Add your comments
Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.
When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.
To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.
Please note that gratuitous links to your site are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments.
London 2008: Honda OSM concept roadster says, "Cheerio!"
London 2008: Lotus unveils the Evora
2010 Chevy Camaro - Official Details and Images
2010 Chevy Camaro - LIVE from the reveal
Volkswagen unveiling two-door Elise fighter in LA, new sports car
First Drive: Maserati Quattroporte S in Europe
First Drive: 2008 MINI Cooper S JCW
In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-R
North American Exclusive First Drive: Alfa MiTo
First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego
Reader Comments for
Subscribe to this thread(Page 1 of 1)
Drewboy @ Jan 16th 2008 8:17AM
1.5 L engine? 0-60 in 20 seconds?
AlexP @ Jan 16th 2008 8:24AM
If 1.6L-equipped subcompacts can do 0-60 in about 10 seconds, why would this one do it in 20?
Hell, they're probably going to throw in the USDM Versa's engine for the sake of not making it too "underpowered" by American standards (who the hell floors his car on an onramp anyway?).
Markus @ Jan 16th 2008 8:44AM
While I don't like this Nissan Cube much, I really start wondering what's up with that American obsession of sub 10sec 0-60 times for their cars. 1.2l and 1.4l gasoline engines with 55-90hp are the standard entry-level engines on all the A-segment cars over here in Germany, and I can assure you that each and all of them can be savely driven onto an Autobahn, providing a manual transmission and rudimentary driving skills. Sure, passing while going uphill on the highway is not going to be fun, but it's not meant to be, though it will work if it has to. Many NA drivers seem to think that it's actually somewhere between dangerous and impossible to take a car onto a highway onramp if it doesn't have at least a 2l/120hp engine. Why?
I've driven in downtown and on highways in and around Boston, NYC, and Toronto, among other locations, all of it in a rental Grand Cherokee with a 4l/195hp I6. And while the Jeep is certainly better suited for hauling luggage, coffee and donuts, a 1.4l Polo at least wouldn't have started swaying like a sailing boat when changing lanes and would therefore probably have been safer and more relaxed to drive - except for the lack of space for coffee and donuts, of course.
Pat @ Jan 16th 2008 9:00AM
I agree with the opposition above.
My favourite cars have been subcompacts with small 4 cyl engines and 5 speed transmissions.
I didn't care how slow my Tercel got to 100km/h because I had fun getting it there.
Larger 4 cyl engines may be more fun ton drive but they do not give you the fuel economy you'd expect --and you know what, they still can't make it up the hill.
The only thing the great HP allows you to do is drive faster and harder and consume more fuel.
psarhjinian @ Jan 16th 2008 10:56AM
My father has a 67 slant-six Valiant that could barely get out of it's own way, and the 76 Aspen that suceeded it wasn't much better. My European cousins have sub-1.5L diesels that can do 0-60 eventually and my old 87 Corolla wasn't a champ, either.
The Fit does it in under 10 (barely under 10, mind you) and has a 1.5. Remember its only recently that mass-market cars could get sub-7 and sub-6 times; other than the horsepower explosions of the late 60s.early 70s and right now, 10+ was the norm.
North Americans are spoiled for power. People talk about the fabulous 400+ cid engines of the past, but forget that, by and large, people were actually buying much more modest cars. Even today we have a Camry (a Camry!) that can nearly break six seconds. That's sheer madness.
Derek @ Jan 16th 2008 12:37PM
Def agree with the Europeans here. I've driven a 60hp diesel Benz cross country and through plenty of urban interstates with no risk of life nor limb, just requires a bit more awareness on the drivers part. MB said the 0-60 time was 28sec when it was new back in '71. A 10-15 sec 0-60 time is plenty for real-world driving, even high speed merging. Heck, doing a 10 sec 0-60 off a stoplight is probably enough to get an excessive acceleration ticket if the cop wants to.
OTOH, to Alex, I usually floor my car (not just the Benz!) coming down the ramp (if the engine is warm) and wish more people would do the same. Never can stand the people who "merge" onto the highway doing 50 and wait 1/4 mile to get up to speed. Causes nothing but backups. Just put your foot in it and get on down the road, that's what the highway is for!
AlexP @ Jan 16th 2008 3:31PM
I don't merge at 50MPH and I don't have to floor my God damn Aveo to attain 65MPH before getting on the highway.
I honestly doubt you're flooring it.