Smart Car is coming

[magic79]

"have you noticed that every new generation of cars is a few inches larger the the last.

I have a few questions for those who drive SUVs or Trucks or both daily,

1. Are you really using the car to it's full potential (example: actually carring heavy loads for work)?
2. Is your car really as safe as it looks?
3. Do you really need 4000+ pounds of metal to do what you need your car to do?
4. How much do you spend on gas?
5. How many people are usually in your car?
6. Can you accomplish everything you need to do with a smaller car?
7. How often do you need a big car (Is it a better and cheaper idea to rent a big car when needed)?"

You are clearly under 30...to say such a thing is completely ignorant. The "economy" car of the 60s and 70s was bigger than today's "full size" car and got poorer gas milage. You need to do some research before posting such claims.

In answer to your questions:

1. Yes
2. No question!
3. Yes
4. Less than Europeans driving much smaller vehicles.
5. 2-6 depending on the situation...and option not even available on these tiny cars.
6. Not even close. I have done the research and the smaller vehicles cannot tow my trailer or even my boat and get the same gas milage as my Yukon. Yes, I have a boat and a trailer, and NO it's none of your business!
7. None of your business! I am sick to death of you "milage police" thinking that you somehow know more than me (see above comments). Again, you are ignorant of the facts. EVERY rental contract I've seen says 'you may not tow any vehicles with the rental'." DO THE RESEARCH before making comments.

I am CERTAIN that you engage in behaviors I disagree with and would raise holy hell if I questioned them! Go away!!

 

[gadget_lover]

I'll second the enthusiasm about being able to park easily. I already enjoy a super tight turning radius in my 2002 Prius, and it's a touch narrower than most cars it's size because the sides are fairly vertical instead of bulging outward like most cars. The combination lets me park in places other cars do't even try to get into.

I'd like to see a law that says two short compacts can park in one parallel parking space if they park nose in. When there are two motorcycles in one space they are sometimes ticketed.

Daniel

 

[EVOeight]

I guess if you owned only Smart cars, your two-car garage just became a four-car garage! Nice...

 

[MikeSalt]

Smart Cars may have good CRASH safety. However, the safest car is the one that avoided the accident in the first place. The Smart car was found to be the WORST handling car by the BBC's Top Gear. Allow me to translate, if you take a corner a little bit too ambitiously, the car will skid out of control, crash, and you will die. And then, someone you perhaps don't like so much, will end up with your eyes.

 

[ikendu]

The American way of life is non-negotiable!

This was apparently first articulated at the at the summit on the environment in Rio de Jeniero in 1992 by U.S. President #41 George H. W. Bush. It was echoed again by Vice President **** Cheney after our country was attacked on 9-11 by terrorists from the country with the world's largest remaining oil reserves.

In the years since the first President Bush made this statement, we are in the midst of fighting the second American war in the Persian Gulf. However this war turns out, will we be fighting a third Persian Gulf War?

We know that China and India are both hugely increasing the amount of oil they consume. Regular people in China that now have money, also want a big vehicle and probably a boat too. The world's supply of oil is dwindling away. Since 1982 (25 years ago), we have been consuming more oil than we find each year. It isn't because we aren't scouring the world looking for oil.

When the world's supply simply won't meet the demand, the pressures will be begin to increase. That might be in just a year or two. There will still be plenty of oil ...just not enough for everyone. In 10 years, will the people in a now much richer and more powerful China also feel that their lifestyle in non-negotiable? I think they will. I doubt if the Chinese will feel that the U.S. has any special right to the oil under the sand of the Middle East.

We don't have to fight a third Gulf War with a nuclear armed opponent. But we may very well do that unless we take steps to change the way we consume energy. Having our country import 65% of its liquid fuel represents a real and present danger to us all. In the interest of national security, we must change the way we do this. There will continue to be people that need large trucks to do the work of our society but we must do what we can to reduce our dependence on imported oil at every opportunity.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I have a few questions for those who drive SUVs or Trucks or both daily,

1. Are you really using the car to it's full potential (example: actually carring heavy loads for work)?
2. Is your car really as safe as it looks?
3. Do you really need 4000+ pounds of metal to do what you need your car to do?
4. How much do you spend on gas?
5. How many people are usually in your car?
6. Can you accomplish everything you need to do with a smaller car?
7. How often do you need a big car (Is it a better and cheaper idea to rent a big car when needed)?"


1. Not every single day no, but at any time I CAN need to carry several 55 gallon drums or a couple of pressure washers.
2. I'd like to think so. There is a big heavy Cummins out there between me and the world.
3. Maybe not, but the fact that my 8,000Lb Ram gets about 19.5 lifetime doesn't hurt TOO bad.
4. Diesel actually. It takes about 85 bucks to fill it. I do this usually about every fourth day under normal conditions.
5. Me, myself and I. At BEST it's a two seater. The rest of the cab is stuffed with tools, parts etc.
6. Nope.
7. Actually there is a paid for '95 Lincoln TC in the family so we HAVE a big car.

I say again, when biodiesel is available at the places I can get to easily I'll be happy to run it!

 

[ikendu]

...Cummins

Well, at least you are halfway there!

You operate a flex fuel vehicle that can run on U.S. made fuel (read: non-imported) when it is available. I wish that all of our vehicles were flex fuel vehicles. Millions of vehicles are still sold every year in the U.S. that will run on gasoline only. We import over 65% of our gasoline. And... your vehicle wrings out the maximum possible mileage while performing the job for which it was intended. Good choice!

