Smart cars

Even at $10 a gallon it would take a few months shy of 4 years, and that is with the tax credit that is not available anymore.

 

I know. It IS pathetic.

BTW, I saw my first Smart just this Sunday, coming from the grocery store. They really do look like an old fazshioned phone booth from the perspective of a Testarossa. I should have got a picture for Dallas Spotters Thread of both of us.

 

I saw one on this past Sunday in the River Oaks area of Houston. They look even smaller in person than in pictures! I could see the benefit in crowded urban environments though. You couldnt pay me to get on I45 with it!

 

No s- sherlock. And to think I used to get a little nervous in a VW bug back in the 60s because that windscreen was so close. And they could at least more or less keep up with the semi trucks of the day.

It is different in Euro cities like Rome, where you see them everywhere, and have for years. It is the mini-motor-bikes who are the little guys.

 

It's not red, it's blaze orange. I'm trying to start a new trend, and when it catches on, you can tell all your friends where it started.



Stupid Discount Tire can't get a piece of rubber shipped 800 miles in 7 days.

 

I once saw my sister-in-law (oriental lady) driving an oldsmobile cutlass with TWO of them on - one on the left rear, one on the left front. I was sent over to help her when the second regular one went down, but she just took another space saver off her daughter's car and kept on trucking.

I found her parked several blocks over, in front of a yard sale, and going through the valuable goods on display.

Guess it is a matter of priorities.

 

Here is a dressed up SMART car... and link to article about it:

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/03/brabus-continues-to-ungreen-the-smart-with-the-ultimate-112/
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Here's idea of things to come from the tuner crowd. I'm sure there will be some radical modifications at the SEMA show.
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I'm going to go extreme here. I want to see one with bags. I know it's only a matter of time.

This thing is small enough, you could always use it as a Golf Cart.

 

This is what I want.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLtMh20qIp8


We don't talk about this one in polite circles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InL-uARF6ks&feature=related

On that note, BigTex is usually the first to chime in.

 

Kinda neat in white.
Looks like one of those characters in the Animated kids show with appliances. Happy Toaster or something.

 

Interesting none the less:

http://jalopnik.com/389911/smart-fortwo-punted-by-delivery-truck-returned-by-van

Steve

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/automobiles/autosreviews/11-smart-fortwo-ny.html?em&ex=1210564800&en=61279161670cc806&ei=5087%0A

By LAWRENCE ULRICH
Published: May 11, 2008

SHOULD Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg be feeling glum over the death of congestion pricing, his plan to divert drivers onto public transit by imposing an $8 surcharge to motor into the heart of Manhattan, he ought to be cheered by the arrival of the Smart car from Europe.

The Smart Fortwo could do for Midtown gridlock what Mr. Bloomberg’s successful bans on smoking and trans fats did for New Yorkers’ health: after a few miles in this anemic two-seat tomato can, drivers will sprint to the subway and abandon the surface streets for good.

Like BMW’s introduction of the Mini Cooper before it, the Mercedes-built Smart arrives as an appealing alternative for Americans weary of overstuffed cars and overblown fuel prices. Just under nine feet long, the Smart easily kneecaps the 12-foot Mini as a contestant for the smallest car sold in America.

But unlike the mostly fabulous Mini, the Smart Fortwo, with room for just two urban warriors and a few loincloths of cargo, turns out to be a Trojan pony, primitive in its performance and no more fuel-efficient than some far more practical cars.

Sizing up the Smart against a subcompact you’d expect it to get at least 50 miles to the gallon. The Smart design certainly gets the basics right: it weighs just 1,800 pounds and its rear-mounted engine, a 1-liter 3-cylinder power plant of 70 horsepower, is the smallest in the market.

While the Smart has the best fuel-economy rating of any nonhybrid sold in America, you’d expect far better numbers from its bite-size body. Its E.P.A. rating is just 33 miles per gallon in town and 41 on the highway. I averaged an unspectacular 33 m.p.g. over a week of driving.

How can this be? While the Smart has enough power to keep pace with traffic, its engine works so hard that it can’t conserve fuel. By my stopwatch, the car takes more than 14 seconds to reach 60 miles an hour, and it tops out at 90. The engine’s clattering idle was loud enough to make me suspect a diesel under the hood. No dice: The diesel-powered Smart that tops 70 m.p.g. on the European test cycle won’t be coming here.

