Spry

Honda makes a hybrid version of its well-loved Civic. It has a pretty normal turning radius of 35.4 feet. As a regular road is about 22 to 24 feet wide, that means a u-turn cannot be done without a fair use of reverse gear. Most cars are similar. The Ford Escape's is 36.7 feet, and the tiny Mazda 2 is 32.2 feet.

Even toy-sized cars all have a big radius for turning. The Mini Cooper is 35.1 feet and the Smart Car is 28.7 feet. None of these can do a turn-about on a normal, narrow road without some zigzagging.

We, however, bought a Toyota Prius. One thing we got that we didn't know about was a very spry turning radius. It is a mere 31.4 feet. This is by far the best of any car I'd previously driven. The only car I've listed above that turns tighter is the Smart Car.

I loved driving my Prius. It seemed to turn on a dime compared to most, making parking and such a breeze.

Our new car is a strange and tiny beast. It is a Scion IQ, and is a dandy toy-sized car in every respect. The magic part is the turning radius. She can zip about in a ridiculously tight 12.9 feet. You read that right. It's less than half the radius of a Smart Car. It is no sweat to pull 180 degrees even on a narrow road, with cars parked on both sides.

I have been spoiled.

Now driving the Prius feels like an elephant, or even a brontosaurus.

Nothing like a Ford F150 (regular cab) at 41.7 feet. How do people drive things like that?