Have (m)any of you owned them? Raced them? Modified them?
Are they something we all should try at least once? Like the old joke about riding a moped?
Have (m)any of you owned them? Raced them? Modified them?
Are they something we all should try at least once? Like the old joke about riding a moped?
My Honda Fit is one of my favorite cars I've ever owned. Always thought quick, small cars are a total blast; nobody ever sees it coming. See: Fiat 500 Abarth
Had a hyundai accent for 5-6 years that I bought new. If you want to modify a subcompact, dont buy a hyundai because there is jack E36 M3 available for it.
It was ok. Not great at anything, seats not very comfortable. gas mileage not all that great for its size. 32-34 mpg highway. I feel like cars like these should pull close to 40 pretty easily.
Subcompact momentum cars have ruined me, they're SO much fun to drive on a daily basis and typically don't require expensive consumables.
Once traffic clears out, I typically get to run my own "race" to and from work in my Mazda 2.
In reply to Tactical Penguin:
Yep, I love my Fit because I can drive the E36 M3 out of it without getting into trouble, and it has never returned a tank worse than 34MPG. All the while it has yet to request anything more than fluid changes to keep going. I put a set of lightweight 16x7 wheels on with some performance all-seasons to replace the stock pizza cutters, and there's nary a freeway ramp I can't take flat-out, which is just excellent.
failboat wrote: Had a hyundai accent for 5-6 years that I bought new. If you want to modify a subcompact, dont buy a hyundai because there is jack E36 M3 available for it. It was ok. Not great at anything, seats not very comfortable. gas mileage not all that great for its size. 32-34 mpg highway. I feel like cars like these should pull close to 40 pretty easily.
In all fairness, you had the last of the old cars. The new ones are so different it's not even funny. And they get close to 40 now as well.
I was just explaining what "they" mean by Fast Car Slow to my female coworker.
I drove a Protege5 but it had suspension work and tires and they're kind of known for their sporty handling so I'm leaning toward that not counting.
And I'm trying to will Aveo's into being a good idea as I would will a bowling ball to get a strike but it's not working.
In reply to ebonyandivory:
Protege is officially a compact, little too big for subcompact class.
And the Aveo IS a terrible idea. Rubbish cars. The Sonic and Spark that replaced them are infinitely better vehicles.
A great subcompact feels like much more car than it actually is. A bad one feels like a penalty box. People rave about Fits, 2s, and Fiestas because they are more than the sum of their parts, but I'm not sure I've ever heard someone be kind to the Aveo.
A Festiva that's been turned into a Fastiva is on my bucket list. I want to get one that's stock to start with, so I can know it both ways.
I also kind of want a Hyundai accent hatchback, and if I were a single guy I would already have a 500 Abarth.
In reply to pointofdeparture:
I've read some reviews of sub-compacts but so many on that list I KNOW were merely compacts i stopped reading.
The Tercel/Echo project thread has piqued my interest.
If I was looking for something to throw stupid amounts of boost to, I'd find a 2000-2002 Accent 3-dr hatch with the 1.5L SOHC and 5-spd. trans is a little weak, but the motor is bullet proof and were known to handle north of 400whp on stupid amounts of boost before the cast block lets go. http://www.dragtimes.com/Hyundai-Accent-Timeslip-24228.html
Once you've raced a Yugo, you're ruined for anything else! 
Bobzilla wrote:failboat wrote: Had a hyundai accent for 5-6 years that I bought new. If you want to modify a subcompact, dont buy a hyundai because there is jack E36 M3 available for it. It was ok. Not great at anything, seats not very comfortable. gas mileage not all that great for its size. 32-34 mpg highway. I feel like cars like these should pull close to 40 pretty easily.In all fairness, you had the last of the old cars. The new ones are so different it's not even funny. And they get close to 40 now as well.
That is also a fair assessment. The 2012+ models ARE much nicer. I have not researched but I still have to assume aftermarket is not so great compared to Mazda, Honda, etc... That may not necessarily be true when considering the Veloster.....although that may technically be a compact.
However I think if I had bought a Fit in 2009, I might still own it now, instead of selling the Accent and getting a Mazda 5.
One must be a little realistic here- if we are talking modern "sub-compacts"- none of them are actually that small.
My fiesta (that I just got rid of) was considerably larger than my GTV's. And in stock form, it was faster.
Comparing my GTV to the smaller cars of the day- it was about the same size as a 2002 or a 501, narrower than a Pinto.
Last I noticed, my Fiesta wasn't any smaller than a 2001 Focus. Which is really odd to consider.
One of my all time favorite cars (and I've owned a few) is this '89 Nissan Micra. I bought it for almost nothing and put some big wheels on (13" Honda rims instead of the stock 12" ones). Objectively it was a pile of junk. Paper thin metal, no features, peeling paint. But somehow it transcended all that. The engine was not powerful but it was willing. Decent 5spd manual transmission. Loved to the be thrashed. I could drive it almost flat out without being a road hazard.
I drive a Mazda 2 right now which is a lot of fun but the Micra was more special probably since I had no expectations of it.
alfadriver wrote: Last I noticed, my Fiesta wasn't any smaller than a 2001 Focus. Which is really odd to consider.
The hatchback is like 10" shorter in length. I think this is basically the only area where subcompacts are significantly smaller.
Most "modern" subcompacts are tall with a higher seating position than traditional cars which makes me uncomfortable.
We have a 1.4T Cruze auto and a 2.0 Focus hatch auto, I've autocrossedboth. So much fun!
In reply to failboat:
Looks like there are coilovers, springs, sway bars. Header, cat but no cat-back. Intakes are the same as the V, and they have short shifters available as well. So yeah there is a lot more than there usedto be
ProDarwin wrote:alfadriver wrote: Last I noticed, my Fiesta wasn't any smaller than a 2001 Focus. Which is really odd to consider.The hatchback is like 10" shorter in length. I think this is basically the only area where subcompacts are significantly smaller. Most "modern" subcompacts are tall with a higher seating position than traditional cars which makes me uncomfortable.
When I look on line, the a 2001 Focus is only 4-8" shorter than a 2014 Fiesta. The focus is also 1" narrower, and 2-3" shorter than the Fiesta. Virtually the same sized car.
John Brown wrote: We have a 1.4T Cruze auto and a 2.0 Focus hatch auto, I've autocrossedboth. So much fun!
Those are compacts (like the Forte, Elantra and Civic).
well it's a compact SUV... BUT I'd like to see how the Mazda CX-5s hold up when they start popping up for $6-8k. Would love a simple one with manual transmission.
And still no one has mentioned a MINI? No one expects performance because its 'cute'.
chili_head wrote: And still no one has mentioned a MINI? No one expects performance because its 'cute'.
NO one has an old one that isn't eating them alive in repairs! 
Bobzilla wrote:chili_head wrote: And still no one has mentioned a MINI? No one expects performance because its 'cute'.NO one has an old one that isn't eating them alive in repairs!
Then I am going to wrap this one up tight and shine my horseshoes.
In reply to chili_head:
Mini's do handle great though. The base cars need more power. The S cars need more tire.
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