No one wants tiny cars like the Suzuki Swift hence the lack of choice. The Chevy Aveo might fit the bill for you. Its a miserable car for the money but I remember the Geo Metro (rental) being the same to. So you may be fine with it.
“I assume they passed some type of crash certification if they are for sale here (which they are).”
I seem to recall that they are taking orders, but none have been delivered. No deliveries until or unless they pass the test.Apparently someone wants tiny cars or this thread wouldn’t exist. Personally, I would love to have available a modern version of the MG Midget, or at least a compact car that is aerodynamic enough to get 50 or more mpg while cruising 70 mph. How about a non-hybrid version of the Insight for people who do mostly highway driving, which renders moot the benefits of the hybrid technology.
“I seem to recall that they are taking orders, but none have been delivered. No deliveries until or unless they pass the test.”
I’ve seen a few of them driving around. There is one at my daughters high school sometimes, I saw on parked in denver last friday at the theater, I passed on on I-70 in KS about 2 weeks ago, the car dealer about a mile from my house has at least on on his lot. There are normally a few on eBay. Also, they were being sold by a third party (Zap?) over a year ago.
I’ve lost all blower speeds except one; when that goes, I’ll have no heat/air/defrost without taking off the dash to repair ($$$); also, I commute about 200 miles a week and am over 100,000. Just looking ahead to the sad day when I DO have to replace it; hoping it’s a long way off and the gas crunch prompts the production of ever-smaller, ever-more economical models in the meantime. BRING BACK THE SWIFT!!!
Mini has a excellent service record. The Mini is highly rated on consumer reports.
That’s good to hear; sounds like the package I’d want except for manual (drive automatic only). Only AC and AM/FM/CD for me, too. Have never bought a NEW new car (am frugal), but might have to with a Yaris. But is it as much fun to drive as the Swift? I always liken it to paddling a kayak versus a canoe. : D
Well, it’s way pricey, for one thing, and any Mini owners I’ve personally known have had a world of trouble with them; also complain about the handling (?). As I recall, too, while Click and Clack love the look of it, they weren’t too impressed with the service record, either (correct me if I’m wrong)?
Am pretty sold on Japanese; it’s all I’ve ever had other than my first car, the original VW bug… : (
And, yes, believe it or not, some of us out here want as little car for as little money as we can find!!! Maybe when gas reaches $10/gallon, the “average American” will get with the program and lose the SUV??? Or maybe not, hahaha!!!
I think you need to separate “small” from “high MPG.” The VW Jetta TDI would probably get better fuel mileage than any of the smaller gasoline powered cars, but you have some sort of obsession with getting a small car. If the goal is to save fuel, then look at the mileage and quit worrying about getting the absolute minimum size. Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and Honda Fit are all pretty small and all get good fuel mileage. Do you have some other reason for wanting to get the smallest possible car, other than fuel mileage? The Jetta, and smaller Rabbit, are not very big but you seem to think the Fit is too big and I wonder why?
Note you can’t buy a new VW TDI right now, newer and environmentally cleaner diesels are coming later this year. Sounds to me like you should get your heat/AC blower switch fixed and keep going in the car you have. A year from now there should be more options.
Good point, I know a couple of folks who get over 40 mpg in the real world with a TDI. I do think the are a little hard to find at the moment and I suspect the new ones will be in demand when they finally get here (unless the price of diesel fuel keeps climbing).
I also know a couple of people who have minis and a happy with them, but they seem to be more “sporty” than “economy” oriented. They do have a surprising amount of interior space.
Building or importing small amounts of cars for the few who want them is not profitable for a car maker. They must increase the price to make up for the lack of sales which makes it a losing proposition with tiny cars since the price is nearly the same as larger more desirable to masses cars. Just to have a car exist even if built elsewhere there is a large expense.
Why not just find a Geo/Chevrolet Metro which was last offered in 2001? Its a rebadged Suzuki Swift.
The great Suzuki Swift was last built in 2001. There are about a half dozen (in the country) for sale on cars.com. The Geo Metro, I think, was last made in 1997 (that’s what my last one was. and it’s the latest model I see being sold); only a handful of those available, too. Must mean all the others are still going strong on the road! Thanks. Guess that means I’ll have to get that dent on the side repaired, as well…
You don’t say why you are trying to find something SMALL enough. Is the reason: for ease of parking? purchase price? fuel economy? Tell me if I am wrong in thinking this is an economy thing and that you are thrifty (cheap) as a I am. If this is the case let me offer some considerations that come from decades of car driving, car buying, car repair wisdom.
I couldn’t tell if the crash rating is important to you or not. However, it should be. It doesn’t do much good to economize if you are killed or maimed in the process. There are a lot of “big” vehicles out there with you! Also, some people mistake comparing crash ratings of one class of car to another. These tests are done with cars hitting barriers with their own inertia. When a five star subcompact collides with a five star subcompact (like in the barrier test) you are relatively safe. Trust me, if a 5 star subcompact collides with a 5 star large car (difference in mass & inertia), the subcompact gets creamed.
