Those things will be death traps with all the soccer moms running around in Ford Excursions! ![[LOL!]](/forums/graemlins/lol.gif)
HOORAY!!! SMART Car to be sold in USA!
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Yeah....that's exactly the reason I got rid of my Mazda 3 and got a Frontier. I started to feel dwarfed by the Dallas 'bigness'. That Smart isnt much more than a rollerskate.
JHZR2
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for inner cities, the 2dr version seems OK... for any highway use, id be scared. However, it seems that at the smart site, they really more or less play the 2dr to be an inner-city car.
The 4dr wouldbe great for a commuter, for probably 90% of the commuters in the country. depending on what kind of drive and who you drive around, it may not be the best choice... but a diesel version would surely be a good economical, useful commuter.
The roadster is surely no less safe thana motorcycle, and in a small, open top car, what else could you really ask for???
Nobody can expect the smart to holdup to a high speed hit with an S-class... heck, the MB is one of the most safe, best engineered cars out there. There is no car that Id trust my life to more than a MB E or S class, i.e. a real mercedes... My 300D surely saved my life, without ABS or airbags.
But for inner-city use, the smart sure is a great little car. heck, there is at least one that goes up and downthe hills in the USVI!
JMH
quote:How about this perception. mobile magazine smart car crash test video You will have to search that site for the "smart car crash test video". Or search google. or search left lane news for "mercedes S class vs Smart". If you are into breakdancing, this car could teach you some new moves
Originally posted by oli:quote:
It's all about old misperceptions about small cars. For now though, we're stuck with the dinosaur mentality...
![[Happy]](/forums/graemlins/fruit.gif)
. [/QB]Hmmm...I put in "smart car crast test video," but all I got was Dateline footage of Explorers flipping on the interstate. Maybe I'll try "crast test video, smart car." Hope I don't get video of women on the cell phones, putting on Mary Kay product and rolling their H3's. Seriously, when was the last time anyone here had personal experience with a small car (Aveo, Civic HB, Echo, etc.) being smushed by this aparent rogue gang of SUV drivers? It's silly...worry about the things that happen, not the "what if's." Anyone who claims that they drive an SUV because it's safer is either living in the 60's or is using it as a guise for their ego. If the Smart can be driven safely on the Autobahn, it can be safely driven on the Hillbillybahn. BTW: The main point of the Smart Car is that it's aimed at urban drivers. We're not talking about 75mph stretches of interstate with drugged out long-haul drivers and the Griswalds going on vacation. We're talking about 25-35mph commutes in the city...
"Seriously, when was the last time anyone here had personal experience with a small car "
Funny that since I bought my Frontier in April, NOBODY has attempted to change lanes on top of me, which was a common occurance when driving my Mazda 3. People in Dallas are too busy eating, talking on the phone, and yelling at their kids to actually check over their shoulder before changing lanes...they just glance in the mirror and jerk the wheel. I'm much more visible to the common idiot now, and if I am hit, I'm much less likely to get hurt in my new behemoth.
quote:I saw that video a while back and the Smart Car did fine. Safety isn't something I'd worry about in it compared to any other small car. The problem with the car is the cost and the mileage. Any number of not quite so small cars get mileage almost as good and cost less. And they're a lot more useful all around. It's a lot of $$ to pay for it's only advantage, that being how easy it is to park...
Originally posted by Mustang_Cougar: Hmmm...I put in "smart car crast test video," but all I got was Dateline footage of Explorers flipping on the interstate. Maybe I'll try "crast test video, smart car." Hope I don't get video of women on the cell phones, putting on Mary Kay product and rolling their H3's. Seriously, when was the last time anyone here had personal experience with a small car (Aveo, Civic HB, Echo, etc.) being smushed by this aparent rogue gang of SUV drivers? It's silly...worry about the things that happen, not the "what if's." Anyone who claims that they drive an SUV because it's safer is either living in the 60's or is using it as a guise for their ego. If the Smart can be driven safely on the Autobahn, it can be safely driven on the Hillbillybahn. BTW: The main point of the Smart Car is that it's aimed at urban drivers. We're not talking about 75mph stretches of interstate with drugged out long-haul drivers and the Griswalds going on vacation. We're talking about 25-35mph commutes in the city...