(...and I bet you love the way a diesel provides it's power... solid! I know I sure appreciate mine)

 

[kingoftf]

There are a few Smarts running for years in Germany and the rest of Europe. I´ve tried one a few years ago but haven´t bought it due to the price (the Diesel Version 14.000 Dollar full equipped, about 3 ltr/60 miles)

For 2 people or if you drive it alone, it´s an ideal car, lots of room for the driver (like any other car) but don´t look back over your shoulder, there´s nothing.....
It´s an ideal car to dirve to your work and back home and for small shopping as well (fits a few bags)
Nothing more and nothing less.

But far too expensive and because of this reason they have huge problems in Germany and other countries to sell them (Smart = Mercedes)
Almost stopped the production.

If they would sell them for 1/2 the price it would be a stunner.

But for the above mentioned price you´ll get a fully equipped Japanese or Corean Car with double the room.

 

[EVOeight]

I think the handling of the Smart is much better now than it was, especially on the Brabus. Larger tires, better struts, etc.
I agree that the price is still off. The fully loaded one should be around $11,000. I hope they sell well enough that the price drops. Plus, there should be used ones available in a few years.
I agree that we should try to reduce our dependance on imported oil any way we can. My EVO gets around 25MPG. I can double my mileage with a Smart...

 

[Jay R]

The Smart car is more of a fashion accessory over here in England. Driven by lots of rich young wives and young kids where 'daddy' got them their first car. My brother has one ( He's 39 but a kid at heart.) and I quite like it. It will sit at 85mph on the motorway but you wouldn't want to do it on a windy day. Inside it's all passenger space so there is more room than it looks. You can't touch the bottom of the windscreen without leaning forward quite a bit. Stick it nose first into the curb and you can park virtually anywhere without 'to and fro'..ing.

 

[Gunner12]

Double post

 

[Gunner12]

"have you.... Go away!!

Sorry, I didn't mean to make any one angry. If you you your car to your full potential(towing, carring etc.), I applaud you. I only asked that because here where I live, most of the time I see people drive SUVs every day to and from work and to and from the market. I'll remember to do research next time before I post something I'm not clear on. Yes I understand the cars of the 60s and 70s are much larger and get poorer gas mileage, but didn't think of that when I posted.

I am sincerly sorry if I angered anyone with my post, I'll remember not to post on a bad day.

 

[ikendu]

Post #1: "...have you noticed that every new generation of cars is a few inches larger the the last.

Post #2: You are clearly under 30...to say such a thing is completely ignorant. The "economy" car of the 60s and 70s was bigger than today's "full size" car and got poorer gas milage. You need to do some research before posting such claims.

Well, research first is clearly a good idea.

I started working for GM in 1968.

Every year >was< "wider, lower, longer" ...right up until the Arab Oil Embargo in 1973 (gas shortages, long lines, high prices). The big Chevy sedan was being sold for 1 penny more than a Chevy Vega sub-compact. Even then, you could barely give away the big cars. GM took a bath. We were importing 28% of our oil in those days.

All new designs following that were a big step backward in size.

Then... we opened up the Alaska North Slope and the British North Sea oil fields and suddenly there was a glut of new oil on the market. The price of oil plumeted in the 80's and America forgot all about the coming problem with oil dwindling away while economies like China and India were on their way up.

Many design years after that retrenchment in size went right back to "wider, lower, longer" although never quite having sedans get back to the sizes they were in the early 70's before the Arab Oil Embargo. I think though, that some SUVs are bigger now than the largest sedans ever were in those days (compare a big Lincoln to a Hummer or an Explorer).

So... except for that one big upheaval in 1973, our cars do genenerally follow a trend of bigger by a bit each year. The Smart Car is simply another sad example of that propensity to grow.

Just an observation by one who lived through it...

Now, we are importing 65% of our oil. I wonder how vulnerable our economy is now to an oil disruption compared to the way it was in 1973 when the embargo triggered a long period of recession.

 

[MacTech]

I also remember the Embargo days back in the '70s, i was a child then, not even driving age, before the embargo. Mom and Dad had big cars (Dad had a Ford Gran Torino, the hood and trunk were in different *time zones*....

once prices began to climb, they switched, Mom got a Toyota Corona, and Dad a Corrolla SR5 hatchback (loved that little car), and they've stayed with small cars ever since, during my formative years, all i basically knew were small econoboxes, so it's no surprise that's what i prefer now

the Embargo days were bad, gas was ratoned, they determined when you could fuel up based on your licence plate number, even last digits were M-W-F, odd last digits were T-W-S, i don't remember what Sundays were, every gas station had long lines, fisticuffs were common as tempers were short

but alas, the general public has a short memory, and once the embargo ended the average American went back to their gas-guzzlers

"those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat it"

heck, even now, i'm unhappy with my '02 Neon's fuel economy, it gets anywhere from 30-40 MPG depending on my driving style and environmental conditions, it averages out in the low thirties, and to me that's not acceptable, i want high 30's to low 40's

but heck, the car's paid for, and i'd rather not get back into car payments, i'll have to suck it up and save up for my next car, drive the Neon into the ground, it's replacement will be a Diesel/Hydrogen fuel-cell/Diesel Hybrid/Mr. Fusion™, or some other form of alternative fuel vehicle, screw OPEC and the Oil Cartels

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I want the New and Improved Mr. Fusion in my next truck!

But I'd REALLY like Biodiesel to hit the mainstream!

Dad was driving a '63 Chevy PickUp with a Camper Shell and no back window/pass through. I had a few of my formative years laying on a deck with my head almost in the cab listening to Country Music. I don't actually remember long lines, but do remember stations being out of gas. Maybe it's because we didn't get it as bad in Houston...

Last fillup in the Ram figured to 19.799....