First Drive: 2013 Chevrolet Spark

In the North American market, we have the Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Smart ForTwo, and Scion iQ as the main players in the supermini class. These car are small cars with seats in the rear. These cars are designed for getting most fuel economy while still being practical for city driving. In August 2012, General Motors released its supermini car, Daewoo/Chevrolet Matiz, to the United States market. The supermini would be sold in the United States as the Chevrolet Spark. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, the Spark was available for test drives, but the only Spark available for test drive was pink. However, the Spark does come in other colors. The Chevrolet Spark is a front engine, front wheel drive, five-door hatchback.

On the outside, the Spark is a smaller version of the Sonic, Chevrolet's entry in the subcompact market. The styling is average, nothing really sticks out. Like the Sonic, the rear door handles are integrated nicely behind the windows of the rear doors. The rear door handles do not stick out on doors, like most cars. As far as the interior goes, nothing special. But for a supermini car, I did not feel cramped. I had plenty of leg room and head room behind the wheel. Even when I was sitting in the rear, I still had good leg room and plenty of head room, and I am 5"9. Now for people over 6'0", you might feel cramped. As compromise for the roomy cabin, the is little room for storage in the truck. The rear seats come close to touching the rear hatch.

Powering the Spark is a 1.2L I4 engine, paired with either a five-speed manual, or a four-speed automatic transmission, that produces 84 hp and 83 lb-ft of torque. The Spark goes from 0 to 60 mph in 11.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 90 mph. On the test drive, it did not feel slow. Over the five days of test driving, other cars felt slower. The ride was smooth. The car responded nicely when I pressed the accelerator and brake pedals. Steering is responsive. The Spark just needs a little bit more power out of the 1.2L engine.


Overall, the Spark is good for what it is. For a supermini, there is plenty of room. I was comfortable inside the Spark, but I wish General Motors had a different color Spark available for test drives instead of pink. Some of the other superminis had noisy rides and when I am trying to talk to a product representative about the car I am driving, it is hard to hear them over the noise from the engine. But, when I was in the Spark, I did not have this problem. It was quiet inside the Spark. I could hear every word from the product specialist. The Spark is ideal for city driving. However, for highway driving look elsewhere. If the Spark came with an engine to produces over 100 hp, then the Spark could be good for highway driving. If you are looking for a car just for city driving and very little highway driving, then test drive the Chevrolet Spark. The base price for the Spark is $12,995, which is a good price for what you get with the Spark. The Spark is one of the least expensive new cars you can buy in the United States.

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First Drive: 2013 Scion iQ

The Toyota iQ was revealed in March 2008 at the Geneva Auto Show. In October 2011, iQ was released to the United States and Canada, but wearing a Scion badge instead of Toyota badge. The Scion iQ is a front engine, front-wheel drive, three door hatchback with seating for four. The iQ is classified as a supermini and a city car. The iQ is the world's smallest four seater. I first saw the Scion iQ at the 2011 Houston Auto. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I took one out for a test drive.

The Scion iQ is very small. It is only 120.1 inches long and has a 78.7 inch wheelbase. It is also 66.1 inches wide and 59.1 inches high. It has cubic shape. The iQ has a bland styling with no characteristic lines. It is quite small on the interior. There are two seats in the back, but the front seats have to be pushed forwards all the way in order to have some room in the rear for adult passengers. The center is simple, but it works. There are three knobs stacked above each other that operate the air condition/heater. I had some leg room and head room behind the wheel of the iQ, but not much.

The Scion iQ is powered by a 1.3L I4 engine, paired with a CVT automatic transmission, that produces 94 hp and 89 lb-ft of torque. The iQ goes from 0 to 60 mph in 11.8 seconds and has a top speed of 100 mph. The Scion iQ is very slow. It did not feel zippy. The engine felt underpowered. Yet somehow, I caught up to a Hyundai Veloster Turbo. The ride quality is okay. The iQ responds when I turn the wheel. One issue is noise. It was very noisy behind the wheel of the iQ. I could hear the engine the entire time. This made it hard to hear the Scion representative  when he was explaining the details of the iQ. This issue can be solved by adding sound dampening material inside the car. Also, the iQ's ride is bumpy. Prices for the iQ start at $15,995, and you do not get a lot of value for what you get with the iQ.

