Tiburonmoo

I don't understand what's so smart about it if the mpg rating is about the same as other economy cars. I was ready to look into getting one too thinking it had like 65mpg in the city.

Kantizuni

Bobzilla

OK, here's my $.02. . .

They get mediocre gas mileage at best for their size and what you give up in comfort. If I can AVERAGE 36mpg round trip last summer with 4 tanks closer to 38mpg at speeds in excess of 70mph in my 2800lb Elantra and can run to 60mph in less than 8.5 seconds, then this anemic, 0-60 in 12+ second car should be getting twice my mileage. Slow + mediocre gas mileage + $15k average price = Major Fail.

As for the "Crash test". . . yes, the safety cage holds up well. THey did in 1950 too. BAck then the car could plow over a 150 year old maple and have a small dent on the bumper. Unfortunately the people INSIDE the car were mush. THeir bodies absorbed all the impact. THat's why all new cars have crumple zones. THe car disintegrates, absorbing the energy from the impact, isolating the people inside. What is there to crumple on a Smart?

This might be an option for the uber-urban dweller in LA, NY or maybe even Chicago where space is a little limited. But for the rest of the country it's not practical. Give me a CRDi diesel in the new i30 anyday.

majik

These cars are good in places like Paris, where the roads are the width of a one-way street but have two-way traffic. For anybody that commutes more than 5 miles, this is a bad idea.

Get a used mini.

I keep waiting for someone to post a picture of a Smart car in the bed of a Dodge hemi.

DTN

For some reason, EPA testing is reporting 40mpg, some are reporting 45 by EPA standards, but other sources are reporting 68mpg. I don't know what's up. From what I understand the EPA makes cars drive under electrical and mechanical loads like A/C and headlights on.

domi

I don't get this mpg thing...
With about 5 litre's (city and highway combined) you can drive 100 kilometers.

You do the math.

I can't imagine this little car in the States though... What Majik said, very convinient in small area's.

majik

5 liters = 1.32086026 US gallons
100 kilometers = 62.1371192 miles

47 mpg or 20 km/liter

I guess it REALLY depends on where you are driving. If you're going uphill with only 70hp, it's gonna take a lot of gas to putt-putt up that hill. If you're driving on flat terrain, it's probably better.

SOCKS_old

yeah, these things really don't meet up to what i thought they would be..

for an 1800 pound car with a 1.0L 3 cylinder engine, making 71hp, and only getting a highway mpg of 45.. very sad IMO.. it also is recommended to use a MINIMUM of 91 octane. so you would be paying .10 more a gallon.

its only a 2-seater and has almost 0 storage space.

it also doesn't come with A/C standard OR power steering. also, no radio without buying the option.. all manual mirrors, windows..

so, if you were to get the BASE model (11,590$) add a/c, powersteering, and basic radio (1400$) your at ~13,000$ to have basic creature comforts.

for the same price, with more options, you can get a new kia rio or hyundai accent. both get like 35mpg highway, but don't recommend a minimum of 91 octane.. both have 50 more hp. and the best part is they have MUCH more room than the smart car.

for the price, theres no way to justify a smart car in the USA unless its a situation like being in NY, Chi town, etc.

Tibbychick

No, even in NY they'd be useless. Most people that actually live in Manhattan walk, use taxis, or subways. Most people that drive in the city are commuters and don't live there, they drive big SUVs, BMWs, and Lexuses to the island from the suburbs. Good luck getting them to give them up, lol. And on a long commute, I personally would want something that is comfortable.

The most feasible use for these are in crammed European cities, like Paris as magik said. There really is no justification for these here; yes, we do need more fuel efficient cars, but I doubt most Americans would be willing to sacrifice size and horsepower for it. We're obsessed with ginormous, powerful vehicles, it all boils down to that bigger is better mentality. So, I applaud you REDZ for considering the Smart Car, but urge you to get something, well, cooler. Watch the movie The Italian Job if you haven't already and you'll see how awesome Mini's are. I'm using them as a base for a comparison because they are small, but not tiny. They get good gas mileage, are quick, and nowadays you can get a used one for a decent price.

SOCKS_old

mmm. italian job.. what an awesome movie... i woulda got a mini instead of srt if i coulda afforded a decent one