If the engine is mediocre, the five-speed automated manual transmission is an engineering embarrassment. You could practically squeeze a half-inning of baseball into the maddening delay between the release of one gear and the engagement of the next. The Smart loses momentum in the pause, lurching passengers forward, and then Barcalounges backward when it oozes into a higher gear.

The Smart has been described as fun to drive by some reviewers, but other than showing taillights to the neighborhood riding mowers, I don’t see it. The Smart steers decently but feels clumsy when pushed hard. Tire grip is meager, the body wallows, and big city bumps come crashing through the suspension.

Things are no better on the highway. Wind noise was so intrusive at 70 m.p.h. that I kept thinking the windows were cracked open; the engine buzz added to the din. Ultimately, it feels more a contraption than a car, and it’s a chore to drive.

In its favor, this tall-roof tot is extremely roomy for the driver and a passenger, and it scores well in federal crash testing. I drove a mid-price Passion model, which starts at $14,235; a basic Pure version starts at $12,235, and the convertible tops the range at $17,235.

As Smart tries to jump on the Mini’s bandwagon, some myths need to be addressed. First is that the Smart has been a smash success in Europe. In fact, Smart has been a small but weighty millstone around Mercedes’s neck, never reaching sales expectations and posting more than $3 billion in losses over a decade.

The second myth flows from the first: that the Smart is arriving to show America how small cars should be done. But the Smart isn’t the sophisticated runabout that people might expect.

Sure, the Smart is cute, if you enjoy cars from the Weebles school of design. And it’s ridiculously easy to park. My only pleasure came from slotting the Smart into spots that would have discouraged a St. Bernard.

But the Smart’s diminished size brings diminishing returns. From supermarkets to metered spaces, American parking slots are sized for the biggest cars and S.U.V.’s. Because you can’t straddle the lines at the mall or double up at meters, the Smart offers no advantage there.

The Smart’s only edge is its ability to park motorcycle-style by backing or nosing perpendicular to the curb. Oops, strike that: New York’s parking department said that move is off-limits unless signs specifically allow angle parking for all cars.

Compared with suburb-dwellers, the urban single or family is also more likely to rely on one do-it-all car. That means the versatility to carry friends, escape for a weekend and deal with cargo.

That’s where the Smart gets really dumb. For roughly the Smart Passion’s well-equipped price of $15,510, one could have several pint-sized models — the terrific Honda Fit or Nissan Versa come to mind — that are sportier, hold twice as many people, up to six times the cargo and get nearly the same mileage. (Fold the Versa hatchback’s rear seats, and there’s 50 cubic feet of storage, compared with just 7.8 cubic feet for the Smart).

Here’s what you won’t be hauling in the Smart’s hatch: a cart full of groceries, a guitar case, golf bag or two medium suitcases. And the Smart’s silly pickup-style tailgate forces you to lean against the open gate and reach to grab your stuff.

Smart says that 30,000 people have put down refundable $99 deposits. I have no doubt that initial sales will be strong.

But I’m also convinced that this trendy twerpy ride had better enjoy its welcome. After three years at most, the Smart will begin gathering tiny pieces of dust in showrooms, as Americans discover smarter places for their small-car dollars.

 

$99 deposit? So how many will really buy it? 5,000.

 

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/FREE/852697700/1024/SUBARU1277451

An alternative perspective from a real automobile publication.

 

I looked at them when I was in europe a few weeks ago. But what I really liked was the Mercedes A & B Class vehicles.

 

I got a ride in Mike's Smart when picking up the 308 at Norwood last week.

Very neat little car. I like the high ride and mutual-visibility factor for safety, as opposed to a Mini's low profile.

On the general topic of hybrids and fuel-efficient cars, I had the 4Runner at Eagle Toyota for service recently...I was talking to a new-car sales guy and he said a truckload of Priuses sells out before they arrive. There are quite a few around this area of Dallas.

 

I have spent several weekends with a SMART car , for various driving events, etc... after the first hour or so, you get better at " driving " the car and its shifting feel. I personally led the SMART/MB drive in one, drove what felt to be quickly and still managed to get high 40's mph. A/C on and manual shifting. ( I actually had another driver in the group come up to me at the bathroom break and tell me I was driving too fast! Is that even possible in a SMART? LOL )

IMO, you will either love or hate the car.... it serves it purpose well. It is a trendy car as well ( Again, IMO ) and will cool off after the pre-buys ( $99 down ) get their cars. But we ( Park Place ) still have a long list of clients waiting and have been told as soon as August and as late as 2009 before we catch up with cars to deliver.

