# Smart Car



## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

Sherry was on the way home from work today and told me she saw the new smart car on the road here in VT. 
I cannot believe they want 17k for these.

Especially when india's version the TATA NANO is to sell for 2,500.00.

Hey I wonder if these Smartcars could pull a teardrop trailer.









They look like something you would buy a kid ifrom Toys -R-US.


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## Hokie_PhD (Apr 1, 2008)

Scooter said:


> Sherry was on the way home from work today and told me she saw the new smart car on the road here in VT.
> I cannot believe they want 17k for these.
> 
> Especially when india's version the TATA NANO is to sell for 2,500.00.
> ...


I saw one the other day here in Blacksburg, VA. I knew they were going to be small, but compared to a Mini Cooper the Mini is HUGE and compared to my Escape Hybrid I'd say they're just a spec. I don't know how they were allowed in the U.S. market as when I watched it go buy all I could think of was what the result would be if they got run over by a large truck.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I saw one on the road at a light. I was on my HD dresser and we were the same length....but from what I have read they have some sort of nascar roll cage system so you dont get squisshed, unlike my HD.


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## Calvin&Hobbes (May 24, 2006)

I spoke with my local RV dealer, he said that those smart cars have a great tow rating- so good in fact, that you can pull a 31 RQS with one! And if my RV dealer said I could, I can!

On second thought, can one of these fit into a Kargoroo?


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## webeopelas (Mar 11, 2006)

I've seen quite a few of these around DC. Scares the crap out of me, but I read they got really good crash ratings.

I think I will still stick with my Dodge.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Calvin&Hobbes said:


> On second thought, can one of these fit into a Kargoroo?


LOL! I have wondered the same thing...
Wouldn't it be fun to drop the Roo ramp and unload one of these???
I looked for Smart Car Specs and found out that without a driver, the Smart Car for 2 weighs 1808 lbs (800 lbs overweight) and is 106.1" long or 8.84 feet which would miss fitting in the Roo garage by just about 9"


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

We've had the Smart Car around the Portland area for about a year now, and amazingly they are selling like hotcakes! The rub is, even though they get good mileage, there are other real cars that get better mileage. And I'm not talking hybrids either! All I know is, I sure wouldn't want to get rear ended in one.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Yeah I expected better gas mileage too for such a small car. The ol' geo metro got better mileage then the smart car.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

here they around $15000, get around 40 mpg but you need to burn premium gas. The Honda Fit is a better value all the way round.


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## jetjane (Feb 8, 2007)

They have been in Canada for a few years now and I see quite a few of them around. I have the same feelings about them as most of you do though. I think they are ugly, too much money, and I wouldn't want to be in one if hit by a bigger vehicle despite the safety ratings either.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

"Smart Car" eh?

I thought there were just rolling coffins? Heck...hit a possum and you'd be a goner in one of those.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I actually belive they are very safe. Safer then the bigger "compact" cars out their like the FIT and such. After reading the site about the saftey cage its stronger then most. Would I want to get hit by a SUV, no, but it would probally just roll away like a hamster in one of those plastic balls.


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Scooter said:


> They look like something you would buy a kid ifrom Toys -R-US.


Those are cool little cars- unlike almost every other cheap little car they're not trying to be more than they are. I know a guy with a yellow convertible and he has more people give him the thumbs up than any other car he's owned. And he can hardly take it anywhere without drawing a crowd. He can keep it for a year and sell it for more than he bought it for because they're too popular to depreciate!

Toys for grownups indeed!

Kevin


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

They freak me out!!!









Seriously, I am afraid I am going to run one over...

My Excursion is roughly 8,000lbs and a full 44gal gas tank!!!
...loaded with groceries or people...or both!

Not a favorable outcome for that roller-skate!









MaeJae


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## usmc03 (Jun 6, 2006)

We have quite a few up here in Alaska too. I have seen at least five in the last month. I am just waiting for one to crash into a moose to see how smart they really are.


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## 2500Ram (Oct 30, 2005)

Just a comment on a few I've seen in CS.

In my work van (01 Chevy Astro AWD) traveling up hwy 24 west of Colorado Springs a Smart car blew past me, I was doing the speed limit but for a little car to have the power to go up these hills and good crash rating I'll give it props. I had trouble with my old Honda CRX hi maintaining speed on the same road 15 years ago and it was registered as a "sports car" and had the insurance premiums to prove it.

