Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Small cars can be the 'Smart,' 'Fit' choice

In car-obsessed South Florida, size matters. Big SUVs, big pickup trucks, minivans and four-door sedans dominate.

But as Hummers become dinosaurs, gas sippers are slowly taking over their terrain. They're "Fit" and "Smart" and take pride in their "Mini" status.

"The Fit is excellent," said Manuel Valido of Lake Worth, who bought his Honda subcompact last summer as gas prices soared. "It's saving fuel. I get 38 to 40 miles per gallon."

Just five years ago, subcompact cars held little sway with American car consumers, grabbing a mere 1.8 percent of U.S. car sales in April 2004, according to Edmunds.com an automotive consumer Web site. But then the 2008 gas spike suddenly made small cars attractive. Last July, subcompacts reached their peak and grabbed a 4.9 percent market share, the highest in decades.

By December, the love affair with diminutive vehicles cooled as sales dipped to less than 3 percent of all car sales. But the number has steadily crept back up, garnering 4.3 percent of U.S. car sales by April and becoming the fastest growing category of cars.

But admirers still plowing around in motorized behemoths question the safety of the motorized tykes. Imagine getting side-swiped by a Hummer while driving a car a third its size.

Indeed, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released a report showing small cars performed poorly in head-on collisions with mid-size cars. Basically, the report said weight and size matter when it comes to protecting occupants during crashes.

Still, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives many small cars stamps of approval in crash tests.

"They're seen as safe choices by consumers," said Jesse Toprak, an Edmunds.com analyst. "People are looking for value purchases. ... They're cheap to buy. They're cheap to own. They have lower fuel costs."

There's another appeal. In an age where economic doom has made thrift and minimalism trendy, the little guys also are fashionable.

"Everyone who sees this car says it's so cute," said Shirley Miller of Deerfield Beach, who began leasing her silver Toyota Yaris three months ago.

Miller considered buying a mid-size SUV, but the poor economy and fear of another spike in gas prices made her think again.

She chuckles at gas stations watching drivers with SUVs and trucks filling up. "I come after them and they're still filling up after I'm done," she said.

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