How To Find The Best Small Car

A lot of people would say a small car is all you really need. Certainly small cars have a lot going for them. Most are fun to drive, more spacious than you’d imagine and comfortable. They all seem very stylish in their own way. Of course they’re the most economical class to own. Many small cars are EuroNCAP 5-star rated and by the end of this year ESP will be standard.

There are three things to watch out for – small cars come in three different sizes, car insurance groups vary and the small differences there are in fuel economy are starting to matter. So it’s not important only to do a car comparison or twenty you also have an insurance car comparison.

Which small car suits you best will depend on your purpose and pocket. It is good idea to buy a small car with a 5-star EuroNCAP rating and ESP. If you fancy a performance model check how added fuel costs and insurance premiums will dip into your purse.

You’ve the choice of three sizes. Tiny city cars about 3.5m in length which are handy around town, very easy to drive and park. The problem is they have a tiny amount of boot space. There are only a handful of super-minis around 3.75m, this is the size most motorists liked. However many small cars have been super-sized to 4m making them the most versatile and comfortable.

Watch out for poor rear visibility with the stylish models.

If you compare the fuel consumption of small cars you won’t find a significant difference in most so you can’t be certain there will be a real difference on the road for those that rank closely.

Having said that if a car returns less than 40 mpg, over 12,000 miles – a years motoring for most – it will cost near £2,000 at todays pump prices.

So the best small car is the size that fits and is affordable. Watch those rising insurance premiums and calculate your fuel costs on the urban mpg to be on the safe side.

If you don’t like your small car, they’re easy to sell – someone has a 17th birthday every minute of the day.

Regards
Ralph

Ford Fiesta vs Honda Jazz

What are the differences and similarities between a Honda Jazz and Ford Fiesta?

Here’s a summary from Ford Fiesta vs Honda Jazz one of many small car comparisons on carbuyersinfo.

• The Jazz has a higher entry price than the Fiesta partly because the Honda entry model has 5-doors. The Fiesta entry model has 3. Otherwise the price range is similar.
• Both cars are about the same size. There’s a difference in the way the boot space is configured.
• The Fiesta has a wider range of engines. The Jazz doesn’t have a diesel option.
• There’s no significant difference in the 1.2 & 1.4 petrol engines for economy, emissions or performance.
• The Jazz i-shift is more efficient than the Fiesta Automatic.

If you consider diesel then calculate the miles it will take to pay back the cost with fuel savings. Also diesels emit particles which are not town friendly.

There’s more detail over on carbuyersinfo. Obviously a test drive is a good idea. A point to compare is all-round visibility.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo Car Comparisons - Differences and Similarities Revealed

How Come The ‘Old’ Corsa Out Sold The ‘New’ Fiesta?

Today, I read an online report claiming the Vauxhall Corsa was the #1 selling car in the UK during September. It seems the old 2006 Corsa sold more than the newer 2008 Ford Fiesta. Although the Corsa isn’t old because it recently had its trim and engine options updated. So what’s the difference?

The Vauxhall Corsa price and Ford Fiesta price ranges are very similar, both starting at just under £10,000 and then jumping to around the £11,000.

The Corsa and Fiesta are almost the exact same size. They’re both stylish and spacious with plenty of street cred’. The trim options are very similar – base, deluxe, sporty, luxury. They’re both 5-star EuroNCAP rated.

The only slight difference is in engine mpg, emissions and performance. Overall the Corsa has the edge. However the differences on paper are not significant enough for them to guarantee the difference will be present in real on-the-road driving.

Could it be things are so tight these days, buyers will make a decision on the slightest difference?

I always say when cars are so similar then buy the best deal. It could be Vauxhall were offering the best deals.

Regards
Ralph

What’s the best small car for sale in the UK?

This is a frequently asked question which is difficult to answer because there are 3 different size small cars and features like performance, economy and safety to consider. Style, comfort and prestige are a matter of personal taste.

You can then multiply what’s available with engine and trim options.

Ultimately the best small car will be the one that fits your purpose and pocket, with adequate safety features.

You’re probably best looking at size first to see how a car fits your lifestyle.

You’ve the choice between small city cars about 3.5m in length, like the Kia Picanto and Fiat 500. They’re spacious enough up front, have limited rear passenger space but tiny boots.

If you go up a size to super-minis at about 3.75m long, you’ll find less choice. The Mini and Suzuki Swift are in this class. Again spacious up front, with some improvement in rear space and boot size, though not much.

There’s most choice in the super-sized small car market. The rear passenger space and boot sizes are more acceptable. However these cars are about 4m long and many buyers question they’re small cars.

Size can also determine how easy a car is to drive and park. Most drivers think the smaller the better. This is despite the fact many small cars are now as wide as larger cars.