Will I drive one... NO.
Will I mock anyone for driving one... NO

Will it pull a Roo??? I'm waiting for a youtube vid to believe it


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Looks like a roller skate to me, just another piece of junk to pick out of my tires. Gees only 40 mpg, there are real cars that get that good. I see no value in that thing.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

2 words.....Speed Bump.....


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

reading through this post reminded me of this video.

click

Now you all know it's only a matter of time and we are going to read about a smart car driver who will have tried to do something similar.


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

For those of you that are concerned about the safety ratings, check this out:

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=632

If you are willing to reserve one and wait, you can get one for about $13,500 very well equipped. For a comparable price, you could get a kia rio. Here is that rating:

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=587

It seems like most cars tend to get a "G" rating these days. With the size of the smart, and as sporty as it is, I don't think it's a bad vehicle. I put $99.00 down to reserve one. They are about 18 months out right now, so I may decide that I don't want it, but it's fully refundable, so I figured that it wouldn't hurt. It would be a fun little commuter car, I think.


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

webeopelas said:


> I've seen quite a few of these around DC. Scares the crap out of me, but I read they got really good crash ratings.
> 
> I think I will still stick with my Dodge.


Y'all keep in mind that those crash ratings are against vehicles of similar size/weight/mass. Only there aren't any other cars that small. God help someone who thinks the five star rating on that mobile wart is going to protect him from a vehicle of any size.

Sluggo


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## mmblantz (Jul 1, 2007)

skippershe said:


> On second thought, can one of these fit into a Kargoroo?


LOL! I have wondered the same thing...
Wouldn't it be fun to drop the Roo ramp and unload one of these???
I looked for Smart Car Specs and found out that without a driver, the Smart Car for 2 weighs 1808 lbs (800 lbs overweight) and is 106.1" long or 8.84 feet which would miss fitting in the Roo garage by just about 9"








[/quote]
Maybe not it one of ours but I bet we'll be seeing them in some of the bigger toyhaulers. I saw a Volkswagen Thing roll out of one last summer. ----Mike


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Sluggo54 said:


> Y'all keep in mind that those crash ratings are against vehicles of similar size/weight/mass. Only there aren't any other cars that small. God help someone who thinks the five star rating on that mobile wart is going to protect him from a vehicle of any size.
> 
> Sluggo


Thanks for pointing that our Sluggo! Sure they are safe if they run into another smart car. Not to mention, all the safety cages in the world won't save you from the decelleration in a crash. Seems to me Nascar fans learned that the hard way a few years back








Human bodies need to change speed/direction slowly to keep everything functioning correctly. Here is where the 8000 lbs of Steel that MaeJae drives helps.









Heck, a few years back the insurance institute was bashing the big 3 for the big trucks because they would ride over a compact. Ford added the "Blocker Beam" to the Excursion to prevent that and when the institue tested it, the compact didn't go under the SUV, but the dummies recieved worse injuries because the compact just stopped rather than slowing down as it slid under the suv (granted, neither is an ideal case







).


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Yesteday, I was dispatched to amotor vehicle accident in town. A Malibu was hit by a 3500 Ford PU. The Ford had a damaged bumper but it was only pushed in 4 inches, he drove it home easily. The Malibu, totaled. Heavy front end damage, doors warped, etc. Air bag deployed and no Ambulance needed but the difference was unreal. Myself and the cop were discussing what the damage might have been if the Malibu was a Smart car, safe maybe, scare the hell out of you when you know you gonna get hit while driving the Smart car, definitly.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Another consideration...

A few months ago I read a review of the SmartCar. It may have been Road & Track, not sure. Anyway, they drove one from Phoenix to L.A., and one thing really stood out. This IS NOT a freeway car! The extremely short wheelbase translates into almost no directional stability at freeway speeds. Very nimble around town, but a real handful on the open road.

Now, that said, I don't expect too many people are going to buy a SmartCar with the intention of traveling in it, but - at least in this part of the country - even a daily commute usually involves a fair amount of freeway driving at speed.

Just another factor to consider.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

Probably makes a lot of sense for an urban commute vehicle where your not likely to get up too much speed and parking spaces are a premium. Also at the cost, less likely to be stolen. I was in Paris a few years ago and virtually every car I saw was of the smart car size.

Of course, this ain't Europe!

Regards, Glenn


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## davel1957 (Mar 25, 2008)

They should call them "Peanut Mobiles"


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

Sluggo54 said:


> I've seen quite a few of these around DC. Scares the crap out of me, but I read they got really good crash ratings.
> 
> I think I will still stick with my Dodge.


