We'll post a full review before log, but after just a day with this thing I'm just shouting from the mountaintops how awesome it is.
Yes, it's small. Barely a foot loner than a Smart and two feet shorter than a MINI. But it's loaded. Good sterero, good A/C, power doohickeys, good visibility and, best of all, good road manners. An 80 mph run down the highway could go on for hours in comfort and relative quiet.
Yes it's little, and for that you get the benefit if fitting anywhere and getting nearly 40mpg while you hammer the crap out of it. But if you have room for little in your lift, there's almost no other "buts". The promise of the microcar in American may have finally been fulfilled.
jg
EvanB
UltraDork
4/14/12 11:11 p.m.
There is a professor at my college who drives one. He looks exactly like Larry David.
The biggest triumph of this that I see is the dynamics. If you told me to hop in and go to Phoenix I'd have no problems. When the rear seats fold down you have a big square gear locker, and from the front seats you can't tell you aren't driving a Corolla or some other "full-sized" compact because of the space and driving dynamics.
And the fact that the name is a clear kick in the husband bulge directed at Smart is wickedly funny.
jg
EvanR
Reader
4/14/12 11:27 p.m.
The "but" is that the US model doesn't have a clutch. If it did, I'd trade in my xB.
mndsm
UberDork
4/15/12 1:02 a.m.
JG Pasterjak wrote:
The biggest triumph of this that I see is the dynamics. If you told me to hop in and go to Phoenix I'd have no problems. When the rear seats fold down you have a big square gear locker, and from the front seats you can't tell you aren't driving a Corolla or some other "full-sized" compact because of the space and driving dynamics.
And the fact that the name is a clear kick in the husband bulge directed at Smart is wickedly funny.
jg
I hadn't even put together the whole "iQ vs. Smart" thing. that is brilliant. I checked out the car at the autoshow, I was actually quite impressed. It will in fact serve as a 4 person car in a pinch. Surprisingly well packaged. Entirely too small for my needs, and no manual is a death sentence, but it's not bad. My personal favorite was when some dude all high on 'Merica came over and asked "Where's the rest of it" Gesturing to the lack of an ass end, and the lady workin' the floor said simply "Oh you mean the crap we don't need?" 'Merica walked away dumbfounded.
The iQ seems like a pretty nice proposition, but the question that remains in my mind is that, in the 99% of the US (i.e. everywhere not NYC) where such extreme small size isn't a necessity, how it's a better option than a slightly larger normal B-Segment car. I can't imagine it being better dynamically than the Mazda2, and the 2 is easily small enough to handle downtown driving and parking even in places as congested as San Francisco.
Max_Archer wrote:
The iQ seems like a pretty nice proposition, but the question that remains in my mind is that, in the 99% of the US (i.e. everywhere not NYC) where such extreme small size isn't a necessity, how it's a better option than a slightly larger normal B-Segment car. I can't imagine it being better dynamically than the Mazda2, and the 2 is easily small enough to handle downtown driving and parking even in places as congested as San Francisco.
And you can fit 4 full size people plus "stuff" in it...for less money. If it had a 3 cyl turbo diesel that got 50+ mpg, I'd be impressed.
I think before this thread gets full of haters, it needs to be realized that this is a city car. They also made the decision to make it auto only because of the masses. Unfortunate for us, but what are you going to do?
That being said, I don't mind the looks. Wish it had a manual though.
drmike
Reader
4/15/12 8:29 a.m.
No manual = no deal for me. I agree with poopshovel - give me a tiny turbodiesel (plus a manual trans) and I'd be very intrigued.
Still, I do hope the IQ takes off in the U.S. I smile when I see one go by.
NOHOME
HalfDork
4/15/12 8:40 a.m.
I like the quirky look. I like small cars. However, they have to have nible handling and a sweet reving motor to close the deal. The IQ has neither of the two.
The car feels exactly like my wifes Nissan Versa. She loves her car. I am not a fan of the CVT transmission. Even less so in the IQ incarnation of the technology.
Fuel economy was certainly "good" but not world leading "GOOD" that would justify driving a clown car that had no real redeaming value other than a fashion statement.
The only thing the car does that really impressed me was U-turns. And I believe they are illegal in Ontario, so strike that one.
