Style Smackdown #1: City Cars

"IanZ - limited-slip indifferential" (ianz-limited) 04/15/2016 at 17:59 • Filed to: Style Smackdown, Fiat 500, Smart ForTwo, Mitsubishi Mirage, Simon Cowell

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In the first edition of the Style Smackdown series, and in weeks to come, I will be going through Car & Driver’s vehicle rankings by segment and rating them myself. Where Car and Driver rank the respective vehicles on criteria like interior ergonomics, cornering prowess, and ride quality, I will be ranking them based on one factor: STYLE. Yes, like the Canadian elections, only the prettiest can make it to the top. The winners are determined using a top-secret algorithm developed by my cat, and the input of a knowledgeable panel of judges; me, myself, and Simon Cowell. So with no further ado, let the Style Smackdown begin!

Ah the humble Mirage. It’s not an ugly car per se, but it’s just a bit bland. The Fiat 500 has that vintage charm, and the Smart is like a tw0-tone pug on wheels. The 2017 facelift brings some pizzazz like LED lights, fancy wheels, and chrome strips, but that’s about it. Lipstick, meet pig...

The Smart ForTwo is cute, it really is. Its smooshed face gives the impression of a quizzical pug, and its fortwo-tone paint is smart. Jokes, people! I can do it all! Wheels pushed to the corners give it as squat a stance as a relatively tall city car can achieve. It’s certainly a marked improvement from the previous generation. But I like the 500 better, so it wins.

The Fiat 500 has a sort of joie de vivre, a je ne sais quoi, wait… those are all French. Whatever. It is one of the best retro designs of all time, in my mind, except of course for the PT Cruiser. That thing was smokin’ hot. From the fire I destroyed it in. Where was I? Oh yes; the all-consuming flame that only the eldritch abomination that is the PT Cruiser can produce. And if you look at the 500E or Abarth, it gets even better. The 500E has that cool white grille and mirrors and sporty wheels, and sits lower to the ground. And the Abarth has scorpion badges. +12 style points to the Abarth.

Vítor > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 04/15/2016 at 18:24

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You can trust city cars with Europeans. They know what to do.

Kookanoodles > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 04/15/2016 at 18:26

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Retro designs can come and go. German microcars and Japanese econoboxes can flex their tiny muscles all they want. The one true king of pretty city cars shan’t ever be dethroned.

The Peugeot 106. Tasteful restraint incarnate. Hasn’t aged a day.

IanZ - limited-slip indifferential > Vítor 04/15/2016 at 18:52

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As an American, I’m jealous! I prefer the Up! front end to the Skoda, but they all look great.

Vítor > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 04/15/2016 at 22:10

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I’m jealous to, being Brazillian. We do get the Up!, Smart and 500 at least.

duurtlang > Kookanoodles 04/16/2016 at 06:26

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Great first car, even today, 25(!) years after its introduction.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 04/16/2016 at 07:33

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I would own a current 500 or a current RR Twingo in a heartbeat! :D

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 04/23/2016 at 10:10

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There are so many cool city cars that are not ranked here. So many. I couldn't even start to make a list. Why would you restrict yourself to the tiny number that come to the US?

IanZ - limited-slip indifferential > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 04/24/2016 at 15:21

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Mostly because I’m using Car & Driver’s list, who are an American magazine/webzine. I’m also an American. I like a lot of European city cars, and maybe I’ll do a series on european cars in the future.