Small cars, big love
Big SUV
Have you noticed? Cars are getting bigger and wider every year.
So big that they barely fit into parking spots anymore. And don’t even get me started on underground garages, you practically need acrobatic skills to get out without scratching the doors.
I couldn’t help but smile when I read that. My own car story is the exact opposite: from big and bulky to small and joyful.
Compact car
“mom car”
My very first car was an Audi 100, five meters long and 1.8 meters wide. My first boss called it a mom car for three kids… while I was still very much single.
Parking in the heart of Ghent was a daily adventure. I chose my first apartment mainly because it had a garage, which turned out to be too small for my car. Every attempt to drive in was a comedy of back-and-forth manoeuvres that could have won an Oscar.
Parking space
A thirst for…fuel
When I started working in Brussels, I commuted daily with that beast of a car. It drank not only petrol but also oil as if it were water. Time for a change. Time to go smaller.
That’s when my love affair for small cars began. Each new car was a little shorter, a little smarter, a little happier.
Fuel consumption
The VW UP! love on four tiny wheels
My last car in Belgium was a VW UP!, just 3.6 meters long and 1.6 meters wide.
A dream of a compact car: agile, efficient, and perfect for both city streets and countryside lanes.
And for anyone who thinks it’s too small: check out the Instagram page of Nieuwen Bosch Humaniora Ghent. They managed to fit 15 adults inside a VW UP! Sure, like sardines in a tin but they fit!
Oldtimer
Enter: the Citroën 2CV
My husband’s car is a Citroën 2CV old-timer, even smaller than my UP!.
But oh, what charm! The soft engine rattle, the whiff of petrol, the bumpy ride, pure nostalgia.
So no, I really don’t get why everyone wants a huge SUV. More fuel consumption, more parking stress, and panic in narrow streets. Give me a small car any day, one that dances effortlessly through tight corners.
Tenerife roads
From Flanders to Tenerife without our little cars
When we moved to Tenerife, we left both of our cars in Belgium. For now, we drive a rental car, which is handy for testing different models. But I do miss my little UP!.
The roads here are an adventure of their own: steep mountain passes, hairpin bends, and picturesque villages with streets so narrow that even a scooter hesitates.
A car here needs to be strong enough to climb, but small enough to squeeze through.
My UP! is now happily in the hands of my niece, who enjoys it to the fullest.
But our little Citroën 2CV still waits patiently for us back home.
Will we ever ship it to Tenerife? Or buy a new compact car that can handle the hills? We haven’t decided yet.
Sustainable driving
Small is beautiful
One thing I do know: I’ll always be in love with small cars.
They’re economical, sustainable, kind to the planet and to my nerves when I’m parking.
Did you already notice that people are a bit like their cars? Some take up so much space, make a lot of noise, and burn through energy. Others are compact, efficient, and get where they need to be, gracefully and without fuss. And You? Are you team compact car or more into big rides?
Citroen 2cv Fourgonnette
