The Smart's fuel economy is PATHETIC. There is no other word for it. Offhand, a Focus, a Civic, a Fit, or even a Dart (all much larger cars) match or beat the mileage! (A Focus MPG or Civic HF not just beat, but trounce it.) A Smart is an enclosed golf cart that does nothing well.
Almost had me a Smart car today.
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^^^Careful there, what with all that "red neck mentality" and all!
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I suppose if you feel safe driving down the highway in a 8.8 foot, 1,800 lb car where the crush zone is your knee cap, GO FOR IT! Just be sure you miss all the semi's and do not slip off the highway into a tree.
As for me I'll stick to something more substantial.
As far as stats, nope, I don't have any, but I do have common sense. And a smidgen of knowledge of physics.
As for me I'll stick to something more substantial.
As far as stats, nope, I don't have any, but I do have common sense. And a smidgen of knowledge of physics.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
^^^Careful there, what with all that "red neck mentality" and all!
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I see them all over greater Boston, even on the high ways. I am glad to be saved. I scrapped a 15 MPG Grand Wagoneer for a 21 MPG Ranger. Does this make me greener?
^^^Careful there, what with all that "red neck mentality" and all!
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I see them all over greater Boston, even on the high ways. I am glad to be saved. I scrapped a 15 MPG Grand Wagoneer for a 21 MPG Ranger. Does this make me greener?
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: expat
Personally, I'd not buy one, but if I lived in the City, I could see there use.
I figure a guy buys what suits his/her needs best, and that's no concern of anybody else.
Agreed.
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
That is in the fabric of the culture of BITOG. I don't understand that either, but I was never drawn toward red neck values either.
Unfortunately, it's more than just here.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
Efficient? Per their own web site, 34 city/38 highway. Thats with preminum fuel to boot.
Heck I get the same with a 12 year old Ford Escort with 165,000 miles on it, and with regular gas.
And folks poked fun at the Corvair.
Whats the gripe? The sale of an unsafe vehicle in a real world crash on the open road. But then an accident in a motorcycle is deadly also.
Efficiency comes in many forms, not just fuel economy, but that's just the typical mentality of folks in this neck of the world. There are many people who do not need or desire anything larger. Does that make them wrong? No. Also with a fairly low MSRP, why spend more if you don't NEED more? Sure you could go used for less, but what if the desire is new with a warranty? Maybe for someone living in a major city, it's easier for them not to own a car, but instead a bicycle if it meets all their needs. Does that make them stupid too, just because they choose not to wrap themselves in 4000+lbs of full size truck ?
Originally Posted By: jcwit
I suppose if you feel safe driving down the highway in a 8.8 foot, 1,800 lb car where the crush zone is your knee cap, GO FOR IT! Just be sure you miss all the semi's and do not slip off the highway into a tree.
As for me I'll stick to something more substantial.
As far as stats, nope, I don't have any, but I do have common sense. And a smidgen of knowledge of physics.
And there in, lies the problem. You're shooting from the hip, but haven't a clue as to what you're shooting at...
Here, I'll help you out...
Quote:
Despite its diminutive size, the vehicle has earned the highest front and side crashworthiness ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received high marks in crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including a top five-star crash test rating for side impact protection and roof strength
As for physics, this car is designed around metropolitan use where speeds are much slower than on the freeway. Most here are making comparisons of Smart vs. semi or other large vehicle, driving off the road at high speeds, but that's not really it's ideal environment. Sure, there are people who take them out there though but just like with most cars/trucks, if you hit something solid and immovable at 70, you're just as likely to be toast.
Personally, I'd not buy one, but if I lived in the City, I could see there use.
I figure a guy buys what suits his/her needs best, and that's no concern of anybody else.
Agreed.
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
That is in the fabric of the culture of BITOG. I don't understand that either, but I was never drawn toward red neck values either.
Unfortunately, it's more than just here.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
Originally Posted By: expat
What I do not understand is the hostility many people seem to have toward 'efficient' vehicles in general, and/or there owners!
What's the Gripe?
Efficient? Per their own web site, 34 city/38 highway. Thats with preminum fuel to boot.
Heck I get the same with a 12 year old Ford Escort with 165,000 miles on it, and with regular gas.
And folks poked fun at the Corvair.
Whats the gripe? The sale of an unsafe vehicle in a real world crash on the open road. But then an accident in a motorcycle is deadly also.
