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Which one of these four door subcompacts can be called the best. We'll help you decide next on Motor Week. Motor Week television's automotive magazine with your host John Davis. Hello and welcome to motor week. I'm glad you're with us. This will be a first for Motor Week. Our first Complera car road test our four subjects right behind me a quartet of modern front drive for door subcompacts. Those with Will bases under ninety six inches. We're going to see which one or ones might do you best service and commuting an every day family duties for contestants. First from West Germany by way of Pennsylvania the

venerable bokes wagon rabbit. Next a Datsun by any other new name. The Nissan Sentra third from the Fifth Republic. There were no look car. And lastly this Mitsubishi made Dodge Colt. Now before we start a pencil and paper will come in handy to help you make your own judgments. We use six testers and they each had 200 points toward divided among five categories 30 points for appearance which includes styling and interior exterior body panel fit and also paint finish 50 points for practicality how much each car will hold comfortably and how much each one cost 40 points for performance that's handling an acceleration of 30 points for braking and another big 50 points for mileage. Perhaps the most important concern of any small car. H tester was free to award the points in any way he or she wanted and the winning car is the one that gets the most number of points out of the 12 hundred available. So here we go with our first star seeker. The Dodge Colt.

It's appropriate that the Mitsubishi made called comes first in our comparison since it seems to have won some sort of unofficial prize in Detroit. Literally dozens of Colts have been bought by the mastic manufacturers. They've been tearing them to pieces trying to find out how such a tiny car outside can be so roomy inside one Detroit engineer confessed to us that the cold is the optimum box on four wheels. It may end up being closely copied in any domestically made future sub compact. One of the things that makes the cold so unusual for an econobox is that it's actually quite handsomely styled. The shovel nose front in is right up there with the latest in design. Rubber and chrome bumpers are well integrated with the fenders fit and finish which is usually superior in Japanese cars was typically excellent. Paint was evenly applied and contain no run strips or errors. All body seams were tight fitting with even gaps. Not only did our cold have the larger optional

1.6 liter four cylinder but it was also the only one of our test cars straddled with an automatic transmission. Still it's 6 second passing time from 40 to 55 though a bit slow was comparable to all its competition. Good low power traits are common to sub compacts and the cold is no exception. A time of 10 seconds flat and 50 miles per hour rates a good grade in our 500 stop light drag course. Even over the standing quarter mile the cult tried to live up to its name. They came in with a fair report of nineteen point five seconds and 69 miles per hour. If it had either of the two available manual gearboxes it could have easily won all the marbles for straight line acceleration and once off the straight and narrow you can begin to see why I called so the current favorite for an East Coast parking lot. Handling competitions the car tracks right where you think it should control is precise despite rather slow rack and pinion steering. Any temptation for the light rear end

to swing wide is quickly telegraphed to the driver's sense it was. About the only major complaints have to do with an excessive amount of torque steer. It helped pull the car into left turns but hampered right ones and skinny 13 inch tires tried to roll under the body when pushed. Typically bouncy but harsh only over poor road surfaces and high speed emergency lane changing course however trying to sling this little beast around too hard does quickly exhibit the limits of the car's suspension. For economy cars practicality often begins with price with a base of four thousand nine hundred ninety five dollars. And our test car entering at $7500 a call placed about midway against its competition. Also about average was its turning circle at thirty four feet. Chrysler spends a lot of money telling us how cults can carry five in good comfort. Well we found it more practical for normal sized adults although entry and exit

is typically hampered by the small doors are standard for piece of luggage set enough for about a week's vacation would only fit with a rear seat folded flat. A temporary spare tire and good scissors jack is located under the cargo floor. Drivers will find a pleasant environment but it's not quite as comfortable as we'd like. The seats are thinly padded but with good back support the standard dash is simple but lacking most desired gauges. The 1983 calls will have a restyled dash that includes protruding Subaru like control knobs for lights and wipers and even more idiot lights. Brakes were also a mixed bag stops from thirty four of acceptable length at 39 feet but a mushy pedal failed to inspire confidence. From 55 mph results were better with distances reduced to a shorter average of only one hundred one thousand feet.

