Slide of
Americans have a reputation for buying bigger, heavier cars than the rest of the world.
It's not unjustified, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t lightweights to choose from on dealer lots. The lightest car sold new in America in 2018 weighs less than a four-door Toyota Tercel did in 1998. At the other end of the spectrum, there are models that continue to do their best to illustrate the ‘bigger is better’ mantra.
Join us as we look at the 10 lightest and the 10 heaviest new cars available in America. For each car, the figure we list corresponds to the curb weight provided by the manufacturer.
- Slide of
Honda Fit – 2522lb (1146kg)
At 2522lb, the Honda Fit is the 10th lightest new car on the American market. It illustrates how heavy cars have become over the past few decades. In 1988, an entry-level Civic hatchback was almost the same size as the Fit, which Honda positions a notch below the Civic today, and it weighed 1933lb. The trade-off, of course, is that modern cars are safer and more high-tech.
The Ford Fiesta, one of the Fit's closest rivals in America, weighs 2578lb with a manual transmission and 2628lb with an automatic.
- Slide of
Fiat 500 – 2505lb (1137kg)
Fiat’s lightest 500 checks in at 2505lb, a figure which places it below the average for new cars on the American market. The hot-rodded Abarth model weighs 2512lb due in part to its heavier engine and extra equipment. It more than makes up for the difference by packing a serious punch. Not every 500 is a lightweight, however. The 500e, an all-electric model Fiat developed as a compliance car to meet California regulations, weighs nearly 3000lb (1364kg).
- Slide of
Hyundai Accent – 2502lb (1092kg)
The Hyundai Accent stands out as one of the rare cars that weighs exactly the same (2502lb) regardless of trim level. However, it balloons to 2679lb (1217kg) when fitted with an automatic transmission, a figure that makes it heavier than the Ford Fiesta, the gasoline-electric Toyota Prius C and even the Mini Hardtop.
- Slide of
Alfa Romeo 4C – 2465lb (1087kg)
The Alfa Romeo 4C famously stands out as the only new car sold in the United States without power steering. That’s possible because the coupe model weighs just 2465lb thanks in part to the widespread use of carbon fiber in its construction. Its low weight is also what makes it one of the most engaging new cars to drive; think of it as a Lotus Elise with an Italian flair.
Going topless doesn’t require making much of a compromise when it comes to pounds. The 4C Spider checks in at 2487lb (1130kg).
- Slide of
Nissan Versa – 2404lb (1075kg)
The Nissan Versa is much bigger than other cars on this list. Its position as America’s eighth-lightest car is helped because, at $12,110, it’s also the nation’s cheapest new car. Its list of standard features is short and limited to bare essentials like air-con, power windows and cloth upholstery. The Versa Note, a slightly less Spartan hatchback, weighs 2460lb (1118kg).
- Slide of
Smart Fortwo Electric Drive – 2363lb (1060kg)
The gasoline-powered variant of the diminutive Smart Fortwo previously earned the top spot on this list by weighing 2050lb (932kg). It no longer exists in America, where Smart has gone all-electric to avert disaster in the wake of nose-diving sales. The battery-powered Fortwo sees its weight go up to 2363lb as a result of the electric conversion but it remains one of the lightest new cars in America. The Cabrio model weighs 2383lb (1083kg).
- Slide of
Mazda MX-5 Miata – 2332lb (1052kg)
Most cars on this list are cheap, entry-level models that weigh little because they’re small and stripped of many creature comforts for cost reasons. Mazda’s MX-5 Miata is an exception. The famously pure, back-to-the-basics roadster weighs 2332lb in its standard configuration with a manual transmission, an impressive statistic considering the original model from 1989 weighed 2182lb (992kg).
Fiat’s version of the car, the 124 Spider, starts at 2436lb (1107kg) because it’s longer, it has a turbocharger and, as a more comfort-oriented model, it comes with extra sound-deadening material.
- Slide of
Toyota Yaris – 2315lb (1052kg)
The lightest Toyota Yaris weighs 2315lb when fitted with the standard five-speed manual transmission. Customers who prefer a two-pedal setup will nudge the scale to 2335lb by paying extra for a stupendously outdated four-speed automatic transmission. The Yaris iA sedan -- which started life as a Mazda – isn’t far behind the hatchback at 2385lb with a five-speed manual.
