A new subcompact car to compete

[ClutchFork]

I think the new Explorer looks fantastic...at least for an SUV.

Well I guess when you qualify it that way. But the way the hood integrates still reminds me of a toilet seat. Hey, put a manual transmission in it and rear wheel drive and I might even buy one. The manual tranny is what really matters.

[bk7794]

Ugly. The Subcompact market is getting quite competitive and there are great options out there. If all you want is a bottom dollar price, go with a Nissan Versa.

It's not certain whether Mitsu will even remain in market, so I'd be weary buying it with an unknown dealer/service support future.

The brand new Versa? I think the previous generation Nissan Versa was nice, the interior is really nice.

[tankinbeans]

I know the cheapest Versa now is $12k, whereas the original base model was something like $10k. Even then, I think the super stripper is theoretical.

[AHTOXA]

Ugly. The Subcompact market is getting quite competitive and there are great options out there. If all you want is a bottom dollar price, go with a Nissan Versa.

It's not certain whether Mitsu will even remain in market, so I'd be weary buying it with an unknown dealer/service support future.

The brand new Versa? I think the previous generation Nissan Versa was nice, the interior is really nice.

Well, that's one thing that was never nice about the Versa - the interior - for any generation.

[bk7794]

Ugly. The Subcompact market is getting quite competitive and there are great options out there. If all you want is a bottom dollar price, go with a Nissan Versa.

It's not certain whether Mitsu will even remain in market, so I'd be weary buying it with an unknown dealer/service support future.

The brand new Versa? I think the previous generation Nissan Versa was nice, the interior is really nice.

Well, that's one thing that was never nice about the Versa - the interior - for any generation.

I disagree, the arm rests were the best of any car that I've ever been in. Well, the ones on the door atleast are. The fake leather where your arm goes is so thick.

I know the cheapest Versa now is $12k, whereas the original base model was something like $10k. Even then, I think the super stripper is theoretical.

The new one looks terrible. I'd rather spend a 2k more and get a Fiesta.

[Shadow]

I'm going to be THAT guy and say "it's not BOF, do not want!", because I can.

I have no real reason why other than being that guy rules, sometimes.

It has guy liner.

Yeah, but there are VERY few BOF SUVs these days, including those in the midsize SUV category. The 4Runner continues on with a true BOF and so does the current Xterra, but that vehicle is getting a bit old now and I'm not so sure it will continue with BOF in the future. I guess the Wrangler is another BOF SUV, if you consider it an SUV, but I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

[tankinbeans]

The new one looks terrible. I'd rather spend a 2k more and get a Fiesta.

Thus is exactly why I wouldn't entertain the idea of buying a Daewoo Spark over a Chevy Sonic. The slightly increased mileage and slightly lower price don't make up its looks. I like squirrels, but not that much. In the end $2k is less than $50 extra per month, depending on credit.

[potownrob]

I'm going to be THAT guy and say "it's not BOF, do not want!", because I can.

I have no real reason why other than being that guy rules, sometimes.

It has guy liner.

Yeah, but there are VERY few BOF SUVs these days, including those in the midsize SUV category. The 4Runner continues on with a true BOF and so does the current Xterra, but that vehicle is getting a bit old now and I'm not so sure it will continue with BOF in the future. I guess the Wrangler is another BOF SUV, if you consider it an SUV, but I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

BOF = Best of Friends??

[tankinbeans]

Body on Frame. The new Exploder is a unibody Taurus.

[AHTOXA]

It doesn't need to be BOF. It's rated to tow at least 5k lbs, has good payload and is cofrotable. No one will ever wheel it. Why would you do BOF and sacrifice the ride?

[tankinbeans]

I actually don't have a real opinion regarding BOF v unibody. I've heard the knobs online kvetch about unibody SUVs and how incapable they are. It's hilarious to read.

[ClutchFork]

Body on Frame. The new Exploder is a unibody Taurus.

It is an extreme change. My wife's 2005 Mountaineer (Explorer rebadged) has a frame, but they already ruined the Explorer by 2005 with IRS and way to powerful of engine selection.

The nice thing about body on frame (if you live in the rust belt) is that the structural integrity of the vehicle remains long after the body is severely rotted--try that with a unibody!

I don't think I would want a unibody SUV if I was doing serious 4 wheeling, not if this statement is true:

Today, monocoque or unibody construction is so sophisticated in automobile manufacturing that the windshields often make a significant contribution to the structural strength of the vehicle.

from: http://gizmodo.com/5063277/a-brief-hist ... nstruction

[theholycow]

The nice thing about body on frame (if you live in the rust belt) is that the structural integrity of the vehicle remains long after the body is severely rotted--try that with a unibody!

Not making an argument for or against, but that issue is no big win. If the frame rots first then the whole vehicle is trash, unless it's worth taking apart and putting a new frame under it (if you can get one). This happened to my wife's Isuzu Rodeo, and pretty much every other Rodeo on the road in the rust belt. (Isuzu didn't even honor the recalls that they issued...the NHTSA website is loaded with complaints.)

I don't think I would want a unibody SUV if I was doing serious 4 wheeling, not if this statement is true:

Today, monocoque or unibody construction is so sophisticated in automobile manufacturing that the windshields often make a significant contribution to the structural strength of the vehicle.

from: http://gizmodo.com/5063277/a-brief-hist ... nstruction

That's been true for a long time, I think, and I've heard that extreme circumstances can crack a windshield just by twisting the body.

[Shadow]

It doesn't need to be BOF. It's rated to tow at least 5k lbs, has good payload and is cofrotable. No one will ever wheel it. Why would you do BOF and sacrifice the ride?

For people who treat their SUVs like cars, unibody is just fine. But I've pulled stumps out of the ground with my 4Runner, and I'd never even consider doing that with a unibody SUV.

[ClutchFork]

I don't think I would want a unibody SUV if I was doing serious 4 wheeling, not if this statement is true:

Today, monocoque or unibody construction is so sophisticated in automobile manufacturing that the windshields often make a significant contribution to the structural strength of the vehicle.

from: http://gizmodo.com/5063277/a-brief-hist ... nstruction

That's been true for a long time, I think, and I've heard that extreme circumstances can crack a windshield just by twisting the body.

My windshield replacement guy says don't drive with a cracked windshield because it figures in in the amount of crush in a rollover, and that is regardless of having a frame. Yes and parking with the wheels up on a big hump to look like you have a cool SUV can cause a cracked windshield or leak from the torsion.