It is very hard for me to recommend the Scion iQ. It does not have a pleasant drive quality. The ride is bumpy, noisy, and slow. I did not have much room behind the wheel. The front seats have to been pushed all the way forward for rear passengers to have adequate leg room. The iQ should have been designed as a two-seater and not a four-seater. There is no point to sacrifice leg room and comfort in order to make the world's smallest four-seater. I have been in a very small car that has good leg room for rear passengers. The Scion iQ is too small to accommodate rear passengers. If the iQ was three inches longer, then there would be good leg room for rear passengers. One positive for the iQ is the center console. I really like how the climate control knobs are stacked above each other and are nicely spaced out. I like that the gear shifter is on the floor between the driver and front passenger and not on the dashboard. The iQ does not deserve the $16,000, especially when there are other superminis that offer a better driving experience than the iQ does for around the same price.

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First Drive: 2013 Toyota Prius C

The Toyota Prius has been around since 1997. The Prius is a front engine, front-wheel drive, four door sedan that comes only with a gas-electric hybrid drivetrain. The thrid-generation Prius came out in 2010. In 2011, Toyota came out with an extended hatchback wagon version of the Prius, called the Prius V. In 2012, Toyota released the Prius C, a subcompact version of the Prius. In Japan, the Prius C is known as the Toyota Aqua. The Prius C is a front engine, front-wheel drive, five door subcompact hatchback. I first saw the Prius C as the 2012 Houston Auto Show. On day one of the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I was able to test drive one.

The Toyota Prius was never a pretty car. The original Prius was a four-door sedan featuring a bland exterior.  The Prius got a redesign in 2004 and a styling refinement in 2010. The best way to describe is unique. The Prius C is nothing special. I really do not like the front end of the Prius C. It looks like the face of a fish. The Prius C also lacks sleek side lines. It instead has a subpar side profile. The Prius C has one of the worst stylings I have seen on modern cars. In my book, the Prius C is an eye sore. The interior of the Prius C is not much better. I felt cramped in the Prius C. I did not have much leg room or head room behind the wheel. The seat was adequate in comfort. It did not try to kill my back. I have sat in more comfortable seats in other cars. The interior itself is nothing special. Upper trim levels feature Toyota's infotainment system, Entune, which is used with a compatible smart phone. I did not test this feature out on the test drive. Overall, the Prius C is not easy on the eye and the interior is bland and cramped.

The Toyota Prius C is powered by a 1.5L I4 engine that produces 73 hp and 82 lb-ft of torque as well as an electric motor that produces 60 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque. The combined output is 99 hp and mated to a CVT automatic transmission. The Prius C also has a 0.9 kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The Prius C goes from 0 to 60 mph in 10.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 105 mph. The Prius C has a smooth ride, but it was very noisy inside the Prius C. I drove the standard Prius in 2012 and it was quiet inside. Why Toyota decision not to add sound dampening material to the Prius C is a mistake. Also, the Prius C is just slow. I drove the standard Prius on the highway and I was worried that I was going to get hit by another car since I could not accelerate properly to change lanes or even get on the highway. Since the test drive was done at the Houston Auto Show, there was no highway driving, which is a good thing since the Prius C is even slower than the standard Prius. Prices for the Prius C start at $19,710. The Prius C is a cheap car with underwhelming performance.

Overall, the Prius C is one of the most disappointing cars I have driven. I named it my worst car to come out in 2012, and I stand by my decision. The Prius C has poor styling plus an interior that is nothing special. The Prius C has low engine output and poor performance. This was not a fun car to drive, especially since it was noisy inside. This is one of the worst cars I have driven. I did not drive anything this bad in 2012 and there were maybe few other cars that were just as bad or worse that I drove at the 2013 Houston Auto Show. Avoid test driving this car at all costs. The Prius C sucks. Yet, Toyota Prius fans might look into the Prius C if they want a smaller version of the standard Prius.