- Slide of
Chevrolet Spark – 2246lb (1030kg)
At 2246lb, the Chevrolet Spark is the second-lightest new car in America. It’s relatively heavy compared to the Opel Karl, its European counterpart, which weighs 2070lb (941kg) in its most basic configuration. We chalk up the weight difference between the two models to the Spark’s bigger, heavier 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and its longer list of standard equipment. In comparison, the Karl’s only engine is a 1.0-liter three-cylinder.
- Slide of
Mitsubishi Mirage – 2018lb (917kg)
The lightest new car in America isn’t a sporty coupe or a tiny convertible. It’s the Mitsubishi Mirage, one of the cheapest and smallest models on the market. The Mirage hatchback barely breaks the 2000-pound threshold in its most basic configuration. The entry-level ES model weighs 2018lbs when equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission – and little else.
Selecting the optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) bumps that figure up to 2073lb (942kg). The extra serving of standard equipment Mitsubishi adds to make the range-topping GT trim more compelling makes it the heaviest model in the Mirage line-up at 2128lb (967kg).
- Slide of
And the 10 heaviest cars…
With the 10 lightest cars covered, let’s look at the 10 heaviest cars for sale in America. We’ve excluded pickup trucks such as the Ford F-150 and vans like the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Spoiler alert: the largest model weighs nearly three times as much as Mitsubishi’s petite Mirage.
- Slide of
Mercedes-Maybach S560 4Matic – 5017lb (2273kg)
The Mercedes-Maybach S560 4Matic weighs 5017lb, a figure that makes it nearly 400lb heavier than the non-Maybach-branded model. The extra sheet metal given to the more opulent S650 (pictured) and its additional luxury equipment cause it to put on a little bit of weight – 279lb, to be precise.
Buyers who want a 5000lb car have several other options to choose from. The Volvo XC90 weighs about the same as the S560 when fitted with the gasoline-electric T8 plug-in hybrid option. Land Rover's lightest Range Rover does too, as do many variants of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
- Slide of
Tesla Model X – 5307lb (2412kg)
Electric cars are heavier than comparable gasoline-powered models and SUVs are the heaviest of the lot. It’s no surprise, then, that Tesla’s Model X 75D tips the scale at 5307lb. The 100D and P100D variants weigh 5421lb (2464kg) and 5531lb (2514kg), respectively. To add context, the Model S P100D uses an identical powertrain yet it barely slips under the 5000lb mark (2272kg).
- Slide of
Mercedes-Benz GLS – 5335lb (2425kg)
At 5335lb, even the base Mercedes-Benz GLS, the V6-powered 350, appears on the list of America’s heaviest cars. Throw an extra pair of cylinders under the hood and its weight swells to 5578lb (2535kg) for the GLS 550. The AMG treatment bumps the SUV’s output to 577hp and its weight to a hefty 5754lb (2615kg).
- Slide of
Ford Expedition – 5443lb (2470kg)
Using aluminum helped Ford shed a tremendous of weight from the Expedition. The current model weighs 5443lb in short-wheelbase, rear-wheel drive form and 5544lb with a long wheelbase. Its predecessor – which came with a V8 engine instead of a lighter V6 – weighed about 300lb more.
Lincoln builds the Navigator on the Expedition's bones. As is often the case, the additional equipment required to credibly make the jump from a mainstream to a luxury model adds pounds. The short-wheelbase Navigator weighs 5685lb (2584kg) with two-wheel drive while the long-wheelbase Navigator L starts at 5926lb (2694kg). Selecting four-wheel drive pushes it over the 6000lb mark.
Ford wasn't always concerned about reducing weight. The Excursion, one of the long-wheelbase Expedition's predecessors, weighed over 7600lb (3455kg) with a 7.3-liter turbodiesel V8. Excursion production lasted between 1999 and 2005.
- Slide of
Rolls-Royce Phantom – 5643lb (2565kg)
Luxury comes at a cost – and at a weight. Although it uses an aluminum space frame, the Rolls-Royce Phantom still tips the scale at an elephantine 5643lb in its standard, short-wheelbase configuration. Buyers who splurge on the extended-wheelbase variant get driven home in a car that weighs 5745lb (2611kg). These figures make the Phantom’s acceleration, 0-100mph in 12sec which Autocar described as scarcely believable and quicker than a Ford Focus RS – all the more jaw-dropping.
