Lightest Cars Of The 80s

The cars on U.S. roads have continued to gain weight over the years. Your average midsize sedan now checks in at 3,300 pounds, and some compact cars have gotten so heavy that they also weigh more than 3,000 pounds. As cars continue to grow and contain more equipment, they get heavier; however, not all of them have passed the 3,000-pound threshold. Plenty are still under that mark. With the continued push for better fuel economy without sacrificing safety, space, and performance, automakers will be forced to make their vehicles lighter than to meet government requirements. Here is a compilation of cars that have a head start on the rest of the industry when it comes to cutting weight. All of these vehicles weigh less than 3,000 pounds, even in their heaviest and/or range-topping variants.

One of the best-selling vehicles worldwide, the Toyota Corolla offers excellent fuel economy and generous interior space wrapped in a compact package. For those who don’t want to go the hybrid route but value great fuel economy, the Corolla Eco offers up to 30/42 mpg city/highway with the CVT, which is one of the best in its segment.

One of a handful of modern sports cars that focus on handling rather than outright brute force, the Subaru BRZ was developed together with the Scion FR-S in a bid to offer enthusiasts an affordable performance machine. Featuring a high-revving 200-hp flat-four and a chassis tuned specifically for the world’s best twisty roads, the BRZ is all about making sure you, the driver, have as much fun as possible.

The BRZ’s twin, the Scion FR-S, is just as lively as and weighs slightly less due to it not having as many standard features as its Subaru brother. Driving fun remains the FR-S’ main goal, and when you opt for the FR-S equipped with the slick six-speed manual gearbox, you’ll be rewarded with one of the best driving experiences for the money and plenty of sideways action whenever you please.

Despite its raised ride height, the Kia Soul is a hatchback, not a crossover. Quirkiness remains its forte, and thanks to its boxy shape it’s got plenty of space for you, your friends, and some grooving on your night out on the town. The available Infinity by Harman Kardon audio system ensures that the music doesn’t stop and the party lasts even when you’re on the road.

Economical and bubbly, the current generation is one of the models that helped Kia move away from its old image as a maker of cheap, boring transportation. Although it’s still affordable, the Rio, especially the hatchback, is stylish and spacious and features an interior that can hold up to 49.8 cubic feet with the split-folding rear seats down. The SX trim comes generously equipped with Bluetooth, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a rearview camera, navigation, and a 7-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

Touted as a sport hybrid, the Honda CR-Z never really lived up to its promise of affordable performance-minded hybrid due to its lack of power and average-for-a-hybrid fuel economy. However, you can change that by opting for the HPD upgrade kit, which adds a supercharger, a limited-slip differential, a sports exhaust, a more aggressive suspension setup, and bigger brakes for improved performance, plus a generous power boost to 197 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque (from 130 hp and 140 lb-ft).

Although it’s grown larger and heavier than before, the Mini Hardtop is thankfully still less than 3,000 pounds and remains a nimble machine that provides plenty of smiles from behind the wheel without sacrificing fuel economy. Should you want something more mind-boggling, the 228-hp JCW Hardtop will keep you grinning from ear to ear. Just be sure to bring a radar detector with you because the car’s power and torque will get you over legal speeds quickly.

One of the best-driving subcompacts available today, the Ford Fiesta offers everything from a fuel economy-minded SFE model good for up to 43 mpg on the highway to the fun-to-drive Fiesta ST hot hatch. Regardless of the model you choose—as long as it has a manual gearbox—you’re guaranteed to have a smile on your face behind the wheel and plenty of money in your pocket from the money you saved during fill ups.

The Honda Fit makes sorcery a reality with its spacious cabin and the useful four-position Magic Seats, which give the car its hallmark flexibility. Should twisty roads beckon, there’s no need to worry. The Fit remains one of the best subcompacts to drive thanks to its responsive powertrains and well-tuned chassis. Additionally, your bank account will thank you for driving a Fit because of its excellent fuel economy.

With an impressive city fuel economy rating of 53 mpg and tidy dimensions, the Toyota Prius C is an ideal city car for the environmentally conscious. Using a powertrain than combines a 1.5-liter I-4 with an electric motor for a total output of 99 hp, the Prius C is a great choice for the urban jungle. Just make sure you climb up grades slowly because pushing the car’s powertrain hard will result in all of its fuel economy benefits going down the drain.

