Given the popularity of small SUVs and subcompacts like the Chevy Sonic, today’s drivers appear to be buying the idea that downsizing can equate to an upgraded ride. Now that smaller vehicles are viewed as acceptable—smart, even—automakers are exploring the possibility that drivers may want to downshift further, from small to downright tiny.
The new J.D. Power and Associates study on Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) indicates that 27% of new-car buyers purchased a vehicle that was smaller than the car they had previously been driving. For the most part, they were happy they did so, according to J.D. Power’s David Sargent: “Although larger models continue to attain higher APEAL Study scores than smaller models, as they typically provide higher performance, have more pleasing styling, are more comfortable and include more features, owners who down find that today’s compact models are not the ‘econoboxes’ that they may have once feared. For example, most compact vehicles are more substantial than in the past and perform much better on the road. They also have many of the features and appointments that were previously found only on larger models. Vehicle owners who down[size] are often finding that they are actually upgrading when they buy a new vehicle.”
Read more: Small Cars’ Popularity Could Lead to Increased Minicar Sales | Moneyland | TIME.com
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