A recent study by J.D. Power and Associates found that a remarkable 27% of new car buyers are downsizing their vehicles -- meaning that they are choosing a car that is smaller than their previous one. And they are finding their choice to be a very good one.
According to a release by the venerable consumer ratings group, these car buyers have been finding smaller cars to be just as appealing as their larger alternatives.
"New-vehicle buyers who downsize are not making the sacrifice that they once were," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power and Associates. "Automakers are heavily focused on providing the U.S. market with appealing smaller models, and buyers may be surprised at just how good some of them are."
The reality is that small cars are much safer, quieter and sportier than they once were. Combine that with their superior fuel economy in a time of rising gas prices and it makes perfect sense for so many people to kick big cars and SUVs to the curb.
Today, there's no shortage of options for solid compact and sub-compact vehicles. In its recent APEAL study, which measures (surprise) a vehicle's appeal to consumers, J.D. Power and Associates found the following small cars to stand out from the rest of the pack. If you, like many Americans today, think the bigger-is-better mantra has been put to bed, check these cars out first.