HOORAY!!! SMART Car to be sold in USA!

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Originally posted by Shaman: 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.
uh, it doesn't matter what your driving if your hit by a semi! put yourself in a hummer and see who wins. [Roll Eyes]
 
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Originally posted by bob_ninja: 40 mpg Smart city compared to 40 mpg (at best) for Accord highway.
actually 30mpg at best for Accord highway, and upper 20s is where it's really at.
 
of course, they aren't going to bring a diesel version of it that gets 70mpg, that would eat a ton of exxonmobil 4 billion profit they had selling gas.
 
What I can't figure out about these <i>dinki-meisters</i> is where're the savings since you need two of 'em, and are the foot straps optional equipment?
 
I get 35-38mpg in my 2370 pound 95 Prizm, I've got 40.5 on a trip from Chicago back to Minneapolis and this isn't unusual, these smaller cars SHOULD be getting 60+ miles to the gallon. Emission control standards are causing our cars to drop in fuel economy or we would be seeing better fuel economy instead of reduced fuel economy. I know three people who got 50+ mpg regularily with their early 90's Honda Civic's without much effort. These cars seem to reach and pass a quarter of a million miles without having a whole lot of break-fix maintenence.
 
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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. [/QB]
My 2002 Accent routinely averages 37-38 mpg with a 70:30 mix of hwy/city driving. I've gone up to 42 mpg on longer trips at high speed with the AC on, and that AC is a good drag on my little 100 hp engine.
 
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Originally posted by MN Driver: Emission control standards are causing our cars to drop in fuel economy or we would be seeing better fuel economy instead of reduced fuel economy. I know three people who got 50+ mpg regularily with their early 90's Honda Civic's without much effort.
Right on... everyone freaks out about NOx from lean running engines but we can spew as much CO2, directly related to fuel consumption, as we please. Examples like the chevy metro/aveo highway MPG decrease drive this point home. I lobby for higher allowable NOx and particulates if a car can get 40+ MPG, but noone listens. [I dont know]
 
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Originally posted by blair: Trucks stay in the right lane! Period!
From what I have been told by a friend of mine (whom was a customer of the company I used to work for) in Germany, this isn't quite true. Trucks do pass quite often. (Though I thought it was a bit amusing when he said that when traffic is bad it takes him 3 hours to travel from Muenster to Frankfurt, about a distance of 180km). This is what wikipedia says, and nothing my friend has said disputes it: "In theory, trucks are not allowed to overtake others unless they drive 20 km/h (12 mph) faster than whomever they are overtaking, but truck drivers are generally under pressure to arrive in time, and such laws are rarely enforced for economic and political reasons, as many trucks are from foreign countries. On most days, the right lane of a typical autobahn is crowded with trucks, and too often, trucks pull out to overtake. Due to size and speed this is often referred to as 'Elefantenrennen' (Elephant Race)."
 
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Originally posted by eljefino: Right on... everyone freaks out about NOx from lean running engines
The FedGov has threatened to cut federal funding for highways if the Washington, DC area does not get the amount of NOx emissions down.
 
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Originally posted by blair: 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!
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! I'm shaking my head violently and agreeing with this post.
 
Nobody disputes that Autobahn traffic can be slow and come to a total stop, depending on various factors like location, time, weather, accidents, etc. In and around bigg cities, Autobahn traffic can be as tedious as on highly traveled roads anywhere else. There are also vast stretches of Autobahn that have generally much less traffic. I have repeatedly driven the circa 750 miles from the Austrian border to the Baltic in 7 hours at night and in the early morning. You just have to plan well and avoid trouble spots and certain times of the day. I've also gotten stuck in Autobahn traffic jams around Munich for hours without moving more than a few kilometers. Commercial trucks over 3.51 tons must not go faster than 80 km/h. The general rule is that anyone in a passenger vehicle or truck, who wants to pass another vehicle, must be able to do so at a reasonably high speed (+20 km/h). The minimum allowed speed on the Autobahn is 60 km/h. Theoretically, no truck could ever pass another another truck unless the slower truck goes less than 60 km/h. Sure, trucks and big rigs do pass each other and cause accidents on occasion. An Autobahn can have anywhere from 2 lanes (plus breakdown lane) to 5 or 6 lanes. Minimum distances between cars (half the driven speed in meters -- for example, at 200 km/h you must maintain 100 meters distance to the car in front of you) are pretty much enforced (photo radar traps on overpasses). Generally speaking, this is a typical view, zipping along on winter tires at a leisurely 150 km/h on a slightly slushy two-lane Autobahn on a crappy winter day: - Picture taken in November 2004 PS: Guess the make and model. [Wink]
 
As for the SMART, I really didn't see that many. I saw plenty Ford Ka, though. Why isn't Ford offering that here? Maybe for the same reason GM doesn't even consider the Opel Tigra for NA? PS: "bigg" (etc) in my previous post is all Captain Morgan's fault (early start to a long weekend!) [Big Grin] - Ford Ka - Opel Tigra [ July 01, 2006, 06:52 AM: Message edited by: moribundman ]
 
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Originally posted by Mustang_Cougar:
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Originally posted by blair: 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!
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! I'm shaking my head violently and agreeing with this post.
Well Guys, Unfortunately I have to disagree. The worst drivers in the world are in Canada and specifically in the province and city where I live. I travel a lot in the western U.S.(WA,OR,CA) and as crazy as some drivers are down there they are few and far between compared to the idiots [Thumbs Down!] up here. On a per capita basis from what I have seen and experienced the clowns up here IMHO got a lock on the Worlds Lousiest Drivers Trophy. Thats my 2 cents. [poof]
 
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