But pedal pressure was very high. No pull or rear end swing around was noticed. But there was quite a bit of brake lock and gobs of fade. I guess you can't have everything. The single overhead cam engine in our 2000 140 pound Colt pumps out a respectable seventy two horsepower second highest of the four entrants. Even with an automatic that translates into a mileage estimate from the EPA 29 city 35 highway the motor week 100 mile test loop simulates typical urban driving with a good mixture of 2 and 4 lane streets and highways. So even we were impressed with this average of 33 considering it's slush box nature of getting power to those four tiny wheels. To sum it up it's easy to see why the Mitsubishi cold is a highly studied car. It does have enough compromises to make it less than perfect but as you'll soon see none of our contestants is anyway. But as Detroit has already found out it's a remarkable mixture of small size and acceptable comfort suitable for both

Tokyo traffic jams and wide open American interstates. Now from Japan we go halfway across the world to the biggest carmaker in France. Right now our contestant is reputed to be the World's Most Popular Front wheel drive car. The look car. It's certainly the winner of any contest on character and as you'll see maybe eccentricity as well. The Renault a car known as the R5 in France first went on sale in the U.S. in 1976. Four years after its European introduction. Unlike many imports the car boast a wide well established dealer network by being sold through the American Motors Corporation. Now largely controlled by Renault. The four door hatchback was not brought over until 1982 and it was opened up a wider market. To this the smallest and lightest of our four contestants and although it also contains the most junior to four cylinder engine of the lot it is not without performance. In fact Car racing is

becoming a big low buck sport from coast to coast. As proof from 40 to 55 mph we found a third gear passing time of five point nine seconds to be acceptable and as fast as any of the test rivals. But beyond that its one point four leaders and fifty one horsepower quickly run out of pap over our 500 foot acceleration run designed to measure performance in an every day light. The car dropped the last place for the time of eleven point five seconds and only forty nine miles per hour. The problem is mostly in the transaxle small engines need all the help they can get and that usually means 5 forward gear the cars rubber a shipping manual has only four despite my constant attempts to shift Tire the engine is willing but the drive train is weak. Thus a quarter mile time of twenty one point five seconds and sixty six miles per hour also gets the booby prize. On the other hand car surprised us in its ability to handle like most

French cars its suspension is super soft with an unusually high ground clearance that normally translates and does here to oodles of body roll. Yet our car was the fastest through our low speed slalom course thanks in part to a step quick and precise manual rack and pinion steering and a good if tiny set of 13 h Michelin tires. But I wouldn't get too carried away in any LE CARRE saw sense in our high speed emergency lane change you do sense that just a tad too much speed and jerk. Good problem the need for top mounted roller skates and other types of emergencies like when you wish to stop on a frank the car does exceptionally well. From 30 mph stops averaged a brief 31 feet. There was some occasional front wheel lock but never pull nor fade from 55 the power front desk rear drums were even more impressive. Very short. An exact opposite average of 117 feet made the Renault our brake test champion

drivers commented on how secure it felt despite some increase in pedal pressure while making note of the near total absence of rear end swing around. Again some credit must go to the tires although their wheels were a source of concern no one could get used to the fact that each wheel is held on only by three small lug nuts. I'd feel better with four but then there isn't much about the rest of the car's appearance that isn't unique. Styling is bug odd but cute looking taller but more squished than it should paint quality and body panel fit were very good and really left us with only one complaint every time we filled up our car back pressure in the fuel tank would cause gas to belch out even after the cap was replaced. Not only will that eventually mar the finish but it could start a fire as well. That narrow styling just right for small Parisian back streets translates into a cramped but very upright cockpit. Although you

sit high in the car even tall drivers had plenty of headroom. The sculptured black and tan dash did lack a glove box although there is a lower package tray and large door pockets. The great sounding AM FM radio however sits upright on the floorboard and is difficult to tune without looking away from the road. As for other controls fingertip switches allow one's hands to stay on the steering wheel as your eyes monitor the speedometer fuel gauge and an incredible array of some bold warning lights to adult back seaters however will fare less well as both head and leg room are just acceptable an entrance through the small doors over high Sills is tricky. A problem with most four door sub Compaq's also lacking is the size of the trunk. As with the cold dark standard set of luggage would not fit the full size spare tire takes up a lot of room but the rear seat does fold forward and flat and transforms the look car into a mini

