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5 Imported Subcompact Sedans
Road Tests of Fiat 124B - Toyota Corolla 1200 - Datsun 1200 - Volkswagen Beetle - Plymouth Cricket [British Hillman Avenger]
by Consumer Reports 1971 September
[Editor's note: Consumer Reports is the monthly magazine for the non-profit organization Consumers Union of United States, Inc.]
Not too many years ago, drivers of most subcompact cars accepted a hard ride, noisiness and sluggardly engine performance for the sake of low price and excellent fuel economy. The best of today's subcompacts ride better than those of old, are quieter and quite peppy, and are still relatively inexpensive to buy and sparing of fuel. CU has reported on 11 subcompacts this year and last. For this issue, we've added five more to the list: the Fiat 124B, the Toyota Corolla 1200, the Datsun 1200, the Volkswagen 111 (the basic Beetle) and the Plymouth Cricket.
Any prospective buyer of a subcompact must first consider the safety implications of very small cars. The cars in this month's test group range in weight from about 1600 pounds to a little over 2000 pounds. That's less than half the weight of a full-sized car. According to accident studies conducted by New York State and the University of North Carolina, among others, the smaller and lighter the car, the more likely its occupants are to be injured of killed in a crash. Also, because most small cars are about as high as large cars but not nearly as wide, they have a greater tendency to turn over. Although small-car fanciers often cite their car's maneuverability and small size as factors that help keep them out of accidents in the first place, the available statistics don't show any significant difference in the accident rates for small and large vehicles.
Statistically, a compact such as a Dodge Dart or a Chevrolet Nova would offer more protection in a crash than a subcompact. But again statistically, an intermediate would be even safer, and a full-sized car safer still. Followed to its logical conclusion, that sort of reasoning would put everyone behind the wheel of the biggest, heaviest vehicles Detroit produces. That's neither economically feasible nor ecologically desirable. We believe every buyer must draw up his own balance sheet, weighing the advantages of smallness (low price, low fuel costs, maneuverability, ease of parking) against the disadvantages, which include sacrifices in carrying capacity and comfort as well as greater risk of injury in a collision.