I am considering a RV and transporting a car in an enclosed trailer. My question pertains to overall length. I am considering a diesel pusher Class ?A? RV with a length of between 34 and 38 feet. I want to keep the overall length of the RV plus trailer to a minimum. The trailer length is directly tied to the size of the car. My criteria for a car are its length and price with length being the most important criterion. I am looking for the shortest and least expansive 4-door car and the shortest and least expensive 2-door car to use. So, my question is: What is the best car(s) to consider? Cars can be new or used. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Two door Smart car; can’t get any shorter and these are crashworthy too.
For a new small four door car, I suggest a Honda Fit. It is a hatchback, so it should be pretty short and light. For a new small two door car, you could look at a Toyota Yaris. It is a two door hatchback.
For used, you should look for a Honda CRV or a Honda Civic Del Sol. Both are small two-seat cars.
A used 2 door hatchback Hyundai Accent is very light and very cheap, and it still has a back seat!
My friend has a motorhome and tows his Mazda Protege behind on a dolly supporting the front wheels only. The car needs to be protected from flying stones and the motorhome nees good mudflaps.
Thanks for the idea. However, the Smart car may be too small. I’ll have to see what the interior looks like.
Thanks for your comments. Someone else told me about the stone problem. That is why I want an enclosed trailer. The mudflaps is also a good idea.
Great ideas. I will look at all of them. Just a passing thought – none of the cars are from a US comany.
Motorcycle or scooter? You will not even need a trailer as they can be mounted on the back.
VW Golf/GTI/(now)Rabbit are great use of space in a smaller length and very pleasant cars.
Yeah, well, finding a truly small car from a US company is like hunting unicorns. I suppose the Pontiac Solstice might qualify.
Clearly, the Smart Fortwo is about as small as you can get. If you could find an old Ford Aspire in decent shape, those were pretty small. Actually, Ford makes a pretty nice small car called the Ka, but it’s not available in the US.
That’s true, but in a global economy, how do you define a US-made car? Many Civics, Accords, and Camrys are made right here in the USA while many Ford, GM, and Chrysler cars are made in Canada and Mexico. In any case, most of the parts are made in China.
I judge a car on its merits, not the brand. I understand the Ford Focus is a nice car, but when I test drove one, I was not impressed. Dodge makes a nice minivan, but two of my siblings owned them and when I drove them, a comparision between the Caravans and my mother’s Toyota Sienna was not flattering for the Caravans. My old Chevy Cavalier was a decent car, but when I compare it to my Civic from the same period, I like the Civic better. I would not rule out a so-called domestic car (made in Mexico with Chinese parts). There are some nice ones out there.
So you have no issues throwing down six figures for a motorhome, yet you want the cheapest car availible to be towed behind it. Weird. Anyway the Honda Fit, Mini Cooper, Mazada Miata, VW Rabbit and Nissan Versa should all fit the bill.
I would suggest a Honda and forget the trailer. You will find that Hondas are very common among RV’ers because the automatic is towable, as long as you start the engine about every 400 miles. Most RV’ers start the Honda while filling up the RV.