station wagon for to a more practical use of the limited space. There were nose turning circle at 33 feet. It was also average for the group. The base model of car is the cheapest car sold in America at four thousand seven hundred ninety five dollars deluxe four door with most options including air conditioning totaled out to six thousand nine hundred seventy seven only $69 ahead of the more spartan Datsun Nissan Sentra. But by the time Renault finished installing all those options and complying with federal emission controls there was little space left for the engine. It is very cramped even for routine service. Plus the lack of a five speed gearbox puts a car at a mileage disadvantage. The EPA rates this model at 32 City 40 highway and theory second only to the Sentra. However in practice the best we could manage was 29 the least thrifty of the group. Well no one builds cars quite like the French. And now before we get to our third test just

a reminder since you've already got your paper and pencil handy why not use them to tell us how you like I compare a car road test. Want to see more. Let us know. Maybe along with the suggestion of the type of car to do next. Our address Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. That's Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Now that pencil still sharp then let's take a look at I third bride to be also from Japan. This is the long awaited replacement for the Datsun 210 a car that held the gas sipping crown for more years than we can remember. The new kid in town. The Nissan Sentra. The Nissan Sentra was introduced in the late spring of 1982 making it the newest design among our four contestants. It is also the biggest being six inches longer than the called a foot longer than the rabbit and two feet more than the look car yet it weighs in at an even ton. Only 80 pounds heavier than the Renault product.

The Sentra is also the only one of our board or sub compacts and not to have a rear hatch preferring instead a traditional trunk. But contrary to first impressions that is hardly a disadvantage. The trunk is huge long and flat. It was the only car besides the rabbit to take all four bags without folding a rear seat. The front cabin is also very roomy. More than large enough for two overweight inhabitants with seats comfortable enough for hundreds of miles without backache all the extra length of the center means the biggest rear doors and easiest entry of the group. Plus with the front seats all the way to the rear there is plenty of knee room since the Sentra is also the widest of our test cars. There is space on the fixed rear bench for three honest sized adults in the right hand side. This is a big car but space utilisation does not end there. The wide plain looking dash also includes a full glove box and two cubby holes just right for a set of keys or a pack of smokes and if that

isn't enough there are two convenient door pockets. Nissan however has not been so generous with extra mentation although it does at least include a temperature gauge. But your affection for the center will not end and side it's great in tight spaces too with the turning diameter of only 32 feet. Only one foot larger than the best of its rivals and price. With the base price of four thousand nine hundred forty nine for the cheapest version and a six thousand nine hundred eighteen dollars. Rob Ford or test car. This Nissan product gave us the most usable car for the buck. More than any of the other four. But it may not be the best car of the four. If you like a lots of styling in your cars the centrum may not be your cup of rice wine. We found our four door a rather boring shape with a huge black federal safety bumpers protruding awkwardly from the rest of the design. Although exterior paint and trim were up to normal Japanese standards we did find a couple of

uncharacteristic flaws on the interior like this one. The inside door molding that refused to remain attached could Nissan quality control be slipping. Could it also be that the Sentra has totally forsaken handling and the search of ride through our low speed slalom course the Sentra was the slowest of our group. We couldn't blame it on the power rack and pinion steering which while numb was plenty quick. The real culprits were the front MacPherson struts a combination of two soft springs and very slow responding shocks meant abnormal body lean in turns the car would roll until the outside springs were fully compressed then trying to roll more. It would force the tires to hop outward around the turn at least the rear end stayed put. That is until the high speed emergency lane change where the stern then quickly got out of hand. It took several attempts at entering our course at the customary 55 mph before we could keep the car from broadside and down the road even