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First Drive: 2013 Mini Cooper Hardtop

Mini was originally a brand of small cars owned by the British Leyland Motor Corporation. The Mini brand was created  in 1969 and was owned by British Leyland from 1969 until 1986, when British Leyland was broken up. Mini was a part of Rover Group from 1986 until 1988, when Rover Group, including the Mini brand, was acquired by British Aerospace. In 1994, BWM acquired Rover Group, including the Mini brand. In 2000, BMW broke up Rover Group, but BMW retained the Mini brand. While the Mini brand was around since 1969, the original two-door Mini car was created in 1959 and was in production until 2000. In 2001, an new Mini was created. This Mini was a three-door hatchback with a front engine, front-wheel drive layout. This new Mini is known as the Mini Cooper Hatchback, or Mini Cooper Hardtop in the United States. The second generation Mini Hardtop went into production in 2006. During one Saturday in February 2013, I went by a Mini dealership and test drove a Mini Cooper Hardtop. I also test drove the Mini Cooper Countryman. The Hardtop I drove came with a six-speed automatic transmission  The Hardtop is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. There is also a version of the Hardtop that comes with a turbocharged engine called the Mini Cooper S Hardtop.

The Hardtop has a modern small sports hatchback styling, but it still pays homage to the classic Mini. The Hardtop has a small, yet sporty grill and front bumper. The grill on the Hardtop is shorter than the grill on the classic Mini. The Hardtop also has a sporty interior, but there are a few touches taken from the classic Mini. There is a speedometer located on the dashboard, between the driver and front passenger seats. This is a feature taken from the classic Mini. Current Mini Coopers have a turn indicator lever with two positions. If you just push the lever and release it, the turn indicator will blink for three seconds. This is helpful when turning lanes. The seat has a sporty feel to it. It is not soft, but it is not firm enough to be uncomfortable. I had decent headroom and leg room. This is a small car and there is not much room in the rear for adult passengers.

The Mini Cooper Hardtop is powered by a 1.6L I4 engine that produces 121 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds and has a top speed of 126 mph. The Hardtop has a sporty feel to it. The suspension is firm. The Hardtop has some zip to it. It is very responsive when I turn the wheel. It also has good throttle response. Prices for the Mini Cooper Hardtop start at $20,400. That is not bad for a small, sporty hatchback.

Overall, the Mini Cooper Hardtop is a great small car. As far as non-turbocharged city cars go, this is the best performing car in the class. Most city cars go from 0 to 60 mph in over 9 seconds. For a city car, the Mini Cooper Hardtop is quick and sporty. I like the styling of the Hardtop. It has a modern small hatch styling with some touches that pay homage to the classic Mini car. Most of all, the Mini Cooper Hardtop is a fun car to drive. It also has a reasonable starting price of just $20,400. If you are looking for a small sporty hatchback with solid performance and is fun to drive, give the Mini Cooper Hardtop a test drive. If you want a more performance from a small car, there is the Mini Cooper S Hardtop that is powered by a turbocharged I4 engine. The Mini Cooper Hardtop is one of the best city cars you can buy.

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First Drive: 2013 Smart ForTwo Coupe

The Smart ForTwo has been around since 1998 and is currently on its second generation, which has been in production since 2007. The Smart ForTwo started being sold in the United States in 2006. The Smart ForTwo is the smallest car currently sold in the United States. It is 106.1 inches long, 61 inches wide, and 61 inches high. It has a wheel base of 73.5 inches. The ForTwo has a curb weight of 1,650 pounds, making it the lightest car sold in the United States. The Smart ForTwo is a two-door, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive city car. I have seen many Smart ForTwos on the Houston roads. During one Friday and April of 2013, I took one out for a test drive. I drove the Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe.

The Smart ForTwo has a very small appearance. The car has a unique appearance as there is nothing on the road that looks like the Smart car. I like cars that have sporty and/or aggressive styling and the Smart ForTwo styling is neither aggressive nor sporty. To be honest, I find this car to be ugly. I just do not like its styling. On the inside, I had good amount of head room. As far as leg room goes, I felt cramped. My left leg was constantly touching the door panel. The seat has decent comfort. But I have been in other city cars that had more comfortable seats like the Fiat 500C and Chevrolet Spark. The dashboard has one analog gauge, a speedometer, and digital gauges under the speedometer. There is a storage space behind the two seats. The storage space is located above the engine compartment. But do not worry, the storage space is well insulated and your items will not be heated by the engine. Other than that, there is not much special about the interior of the Smart For Two.