Heaviness is a trait the Phantom shares with its siblings, including the 5445lb (2475kg) Ghost. The new Cullinan SUV’s weight hovers in the 6000lb (2727kg) range.
- Slide of
Infiniti QX80 – 5676lb (2580kg)
The Infiniti QX80 is part of the diminishing number of SUVs defiantly sticking to the tried-and-true body-on-frame layout. It’s a configuration that’s good for towing and off-roading but bad for keeping weight and fuel economy in check, which explains the SUV’s 5676lb weight. The Nissan Armada – called Patrol in many markets outside of North America – on which the QX80 is based weighs 100lb less than the QX80.
- Slide of
Toyota Sequoia – 5730lb (2605kg)
Toyota has several entries on both ends of the weight scale. The Sequoia, a three-row SUV the firm makes in America largely for the American market, weighs 5730lb when ordered with two-wheel drive and 5985lb (2720kg) when buyers select four-wheel drive. It’s named after a giant tree, after all. It owes its heft to its truck-derived body-on-frame construction and the 5.7-liter V8 engine it shares with the Tundra.
- Slide of
Cadillac Escalade ESV – 5831lb (2650kg)
The Cadillac Escalade ESV weighs 5831lb with two-wheel drive or 6088lb (2767kg) with four-wheel drive. It’s one of the heaviest cars on the American market in either configuration but, in exchange, it offers nearly 121cu ft of trunk space with the second and third rows of seats folded flat. We’ve known people whose college dorm rooms weren’t that big.
The Escalade ESV shares its platform with the Chevrolet Suburban and the GMC Yukon XL, models which weigh 5586lb (2539kg) and 5610lb (2550kg), respectively. The smaller Escalade (pictured) checks in at 5578lb (2535kg).
- Slide of
Bentley Mulsanne – 5977lb (2717kg)
At 5977lb, the Bentley Mulsanne is far heavier than its arch nemesis from Goodwood, the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The locomotive-like torque produced by the twin-turbocharged, 6.75-liter V8 engine helps Bentley’s biggest sedan overcome its significant mass and accelerate with a real sense of urgency.
The Mulsanne makes the Bentayga – which weighs 5264lb (2393kg) in its lightest configuration, so with four seats and a V8 engine – look like a lightweight. The Flying Spur's W12 moves around 5456lb (2484kg).
- Slide of
Lexus LX – 6000lb (2727kg)
Though it looks and feels like it’s crafted from a solid block of steel, the Mulsanne isn’t the heaviest car sold new in America. The honor goes to the Lexus LX, a luxurious evolution of the Toyota Land Cruiser which weighs an even 6000lb when fitted with three rows of seats. Lexus hasn’t revealed how much of that mass lies in the LX’s grille. In comparison, the less luxurious Toyota it’s based on weighs in at 5815lb (2643kg).
- Slide of
Honorable mentions
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t published full specifications for the American-spec variant of the new G-Class yet. We predict it will weigh about 5500lb (2500kg), a figure that, if accurate, will make it about 250lb (113kg) lighter than the outgoing model. Speaking of the G, Mercedes recently stopped selling one of the heaviest passenger cars in the US. The portal axle-equipped G550 4x4-squared (pictured) weighed a whopping 6825lb (3102kg).
Numerous cars fall in the vicinity of 4400lb (2000kg), which is likely because that figure converts to two metric tons. The list includes the Audi A8, the Aston Martin Rapide and the Bugatti Chiron.
- Slide of
What about trucks?
The Ford F-Series, America’s best-selling vehicle, isn’t as heavy as it might seem. The firm relied on aluminum to shave weight when it designed the current model and its efforts have paid off. The F-150 weighs as little as 4069lb (1850kg) in the lightest and most basic of the dozens of available configurations. The heaviest version is the Raptor, which comes in at 5525lb (2545kg) due to the extra suspension hardware.
The outgoing Chevrolet Silverado 1500 weighs 4696lb (2135kg) as a regular cab with two-wheel drive and up to 5300lb (2409kg) as a four-wheel drive crew cab. That’s before options and it’s the lightest configuration for each body style. Specifications for the brand-new 2019 model haven't been released yet. Toyota's Tundra weighs between 5,100 (2318kg) and 5,680lb (2582kg). The smaller Tacoma starts right below the 4000lb (1818kg) mark.
Close
