“Hit the road jack, and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.”
While that line was originally sung in one of the first rock n’ roll songs of the 1950’s it could easily be attributable to our nation’s attitude toward the SUV.
Where once size ruled the roads and the sales charts, it is now in the compact car segment where the hottest model lines fall.
But driving a compact car no longer means you are required to roll on 13 inch rims surrounded by doors as thin as those on the sides of a sardine can. Compact cars can be premium--full of luxury add-ons like navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and iPod integration. Just look at the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3, or Mini Cooper.
What these compacts also manage with their more economy minded counterparts like the Civic and Mazda 3 is an across-the-board fuel economy above 20mpg city. Many of these vehicles also top 30mpg on the highway as estimated by the government. Not bad with gas stations starting to require you open a home equity line of credit just to fill up the tank.
Back in the 1970’s, when compact cars were only the realm of upstart Japanese manufacturers and there was that other oil crisis, driving something fuel-efficient meant having a lot of patience when getting onto the freeway and more than likely a set of earplugs to cover the “weed whacker-like” engine noise. Nowadays most every new model sold has a level of polish and finesse that would be completely foreign to a driver sent “Back to the Future” style from 1973.
Even today, most small cars manage a one or two miles per gallon increase with the use of a manual transmission. The future advent of dual-clutch automatics like the DSG system used by VW will no doubt change all that when the technology trickles down to the smallest models. But until then, shifting for yourself is still the most economical way to go, regardless of vehicle size.
In this day and age where even the most basic Honda Fit gets a five speed automatic transmission you might be surprised to know that the first Honda Civic introduced in this country also had an optional automatic transmission. A two speed! Who heard of such a thing? (Let’s hope one of them wasn’t reverse.)
Compact cars with good gas mileage don’t need to be frumpy hatchbacks or four doors, either. Both the Mazda "formerly known as the Miata" MX-5 and even the Porsche Boxster have economy ratings in the 20-30 mpg city/highway range. While the Boxster can cost almost twice as much as the Miata, both are evidence that being economical and being fun are not mutually exclusive concepts. Plus when you drive them with the top down, you can get a sweet tan.
Our take? The new compact car is a mixture of glamorous style, frugal fuel economy mixed with the most advanced technical features. Hit the road with a new compact, “jack,” and we are sure you’ll come back for more. And more. And more.