Hi to all FF members.Small cars are here to stay!!!Scion had made a little small car and they call it...IQ.Looks very similar to a SMART.Scion has some nice cars out there in the streets and for sure this tiny car will no be a problem to buy.People are looking to buy small car because of gas issue.This little cars are perfect for the city.For one reason the call them city cars but in the high way....I'm don't feel very safety.The SMART has a very GOOD CAGE to protect the driver and passenger in case of a accident.Really...Do you feel OK driving a small tiny car in the highway at 55 MPH and a 18 wheeler pass near you?Maybe you will feel the air wave of the truck passing by and scare you.But one thing is sure.People will buy it.The car looks nice and with mods it will look more better and sporty.Here a review of the IQ.
Did you like it or not?
2012 Scion IQ (Review) - YouTube

 

With mods, I think it would be a fun car to see around town, or at a show, and will develop a small cult following. It's very wide looking. Not sure if I'd choose one over the Smart, being that it is over 3 grand more, but it fills a slot in the tiny car demographic. Has some utility over the Smart, but as usual with these tiny cars, "why not just buy a Yaris?" It's cheap than the IQ, and does more.

As for safety. None of these small cars have enough heft to battle a large vehicle.

 

the IQ is slow and useless, that's another car we took for a test drive (that and the xD) before we bought the Fit. It handled like a toy, couldn't handle bumps at all and it falls on its face after 2500 RPM's. I wouldn't consider ANY Scion except for the TC anymore, i'd even take the Prius C over all of them.

 

and probably too expensive for its segment. THe iQ filled in the gap the tC left when its starting price climbed a few grand. The iQ starts in the mid $17k and its pretty easy to configure it up over $22. Thats pushing it for the economy segment for sure.

 

For $17k i'd rather the Chevy Sonic LTZ turbo. The IQ should be based around $13k to compete with cars in it's class, no sense in being a "budget" manufacture if you're more expensive than most of your competitors.

 

+1

I've seen a few of these on the streets here in SF so they obviously are selling a few but I think most of us here on FF would agree there's not much "value" there and the term budget is being stretched a bit IMO.

 

the company focuses on a younger crowd and so did their prices, well in the last 3 years their prices went up but the quality of their cars hasn't. I liked them better when i could go get an xB right off the lot for $13k and now the 2012 invoice is $16k+

 

This xmillions!! I love the turbo Sonic, never driven one, but they look pretty good. Those IQ's are pointless IMO. Especially for the money you are paying.

 

i drove one, i gave a review in one of these threads a few weeks ago....pretty much it comes down to this:
PRO
-fun little car
-faster than the Fit
-clean looking interior (vinyl/faux leather) AND it has a sport bike inspired gauge cluster (a HUGE plus in my books)

CON
-cheap feeling interior (feels worse than the Fit)
-almost NO aftermarket support
-5x105 lug pattern (really GM?)
-turbo spools at 5500 and the rev limiter kicks in at 6200 (700 rpm's of booooost)

IMO, Fit > Sonic

 

The Sonic is getting some attention right now because it's a new car in an interesting package, and doesn't look bad. That said, I don't think it looks particularly good either, and in a few years, it will look even more dated than it already does. I'm willing to bet that turbo is stressed as is, and most people after power will have to upgrade the turbo and fuel injectors, along with a bunch of other stuff that voids the warranty and makes something like a used MKIV 1.8T with a chip look like a better boy racer option.

 

i've been on the Sonic forums because i almost got one before this Fit. A lot of guys over there are doing some upgrades and that turbo is pretty much maxed out from the factory so they're upgrading them.

 

I worked at Honda dealer next to a Scion dealer when the IQ rolled in. I had just bought a 2012 5AT few weeks earlier. I walked over and checked out the IQ. I just don't get this car. It is almost square. The front room is spacious, but there is nothing for back seat room, and zero storage when you open the hatch (which has a very high lift over btw). I really don't get this car on any level. Just plain odd. The Fit kills this thing IMO.

I do like those Sonics though, they are everywhere around here. The front end styling really looks aggressive and cool. I have no backround in Chevys, just Toyota and Honda.