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I don't understand why people buy them... the only thing that would make me get in a dinky thing like that is SUPERIOR mpg's. These get, on average, mpg's in the mid 30's....!!!! Thats horrible for something that small!
As ugly as they are, these cars make a great deal of sense in dense cities like San Francisco. I was driving around for 15+ minutes trying to find parking in lower downtown SF some time back and saw one of these smart cars fill a tiny parallel parking spot by parking perpendicular to the curb. The short length still made it a good fit and the car wasn't sticking out any more than a parallel parked truck or SUV. I'd kill to have a small car like that just for city driving.
That would certainly be convenient to park cars like that... however I think a lot of law changing would be needed.
I like them, but I have a couple of problems with them. The lack of a back seat is one, and the lack of a normal manual transmission is the other. I do like that the starting price is only about $12000 though. Of course, I still couldn't afford one even at that price, and I'd prefer an older Civic with a real manual transmission anyway. Mine and my brother's 91 hatchback often gets better gas mileage than the Smart car (record was 46 mpg mostly in town).
I don't understand why people buy them... the only thing that would make me get in a dinky thing like that is SUPERIOR mpg's. These get, on average, mpg's in the mid 30's....!!!! Thats horrible for something that small!
I wonder how much they weigh ? I've got a 6800lb 4wd extended cab pickup that gets 21-22mpg.. I know it's no 30+ but the Smart just doesn't cut it. I do understand in large cities where parking could be an issue BUT if you live in a city like that don't most people walk or take public transit ?
IMO, the Smart is about a $8,000 car. I've seen one disassembled and there isn't anything to them. A little 3 cyl engine, a clutchless manual and a hell of a lot of plastic. However if they sold them for $8K they couldn't build them fast enough. But they don't. The sell it for $13K - $17K and for that, there are a lot of other better options. It's really disappointing as it doesn't get that good of gas mileage considering it's size.
It costs so much because it's made in Western Europe where labor is high and the exchange rate to the dollar kills them. If Mercedes wants significant sales in North America, they are going to need to stick a factory in NA to build them.
The Smart car would not work for me, I don't live in a crowded city (thank god!). I does not get that good of gas mileage and has limited passenger capability. It also, apparently, has a substandard transmission, at least as sold in the U.S.
But...
to trash this car because you do not understand it is a bit silly. It has its place for certain people in certain situations.
To say it is unsafe really shows an ignorance of the car:
"The smart fortwo meets or exceeds all federal government crash test standards, including a 5-star side crash rating, and the highest scores for front and side crashes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In addition, the vehicle’s safety management system is equipped with advanced crash avoidance (active safety) and crash protection (passive safety) systems that come standard on all models.
The highlight of the safety management system is the tridion safety cell. The safety cell is made from steel, half of which is high-strength material, especially in highly stressed areas. The cell is designed to keep occupants protected. The reinforced steel and the design of the car, including the wheel bases, allow the distribution of the crash energy.
The smart fortwo comes standard with four airbags (two full-sized front and two side for head and thorax protection). Other safety features such as Electronic Stability Program (esp®), Brake Assist and anti-lock brakes are also standard."
I don't know exact figures, but for the space/storage, and safety you sacrifice, they don't get as good mpg as you would expect.
My friend bought the Canadian version, had it upfitted for the US market, paying $30k in the process. He is a micro-car guy who wanted to get the vehicle before it was introduced. He is averaging approximately 50 mpg.
Most of my friends who bought the US version are averaging much closer to 40 mpg which is pretty depressing for that small of a car. Personally, you could get that out of a Yaris and you would have some storage room.
I think you can actually get pretty similar mileage in a Civic, which is a "real car."
A Civic isn't particularly close, but the Fit comes pretty close, and the Fit is basically the new Civic since the Civic bloated itself out of its original target market.
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