MTFCA Forum

Yesterday, I was parking in a city parking garage and noticed the garage still has a few reserved sections for Compact cars, up front. Which of course got me to thinking: "would my 21 Touring be classified as a compact car?"
I know from driving the model t, that it has a smaller foot print on the road than most cars that pass me.
As I got looking the classification of compact cars, i could not find a defined outside dimensions of what a compact or sub compact car should be.
Doing research, a car like the 2019 Toyota Yaris, is a considered sub compact car. It has a wheelbase of 171.2 inches; which is more than the Model t ford at about 100+ inches.
Has anyone used compact car section for their model t?
Thanks

It is smaller than a VW bug, so yes it is a compact car. Take that spot!

Just to be nit-picky, 171.2" (14'-3") is the overall length of the Yaris. Correct on Model T wheelbase, wheel base is the distance between axels. Wheel/tire diameter plus fender overhang gives you overall length. Probably should add the overhang of the touring top when it's down as well for a Model T.

I consider my TT to fall into the catagory of "Winning Vehicle", as it is a winner,
no matter which way I slice it.

However, up until today, I have seen no parking spaces specially designated for
such vehicles.

Were I to back it into something, serious compaction would result. Perhaps a
special designation for Compacting Vehicles ?

Yes.

The compact only parking I have seen are not places of honor to reward more fuel efficient cars, they are sub sized parking spaces, often at a tight turn or where there is less than adequate clearance. I prefer to stay away from those spaces even with a compact car.

Compact stalls were created for the sole purpose of increasing parking stall counts that are required to satisfy minimum regulatory requirements. As an Architect in the '80's and 90's (now Mechanical Engineer), I had to work within building and zoning codes in 20 states and 4 countries. The use of compact stalls was often the only way to balance available land with building square footage. I don't use them unless nothing else is available.

Mine most definitely fits in a compact space!

Did a little INTERNET search interesting results. The definition has changed over the years 1950 - present.
Compact car is a vehicle size class— predominantly used in North America— that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. Prior to the downsizing of the United States car industry in the 1970s and 1980s, larger vehicles with wheelbases up to 110 in (2.79 m) were considered "compact cars" in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on the combined passenger and cargo volume, compact cars are defined as having an interior volume index of 100–109 cu ft. Good to know in case you get a citation for a parking violation. If the space fits use it.

I always look at those "compact" stencils on the pavement as a warning not to park anything larger than a cub cadet or roadster there... and even then, expect to get your paint dinged.

Depends upon how fast the 2 big rigs were going that it got caught between in a head on or if you drove it into a lake!

My touring sure takes up a lot less space than my 73 Gran Torino...and it’s a “mid size” !!

I need to find 1 of those spaces and park my 74 Lincoln in the spot long enough for a photo shoot! HEHEhe, 20 feet long.I don't think it is a compact!~