Once you’ve decided on the size of small car to best suit your life, you can style it with trim options and pick an engine to best fit your pocket and performance needed.

There are a wide range of engine options for small cars, both petrol and diesel. City cars start with tiny 850 engines. Some super sized – so-called –  small cars have 2.0 turbos. Although diesels have better mpg and CO2s both the cars and fuel cost more so you have to weigh it up.

Safety is a major consideration for most car buyers. The safest car is 5-star EuroNCAP rated with ESP. However it’s not quite that simple with small cars when they hit immovable objects like trees, barriers and bridges – you need to add the bigger the better.

Safety is also more than just crash protection. Perception and prevention are also if not more important. After all if you can see a hazard around you and avoid it then protection isn’t necessary.

You can see finding the best small car isn’t easy if you look into it. There are many features to consider and there’s more to them than I’ve mentioned above. Maybe I’ll make a sequence of deeper posts on each aspect.

For now, if you want to compare small car fuel consumption, emissions and performance, over on my small car comparisons page there’s a link to a guide comparing all small cars for sale in the UK – on ONE page.

Regards
Ralph

Does it really matter what car you buy?

Yes, in so far as the car you buy determines your future car costs.

However, say you decided to buy a small car the only differences appear to be the overall dimensions and style. Once you decide between a city car, super-mini or super-sized small car it seems to be a case of which car do you like the look of.

An example is the Ford Ka. If look you at Ka comparisons for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance they’re exactly the same as a Fiat 500. This is because they share the same platform including running gear.

The practice of platform sharing has become so widespread it’s difficult to find differences in cars with the same dimensions and engine capacity.

Safety is always an issue but with ABS now standard in the UK and ESP coming in 2011 the difference can be in crash protection. Or will it?

If the choice of car is a matter of style we have to look at overall visibility – the size of rear windows and thickness of pillars and headrests. It seems as though style and safety features are reducing visibility and therefore safety in terms of perception.

Crash protection may be improving and ABS and ESP assist prevention but before this comes perception – the ability to see a hazard in order to prevent an accident.

So fuel economy, CO2 emissions, performance, versatility and safety may appear the same. But do look out for visibility and comfort before style.

I’ve thrown comfort in there at the end because it may be the most important issue. I found in my years selling cars the most common cause of dissatisfaction - if there was one – was comfort. Comfort is a matter of personal taste and all other features being the same should be a point of focus.

Regards
Ralph.

Peugeot 207 mpg, CO2s & performance

On the carbuyersinfo Peugeot 207 Comparisons page I’ve added a table for Peugeot 207 Fuel Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Performance.

All the 207 engine options are included with fuel economy figures for urban, extra-urban and combined mpg. The table also includes emissions, maximum speed and 0 to 62 mph times so you can evaluate the overall efficiency.

You’ll also find a link to compare all small cars for sale in the UK for the above figures – all on one page.  There are 3 tables – tiny city cars, super-minis and the more recent super-sized small cars. The 207′s dimensions make it one of the largest cars in tihs class

Regards
Ralph

Peugeot 207 mpg, CO2s, & performance figures

I’ve just updated my Peugeot 207 Comparisons page with fuel consumption, CO2 emission and performance figures for petrol, diesel, manual and semi-automatic options.

Underneath these tables is a link where you can compare the 207 with all other small cars in the UK and all their engine and transmission options – on one page.

The mpg figures include urban, extra-urban and combined fuel consumption. The performance figures include both top speed and acceleration.

Notice the Peugeot 207 entry model has a 1.4 engine, possibly because – at over 4m – the 207 is one of the largest cars in this class. However there doesn’t seem too much difference between 1.2 and 1.4 options in fuel economy when you look at other models.

There’s always the diesel option but I wonder given the premium paid for a diesel car and fuel, how long it will take to get your money back with mpg savings. It’s worth calculating.

Regards
Ralph

Which Small Car Would You Subscribe To?

I’ve been doing a fair bit of work on small car fuel consumption comparisons recently. I’ve just received an email that put a different light on things.

The guy was making the point that when you buy anything these days you are normally signing up for regular costs for years/forever. Whether it’s a cell-phone or car, whatever, there’s usually an ongoing cost.

When we buy a car, we’re often more concerned with the deal on offer than the lifetime cost. My car comparison charts show you’ll pay at least £1,000 per 12,000 miles in fuel cost for a small car.

They also looked at it from the other side. In car buying terms, you could have a dealer spend a lot of time, money and effort to sell you car only for service reception to be rude and lose the dealership your subs for service.

It’s an interesting approach because when we buy a car we not only subscribe to paying fuel costs; we sign up for vehicle excise duty, car insurance, interest payments, tyres, brakes, service and repairs – for life.

We’ll have to look at that later.

Regards
Ralph