Compact Cars Are Physically Bigger than Ever, Edmunds.com Reports
Business Wire- 12/7/2010 10:00:00 AM EST
Compact Cars Are Physically Bigger than Ever, Edmunds.com Reports
( BW)(CA-EDMUNDS.COM)(.) Compact Cars Are Physically Bigger than Ever, Edmunds.com Reports
Small cars appeal to buyers on a budget, to the environmentally
conscious, to growing numbers of empty-nesters and to the legislators
pushing for improved fuel economy from automakers – and yet consumer
expectations inspire automakers to make smaller cars more powerful and
more functional. As a result, compact cars are physically larger and
heavier than in the past, according to analysis by Edmunds.com, the
premier online resource for automotive information.
On average, compact cars weigh 549 pounds more, have 61 more horsepower
and have a 6.4-inch longer wheelbase than they did in 1990. Still, this
segment gets 2.5 more miles per gallon in combined fuel economy
estimates, thanks to improvements in engine technology.
“Over the years, consumer demand has increased for small cars that have
more features and are more versatile in carrying passengers and cargo.
Those consumer-driven desires, together with the regulatory drive for
enhanced safety equipment, have led to size and weight increases,” said
Edmunds' AutoObserver.com Senior Editor Bill Visnic.
So far in 2010, about 20 percent of all new vehicles sold in the U.S.
have been small cars, up from 17% in 2006. Edmunds.com analysis
indicates that sales in the small car segment will steadily increase,
with a 23.2 percent market share projected in 2014.
“Stepping down a car class can often mean increased fuel economy with no
real loss of space,” noted Edmunds.com Consumer Advice Associate Ronald
Montoya in his article How
To Downsize Your Car at http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/161446/article.html.
More car buying tips can be found at http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/index.html.
About Edmunds.com, Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/index.html)
Edmunds.com Inc. publishes Web sites that empower, engage and educate
automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier
online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the
first automotive information Web site and hosts the most established
automotive community online. Its mobile site, accessible from any
smartphone at www.edmunds.com,
makes car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at
dealerships and otherwise on the go. InsideLine.com is the most-read
automotive enthusiast Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any
smartphone at www.insideline.com,
features the wireless Web's highest quality car photos and videos.
AutoObserver.com provides insightful automotive industry commentary and
analysis. Edmunds.com Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California,
and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com
on Twitter@edmunds
and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edmunds.
CONTACT:
Edmunds.com
Jeannine Fallon/Pamela Morris
Corporate
Communications
Media Hotline: 310-309-4900
pr@edmunds.com
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