Hi Flare:
___Since you would be waiting for some time and you father is considering the Scion, the Honda Fit SE w/ the HCH’s ICE (non-Hybrid) is rumored to be in the $10 - $12K range. 50 - 55 hwy EPA estimate, 2,200 - 2,300 #’s, smaller then the Civic in seating dimensions but possibly larger overall because it’s a 5-door hatch, and you can stand up a Mountain bike with the seats folded. This thing has configuration capabilities of a Chrysler Grand Caravan!
___It is called the Jazz over in Japan and Europe but won’t arrive to our shores until mid 2005 supposedly …
___Those are 15” wheels I believe to give you some perspective.
http://www.honda.co.uk/cars/newcars/modelH...d=&wheelPartNo=
___My only question is if Honda will screw up the final drive ratio (rumored as a 6 speed manual
) or if it won’t use the lean burn ICE of the HCH so it does not receive the fuel economy of the HCH even though it is ~ 10% lighter, has a smaller frontal area, and has the same Cd at .28. This will be the tell tale sign if Honda is playing games with fuel economy at all of our expense or not?
___Anyway, the Honda Jazz shot down my Corolla as the number 1 seller in Japan last year and the sales success is continuing.
___Some additional commentary … I would hope they would PZEV this little beauty for our consumption as well as add side air and side curtains. If this thing came with a Honda designed 1.0 - 1.3 L iCDTi diesel and Honda cleaned up the aerodynamics just a bit, 85 + mpg EPA highway would be a guarantee. Can you tell that this is my new favorite automobile? Unless of course if Honda plays games like described above and kills its actual mileage in comparison to the HCH …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___
Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