The Smart ForTwo is powered by a 1.0L I3 engine, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting mode, that produces 70 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 15.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 90 mph. The Smart ForTwo features the smallest engine currently sold in the United States. The Smart ForTwo is the slowest accelerating car as well as the least powerful car sold in the United States. One thing I noticed was a delay with the transmission when it is shifting. I have never noticed this in any other car. I felt unsafe in the car. I was driving on the highway and the wind easily knocked the car around. Never have I driven a car that could be easily pushed around by the wind. The Smart ForTwo Coupe I drove featured thin wheels, which added to the instability of the ride. Despite being pushed around by the wind, the Smart ForTwo has a quiet ride to it. Since the car has a short wheelbase, it has a rough ride. Prices for the Smart ForTwo Pure Coupe starts at $13,240. Prices for the Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe starts at $15,640. The Smart ForTwo is one of the cheapest cars you can buy in the United States and it felt cheap.

Overall, the Smart ForTwo is a bad car. It is too small, underpowered, and too slow for everyday driving. There is also a delay with the transmission when it is changing gears. It is not fun to drive and provides a horrible driving experience. This car is suitable for short distances only. If you have to rely on highway driving, look elsewhere. I can easily recommend the Fiat 500, Chevrolet Spark, and Mini Cooper Hardtop over the Smart ForTwo. The Smart ForTwo is very bad, but it serves a purpose. Automotive companies have to meet a certain fuel economy rating across all brands and models. Mercedes-Benz owns Smart. Since Smart ForTwo has a fuel economy rating at 34 mpg city/38 mpg highway, it allows Mercedes-Benz and AMG to make performance cars like the C 63 AMG Black and the SLS AMG.

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First Drive: 2013 Smart ForTwo Cabrio

The Smart ForTwo has been around since 1998. It is available as either a three-door hatchback or a two-door convertible. The Smart ForTwo Cabrio is a convertible with a cloth drop-top. The drop-top acts like a cloth sunroof, but it retracts all the way to the rear hatch door. The upper section of the roof line above the doors are removable. During one Friday in April, I decided to stop by a local Smart dealership and take the the Smart ForTwo Cabrio for a test drive. I drove five cars that day, included the Smart ForTwo Coupe. The version of the Smart Cabrio I drove featured wider wheels not featured on the Smart ForTwo Coupe I drove. But you can get wider wheels on the Coupe as well as on the Cabrio. The Smart ForTwo is a rear engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door convertible. It is available with a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode. It is classified as a supermini/city car.

The Smart ForTwo Cabrio has the same styling as the Smart ForTwo Coupe, except a retractable cloth roof of the Cabrio replaces the hardtop of the Coupe. The Smart ForTwo Cabrio feels more open with the top down. One feature about the retractable roof is that it can open and close while the car is in motion. As far as the interior goes, it is the same interior found in the Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe. I felt less cramped with the roof down, but I did not have much legroom behind the wheel.

The Smart ForTwo Cabrio is powered by a 1.0L I3 engine that produces 70 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 12.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 90 mph. The Smart ForTwo Cabrio has the same performance as the Smart ForTwo Cabrio. Whether the Smart ForTwo comes with a retractable roof or not, it is still underpowered and very slow. The car felt slow on the roads and highways. Just like with the Coupe version, I felt a delay with the transmission in the Cabrio version. The wider wheels help the car with stability on the highway. The wind does not affect the Smart ForTwo with the wider wheels. But, I still could feel the wind push the car from side to side. The Cabrio is a convertible, and you will get wind noise with the roof down in almost any convertible. Prices for the Smart ForTwo Cabrio start at $18,640, which is $3000 more than the Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe.

Overall, I do not like the Smart ForTwo, whether it is the Coupe version or the Convertible version. There are just too many issues I have with the car. I noticed a delay with the transmission. The car is underpowered and very slow. The Smart ForTwo is so light that it gets pushed around by the wind. I did not have much legroom behind the wheel. And the car just feels cheap. If you want a supermini car, go with a Fiat 500, a Chevrolet Spark, or a Mini Cooper. If you want a supermini that has a retractable roof, go with the Fiat 500C. The Smart ForTwo is just bad. The main purpose for the Smart ForTwo line is that it raises the overall MPG rating for Mercedes-Benz, the parent company for Smart. This allows Mercedes-Benz to make high performance like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and the Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG. Other than that, I do not see a reason for the Smart ForTwo to exist.

