The Top 3 Cars that Buck the Trend

On a more optimistic note than my previous two posts, I'd like to highlight 3 standout cars that have shown solidarity against the trend towards automotive obesity. I tried to do a Top 5 list, but I couldn't find more than 3 good examples...maybe that's a bad sign about the way things are heading.

1. Mazda Miata

The Miata debuted in 1989 as the Japanese equivalent to a British sports car. In 12 years, the Miata has experienced only a 12% increase in weight, from 2200 to 2400 pounds today. This is with the addition of airbags, more stringent safety requirements, myriad creature comforts, and a more powerful engine. Mazda engineers put painstaking detail into taking as much weight out of the car as possible. Rumors suggest that the next-generation Miata may lose even more weight.

2. Hyundai Sonata

Korean auto manufacturers have been on the rise in the past 10 years, and no car better represents this than the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata. This new model actually weighs about 100 lbs. less than the previous-generation. As opposed to other midsized sedans which offer a larger V-6 engine option, the current-generation Sonata was engineered to hold only a 4-cylinder engine, which means a lighter weight body shell and chassis. Instead of a V-6, Hyundai recently introduced a powerful but efficient turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to complement the base 4-cylinder engine.

3. Porsche Cayenne

Now, you may be wondering how I could put a two-ton Porsche SUV on this list, but this vehicle is important. The first iteration of the Cayenne was a beast weighing more than 5000 lbs. For the second generation, the Cayenne went on a diet. Porsche cut out more than 400 lbs. from the car in the redesign by using aluminum in the chassis and eliminating inefficiencies in the structure of the vehicle. Although it's still a big, powerful, luxurious SUV, the Cayenne now gets 20% better fuel economy.



If more automakers spent time and money towards the goal of reducing weight in their cars, they would have more successful products. Take the Sonata, for example. Since the redesign, the Hyundai has shot up in the sales rankings, passing the Nissan Altima to become the third best-selling sedan in the US (behind the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.)