Y'all keep in mind that those crash ratings are against vehicles of similar size/weight/mass. Only there aren't any other cars that small. God help someone who thinks the five star rating on that mobile wart is going to protect him from a vehicle of any size.

Sluggo
[/quote]

I had no idea that was the case. I guess I'll be getting my $99 back! Those ratings are pretty misleading. When would anyone ever crash into somehting the same size as a smart car?


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Why the hate for the Smart Car?

Sure its more dangerous in a crash than a truck, but so is every single car from the 80's backward. Try getting broadsided in an MG! And motorcycles are a thousand times more dangerous than any car, but no hate there. . .

Come on guys, lightenn up. It's a cute, cheap little car with absolutely nothing to dislike about it unless you buy one and you're about to crash it. So don't crash it.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

kjp1969 said:


> Why the hate for the Smart Car?
> 
> Sure its more dangerous in a crash than a truck, but so is every single car from the 80's backward. Try getting broadsided in an MG! And motorcycles are a thousand times more dangerous than any car, but no hate there. . .
> 
> ...


Ok, I guess, let me say I don't hate the smart car. It's not for me and I really get upset when the manufacturer tries to say it's as safe as the other cars out there.

BTW, you won't catch me on a Motorcycle either, but I'm what you might call Risk Adverse.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I also do not ride a motorcycle because of safety, especially around N NJ. As for don t crash it, never saw anyone buy a particular vehicle because they planned on crashing it.


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

kjp1969 said:


> I also do not ride a motorcycle because of safety, especially around N NJ. As for don t crash it, never saw anyone buy a particular vehicle because they planned on crashing it.


What with all the posts that talk about crash safety, you'd think everyone here is on the verge of careening off into a tree, or getting mowed over by a semi. A little calculated risk, like riding a motorcycle, rock climbing, or driving an old classic or a new Smart car isn't all that unreasonable, and its a heck of a lot of fun.

Can't we talk about something else- like how its cool because its completely unlike everything else on the road? I'm a car nut, and have been ever since I saw a Ferrari Testarossa on the cover of Road and Track in about 1984. I'd much rather see a bunch of Smart cars driving around than generic blobs that you can't find in a parking lot because they all look like each other.
[/quote]

Well said.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

kjp1969 said:


> I'd much rather see a bunch of Smart cars driving around than generic blobs that you can't find in a parking lot because they all look like each other.


And one day when there are nothing but thousands of little Smart Cars (highly unlikely, but could happen) packed in a parking lot (2 to a parking space), how are you supposed to tell your 8' blue roller skate apart from the next guy's 8' blue roller skate









I know! Drive a big blue Dodge Dually


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## Scooter (May 9, 2005)

If I was purchasing a "smart car". These would be my two picks.

1970 Chevelle LS6 4 speed 3:55 Gears









1970 GTO


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

I saw a Smart car the other day. It was at Sam's Club







, don't know what they possibly thought that they could buy there and transport it away in the Smart car but who knows...

It also struck me as odd that it had a handicapped placard. Nothing wrong with that but it just seemed like an odd choice.

Micah


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

kjp1969 said:


> Why the hate for the Smart Car?
> 
> Sure its more dangerous in a crash than a truck, but so is every single car from the 80's backward. Try getting broadsided in an MG! And motorcycles are a thousand times more dangerous than any car, but no hate there. . .
> 
> Come on guys, lightenn up. It's a cute, cheap little car with absolutely nothing to dislike about it unless you buy one and you're about to crash it. So don't crash it.


 I don't hate it. I just don't see it in MY life. I think it's ugly. There are just better cars out there for the money. As for mileage - I am not all that impressed. The girlkid's old 92 Metro got 52 mpg ripping back and forth between Kansas City and Kirksville, MO during her undergrad years. The body was a mass of rattles, but mechanically, it was a pretty decent car. Overall cost of ownership for the 110K she put on it was very low.

The key to surviving crashes is not to be in them. So far, so good - I've been neither hit nor hit anyone else in over 49 years of herding assorted iron, from a '47 Ford to a '55 Studebaker, a '59 Rambler - and about thirty more - to the present rig. I claim no special skill, just special luck. However, it can happen to anyone at any time. No sense exposing yourself unnecessarily. (Keep your cool, MaeJae!)

Sluggo


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## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

This one looks kinda mean: A Smart Diablo Youtube Video

It's a smart car with a 1000cc motorcycle engine swapped in. I'm guessing around 5lb per hp. It needs waaaay more tire!

