As the car sign-out clipboard made its rounds yesterday, I made a very wise decision. I knew I was heading to a housewarming party on a street with limited parking.
I knew I needed something small. Our Sonic was already spoken for, as was the Mazda 3. The Porsche would be a pain to parallel park, and I don't like leaving it on the street, anyway. But the Fiat 500 was available. Score!
What a great little city car this is. I slalomed past slower drivers clogging the boulevards and made a quick recon pass by the party. There was a spot just big enough for the Cinqucento and not much else. Perfect. I would've loved to have pulled an e-brake slide into the spot, but I'm sure that my fellow editors would have frowned upon the flat-spotted rear tires; but what an entrance that would have made.
Nope, the Fiat slipped right into place while other guests kept circling the block like vultures over a kill. Perhaps next time I'll bring the Jeep and just park it on the lawn.
Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor
greenpony says:
11:43 AM, 02/ 9/12
"I would've loved to have pulled an e-brake slide into the spot, but I'm sure that my fellow editors would have frowned upon the flat-spotted rear tires"
Just small flat spots, not enough to notice in everyday driving. You get a point for considering it though.
fordson1 says:
12:52 PM, 02/ 9/12
"The Porsche would be a pain to parallel park, and I don't like leaving it on the street, anyway."
Don't like leaving it on the street? I think it's safe to say that EVERY LT car you have is worth more than the Porsche.
bradyholt says:
02:12 PM, 02/ 9/12
fordson1, but none of the others is as fragile as the Porsche seems to be.
epbrown says:
05:46 PM, 02/ 9/12
"What a great little city car this is. I slalomed past slower drivers clogging the boulevards and made a quick recon pass by the party."
People dismissing small cars are quick to point out that US streets are wider than European ones, but they ignore the fact that obstacles abound - double-parked cars and trucks, taxi's that stop pretty much whereever, pedestrians standing a good 3 feet from the curb and Mother Nature's revenge on city drivers - cyclists. Something small comes in handy here as well.
jaguar36 says:
08:12 AM, 02/10/12
That picture is awesome!
everglades says:
11:27 AM, 02/10/12
how come no mention of the Juke? it's small and a great city car. in fact, you guys haven't had a story on it in 2 weeks or more. What, nobody's driving it?