under control you can still see a lot of tail twitch. We finally blame the high mileage white walled Yokohama radios for most of that trouble. Nissan suggest only 26 pounds of air for normal use. A low recommendation for such a tire the heat of the day had them up to 35. Since these tires are not known for great traction Anyway it made a bad situation worse. But you exclaim This is not a performance car. And you're right. And at highway speeds the centroid is a delight. It would seem to be a great small car for people who don't like small cars. The ride is soft if a bit away. But only over broken pavement if we feel any harshness. Since the center is designed as a high mileage car we also did not anticipate great acceleration and thus were not disappointed. But a passing time of 6.7 seconds from 40 to 55 is slow and was the slowest of the four. On the other hand the excellent 5 speed manual transaxle

did allow some face to be saved over a 500 foot and quarter mile contest a time of ten point nine seconds at 50 mph for the former and 20 seconds and 69 mph for the latter while again slow gave it third place among the competition braking results were also so-so from 30 distances averaged a good 35 feet. There was no locking or fade with moderate pedal pressure however from 55 things again changed the rear brakes would tend to lock first causing some wheel hop. This combined with the light back in and those hard hot tires produce consistent tail swing around. Distances still averaged an OK 133 feet but we honestly think that a change in tires on the Sentra could cure a lot of its problems. But one thing you're not going to want to change is mileage this so-called efore efficiency engine is the heart of the matter. It's overhead cam hemispherical

combustion chamber design produced an EPA rating of 35 city and 50 highway for our four door motor weeks. Urban loop produced a class winning 40 for a terrific performance. Indeed it is. But we have one more to go before we see who our winner is. So I last but not least contestant is a car that's been synonymous with efficiency and practicality for the last 80 years. The folks wagon rabbit. The Volkswagen Rabbit carries a number of distinctions in our comparison test. First it's next to the oldest design in the group having first cross the pond in 1975. Second it was the first car to really popularize the now famous two box design. That's a box in the front of the front drive engine and a box in the back for you and me and everything else. But the third is perhaps the most important. It's the only one of our group actually assembled in America. This Pennsylvania made rabbit has a lot more domesticated than its German forebears and that makes it something of a

strange pair. Styling is still almost all European. With only U.S. safety bumpers and marker lights detracting from the theme this efficiency of design makes our rabbit the second shortest car of the group. Folks wagon has also gone a long way in proving that American workers need to take a backseat to no one in the areas of fit and finish. Most body panels met smartly with all trim flowing and straight level lines. Quality was also good. There was no orange peel on any of the vertical surfaces. That's a rippled look coming from too little paint. The hard fall to overcome for any mass production car and common to most regardless of the price. I did notice one slip in the otherwise glossy finish. There were several runs in the rust proofing on the very bottom of the rocker panel. At least they were in a mostly invisible place. But performance is where most of the compromises come before. If you want a smooth

riding economy car the 2100 £94 VW Rabbit will beat all comers. It really does feel like a much bigger car. But you pay for that supple ride with a lot of body lean and turns and too much front in plowing entire scrub the car seems light to the point of concern. The feeling is that if you let it go too far you won't recover. On the other hand the U.S. made good year whether tires were a big improvement over most standard import rubber and helped add field to the otherwise power rack and pinion steering. Acceleration was mostly a bottom end story right where you needed in every day driving a reasonable time a five point nine seconds an hour 40 to 55 mph passing test was followed by a better than average breadth of nine point seven seconds at 53 mph over the 500. On Ramp course only over the quarter mile did the pace slow to an only average 19 seconds and 70 mph. But that's not due to the otherwise strong

engine as much as it is to the Smart shifting 5 speed manual. It has an overdrive fourth and a super economy fifth gear. However the VW Rabbit was easily the most spirited of the group. Although four doors do make all subcompacts more attractive for family use the sheer lack of bling always means smallish portals getting in and out of the rabbit takes a bit of doing for the back seat or the rear seat does have long cushions but sits too high for adequate head room. That rear seat does fold completely forward so pouring luggage through the fifth door hatch can be like tossing water into a bottomless pit. A full size spare is also located under the cargo floor. The driver's cabin is much more roomy with plenty of headroom for two all star forwards. The seats are German hard but could stand more lateral support on the dash. It's a refreshing sight. Simple handsome and looks expensive since it's completely covered in padded crash resistant

