles. George Peterson, president of AutoPacific told NC that a recent survey of 32,000 car buyers showed that customers aren't thrilled with their new small car, quoting customers as saying "'It does what I want, but it doesn't have what I want. It doesn't have the features, the power, the room, and next time I'll opt for a bigger car.'"

The survey showed that 30% of small vehicle buyers would like more power with their next new car or truck, 25% want more cargo room, and 25% want more technology. 18% of those surveyed would like more safety and 22% would like a softer ride. Only half of the subcompact buyers would opt for a compact vehicle with their next purchase, while 35% want a midsized sedan and 18% want a crossover or SUV.

While the Auto Pacific survey results shows that many car buyers are looking away from compacts with their next purchase, automakers are ramping up small car production. New products like the Ford Fiesta and the Chevrolet Cruze are coming Stateside over the next year or two, and if the apparent trend away from small cars continues, automakers will be fighting over a familiarly small group of perspective buyers. Unless, of course, gas prices once again spike into the stratosphere, in which case we're likely to repeat this process again.
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I'm really not surprised. Once you are used to having a full sized car or truck, the limitations of a small car are much more apparent, especially in the western US where there is space aplenty for people with 19 foot trucks :D
 
MOAR POWER!

toolman.jpg


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAhVmjptZMI[/YOUTUBE]

Someday I'm going to get that picture as a tattoo.
 
Here you won't find any parking space in a city with such a thing. Some parking spaces are so narrow, i almost can not get out of my Renault Clio there.

In my grandmothers apartment house there is a underground car park... that is so low that you can not open the boot on my fathers SUV without smashing it on the ceiling.

Even if i had limitless money... i wouldn't buy any car bigger then a Golf when i intend to go to the city...

But well... maybe a bigger one for long trips where I don't have to get in a city center. And it's not only here... i was in Amsterdam with a Opel Omega Estate car... horrible (also the car... yes)
 
That 25% who wants more technology? Yeah, screw those people. I WILL NOT SHOW YOU HOW TO USE YOUR GPS AGAIN.

In other news: Sky still blue. Americans still want bigger things. And yes, boobs are still awesome.
 
I had a great laugh at some lady who had her friend and two kids with her, trying to load:

A computer.
A monitor.
A printer.
Cat litter.
Some groceries.
And some clothes.

Into the back of a Prius sporting eco-nutcase stickers.

I pulled up next to the harried looking woman and informed her that not only was my Pathfinder greener than her Prius, but that it would easily haul all that stuff and four people at the same time. She turned all sorts of shades of red and made gabbling noises as I drove off.

Buying smaller cars is fine, but you need to buy enough car to get the job done, ecosnobbery be damned.
 
Spectre said:
I pulled up next to the harried looking woman and informed her that not only was my Pathfinder greener than her Prius, but that it would easily haul all that stuff and four people at the same time. She turned all sorts of shades of red and made gabbling noises as I drove off.
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Oh good, out-smug the smug.
 
Spectre said:
I pulled up next to the harried looking woman and informed her that not only was my Pathfinder greener than her Prius, but that it would easily haul all that stuff and four people at the same time. She turned all sorts of shades of red and made gabbling noises as I drove off.
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So you're a titanic douche, then?
 
BerserkerCatSplat said:
So you're a titanic douche, then?
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No, that would have been if I'd done it with the XJR. :lol:

Besides, those who have stickers on the back of their car that proclaim the ascendency of Gaia, command you to imagine a world without violence, demand the banning of SUVs and such like should expect to get back some of the same derision they heap on others.

There were well over 20 eco-freak stickers on the back of that thing. What made me go over and see if I could get her to die of an aneurism was the sticker that stated "Save The Earth, Kill An SUV Owner."
 
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Spectre said:
There were well over 20 eco-freak stickers on the back of that thing. What made me go over and see if I could get her to die of an aneurism was the sticker that stated "Save The Earth, Kill An SUV Owner."
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OK, fair enough, she brought it on herself then. I normally just ignore the usual eco-hippes, but that's pretty crazy.
 
