Are small cars any good

[castellan]

Are small cars any good or are people just buying rubbish.
One of the small cars I liked was the Peugeot 306 and the sporty GTI6.
The ride was magic for a small car.
The braking was magic as the rear end does not send the rear up in the air like other cars do, this thing the rear goes down when braking real hard.
Why don't all the new cars come out like the 306.

[ebxr8240]

Peugeot are not what they cracked up to be ..
Well? Previous models overheated and had head gasket issues ..

[superyob]

No...

[tranquilized]

I drove my friends 1 year old Corolla the other week. Keeping in mind this is the highest selling car in the country - it was god-awful. NVH from the engine in particular was incredibly intrusive, difficult to drive smoothly, dash a horrible blob of cheap black plastic. Based on that experience - no - small cars aren't any good.

But I have driven a previous-gen Focus XR5 a lot, and been a passenger in a few Golf GTi's, and based on those experiences - yes - small cars are very, very, very good indeed.

[DBourne]

My XR5 is pretty damn good.

So, yes.

[Bill M]

The other car is a 2009 Corolla, I much prefer the room in my Falcon as I am a large framed fella! How do other large people find small cars?
Bill

[Itsme]

I have 2000 model KN Laser, brilliant small car, so yes small cars can be good.

[xw_beast]

Buy a Peugeot if you have your heart set on it, a motoring mag applauded the 306 for it's chassis rigidity, but I call bull**** on that claim, as I saw one in the shop at least once a year for a cracked windscreen, on the exact same spot (top left, no impact mark) that could only have been caused by body flex, and I would have put 5 screens in, 2 genuine and 3 from our non gen supplier, In the end he sold it.

[XRtowcar]

Wifes got a Peugeot 307 XSI and it has been generally a reliable car.
Some electrical gremlins.
Not overly powerful for a 2 litre or comfortable to drive though.
Needs a careful gear change to drive smoothly.
But has plenty of room and features.
Wouldn't like to pay the timing belt or service costs though as I do that myself.

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by castellan

Are small cars any good or are people just buying rubbish.
.

Define Good.
If by good you mean agile, more fuel efficient able to get into smaller car park spots, then yes.
If you mean as big as a falcon no?
If by good you mean dynamically enjoyable, competent performer and fun to drive, then yes.
If you mean as fast as a GT(whatever number floats your boast) falcon, probably not!
If you mean reliable, economical to own and good service/warranty experience then probably yes.
If you ask most on this forum...No

JP

[Giant Cranium]

no they suck, or it could just be my 195cm.

[Franco Cozzo]

185cm here and no problems with comfort in my Focus or Fiesta.

Front two seats are the place to be in small cars, back seats not so much.

[zilo]

If you mean are they as safe as a big car?........NO

[99AUXR]

Originally Posted by zilo

If you mean are they as safe as a big car?........NO

Beg to differ and to many variables, what big car and what small car?

Out of all the crashed cars we pick up I think you will be suprised at how safe the drivers of late model small cars are. . . .Provided they are wearing seat belts :/

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

If you ask most on this forum...No

JP

Still laughing.

[jpblue1000]

Oh yeah forgot to mention if you drive a 'small' car according to the research conducted by some AFF members you will die a horrible nasty death and the scourge will affect generations of your family.

JP

[CoupeKing]

Size matters...but only when it matters.

[Express]

I wouldn’t want a 306 or a GTi but an A45AMG or an 1M would be cool.

[tapeworm]

they rarely look good..thats a prob if you're a car enthusiast

[Sabantien]

My biggest problem is finding small cars i fit in. But there are some nice ones. Plenty are fun to drive. That said, now I have a big car i find it drives so effortlessly, and I love that. Don't think I'll find that in a small car with the move to smaller and smaller engines.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by Express

I wouldn’t want a 306 or a GTi but an A45AMG or an 1M would be cool.

image

image

I'll take the A45.

Based on my experience with my wife's wheels at the moment I'm not a fan of small cars. No power and not as economical as one might think. Bit squishy inside and generally for me uncomfortable to sit in for extended periods of time (say an hour minimum)

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

My XR5 is pretty damn good.

So, yes.

Ditto...

As is my partner's Mazda3, it does everything we need and is v-good on fuel.

[mik]

While they might be ok as point A to point B economy transport , and some even fun to drive , i still dont like them much.
if you have ever had a bus in front of you suddenly drive full steam in reverse at you and hit the brakes as the rear bumper of the bus touches your windscreen pillars.... that is an undies filling event that i dont ever want to experience again ........ give me a yard ...... no a metre of sheet metal in front of me and behind me and some shoulder room too thank you very much.

[cheap]

It depends on your circumstance, but IMO, small cars are a waste of time money and effort. For all their apparent positives they have more downside.

FWIW I have never heard of a rich person complaining that their car is too big and stepping down to a run of the mill small car.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Oh yeah forgot to mention if you drive a 'small' car according to the research conducted by some AFF members you will die a horrible nasty death and the scourge will affect generations of your family.

JP

I have died numerous times in my ST in the 2 years ive had it, so they must be correct

[cheap]

Originally Posted by DJM83

I have died numerous times in my ST in the 2 years ive had it, so they must be correct

You could always have "big" head on with a big heavy vehicle and tell us how it works out, except you'd probably be dead...

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by cheap

It depends on your circumstance, but IMO, small cars are a waste of time money and effort. For all their apparent positives they have more downside.

FWIW I have never heard of a rich person complaining that their car is too big and stepping down to a run of the mill small car.

LOL...so you're saying only "poor" people buy small cars?
Got evidence?
Please also define a rich/wealthy person.

[Express]

Originally Posted by cheap

It depends on your circumstance, but IMO, small cars are a waste of time money and effort. For all their apparent positives they have more downside.

I’d be interested to see a list of downsides versus positives.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by cheap

You could always have "big" head on with a big heavy vehicle and tell us how it works out, except you'd probably be dead...

And that saying can go with big cars having a head on.
With any type vehicle on the road you will always risk being killed in an accident regardless of vehicle size.

[cheap]

Originally Posted by Wretched

LOL...so you're saying only "poor" people buy small cars?
Got evidence?
Please also define a rich/wealthy person.

No, I did not say only poor people drive small cars, either you are illiterate or you have a awful predisposition to try and verbal people.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by cheap

No, I did not say only poor people drive small cars, either you are illiterate or you have a awful predisposition to try and verbal people.

So kindly explain your sentence:

FWIW I have never heard of a rich person complaining that their car is too big and stepping down to a run of the mill small car.

Judging by your comment there you're indicating that rich people drive big cars?
Secondly, as per my previous post, you got proof of just baseless trash as usual?

Again, as per my previous post, define rich/wealthy please.