Efficiency comes in many forms, not just fuel economy, but that's just the typical mentality of folks in this neck of the world. There are many people who do not need or desire anything larger. Does that make them wrong? No. Also with a fairly low MSRP, why spend more if you don't NEED more? Sure you could go used for less, but what if the desire is new with a warranty? Maybe for someone living in a major city, it's easier for them not to own a car, but instead a bicycle if it meets all their needs. Does that make them stupid too, just because they choose not to wrap themselves in 4000+lbs of full size truck ?
Originally Posted By: jcwit
I suppose if you feel safe driving down the highway in a 8.8 foot, 1,800 lb car where the crush zone is your knee cap, GO FOR IT! Just be sure you miss all the semi's and do not slip off the highway into a tree.
As for me I'll stick to something more substantial.
As far as stats, nope, I don't have any, but I do have common sense. And a smidgen of knowledge of physics.
And there in, lies the problem. You're shooting from the hip, but haven't a clue as to what you're shooting at...
Here, I'll help you out...
Quote:
Despite its diminutive size, the vehicle has earned the highest front and side crashworthiness ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received high marks in crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including a top five-star crash test rating for side impact protection and roof strength
As for physics, this car is designed around metropolitan use where speeds are much slower than on the freeway. Most here are making comparisons of Smart vs. semi or other large vehicle, driving off the road at high speeds, but that's not really it's ideal environment. Sure, there are people who take them out there though but just like with most cars/trucks, if you hit something solid and immovable at 70, you're just as likely to be toast.
Originally Posted By: andyd
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
^^^Careful there, what with all that "red neck mentality" and all!
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I see them all over greater Boston, even on the high ways. I am glad to be saved. I scrapped a 15 MPG Grand Wagoneer for a 21 MPG Ranger. Does this make me greener?
If you scrapped a Grand Wagoneer, it makes ME want to strangle you!
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
^^^Careful there, what with all that "red neck mentality" and all!
I thank goodness for all those gas saving little smarty cars. They are saving the world for us all!
Darwin rules.
I see them all over greater Boston, even on the high ways. I am glad to be saved. I scrapped a 15 MPG Grand Wagoneer for a 21 MPG Ranger. Does this make me greener?
If you scrapped a Grand Wagoneer, it makes ME want to strangle you!
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Despite its diminutive size, the vehicle has earned the highest front and side crashworthiness ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received high marks in crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including a top five-star crash test rating for side impact protection and roof strength
As for physics, this car is designed around metropolitan use where speeds are much slower than on the freeway. Most here are making comparisons of Smart vs. semi or other large vehicle, driving off the road at high speeds, but that's not really it's ideal environment. Sure, there are people who take them out there though but just like with most cars/trucks, if you hit something solid and immovable at 70, you're just as likely to be toast.
[/quote]
If you go back to my first post you'll see my comments about the so called Smart car is about their use on the open road at highway speeds. Yes I do believe they have a use on the city with congested streets and parking at a premium, just not on the open road. How does one manage that, I have no idea but I still have my opinion about it use, and I'll stick to it.
Despite its diminutive size, the vehicle has earned the highest front and side crashworthiness ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received high marks in crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including a top five-star crash test rating for side impact protection and roof strength
As for physics, this car is designed around metropolitan use where speeds are much slower than on the freeway. Most here are making comparisons of Smart vs. semi or other large vehicle, driving off the road at high speeds, but that's not really it's ideal environment. Sure, there are people who take them out there though but just like with most cars/trucks, if you hit something solid and immovable at 70, you're just as likely to be toast.
[/quote]
If you go back to my first post you'll see my comments about the so called Smart car is about their use on the open road at highway speeds. Yes I do believe they have a use on the city with congested streets and parking at a premium, just not on the open road. How does one manage that, I have no idea but I still have my opinion about it use, and I'll stick to it.
We take our Fit into any urban driving we need to do since it's much easier to see out of and park than the larger Cruze. I wish the front overhang were shorter to fit it into tighter parking spots, though. Turns out it does just fine in high-speed crashes since it's mostly high-strength steel making up the unibody structure, and is good at keeping the passenger compartment intact.
The Smart makes sense for urban dwellers who live far from public transportation, or can't use public transportation to get where they need to go. 34 mpg city is impressive for a non-hybrid, and the things can be parked in tiny spots. In a city where parking is a blood sport, that's an asset that few other cars can offer. It can be used for highway travel, but that's not its forte. And it gets only 38 mpg highway since it's a box on wheels. Not much aerodynamic enhancement to do there that will not impact its city usefulness.