vinyl. The lower knee bar bolster also should protect any million dollar joints and minor fender benders. Instrumentation has been simplified from earlier rabbits. It lacked most gauges and a tack ometer though it did include the economy minded upshift indicator. In addition the minute 31 foot turning circle for a rabbit is one of the smallest we've recorded. It's surprising just how many small cars make much bigger turns. But be warned the VW price could turn more than a few heads to base prices five thousand nine hundred ninety dollars and our mid range model has and has tested list of eight thousand one hundred ninety five that makes it the priciest of our four econoboxes and general brakes got high marks. Good pedal pressure a little fader lock and mostly straight stops from 30 miles per hour halts took an average of only 30 feet. An excellent showing from 55 although more dramatic the results were just as impressive. Six

panic stops averaged a brief 130 feet what we call short. Only the vagueness of the brake pedal gave any cause for complaint. It seemed like it wasn't really attached to anything. Up to now I've talked a lot about the rabbit's economy but how does it really measure up. It is the most powerful of our four test cars. It's 1.7 liter fuel injected four produces a hearty 74 horsepower but mileage is still rated high by the EPA 27 city 40 highway and actual practice over our 100 mile urban loop motor week produced an unsurprising 33. A fitting end to our story that seems to prove you can have German preciseness and a US ride all in the same car. Thank you Craig. Thank you Arthur Oh well that's it the results are in. So let's take a look. First appearance with 30 points protester for a total of 180. The winner by a wide margin with 68 points the Mitsubishi made Dodge Colt. We like the

styling of the colt and it was the only one of the group without any goofs and fit and finish. Next a most important small car category. Practicality with a possible 300 points taking top honors the newest car of the group the Nissan Sentra that held more cargo than any of the others yet could carry its full complement of five adults in reasonable comfort. Poor performance and a possible 240 points again it was not a close race. The winner again the Dodge Colt with another 86 points. Even with an automatic transmission its acceleration was near tops and no car had more secure handling an emergency situation. Category for breaking a lopsided victory for the Renault car with 84 out of a possible 240 points in the car's 117. But panic braking distance from 55 was not only the shortest but felt the most secure. Finally mileage with a possible 300

points taking almost two thirds of them the Nissan Sentra the center not only had the best test mileage at 44 but was 11 mpg better than its closest rival. And the winner with 366 out of a possible twelve hundred Bowes. The Nissan Sentra a close second. The Dodge cold. And grouped at third and fourth a Volkswagen Rabbit and the Renault in the car. But we have to add that none of the cars really drove away with the contest. So if you could buy a car with the looks quality and performance of the Dodge Colt the roominess and fuel economy of the Nissan Sentra the brakes of the Renault a car and have it made by American workers like the Volkswagen Rabbit then you'd really have the best subcompact money can buy. See you next week on Motor Week. Will this be the year that Ford finally puts the facade back into the Thunderbird and

can Chrysler build a front drive sedan that challenges the best cars of Europe. Good B and you'll get a first hand look at all the domestic car models during motor week's Detroit preview 83. Next time all that's new and refine. From Ford and Chrysler on TV's automotive magazine. Why.

Why. Motorway TV's automotive magazine with your host John Davis.

Hello and welcome to motorway guy I'm glad you're with us and for that matter welcome complex over here across Oakwood Boulevard. That's the home base proving ground for the Ford Motor Company. Well you're not going to have to pry since for the next two weeks motorway is going to take you on a guided tour through the guarded gates of the testing facilities of the big four Detroit auto makers. Or you're going to say all that's new and all that's refined for the 1983 domestic car year this week along with number two Ford. We're also going to visit number three Chrysler. And next time the bigger and the smaller. General Motors and the American Motors Corporation had Goss a loss will be along with special advice on how to keep all the new cars running like new for years to come. So with that said let's go across the street and see what Ford has in store for the 1983 new car year. Back when Ford was an aviation giant making the venerable for a tri motor passenger plane the Dearborn proving ground was actually the.