Kevin


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

Scooter, have you seen the new challenger in person yet?? Whoooooooooooooooooooo! Yowza, it's gorgeous! New car-ish, but still, gorgeous. Car guy lives at my house and we got married at a car show







so we notice cars.

I have seen a few of the Smart cars around the DC area, and they are definitely eye-catching. I wonder if they would fit in the back of a dually?? Hmmm..

We have a Mini Cooper S as a shared 'commuter' car. I love it because I can park it anywhere in a parking lot and not worry about getting dinged OR blocked in so badly I can't get the door open (been there, done that, hate minivans in parking lots..) Plus, it glues itself to the road and drives like a go-cart.

When I was going to the same parking lot every day, I loved seeing the BRIGHT RED of the Durango from two lots away as I was walking out to the boonies - I always knew where it was in the sea of silver and beige. I still drive the Durango for work stuff sometimes but prefer the Mini because I never know where I"m going to have to park, and it's no fun trying to wedge the Durango into the single remaining spot in a lot when the guy in the big honkin' pickup next to me is sitting on the line because the spot is too small for his truck.









Back to smart cars, safety is relative, but to me the most important part of being safe is knowing what the car can do, and what YOU can do with the car - which aren't always the same thing.









Lynne


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## tyandow (Aug 18, 2008)

Scooter said:


> Sherry was on the way home from work today and told me she saw the new smart car on the road here in VT.
> I cannot believe they want 17k for these.
> 
> Especially when india's version the TATA NANO is to sell for 2,500.00.
> ...


I saw one today on the way home from the dealer. In the hills of Vermont, it was the only thing I had to pass.


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## 4H1DinaOB (Jan 5, 2006)

This video is pretty cool and provides a convincing demonstration of the structural integrity of the Smart Car in a high speed crash. 
check it out


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## FraTra (Aug 21, 2006)

hurricaneplumber said:


> here they around $15000, get around 40 mpg but you need to burn premium gas. The Honda Fit is a better value all the way round.


My Suzuki M50 cost $6,900 new. Lots of room to stretch out, room for 2, goes from 0-60 in nothing flat, gets about 47 mpg on average.

It's a motorcycle BTW.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

kjp1969 said:


> This one looks kinda mean: A Smart Diablo Youtube Video
> 
> It's a smart car with a 1000cc motorcycle engine swapped in. I'm guessing around 5lb per hp. It needs waaaay more tire!
> 
> Kevin


Gives new meaning to Employee Product Testing.....


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## Al G (Sep 7, 2008)

My wife has a Smart Car and I love it!!!!! The first bit of information is wrong.....The price is not $17k. It starts at $11,590 for the Pure. This model lacks A/C and other features. My wife bought the Passion that starts at $13,590. This includes A/C (with climate control), power windows, power door locks (remote), stereo with MP3 CD, sun roof, automatic transmition and many other standard features. There is also The Passion Cabriolet, a convertable, that starts at $16,590. My wife's Smart is bright yellow and she ordered it without any options so her price was $13,590 plus tax, etc.

The next bit of information is probably true..."India's version, the TATA NANO is to sell for 2,500.00". Be my guest, buy a Smart Car knockoff from India. China is also building a copy of the Smart Car. I'll take the Smart Car built by Mercedes Benz. You can buy a cordless drill made in China or India for $19.95 or you can buy a DeWalt for about $150. I'll take the DeWalt.

Some articles I have read say that it is not suitable for freeway use, I disagree. We drive this car about 50% of the time on mountain roads and 50% of the time on interstates. It has no problem with the mountains and it gets up 65mph easily when on an on ramp to the interstates. It's claimed top speed is 95. While driving at interstate speeds it handles just like a "regular sized" car. It feels much larger when you are in it. I am 6'2", 250 lbs and I feel very comfortable in it. We have been averaging about 46 mpg. A friend of mine also has a Smart and is getting mid 50s and just e-mailed me that he got 60 on his last tank full. He can get ethanol free gas. We can't.

Sombody said it was Uguly. Some people think that big pickup trucks are uguly (I drive a F250 PSD). It certainly draws attention. It is still very new in the US and we get a lot of comments and questions about it almost every time we stop somewhere.

As for the safety issue. It has a safety cell similar to the roll cages in race cars. It has driver and passinger air bags as well as side head and neck air bags and has ABS. Of course, it's size would probably be a major factor in a serious accident. My guess is that pulling a travel trailer adds to the risk of heading down the highway at 65 mph.

Al


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Nice to hear a testamonial to it. So, how does it fit in the bed of the F250????


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