I'm not in sales, but I do get the pleasure of working with them when they come in for service... so as soon as SMART works through the check engine lights and alarm sounding concerns, I think we will be home free!

Steve

 

Now, if I can just get Mike to do the Brabus upgrade or maybe the 1200/1300 Motorcycle engine upgrade!

S

 

I never understood why anyone would buy one. They are dangerously small, the gas milage is no better than a Civic and a Civic is the same price.

I would understand if they got about 75-100 MPG. But 35????? No thanks. I don't see anything smart about buying a Smart.

 

Looks like the Smart, Yaris, & Fit didn't do so well during a 40 mph crash test. (NO KIDDING!)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/automobiles/14crash.html?hpw

 

http://www.smartuki.com/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9072236535251471450
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/240685/smart_car_vs_ferrari/

 

A little damage control:

------------------------------

Dear smart enthusiasts,

Many of you may have become aware of a recent crash test study performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). You may have even seen some of the crash videos on the news. We’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some additional information about the tests and to clarify any questions you might have regarding the performance of the smart fortwo’s safety management system.
The overall purpose of the IIHS test was to demonstrate that small cars do not perform as well as big cars in high impact crashes. Therefore, the IIHS crashed three small cars – a Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and smart fortwo – into three larger cars – a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – respectively. In its press release announcing the results of the test, the IIHS stated that all three smaller cars performed poorly in this particular test, despite the fact that all three cars had received “Good” ratings from the IIHS in previous standard tests.
The IIHS’ non-standard test is rare and extreme and unlikely to occur in real world crashes. In fact, federal safety regulators do not require this type of testing because the likelihood of an accident within these test parameters is so rare: fewer than 1% of all accidents can compare to this type of crash.

>> The smart fortwo is safe.

The most important thing to note is that the smart fortwo meets or exceeds all federal government crash test standards, including a 5-star side crash rating. It also received the highest scores for front and side crashes from the IIHS.* The reason for these excellent results is the incredible safety management system of the smart fortwo. The vehicle is equipped with advanced crash avoidance (active safety) and crash protection (passive safety) systems that come as standard on all models.
The most notable of the active safety systems is electronic stability program (esp®). According to the IIHS, cars equipped with esp are 20% less likely to be in a fatal accident with another vehicle and 51% less likely to be in a fatal single-vehicle accident.** Additionally, the smart fortwo is the only vehicle in its price range to offer esp as standard equipment.***
In the event of a crash, the safety management system of this amazing vehicle will work hard to protect the occupants. The passive safety system, featuring four airbags and a collapsible steering column, is highlighted by the tridion safety cell – a steel safety cage reinforced with high-strength steel similar to a NASCAR roll cage.
smart has a proven, real-world track record with over a million cars on the road in 37 countries over the past 10 years. More than 30,000 smart fortwos have been sold here in just over one year of being on sale in the United States.
To learn more about the incredible safety management system of the smart fortwo, visit www.smartusa.com.

>> www.safeandsmart.com

At smart USA, we have received emails, letters and phone calls from owners who have shared stories with us about how their smart fortwo protected them and, in some cases, helped to save their lives.
smart USA has also recently launched a new website called www.safeandsmart.com. On this website, smart owners and drivers from across the country can share their own real-life safety stories, read about how the smart has protected others and learn more about the smart’s safety features.
We encourage you to visit www.safeandsmart.com today and share your safety story, whether it be about how the smart fortwo protected you in an accident, or helped you avoid one.

>> smart is changing the landscape of American highways.

As smart owners, reservation holders and enthusiasts, you know that we as a society are trending towards smaller cars. People are choosing the smart fortwo for many reasons: environmental consciousness, fuel efficiency, urban mobility and economic value. All in all, less consumption, more conservation in a package that is both safe and fun. That’s what smart is all about.
We trust this information has helped you to better understand the IIHS’ recent test, and assured you of the safety technologies that make the smart fortwo one of the safest small cars today. Should you have any additional questions about the test or the smart fortwo’s safety management system, please call smart USA’s Customer Care Center, at 1.800.smart.USA (762.7887) or visit www.smartusa.com.
Thank you for your continued support of the smart brand.

Kind regards,
The smart USA Team