Which small car?

Recently, I had to hire a car and was served up with a 07 Fiat Punto. Not a bad car as such, far better than the Fiesta I owned in the early

1980s. I was impressed with the silken smooth engine; you could drive 70mph without much engine noise. However... It still feels like a small car; is feels lively on the road, requiring constant steering input. That was really my only complaint. I wouldn't mind owning a small car if only it was less tiring to drive. Which small car behaves like a big car in that sense?
Reply to
Johannes
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VW Polo, Seat Ibiza or Skoda Fabia.

Reply to
SteveH

Maybe worth a look, and you can get an Ibiza with the 1.8T engine...

Reply to
Johannes

"Johannes" wrote

Which small car behaves

None of them.

If you want a car that behaves like a big car, then buy a big car. Like my Rover 825 for example.

Reply to
Knight Of The Road

Any short car will be less stable at speed than a longer car. Simple aerodynamics. You could increase stability by adding toe in, but then your cornering ability is reduced.

Reply to
Doki

So my camper is more stable than a Formula One car?

I think we'll have "all other things being equal" in there, shall we?

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

Could electronic systems make a small car feel like a big car? Maybe something for future models. But then there are already active suspension systems.

Reply to
Johannes

If you went for a full steer and fly by wire type system, or even a very clever ESP system, I'm sure you could. But I expect the likes of ESP (ie, brake based) would cost too much in fuel consumption. The other thing is that aerodynamics make a big difference to how much the car is blown around by side winds, and some small cars will be better than others in this respect.

And the other thing is that Puntos used to have massively over assisted steering, which makes motorway driving a bit odd - most cars reduce the assistance far more at speed.

Reply to
Doki

The trend of building taller small cars doesn't help here.

I think the assisted steering is speed dependent. The car was very nimble in city traffic, here it felt easier than a large car. Clutch an brake feel was very good. Even driving position was good, and I'm 6'1". However, long distance driving was a major difference to my Saab 9000; in the Saab, you enjoy the trip, while in the Punto, you're happy when you have reached your destination.

Reply to
Johannes

The Toyota Prius is probably the most dangerous thing I've ever driven in a side wind.

The VW Lupo GTi is pretty good on a long run, if driven solo.

Reply to
Pete M

Seconded. I've looked for years for a small car that is good on the motorway. I've always ended up with Xantias and Mondeos. I've tried all versions of the Punto and didn't like them at all.. The best "smaller" cars I've had on a motorway havr been a Citroen ZX TD and a Pug 306 TD. Neither are much bigger, if any than a modern Punto.

My criteria for "good on the motorway" = easy 85mph cruise,yes, illegal, but most of my motorway driving is done in the middle of the night when there's no traffic. I also want 35+ mpg at that speed not much tyre or engine noise.

Mike P

Reply to
Mike P

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