The Hyundai Accent shares its underpinnings with the Kia Rio, but it’s lighter despite having larger exterior dimensions. Unlike its sibling, the Accent continues to offer a six-speed manual gearbox alongside a six-speed automatic in all trim levels. However, when it comes to tech options, there aren’t many available, which is one of the reasons it doesn’t weigh much (a loaded hatch is shown here).

Seductive and very Italian, the Alfa Romeo 4C and 4C Spider offer raw, cutting-edge performance and handling in a lightweight turbocharged package that’s sexy and distinctive. Although it doesn’t offer much in terms of onboard technology and comforts, it does deliver driving fun in spades, which is what matters most when you’re behind the wheel of a sports car such as the 4C. Underpinning that attractive exterior is a carbon-fiber monocoque that keeps weight down and a world-class chassis that makes the car a pleasure to throw into corners.

Touted as the cheapest vehicle money can buy brand new, the Nissan Versa and Versa Note are also some of the lightest cars available. In terms of practicality, the diminutive sedan and hatch are some of the roomiest subcompacts available today, the latter offering excellent cargo space, flexibility, and midsize sedan-rivaling passenger space.

Essentially a rebadged Mazda2 sedan, the Scion iA is packed with all of Mazda’s Skyactiv technologies, which means it has a rigid but lightweight chassis, body, and suspension; a high compression ratio engine; and slick gearboxes. As a result, the iA is more fun to drive than your average subcompact and returns more than 40 mpg regardless of the gearbox chosen. There’s also a standard infotainment system with an available SD card-based navigation add-on that’s user-friendly and one of the best in its class.

Despite being nearly 10 years old, the Fiat 500 remains stylish, bubbly, and full of Italian personality. If you want the wind in your experience as you cruise down the boulevards, there’s also a convertible variant with a fabric roof that rolls down. A performance-minded Abarth variant is also available, as is a 1957 Edition for the maximum Italian city car experience with dash of retro-chic flair featuring pastel colors and throwback alloy wheel designs.

For its fourth generation, the Mazda MX-5 Miata continues to be one of the purest driving experiences money can buy and the poster child of obsessive weight reduction. The most impressive aspect of the Miata’s weight reduction is that it shed nearly 150 pounds without sacrificing safety or resorting to expensive materials such as carbon fiber. Although the car lost some power for 2016, the lighter curb weight, better balance, and superior power-to-weight ratio has made it the quickest and best-driving MX-5 to date. This is jinba-ittai (horse and rider as one) fully realized.

Although it isn’t the most interesting car to drive, the Toyota Yaris excels at its primary mission: being basic transportation. Fuel efficiency remains one of its strengths despite its age, and the fact that it’s a hatchback means it’s also practical and spacious for its size. For 2016, Toyota decided to add a little bit of flair to the Yaris with contrasting two-tone exterior color choices.

For its redesign, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark offers unexpected tech such as forward collision warning and lane departure warning to help you stay safe. Like its predecessor, the new Spark is also available in a host of vibrant exterior colors to make your car into a personal styling statement. Should you need to stay connected at all times, the Spark has you covered with available 4G LTE connectivity and a standard MyLink infotainment system that’s been revamped with a 7-inch touchscreen and Google Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

A smidge larger but more adorable than ever before, the 2016 Smart Fortwo is full of charm and bubbliness in a small, city-friendly package. Like the previous generation, the new Fortwo lets you customize its design to your heart’s content with a range of exterior colors and two-tone interiors. The car’s safety cell can also be customized so that it contrasts with the main exterior color, which means you’ll have one of the most distinguishable vehicles on the block.

As one of the least expensive new vehicles money can buy, the Mitsubishi Mirage is also the most basic, and it takes the title of being the lightest car available. With a limited options list that includes navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry/start, the Mirage doesn’t have a lot of gadgets that add more weight, but you can get it with some bright exterior colors such as purple, yellow, neon green, red, and a bright blue to spice things up a bit and make your little city runabout a bit more interesting to look at.