• Welcome to Elio Owners! Join today, registration is easy!

    You can register using your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account, just click here.

Honda S660 (japan Only)

mkiker2089

Elio Addict
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
243
Reaction score
130
Location
North Carolina
Kind of, but not really. We buy big cars to put people and stuff in but drive them empty. We also have many people moving to small cars like the Fiat 500, Mini, Smart and the Beetle.

The big problem is that in the US detroit taught our parents and their parents that small meant cheap. When the Fiat 500 tried to give a small car all the features of a large one people were shocked at the price. Features be damned, it's a small car so it has to be cheap. The green movement sort of changed that but not enough.

We don't need large cars, Detroit needs us to WANT large cars. People like us in the Elio forum are smarter than the sheep.
 

RSchneider

Elio Addict
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
2,792
Reaction score
1,912
Location
Hellertown, PA
We also have many people moving to small cars like the Fiat 500, Mini, Smart and the Beetle.
Not really. Fiat 500 sales are about 300/month and they just dropped the plain non turbo model. Mini is not so mini any more. The Beetle is a VW Golf with a different body and this is the last year for it due to really bad sales. Honda is one of the best sellers when it comes to small cars because of the Fit.

Again, if we just tax cars by fuel mileage, emissions and engine size, people would buy not just smaller cars but manufacturers would offer smaller engines too. Until we do that, nothing is going to change. Only real change I see is that manufacturers are going to around 1400 cc 4 cylinder turbo, direct injection, variable cam timing and lift on engines and sticking them in larger SUV's.
 

RSchneider

Elio Addict
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
2,792
Reaction score
1,912
Location
Hellertown, PA
The problem with the Fiat is that it is no more reliable than the old Fiats, (remember the X1-9?). I have seen numerous "new" Fiats on tow trucks, while not as many Smarts or VWs.
Smart cars sales went into the toilet too. If you look at VW, every model except for the Tiguan and Atlas has seen a drop in sales yet their overall sales are up. It goes to show what people want to buy as those two SUV's are carrying the brand right now.
 

Hog

Elio Addict
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Messages
535
Reaction score
967
Location
somewhere deep underground in the NE US
Well, that went well. Slow internet really screws things up...
Anyway, up this way, all the dealers are stocking is big trucks. Very few small cars, a few SUVs for the old lady, but mostly big diesel pickups. Far more profit margin in those than those cheap commuter cars. And far more ongoing service income as well.
 

BigWarpGuy

Elio Addict
Joined
Feb 28, 2014
Messages
627
Reaction score
792
Location
Newburyport MA
I read that Ford is dropping small cars except for the Focus and Mustang. I read that GM could be doing the same thing. I hope they keep the Camaro.

I read that there might be an electric version of the Beetle coming in the future. I like the ID Buzz; electric VW Microbus.
 

Maurtis

Elio Addict
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
975
Reaction score
1,744
Location
San Marcos, TX
I read that Ford is dropping small cars except for the Focus and Mustang. I read that GM could be doing the same thing. I hope they keep the Camaro.

I read that there might be an electric version of the Beetle coming in the future. I like the ID Buzz; electric VW Microbus.

Unfortunately I read they were not keeping all of the Focus line, just the C-Max. Too bad since the Focus ST and RS are supposedly really fun to drive.

I really wish we would get off of the SUV and full size truck kick most of us do not need. My wife recently traded in her SUV for a sedan and could not be happier. Of course, part of that is going from a Toyota Venza to a Jaguar XF S, LOL. Even that is more than our family of three needs, but baby steps...
 
Top Bottom