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Normally the worst I do with ecofreaks is point and laugh, but this idiot had it coming.
 
Perhaps the biggest issue here is that many of the customers who went small in 2008 are now unhappy with their more economical vehicles. George Peterson, president of AutoPacific told NC that a recent survey of 32,000 car buyers showed that customers aren't thrilled with their new small car, quoting customers as saying "'It does what I want, but it doesn't have what I want. It doesn't have the features, the power, the room, and next time I'll opt for a bigger car.'"

The survey showed that 30% of small vehicle buyers would like more power with their next new car or truck, 25% want more cargo room, and 25% want more technology. 18% of those surveyed would like more safety and 22% would like a softer ride. Only half of the subcompact buyers would opt for a compact vehicle with their next purchase, while 35% want a midsized sedan and 18% want a crossover or SUV.
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So it doesn't have much to do with the size as some 80% want stuff that is just not optioned/available in small cars. Even some of that stuff is lacking in a 3 series vs a 5.

I still don't understand why no company has made a proper attempt at making a "luxury" small car. Even if they don't push it that way (i.e. no A-class for the US), but say a Focus with all the options of uhh... what does the new Taurus have that a Focus doesn't besides decent looks, interior space, modern chassis, power, torque, and interior quality?

Wait what point was I trying to make again?


BlaRo said:
MOAR POWER!

Someday I'm going to get that picture as a tattoo.
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You need to get it in a spot you can work the mouth when doing the grunt :p
 
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Well there is this concept.

Lincoln_C--DC.jpg
 
My ma's truck hardly ever gets used any more because parking spots are getting smaller and smaller around here.

Incidentally, I'm also unsatisfied with the power of the 5 liter in it. And my 5.5 liter Dodge. Though they are both tanks. You. Always. Need. More.
 
Spectre said:
I had a great laugh at some lady who had her friend and two kids with her, trying to load:

A computer.
A monitor.
A printer.
Cat litter.
Some groceries.
And some clothes.

Into the back of a Prius sporting eco-nutcase stickers.

I pulled up next to the harried looking woman and informed her that not only was my Pathfinder greener than her Prius, but that it would easily haul all that stuff and four people at the same time. She turned all sorts of shades of red and made gabbling noises as I drove off.

Buying smaller cars is fine, but you need to buy enough car to get the job done, ecosnobbery be damned.
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She simply wasn't trying hard enough.

When I was a kid, we went to holidays with 4 persons, including luggage for 2 weeks -- in a VW Beetle.

And the true reason why Americans are now regret buying smaller cars, is that they live in a country where size means everything and they cannot escape the peer pressure to do as everyone else does, even if it's total crap ;)

It's like with smokers: Ask them, why they don't quit, and they'll say "because I like it". Yeah, right...

But wouldn't it be funny, if GM gets even more into trouble now, because they decided to make small cars? :lol:
 
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And here I am, thinking the Nissan Altima is a great fucking boat of a car and not wanting to drive anything bigger than a Civic... :think:
 
Spectre said:
I had a great laugh at some lady who had her friend and two kids with her, trying to load:

A computer.
A monitor.
A printer.
Cat litter.
Some groceries.
And some clothes.

Into the back of a Prius sporting eco-nutcase stickers.
Click to expand...

Jesus, how small is the boot in the Prius? I could fit that and then some in my Jazz...serves them right for being all holier-than-thou and driving a POS. *hugs Cardis*
 
Crazyjeeper said:
Once you are used to having a full sized car or truck, the limitations of a small car are much more apparent,
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This x a billion.

Of course you're going to be disappointed when you're used to bigass trucks and now get into a tiny supermini...

Spectre is right, you need to buy "enough" car for what you'll use it. Apparently for us Euros, a Focus sized car is more than sufficient, while for Americans it isn't...
 
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