A few of the suggestions are falling into the “compact” or even “midsized” category. From Wiki:
Huh - a BMW 128i seems to have 96 cubic feet of interior space, making it a subcompact. How about that.
Not so. The legal speed limit on the Interstate Highway system in most Eastern states is 70. The speed limit in most Western states is 75. And some stretches of highway in Utah and Texas have a legal speed limit of 80 mph.
And in some areas of Montana, there’s no set speed limit at all. Unless that’s changed.
Montana is 75 now. Someone got a ticket for exceeding “reasonable and prudent” and got the law declared unconstitutional as being so vague that it violated the due process clause, so they had to set a numerical speed limit.
Texas is considering 85.
Yes you can. I do it frequently. And I don’t live in wide open state either.
I’ve never driven the A3, but I have driven a friend’s A4 sedan. It had a well sorted suspension that is a very good compromise between solid handling and a comfortable ride. It was very “European” in feel, which I like. To each their own, you know?
ralph124c is absolutely correct. The features of today’s affordable cars are incredible. Airbags everywhere, heated seats, power everything, etc. To use the Hyundai Elantra as an example, go here and click on “Build & Price” to get an idea of what modern cars include. I built one out with every option and an iPod cable for a total of $24,450. Leather wrapped wheel and shifter, power sun roof, nav system, rear view camera, dual climate control, proximity key with push button start, steering mounted audio and cruise controls, leather seats, heated mirrors, 6 speed auto, 4 wheel disc brakes, front and rear heated seats, integrated Bluetooth. And a 100,000 mile warranty.
A hell of a deal, and the car is getting really good reviews.
I agree the MINI Cooper S is a great car with a lot of advanced features available that I haven’t seen in this class of car before.
For the record, I’ve owned 2 MCS and one MC.
TriPolar beat me to it, but I will second the Audi TT. Mine is a roadster so its not as quiet as he would like, but the coupe model is amazing quiet. I drive long, long distances and am thrilled with the comfort level. Speed bump? What speed bump?
The A4 isn’t much bigger, and they’re much more affordable, as well as much much much more practical. I will get one if I ever decide to be practical, although that’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
And the standard model just makes the subcompact length limit also, at 164.5 inches. But the TTS and TT RS are just over at 165.3 inches.
I once owned a subcompact hatchback years ago. I noticed that a Rolls Royce model was listed in the same category by the EPA (for MPG ordering) based on interior space.
General rule of thumb: Big cars aren’t necessarily big on the inside.
And plus, accelerating unnecessarily up to (and possibly slightly beyond) the speed limit is fun.
tell him to test a Nissan Juke. I think it has the feel he’s looking for.
I second the Volvo C30 (which may not be a “sub-compact”). Solid, quiet, practical, fast, and very very safe.
Chevy Cavallier. Or a used Dodge Omni. But skip the last year they made them. Go for an 88 or 89.
No, he said *luxury *subcompact. Only the Cadillac Cimarron would be good enough.
It’s length is 167.4 inches-close enough.
You know the Cygnet is just a tarted up Toyota iQ right? And as I understand it, you can only get a Cygnet if you already own a proper Aston Martin.
I’ll also recommend the BMW 1 series. In the UK they’re available as a coupe or 3 or 5 door hatchbacks. I’ve got a 3 door 120d I’m very happy with.
Oh, the much-maligned Chevy/Cadillac Cimarron! THAT was an example of “brand cheapening”-imagine-a Chevy Cavalier at two times the price! For the extra dough you got fake woodgrain and crushed velvet seating..along with an engine that sounded like it was coming apart-if you pushed it past 3000 RPM. Detroit “marketing” at its worst!
Thirded.
It’s very small inside (89 cubic feet, but feels smaller than that), smaller than it looks like it should be, like an anti-TARDIS. But a real, real nice car. You generally can’t go wrong with Volvo.