In 1976 Volkswagen introduced us to the world of compact performance with their Golf GTI. This performance version of the Golf (The front wheel drive Beetle replacement) did a number of things to revolutionize the automotive industry. The Golf GTI gave birth to the “sport compact” or “hot hatchback” genre. It gave buyers piece of mind that they didn’t have to settle for something small and practical without giving up that fun-to-drive factor or build quality. The Golf GTI was really the first premium compact to come along, followed by the Renault Turbo, which we never got here in the States. Although, Rick Titus and Chuck Beck did try to make domestic versions by stuffing Taurus SHO motors into the backs of unsuspecting Ford Festivas.
In the 1980’s there still wasn’t much competition from the United States automakers. Pathetic attempts like the Dodge Omni or the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo were seen, but never missed. Even the Pontiac LeMans had lost all racing pedigree it might have still had aside from its name.
During the 1990’s a resurgence of fantastic small cars flooded the foreign markets around the globe. In Japan you had the Honda Civic Si with its dual overhead cam 1.6-liter VTEC engine or the mighty Mazda 323 GTX Turbo AWD. Toyota built a Turbo Celica and gave it four-wheel drive dubbing it the “Alltrac.” Yeah, so Toyota did ship us a handful of those and a 323 GTX can still be found after scouring eBay for a few thousand bucks but the fact is that these cars are rare. The Civic Si we got here in the states lacked the second camshaft AND the variable valve timing that VTEC offered. We didn’t see that until 1990 with the introduction of the NSX, a high-priced medium output but lightweight “supercar.” I think “supercar” is a bit of an overstatement but it certainly looks the part and is just as unpractical.
One thing did stay constant though, that Golf GTI. Sure it got fatter, and lazier over the years. But the build quality never diminished and compared to what else was on the market for the same money, it was a viable alternative to just about anything. By the end of the 1990’s we had all traded in our small efficient cars for gas-guzzling Suburban’s and Expeditions. The bigger the better it seemed, and it wasn’t all false either. People want a vehicle that can be all things at all times. In the 70’s people wanted a large station wagon so they could haul all their kids and their junk to soccer practice. The minivan’s were all the rage in the late 80's with their practicality of a van, but smaller, with the "efficiency" and comfort of a car. Think about that wooden paneled Chrysler toaster your grandma had. Sexy huh? Though obviously not many people cared about cars in the 80’s, and this is evident from most of the trash that got produced. I suppose they were too busy snorting coke off their 5150 tape cases in their IROC-Z’s to give a damn about designing a car. The 90’s, well, that was the SUV era, after we all realized how embarrassing minivans are. These vehicles were a combination of truck, family van, trailer puller, weekend traveler, go anywhere safety cage all rolled into one fantastic package. The problem is that you can’t have it all and the one category that had to take one for the team was fuel efficiency. Apparently, you CAN have it all, but you’ve got to pay for it. But now we’ve got Al Gore breathing down our backs (at our wallets?) and we’ve all got to “Go Green.”
Our Future?
In Europe they’ve been dealing with this fuel price crisis a lot longer than we have here. With fuel prices around $1 per liter (imagine THAT!) they clearly couldn’t afford to be trendy with a giant SUV (though most Europeans would never buy something so ostentatious). What did they do then? Well they made small cars, and they made small cars cool! Europe is where you will find cars like a Ford Focus RS, a five-cylinder, turbo, all wheel drive, racing machine! You’ll find cars like a Mercedes A-Class, a Volkswagen Lupo or a Fiat 500. These are all small, nice, practical, well built, lightweight and efficient cars. There are sporty versions of most of these and obviously more competition in the market than just these few. And on paper, much like Communism, they work. They’re sporty and fun to drive and come with great warranties and put a smile on everyone’s face that they pass. They work just fine until your first winter where your snowed into your driveway and can’t get out because you don’t have four wheel drive. Or they work for you until you get sideswiped by a semi who didn’t see you there and now you and your loved ones are laying in a mangled mess all over the interstate. You wish you had bought that big safe SUV now don’t you?
My future?
Now here in America we’ve begun to actually think ahead. We know that our way of live will not sustain us forever and some of us feel like we should be preparing for the future now. Over the next few years we’re going to see an emergence of this new premium small car segment. The Ford Fiesta, the Mazda2 and my personal favorite, the Fiat 500 Abarth will all be hitting the United States shores in hopes to light a fire under our oil burning asses. Sure, having a nice small car is much better than driving a Kia or a Chevy Aveo (see also: Daewoo) but will it be enough?
I think that it will be in some cases, in others, not so much. In the over populated Europe they work. The hip and trendy centers of this country like Los Angeles and Denver will also embrace these little cars and tell all the rest of us that we should be doing the same. And in a place like LA, they might actually work out too. The weather is nice most of the year and they don’t have much snow or ice to worry about. All they have to do is get them to the next drag party (and drunkenly home) safely. However, good luck trying to control your little 2000 lb. micro car on black ice in Seattle or New York. That sounds really safe!
I think that these small cars are a nice effort, and definitely a step in the right direction, but I don’t think it’s enough. We still need a more versatile vehicle. They can be used as commuter cars but then you still can’t haul a couple 2x4’s home without strapping them to the top or busting out a window. A friend of mine has a Mazdaspeed3, which is a fantastic car, but after buying a rifle one afternoon we could barely find a place to put it with the three of us in the car. So doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose to have a vehicle that can only do part of the job? Now, I’m not advocating wasting fuel and for those of us who really don’t need an SUV, go buy a Civic. But there are still parts of this country like the Mid-West or the South where having a big truck isn’t just a sign of your inferior manhood but a necessity for work and the environment in which you live.
What the hell is THAT?
You can’t just make a small car and say it’s the answer. By doing that your trying to apply a small solution to a larger problem. You have to look at the context in which most of us live. Not all of us are scooter-riding urban hipsters who live off amphetamines and Starbucks and keep all our belongings in our daypacks. Some of us have children or pets or just a lot of stuff and need more space. There have been attempts at bridging this gap (see also: Subaru Baja and Honda Ridgeline) but they haven’t quite made it across yet. Keep trying Detroit, but as of right now, the SUV still seems like the practical answer, and until that changes, nothing will.
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