It weighs under a ton, is only 3.5m long, and has a 1.0L, 3-cylinder engine that fairly sips gas. It shifts like butter and, considering it's powered by a glorified sewing machine, it has decent acceleration and top-end speed. And, if you spring for the Czech rebadge, you can get the basic model for less than 10k euros.
But the real killer is that it has almost as much usable interior room as a VW Golf, despite being almost a meter shorter!
My partner and I both come from tall families and, upon delivery of the car, her brother (200cm tall) drove his wife (189cm), me (188cm), my wife (184cm), my father (200cm), and our 3 kids for a spin. It wasn't legal and it wasn't roomy, but no reasonable person would be able to guess that such a tiny car could fit 3 small adults, let alone 5 tall adults and 3 kids.
For those of us who spent far too much of their childhood playing Tetris, the trunk (if you want to call it that) also accommodates 4 full-sized suitcases.
[EDIT] I forgot to mention that it has exposed metal surfaces in the interior (doors, mainly) that are integrated parts of the car. Not only does it look fantastic, each of those panels is one less plastic piece that will eventually require an expensive replacement when it inevitably gets hit/scratched/exposed to too much sunlight/shakes itself to pieces.
I don't know why more cars don't feature this (one review called them "cheap exposed surfaces", as if plastic is somehow fancier), but it's incredibly durable, simple, and attractive.
I have to say this reminds me of my 1st generation Scion xB- it's a 1.7L engine, the only car of its size that I (6'4") can sit in the back seat comfortably, and its vertical sides and fold-down seats make it capable of carrying a ridiculous amount of stuff, and quite comfortable for camping in, too. It's an entirely utilitarian car.
My wife got a 2nd gen Scion xB after we had our first kid and were starting to plan for the second one. In its class, it fit a double stroller in the back the easiest.
Not quite as tall as you (I'm 6'2"), but I would sometimes ride in the backseat of it with our young son, as opposed to riding shotgun. Lots of room back there and it was comfortable as well.
> I forgot to mention that it has exposed metal surfaces in the interior (doors, mainly) that are integrated parts of the car. Not only does it look fantastic, each of those panels is one less plastic piece that will eventually require an expensive replacement when it inevitably gets hit/scratched/exposed to too much sunlight/shakes itself to pieces.
> I don't know why more cars don't feature this (one review called them "cheap exposed surfaces", as if plastic is somehow fancier), but it's incredibly durable, simple, and attractive.
I rode in a Nissan Tsuru taxi in Mexico. While the car's appalling safety record is definitely undesirable, I was impressed by the same idea of simplicity. It striped away pointless trim and features that will break, and was simply a tool to get you dependably from one place to another. It seemed like the sort of vehicle that could be maintained with an adjustable wrench and screwdriver for a million miles.
Bingo! It's the only modern car that I feel I could repair myself if needed. My other car -- a truly shitty Citroen van -- is a rattling shitbox. The interior door panels are faded and cracked, and the glue that held the fabric in place has long ago dissolved. Every panel has worked itself loose and, while the plastic fasteners are easily replaced, they never seat snug again. I actually ripped off the rear interior panel entirely -- leaving the door mechanism exposed -- because the buzzing was driving me insane on long trips.
And that car is only 12-13 years old. It's almost criminal how quickly those plastic interiors degrade. My Citigo is almost 4 and looks brand new, despite ferrying two nuclear-powered kids all over the place every day.
And the safety record for the Citigo/Mii/Up! is fantastic. It's got a 5-star rating, I believe, by NCAP. I still find myself gushing to my wife about how incredible the car is. I see myself as something of an anti-consumerist, but I profess a deep love of this car.
It weighs under a ton, is only 3.5m long, and has a 1.0L, 3-cylinder engine that fairly sips gas. It shifts like butter and, considering it's powered by a glorified sewing machine, it has decent acceleration and top-end speed. And, if you spring for the Czech rebadge, you can get the basic model for less than 10k euros.
But the real killer is that it has almost as much usable interior room as a VW Golf, despite being almost a meter shorter!
My partner and I both come from tall families and, upon delivery of the car, her brother (200cm tall) drove his wife (189cm), me (188cm), my wife (184cm), my father (200cm), and our 3 kids for a spin. It wasn't legal and it wasn't roomy, but no reasonable person would be able to guess that such a tiny car could fit 3 small adults, let alone 5 tall adults and 3 kids.
For those of us who spent far too much of their childhood playing Tetris, the trunk (if you want to call it that) also accommodates 4 full-sized suitcases.
[EDIT] I forgot to mention that it has exposed metal surfaces in the interior (doors, mainly) that are integrated parts of the car. Not only does it look fantastic, each of those panels is one less plastic piece that will eventually require an expensive replacement when it inevitably gets hit/scratched/exposed to too much sunlight/shakes itself to pieces.
I don't know why more cars don't feature this (one review called them "cheap exposed surfaces", as if plastic is somehow fancier), but it's incredibly durable, simple, and attractive.