If you are thrifty then I would advise you buy a gently used larger vehicle (5 star, besides) that gets decent fuel economy. Buy a repair manual (I get the factoy one), shop for a code scanner (can be under $50, get some decent tools if you don,t have any, and if you have little or no mechanic ability find someone to befriend that will help you learn. American cars are great because there are lots of gently used parts in salvage yards that are good as new and if you find the right yard, you get to “practice” your repair on their acr first while removing the part(s). This is a worthwhile lifelong endeavor. I like not having to make appointments for things like oil changes and knowing that it is done right. (I don’t do any work that requires my getting under a jacked up car. It is another safety thing of mine). People tell my wife that she is “lucky” because her husband knows about cars. there is no “luck” you just need to dig in and learn as you go.
We have run previously, gently used Dodges well over 200,000 miles in the rust belt with little more than routine maintenance, usually DYI. My son needed an economical car at the beginning of his Junior year of college recently and he sometimes comes home 160 miles one way. I had a chance to put him in a low miles Escort (36 mpg) and couldn’t do it because his University is in an area with a lot of traffic and accidents. It took a lot of looking but we put him in a 5 star 01 Impala ($4,000 cash no car payments) with all the bells, 3800 V6, ABS, Traction Control, front/side air bags, lots of steel, leather, spoiler, deluxe tunes, etc. It gets ok city mileage and 30-32 highway.
Do the math with a calculator, based on your miles of driving when you compare vehicles and make sure the risk is worth the savings. There are other ways to save money other than at the pump that make sense, common sense. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the detailed response. It’s a combination of all of the above: I’m thrifty (er, cheap), I’m practical (am absolutely sold on the reliability of Japanese cars), I’m terrible at parallel parking (congenital), but moreover am dedicated to the concept of efficient use of small space. I have a tiny house; I own few possessions; I’m am an advocate of decluttering, recycling, voluntary simplicity, and downsizing. Hence, yes, I seek the smallest, most economical, most efficient vehicle I can find. I hear your argument about “playing with the big boys” over and over; simply put, I’m not playing that game. We’d ALL have to drive HUMMERS to stand a chance against the monster, gas-guzzling SUVs and eighteen-wheelers (which, in my humble opinion, have no place on the interstate; bring back freight trains), and I’m simply not going there. My current vehicle is a deathtrap, no doubt, but I drive as defensively as possible and roll the dice; I won’t sell out my beliefs to increase my chance of survival. Looks like the Yaris is as close as I’ll get to my goal; will drive the Swift as long as possible; thanks!
Incidentally, your blower motor issue is an easy fix - a $20 blower motor resistor from the dealership and about 10 minutes on your back reaching up under the dash somewhere. No dash removal required. The dealership will probably charge you about $50-$60 parts and labor to do this for you.
But if and when the time comes to get rid of the Swift, I’d look at a gently used Honda Insight. They made them all the way up until 2006, although they sold slowly in later years due to being special order only, since Honda didn’t want to put a car with a 4 star crash test rating in their showrooms. You won’t find a smaller, more efficient vehicle on the market. If you’re willing to wait a while and pay a bit more, Honda is supposed to be coming out with a production version of its CR-Z concept later this year as a 2009 model, which promises to be a 2 seat hybrid sports car. No word on weight or fuel economy, but expect it to be a spiritual successor to both the CRX and Insight.
Good luck on your search. I share your passion for small vehicles – I used to own a 5 door Geo Metro and loved it, and as my needs have grown, I’ve always strived to get away with the smallest car possible.
Thanks; I should’ve added that, while I want the smallest car possible, I also REALLY like a hatchback. In an unscientific test, I was able to put more stuff in my Swift than my boyfriend was able to put in his Jeep Cherokee SUV. Have hauled everything from treated timbers to kayaks back there (hatch tied down).
I do hope more “get on board” with smaller and more gas-efficient cars; if we all drove them, “defensive outsizing” wouldn’t be necessary.
I’d urge you to check out an Insight anyway… it’s a sloping hatch, but it’s still a hatch. I’ve owned 4 CRXes, and they’re able to swallow a surprising amount of stuff. I used to do my moves in college in a CRX, and generally was able to do it all in 1 trip, and since the opening is cavernous, you can still haul big things that you couldn’t in a sedan, like a 32" TV.
Besides, you’ve got your boyfriend’s Cherokee for kayak duty if you don’t feel an insight would be up to it 
Would that be the highest speed? All you need is a new resistor block. That’ll be mounted on the ductwork down by eth blower motor. Change the block, maintain the car, and you might be good for another 100,000 miles!
I also owned a Geo Metro (twin of the Suzuki Swift) and I really liked it, but, you know, cars get old and they sometimes become too much to fix. So, I bought an Aveo. It’s actually slightly larger than the Geo and doesn’t get the same gas mileage, but it’s pretty small. I have parking problems in my area and a small car is very important, so I needed just about as small as they can go and still be safe to drive.
One thing I did like about this car is that even though it was fairly small on the outside, the inside is fairly roomy and can fit two adults in the back seat, which my Geo couldn’t do.