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First Drive: 2013 Fiat 500C

The original Fiat 500 Topolino was produced from 1936 until 1955. There was even a convertible version of this micro car/supermini/city car. From 1957 until 1975, Fiat produced the Fiat 500, a rear engine, rear wheel drive micro car. Unlike the Topolino, the Fiat 500 was not available as a convertible. In 2007, Fiat brought back the 500 name for its new city car. In December of 2010, production for the American version of the Fiat 500 began. In Spring 2011, the Fiat 500 went on sale in the United States and Canada. This was the first car to be sold under the Fiat brand in Canada and the United States since 1984. While the Fiat brand just recently returned to these two markets, Fiat's other brands, Ferrari and Maserati, were still sold in these two markets while during those 27 years. Another one of Fiat's brands, Alfa Romeo, made a short return these markets with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and 8C Spider in 2008. The last Alfa Romeo to be sold in the United States occurred in 1995. After starting production of the Fiat 500 in 2007, Fiat started production on the convertible version in 2009. Fiat called this retractable soft top version the Fiat 500C. The Fiat 500C was available for the United States in 2011. The Fiat 500C is front engine, front-wheel drive, four passenger, two door convertible. The 500C comes with a five-speed manual transmission. I first saw the Fiat 500C at the September 2011 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I took a Fiat 500C for a test drive. The version I drove came with a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shifting mode.

On the exterior, the Fiat 500C looks just like the Fiat 500. The 500C is one of the better looking city cars available for the American market. It has sleek body lines, something missing from the Scion iQ and the Smart ForTwo. The 500C shares some styling characteristics from the classic Fiat 500, including the round head lights, the hood, and a sloping rear end. It even has a similar body line going along the side of the car, just under the wind. This was a feature on the classic  Fiat 500. The Fiat 500C has a stylish interior. It is classy, but functional. Behind the wheel, I had good leg room and head room. The car feels more open with the roof down. Since this is a city car with only two doors, there is not much room in the rear for adult passengers. The rear seats are better suited for smaller passengers.

The Fiat 500C is powered by a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 101 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 110 mph. While the performance of the 500 is not great, it is still better than the performance of the Smart ForTwo Cabrio. For a small car, the Fiat 500C has a smooth ride. The car responds well when I turn the steering feel and has an agile feel to it. Unlike the Smart ForTwo Cabrio, the wind had little effect on the car. It was quiet inside the 500C. I could hear the product specialist explain the features of the Fiat 500C, even with the roof down. And most of all, this is a fun car to drive. Prices for the Fiat 500C Pop starts at $20,000. Prices for the Fiat 500C Lounge start at $24,000. While the Smart ForTwo Cabrio is cheaper, with a base prices around $18,500, the Fiat 500C is a better car.

The Fiat 500C has been featured in Gek Op Wielen, St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold, Letters to Juliet, Camping 2, Monte Carlo, Der Letzte Bulle, Switch, Ein Sommer Im Elsass, Dolfje, Jo, Borgen, Frankie, Motorweek,, Wainy days, The Office, Pod Prikritie, and Top Gear Korea.

Overall, this is a good city car/super mini/micro car. For a micro car convertible, it has decent performance, especially when compared to its rival, the Smart ForTwo Cabrio. While having a 0 to 60 mph time of just under 10.0 second is slow, it has some zip to it when driving on city streets. With a top speed of 110 mph, it is one of the faster city cars out there. And the Fiat 500C is fun to drive, whether the top is up or down. There is a high performance version of the Fiat 500C, the Fiat 500C Abarth, which has a turbocharged 1.4L I4 engine that produces 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. It is only available with a five-speed manual transmission. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 129 mph. It costs $26,700. Still, if you want a city car with a little performance, go with either the Mini Cooper Hardtop and Coupe lines or the Fiat 500 line. For a city car, the Fiat 500C is a good choice.

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