Small is beautiful

VERY day I get tons of inquiries via SMS, e-mail and through social networking sites on what car should people, from different walks of life, look at and buy. They throw in tons and tons of other prerequisites such as, it should be fuel-efficient, roomy a

EFrom an engineer’s point of view, these are all tall orders that any car must meet in order to satisfy the consumer. Varying regulations in different countries only make things even harder.

But thankfully, today’s current crop of cars can practically satisfy all these requirements in a small, affordable and often ingenious package.

I always tell people to get the smallest car they can get away with. Why? Because small cars are far more environmentally friendly in every way. While a 6.5 liter 700ps V12 Lamborghini Aventador supercar must be on a lot of people’s wish list, the energy required to heat up (known as autoclaving) its carbon-fiber chassis alone is prob- ably enough to build 20 or so small cars. Hence, small cars use up far less energy to create, more so to use.

A good small car would be the B-segment class, where the likes of Honda’s Jazz / City, Toyota’s Yaris / Vios, Ford’s Focus and Mazda 2/3 are top choices. These cars hover in the region of weighing in at just over 1 ton or 1,000 kilograms. A typical diesel SUV, for comparison’s sake, tips the scales between 1,700 to 1,800 kilograms. And we all know that weight is the enemy of efficiency, economy and even performance. A lighter car means it will require a smaller engine, which will consume less fuel, which will emit far less toxic gasses to the environment, and to our own bodies. Smaller cars will also require smaller and narrower wheels and tires, which decrease rolling resistance, lessening fuel consumption as well. Did I mention that smaller tires are cheaper too? And a lighter car will also be easier on your brakes, because as a vehicle’s mass increases, the braking power required increases exponentially. As an example, my daily-driven hatchback is still on its second-set of brake pads after four years, while a friend’s V8 powered full-size SUV changes its brake pads about three times a year. As a whole, maintenance of a small car will be cheaper right off the bat, from its wear and tear consumables like tires, brake pads and filters, to fuel and other fluids and even in the event of a minor accident, will be cheaper to repair as well.

As for servicing, you’ll spend just under P2,500 for servicing your car at an authorized dealership, less if you take it to an independent garage. With good fullysynthetic oil, you can stretch service intervals to as much as 10,000 kilometers in between oil changes. The next size up will be at around P3,000 for a tune-up / change oil. In comparison, diesel SUV’S and pick-ups are around P6,500 and upwards for an oil change because the CRDI diesel injection system is quite finicky and requires careful and religious maintenance. See how it all adds up?

Small cars are also easier to park. Whenever I find myself having the need to pop down the mall or grocery to buy something, it’s very easy to find parking. A small car like mine will slot into almost any available space. Try doing that in your SUV.

In rush hour traffic, it’s also hard to beat a small car. Squeezing through gaps, overtaking and getting a jump on the cars beside you is easier if your car is smaller, shorter and easier to feel and finesse through tight spaces.

Typically, you’ll get about 10 to 12 km/liter of fuel for city driving, and about 14 to 15km/liter to highway driving. These are real-world fuel consumptions, travelling at the speed limit, with air-conditioning on, the radio blasting on the back-ground. You can do better if you drive more carefully, or plan your trips better. A typical car in the Philippines does between 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers of driving every year. Assuming fuel is pegged at P50 per liter, you’ll spend about P75,000 worth of fuel every year at worst, divided