I looked at the Smart a bit over a year ago when anticipating the rise in fuel costs. After a short bit of studying the available economy cars, and the Smart wasn't available, I bought a used Echo for $9800.00. I've been well pleased with it so far, it serves my commute needs to a tee averaging over 40 MPG for it's life so far.
I suspect that the smart would have a hard time competing with the Echo for overall economy after four or five years of service, much less longer than that. John
quote:I agree. The Smart makes more sense in crowded European cities than it does in North America where everything is scalled for larger cars and trucks. You can buy an Echo sized car for less money and get close to the same gas mileage. Even in a European city, I would prefer several Euro and Asian diesel micro cars over a Smart.
Originally posted by John Hilmer 2: ... After a short bit of studying the available economy cars, and the Smart wasn't available, I bought a used Echo for $9800.00. I've been well pleased with it so far, it serves my commute needs to a tee averaging over 40 MPG for it's life so far. I suspect that the smart would have a hard time competing with the Echo for overall economy after four or five years of service, much less longer than that. John
Where do I buy one of these F-150s
http://www.leasetips.com/f150crashtest.htm
I'll take my echo, thank you.
quote:My toyota will run over that crap.
Originally posted by pastmaster: Our energy problems are solved
I like fuel efficient cars that are medium in size. I am done with small cars. My Subaru WRX wagon (hoot to drive) is my last small car especially after wife got its grown up brother Subaru Legacy GT wagon(250HP ![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif)
)that is leaps and bounds more comfortable.
)that is leaps and bounds more comfortable.quote:Your story is well out of date. I am guessing they either improved that previous design or addressed the problem with the current release of trucks.
Originally posted by simple_gifts: Where do I buy one of these F-150s http://www.leasetips.com/f150crashtest.htm I'll take my echo, thank you.
That F150 is the previous generation F150, the new one performs way better. But the main concern of buying a F150 isn't how well it would do in a crash, but there are much more things out there that might bring down a F150.... including the recalls.
Smart might do well in crash tests, but in the real world (in the US at least), small cars in general just isn't as safe. Take a Miata against a F150. Show me the picture of the dead F150 (F150 vs wall) all you want, but when the impact takes place between a F150 and Miata, it's the lower frame of the F150 against the front pillars of the miata. Which driver do you think is safer? Not all car crashes happen between cars and solid walls. Also keep in mind that during a 2 car collision, both the cars has to absorb the SAME amount of energy regardless of the size.
However, safety rarely effects sales. dodge neon sold well regardless of the safety, and F150 was the best selling truck. Because the car is only as safe as the behavior of the driver. It is how practical the car is that effects the sales of the car.
Smart is a practical car in terms of the gas milage and the size. Americans rarely drive with others anymore, no need for a big car.
What will effect the sales is when people start tipping them, crushing them, carrying them home, and not being able to fit in them. If america can overcome that, Smart will do well in the US.
quote:I live in Japan. I drive a K-car(read a motorcycle engine with a cage). I saw what happens when a k comes into contact with a Semt at Japanese city speeds(20-25 mph). When I get back to America, I am going to sacrifice the 5 mpg I may be saving for a big piece of metal. Great crash test or not, physics don't lie, and when you see a smart car doubled up because a semi wanted over, then you can post up pics and I will sit happy in my 30 mpg F-body.
Originally posted by Mustang_Cougar: Seriously, when was the last time anyone here had personal experience with a small car (Aveo, Civic HB, Echo, etc.) being smushed by this aparent rogue gang of SUV drivers? [/QB]
Any heavier car is going to knock the smart around like a pinball IF an accident happens. leftlanenews video Ok this link works.
