A few years after college I was dead set on getting an SUV. I didn’t need one — my roads were smooth and I had no hauling to do — I just thought they were cool. But let’s talk about why smaller cars often make more sense than big ones.
Back in the mid‑90s gas was cheap — I think regular was just under $1.50 a gallon. Climate change was only starting to get attention; it wasn’t everywhere yet. So what does a young, single guy do? Make a spendy mistake and finance a new Jeep Cherokee or Ford F‑150.
The fanciest car I’ve owned since getting my license is a Subaru Outback — that’s actually my wife’s car now. I’ve driven compact cars and kept them for a decade or more. Right now I have a Honda Fit that gets over 35 mpg in the city and can haul a washing machine with no problem. Insurance, gas, and repairs are cheap. The money I save by not buying flashy cars goes toward rental properties and paying down the mortgage.
Drive around and you’ll see what feels like an invasion of pickup trucks that never haul anything bigger than groceries or a TV. I keep wondering how people decide what to buy. I’ve made plenty of dumb purchases, so here are a few thoughts.
Our marketing culture treats cars as part of your image. If you’re “making it,” you’re supposed to drive a Lexus or BMW. That’s hedonic adaptation: you chase a status symbol but the thrill fades fast — like the oversized McMansion trend. Park a luxury car and remember what it really is: a heavy machine full of parts and fluids that costs you thousands and ties up your time — directly, because you could walk or bike, and indirectly, because car payments lock you into a job.
Case in point: my father‑in‑law traded his Mercedes S‑Class coupe for a sensible Nissan. Why? Fancy cars have softer tires that wear out faster and cost a fortune to replace — over a thousand dollars on a Mercedes. Routine maintenance like oil changes or batteries that cost a little for a Honda can be double or triple for a luxury car. He loved the car, but the bills didn’t make sense. And many high‑performance cars require premium fuel, which only adds to the cost.
So what’s good about small cars? Sure, some look funny — you probably won’t get many dates in a Smart Car — but they do more than people expect. In Europe, families of four squeeze into Fiats and tow tiny campers for long vacations. Small cars are cheaper to run, insure, and often hold their value better.
They’re easier to park. I love squeezing into tight spots at work — it saves time and I worry less about dings because the car is small and inexpensive. Parallel parking becomes easy. Need more garage space? Check. Heading to the mountains? We rented a Toyota Yaris in Colorado and it had no problem on the passes. The rental company tried to upsell an SUV, but the Yaris was fine. It’s also easier to control speed going downhill in a small car than in a heavy SUV that just barrels along.
Bottom line: we should be smarter about how we travel. That might mean flying less, or not driving to the mall for stuff we don’t need. I don’t buy into conspiracy theories about climate science — if pollution weren’t real, we’d keep burning oil without worry. But climate change is real, and future generations will pay for our choices.
So rethink how you get from point A to point B. Choose a car that fits your real needs so you’ll feel better about it later. Your kids and grandkids will thank you. Share your thoughts in the comments — and seriously, what’s to love about a pickup truck anyhow?