And, their drivers can be just as clueless as BMW/Hyundai/Honda/Kia/Buick/"insert automaker here" drivers.
The Smart makes sense for urban dwellers who live far from public transportation, or can't use public transportation to get where they need to go. 34 mpg city is impressive for a non-hybrid, and the things can be parked in tiny spots. In a city where parking is a blood sport, that's an asset that few other cars can offer. It can be used for highway travel, but that's not its forte. And it gets only 38 mpg highway since it's a box on wheels. Not much aerodynamic enhancement to do there that will not impact its city usefulness.
And, their drivers can be just as clueless as BMW/Hyundai/Honda/Kia/Buick/"insert automaker here" drivers.
I think U.S. drivers might be more impressed with the Smar's fuel economy if they had a diesel option.
http://www.worldcarfans.com/111101237346/smart-cdi-wins-the-mpg-marathon-with-a-9924-mpg-rating
http://www.worldcarfans.com/111101237346/smart-cdi-wins-the-mpg-marathon-with-a-9924-mpg-rating
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Didn't realize voicing ones opinion was sticking ones nose onto anybody life or business for that matter.
But then that is your opinion.
I'll stand by my opinion.
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Didn't realize voicing ones opinion was sticking ones nose onto anybody life or business for that matter.
But then that is your opinion.
I'll stand by my opinion.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Didn't realize voicing ones opinion was sticking ones nose onto anybody life or business for that matter.
But then that is your opinion.
I'll stand by my opinion.
You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but when you and others start spouting half truths and deriding small cars and their owners, it doesn't add anything to the conversation.
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Just like in many other aspects of life, people have to stick their noses in others' lives and tell them that they're wrong. Mind your own business.
Didn't realize voicing ones opinion was sticking ones nose onto anybody life or business for that matter.
But then that is your opinion.
I'll stand by my opinion.
You're certainly entitled to your opinions, but when you and others start spouting half truths and deriding small cars and their owners, it doesn't add anything to the conversation.
Just what are the half truths?
I've always had small cars, owned Corvairs, Ford Falcon, Chev. Vega, VW Rabbit, Fd Escort, KIA RIO, to name a few. Missed the Ford Pinto.
So don't judge my opinion about small cars. How many have you owned.
There is no place for the smart car in the high speed highways. My opinion, and I'll spout that to the mountains.
I've always had small cars, owned Corvairs, Ford Falcon, Chev. Vega, VW Rabbit, Fd Escort, KIA RIO, to name a few. Missed the Ford Pinto.
So don't judge my opinion about small cars. How many have you owned.
There is no place for the smart car in the high speed highways. My opinion, and I'll spout that to the mountains.
This is a half truth.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
The sale of an unsafe vehicle in a real world crash on the open road.
According to the IIHS and NHTSA it's not unsafe, or at least no more unsafe than any other small car- in the city or otherwise.
That's not to say that I'd buy one for interstate cruising as there are more suitable vehicles for that purpose.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
The sale of an unsafe vehicle in a real world crash on the open road.
According to the IIHS and NHTSA it's not unsafe, or at least no more unsafe than any other small car- in the city or otherwise.
That's not to say that I'd buy one for interstate cruising as there are more suitable vehicles for that purpose.
Anyone who has ever been to major cities in Europe can understand where the concept of SmartCar is coming from. I don't see a such a need in north America. One can have a better, bigger, more reliable, and more fuel efficient car in USA for less money.
Disclaimer: I'm very pro fuel efficient cars and Prius is my daily driver.
Disclaimer: I'm very pro fuel efficient cars and Prius is my daily driver.
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
That's not to say that I'd buy one for interstate cruising as there are more suitable vehicles for that purpose.
And that is part of the crux of the whole matter.
Read and watch the whole report. No safety testing was done at highway speeds unless you consider 40 mph highway speeds. This is the truth.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24599768/ns/business-autos/t/smart-car-gets-highest-score-crash-tests/
That's not to say that I'd buy one for interstate cruising as there are more suitable vehicles for that purpose.
And that is part of the crux of the whole matter.
Read and watch the whole report. No safety testing was done at highway speeds unless you consider 40 mph highway speeds. This is the truth.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24599768/ns/business-autos/t/smart-car-gets-highest-score-crash-tests/
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