Hey SCC readers. I know it’s been a while. We’ve still been here, still been doing things, but just not as active on the website. For what it’s worth, we still have a very active Subcompact Culture Facebook Group. Please join! So what’ve we been up to lately?
Toyota Yaris Update
The Yaris finally broke the 100,000 mile mark—14 years after buying it. To celebrate, we took the car from Oregon down to California for a vacation. It’d been a long time since we’d piloted the car on a road trip that long. The car continues to be a lot of fun to drive. It is approaching a time in its life where it’s going to get some maintenance. I have parts for a full brake job, coolant flush, new serpentine belt, and spark plugs ready to go to keep the Yaris running in tip-top shape. Additionally, new shocks are in the car’s future. We may take the car in a different direction; maybe lift it up and make it into the RallYaris?
For those of you wondering, here’s a full rundown of the modifications we have to the Yaris at the moment:
Yaris Modifications
Wheels/Tires/Suspension
- 14×7 Votex Larado Wheels (+33 offset)
- 185/65R14 BFGoodrich Advantage Control tires
- Tein S-Tech Springs
- Tokico HP Shocks
- 10mm Rear Hub Spacers (Old Penguin Garage Units)
- TRD rear sway bar
Engine/Transmission
- K&N Typhoon Intake
- Golden Eagle Intake Manifold
- DC Sports Header
- Thunder Axle-Back Exhaust
- Non Stop Tuning Short Shift Kits
Interior/Exterior
- Autometer Autogage Tachometer
- Delrin Shift Knob
- Bushwacker Rear Bumper Cover
No More Mirage
Hell no.
What’s Next?
Subcompact Culture was started about 13 years ago with the idea that some people actually enjoy driving small cars. There are people who prefer subcompact vehicles over full-size trucks, giant sedans, or svelte coupes. We don’t have anything against those people who like big vehicles, but we recognized there are people who like to think big and drive small. We still do.
The subcompact car market is all but gone in the U.S. now, sans some MINIs, the Mitsubishi Mirage, the Chevy Spark, and a couple others. But who knows how long those options will be around.
While new small cars might be scarce, there will always be small car enthusiasts (including us).