Let's take the notion to its only logical conclusion: do you really even NEED a car?
M
Gaddammit... that's
my line!
The other problem is that small cars have not resonated well with the American public; I think there's that perception that a fully-loaded Ford F150 or school bus is going to careen into you at any moment, and therefore, there's the thought that a small car gets pancaked, unlike a truck or large sedan. There's no concept of energy-absorbent materials or energy dissipation, because few people have studied basic physics, let alone mechanical engineering, so they do not have even the slightest grasp of those concepts. There's mostly a jungle mentality when it comes to the crossing of an elephant and a mouse.
Sure, lots of small cars do sell well, but they'd all gown in size in response to demand. Every two generations, a small car tends to grow up the size of the car that was once a step ahead of it. I always privately called it the "CivAcc-Theory"; as I noted in my youth how the Civic tended to grow to the size and luxury of the Accord within two generations. A whole other smaller generation of cars has returned, and they will probably follow in the same footsteps. Sure, there's the boutique nature of the Smart cars, the past demand for the xB, and other little niche cars, but will they remain popular? If we see rising gas prices, then yes, we might.
Convince people, or a coming generation, that smaller and lighter is better on the wallet, potentially beneficial to the environment, potentially reduces the impact of wastefulness, can potentially increase the enjoyment of driving, and then success for smaller cars may abound. Or...just tax the heck out of everyone with a truck or SUV or barge with an arbitrary weight cap, and you'll merely see more angry owners, who will then add a one-ounce bumper sticker, bitching about the said levy. With capitalism being the ultimate vote, their sales (in addition to their actual usefulness) will not wane if demand still exists.
The biggest disappointment of my motoring life in the past year is that the Honda Fit has grown up.
The second biggest disappointment is that first-generation 1.5 manual transmission variants only goes on sale here secondhand for brief flashes of time before they're snapped up. One day, one of those will be mine.
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My bare necessity list is this:
Manual climate control (because, let's face it... cleaning the inside of the windshield by hand is not just inconvenient... it's downright dangerous)
Manual side mirror adjustment stalks (so you don't have to roll down the window to adjust the passenger mirror)
Power brakes, switchable ABS
Power steering
That's on top of the standard kit we take for granted... windshield wipers, turn signals, headlights and tail-lights, a roof, five point seatbelts (wait... that isn't standard?), a spare tire and a tool kit.
I can and I have driven without power steering... and it isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes driving safer if you don't have to wrestle with the wheel... especially if you're driving a large vehicle. Let's face it... we're not all driving Miatas.
Power brakes, again, not strictly necessary, but good from a safety standpoint... ABS shoudl be defeatable because most ABS systems are rubbish in the dirt.
Power windows... the only window you ever need to roll down is your own. Power locks... the same...
Radios... I can take em' or leave them. Given that most people change out their head-unit, anyway, selling a car without a radio isn't such a big deal.
And that's it. Some of the best times I've had in a car have been in a banger with a four or five speed stick with a rental car interior. I still look longingly in the papers at secondhand "bare" units for sale. While I do love the modern conveniences that come with these new models with their automatic dual/quad zone climate control, six speed autos, ESP and automatic everything... I still love an old car with character... something that's increasingly rare in automobiles, nowadays.
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If you go down the minimalist route (not as far minimalist as M-Spec suggests, though...
) and go for the Radical SR8 or a Caterham Seven... you're missing the point of owning a car.
A
car is meant to get you and a specific number of companions and possibly luggage from one place to another in reasonable comfort and safety.
If your only aim is to get
yourself from point A to point B as quickly as possible, and you're not worried about arriving soaked in sweat, rain or mud... or at least have your office clothes or uniform wrapped up in a waterproof bag in the seat beside you... and you don't need room to carry more than a backpack... then a motorcycle or bicycle is probably what you want.
And they're easier to park, insure, maintain and purchase than a Caterham... to boot.