So the question is "Who is the target market for this car?" At least in Ontario, I don't see one.
I'm honestly intrigued by it. The best city cars that I have ever driven have been first generation CRXs. I'd be curious to see how the two would compare to each other in a head to head test.
Fuel economy was certainly "good" but not world leading "GOOD" that would justify driving a clown car that had no real redeaming value other than a fashion statement.
And there's your market. Those interested in making a "statement." I had a customer who was head over heels with his smart car. He forced me to drive it, look at the motor, marvel at all the storage, etc. He never got gas mileage better than 30's. It's sitting at a dealer lot down the street now. I'm wondering what he traded it for.
"Hater" Shmater. I didn't say I "hate" it. I just don't understand the logic in buying a car that's small for the sake of being small.
It's certainly a niche vehicle, but don't write it off as a "city" car. I was ready to until I took it down the freeway and it zipped along like nobody's business. I think the dynamics open it up to a larger segment of the population who are space limited, or who just don't want to take up the footprint of a full-sized car. It would be an awesome second car, or tow car.
I haven't filled it up yet, but that will be the next test. Cute can help, but the mileage will also have to show me a little simptin' sumptin' that makes it worthwhile. We shall see.
jg
I find the introduction of this at about the same time as the PriusC interesting. Both of them are really lifestyle cars, you have to buy them because it's what you want, not because it's what you need. They scream "look at me, look at what I bought" in a way that not a lot of other cars outside sports cars do. Well, except for the Juke. In fact, I see a lot of paralels between the iQ and the Juke. There is no logical reason to buy either one except 'awesome'. I applaud the surge in variety in what is otherwise a very very boring part of the market.
Do the rear seats fold down FLAT? The Fiat's don't and that wastes a lot of space.
For the haters think VW Bug and how many people had a "spare" one of those in their garages!
I too have trouble with the automatic only aspect simply because usually you have to really flog a car with a small engine to get out of the way of other cars, but if it has the power then that's really a non issue for me.
My son just rented the Fiat with the automatic and he hated it because of the way the auto acted. He said give it a few more HPs and a manual and it would be a fabulous, fun drive.
On the manual vs automatic controversy.
I have been a manual driver for many,many years.
So last year, when I was looking into buying a new car, I focused on the new Fiesta, since most of my cars had been Escorts.
Decided I was going to get one with the manual but after reading up on the Power Shift and my dealer letting me drive one for an hour unsupervised, I commited heresy and bought one.
After 18 months and 25K miles I am very happy with it.
When in the low position it can be a lot of fun.
For those that may not know, it is a dual clutch 6 spd.
Now I will get flamed.
Wally
UltimaDork
4/15/12 11:46 a.m.
I'm holding out for the Aston verson. As much as I want a small car for work I have an image to uphold.
iceracer wrote:
On the manual vs automatic controversy.
I have been a manual driver for many,many years.
So last year, when I was looking into buying a new car, I focused on the new Fiesta, since most of my cars had been Escorts.
Decided I was going to get one with the manual but after reading up on the Power Shift and my dealer letting me drive one for an hour unsupervised, I commited heresy and bought one.
After 18 months and 25K miles I am very happy with it.
When in the low position it can be a lot of fun.
For those that may not know, it is a dual clutch 6 spd.
Now I will get flamed.
Dual Clutch != Automatic.
I don't understand anyone who gets less than 35 mpg with a smart. I only got that once and I had to hammer the car to get it that low. My wife regularly gets 45 and we have seen 50 on occasion. I can go to Boston (3.5 hours) driving 70-75 mph and still get 40. How many other cars can do that?
I am intrigued by the iQ however if it can hold my goalie gear better.
Datsun1500 wrote:
. A 6 speed one at 75 mph is only at about 1800 rpm
typo? The one I drove a few weeks ago was closer to 3000rpm
And is your car an S? If so you may have cemented my next car choice.
I've got a CooperS and it never goes above 37 MPG cruising at 80. This is Michigan so no one drives 70. The other thing I've noticed is how susceptible it is to surrounding traffic. The mileage goes up significantly when there's a heavy flow of traffic at speed. The draft works. I'd expect the same from a Smart or an iQ.
Likely putting a downpayment on an iQ shortly. Good to know that JG likes it!