Regarding safety, we WILL ALL enjoy much more safety when we ALL drive smaller cars in the future. The only question is WHEN and not IF. In a few years the gasoline price will double and keep going up so long as Chinese and Americans and everyone else wants to drive big vehicles. The simple fact is there is not enough oil for everyone and before long you'll stop at a gas station in your F150 or SUV only to discover that it is empty. The driver with Smart will just shrug his shoulders and keep going.
All this talk of safety and comfort and other advantages of bigger cars, SUVs and trucks is dwelling on the past. It was nice for us, but our kids will not have that choice. So move on already!!!
Toyota Prius is expensive and people still buy it because of rising fuel costs. Same will happen to Smart. May not be cheap, but it will sell while F150s and SUVs start seeing less and less of open roads and collect dust in the garage.
It is going to be an adjustment, sure. So what? Things change.
Final note: People noted that Smart is not suitable for certain uses. Duh?!?! Of course it is not a general purpose vehicle. It is mostly a commuter car. Nobody claims it is for long trips, etc.
Whoever said that Europe doesn't have trucks obviously has never been there. Yes, a majority of the cars are VW Golfs or smaller. The have just as many semi's on the highways and roads. Sometimes it seems like more. They also have a ton of large vans for construction and ambulance purposes.
The difference? They don't drive like retards with their pants on fire. The trucks stay to the right, the slow, small cars stay in the middle and the Audi's, Mercedes' and Porsche's go as fast as they **** well please and you better get the **** out of their way. There is no sporadic lane changing, people know what a "yield" sign means and they demonstrate the "right of way" on a daily basis, not just when they are feeling "generous".
If people here would stop eating, talking, head-banging, tying their shoes, shaving, putting on makeup, etc. This thread wouldn't even have gone the way it has. I swear almost every time I see a "near miss" on the highway, I look over and at least one of the drivers has a phone to their ear.
There was a great billboard on the autobahn a few years ago. It was a guy driving who was eating, drinking talking on the phone and maybe a few other things. The caption (in German) read "And who drives?!?"
The driving in this country is horrendous. That's what should be talked about here.
BTW, the Mini has seemed to do fine since it's US inception. If the Smart car could hall a load of mulch, I'd happily drive one. For now I'll drive safely in my Tacoma.
It's a joke that some people are arguing they need to drive an SUV or a truck to stay safe on the road. Ever think that you're just perpetuating the problem?
::Rant over::
I have to agree with the previous poster. Americans are the worst drivers in the world. I am an American who lived in Germany for 3 years and still go back once a year for several weeks. The germans have smarter laws and even smarter drivers. Trucks stay in the right lane! Period! slow drivers stay to the right! Period! After they pass someone, they get to the right! Its very simple, but it works. The Autobahn is just as busy as any US Interstate and it has vehicles just as big as ours, and the Smart cars do just fine. Every time I come back to the States I suffer serious road rage from all the idiot drivers here!
I don't understand why people think that a $15k 40 MPG car is something special when you can spend $4-5k on a 6-8 year old Honda Accord and get slightly less mileage and have a nicer vehicle.
Plus, it's not going to fall apart after 40k (more) miles.
quote:40 mpg Smart city compared to 40 mpg (at best) for Accord highway. Smart diesel can get as much as 70 mpg highway. 40 vs 70 is not "slightly less mileage" There is a good reason why Accord is only $4-$5K. It is because the previous owner drove the s... out of it and you'll have to spend $1K/year on maintenance, fixing it. New Smart car meanwhile needs almost zero to maintain. People keep saying how we can get 40 mpg from gasoline engines but in practice get at most 30 mpg, usually less. There is no standard gasoline engine that can come even close to Prius and Smart. Period.
Originally posted by thooks: I don't understand why people think that a $15k 40 MPG car is something special when you can spend $4-5k on a 6-8 year old Honda Accord and get slightly less mileage and have a nicer vehicle. Plus, it's not going to fall apart after 40k (more) miles.
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