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Smart Car to US...Finally!

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BucyrusBuckeye;1163841; said:
The best gas mileage is standard equipment on this.
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Yeah, but you gotta pay extra for the handle streamers. :pissed:
 
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Taosman;1163679; said:
National news is reporting a big move to smaller, fuel efficient cars.
Great time to buy a Hummer or Yukon! Many people are hunting for older small cars and putting a couple thousand in them. Those older cars just are not very safe so you spend your money and you take your chances.

A word on crash safety and older cars. Older cars are designed to crumble and absorb impact. Newer cars have a much stiffer structure and use things like airbags and interior structures to absorb impact. So you have a bad situation when an older car hits a comparable sized newer vehicle.
In my mind your better off, safety wise with a newer, stiffer car.

Word is Ford is working overtime on Escort production which usually translates into worse quality. Not good.
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That's exactly what the Communists want you to believe
 
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Muck;1163538; said:
With a 73 1/2" wheelbase "great" is not the proper description of the ride.
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When gas is over $5 per gallon, our definition of "great ride" will be changing. I'm not trilled about the size thing, but when auto makers can make cars larger, with lighter materials, 30 mpg, and still meet crash tests requirements, "great will" be even better. Until then we either shrink ourselves down or get used to the little sardine cans and the cramped spaces.
 
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Best Buckeye;1163553; said:
I can say positively that with gas at $4 per Gal I am getting a car with as many mpg as I can get, or maybe even a three wheel cycle for driving to work and back. I never thought I would say this but if the US car makers can't supply what I want then I will , for the first time ever, buy a foriegn made car.
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:biggrin: Just buy a Geo Metro, blueprint the 3 cyclinder engine, change all the fluids to synthetics, and have the injectors flow matched. That should get you about 50 mpg for about the cost of another car.
 
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utgrad73;1164088; said:
When gas is over $5 per gallon, our definition of "great ride" will be changing. I'm not trilled about the size thing, but when auto makers can make cars larger, with lighter materials, 30 mpg, and still meet crash tests requirements, "great will" be even better. Until then we either shrink ourselves down or get used to the little sardine cans and the cramped spaces.
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No thanks. I've been to Europe and there's no way I'm driving those silly little machines. I'm sure as hell not paying 20-something grand for the privilege.

I drive an Acura RDX. It handles better than any coupe I've ever had, actually has a backseat, enough room to throw my bike in the back and head for a trail, all wheel drive, a five-star safety rating and 260hp. What makes it even better is it does this with a 4 cylinder, turbocharged engine so it still manages 24/25 mpg, and it's small enough to fit into a standard parking space with ease.

A "smart car" is about more than just gas mileage...
 
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utgrad73;1164088; said:
When gas is over $5 per gallon, our definition of "great ride" will be changing. I'm not trilled about the size thing, but when auto makers can make cars larger, with lighter materials, 30 mpg, and still meet crash tests requirements, "great will" be even better. Until then we either shrink ourselves down or get used to the little sardine cans and the cramped spaces.
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Bullshit.

We've been through this before. The demand for better gas mileage didn't result in phone booths that ride like a skateboard before and they won't again.

The people for whom the fortwo makes the most sense would be better off taking the subway.

As I stated before the fuel efficiency for the Smart is a red herring. There are better options for those who are looking for high MPGs. The fortwo is about "image". The rest is all garbage.

I don't have a problem with small cars nor with wanting to get better gas milage. What I do have a problem with are products who's proponents are interested in only so they can pretend they're somehow greener than their neighbor.
 
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Muck is basically right. The biggest selling point is novelity. But, it is a safe car.
<DIV class=entry id=entry-49877798>Smart fortwo Crash-Test Results Show You Don?t Have to Die to Save Gas

By Doug Newcomb May 14, 2008 | 7:59:23 PM The Smart fortwo gets great gas mileage, fits into the tiniest parking spaces and earns style points by looking like nothing else on the road. But you can?t help but wonder how the 8-foot, 8-inch micro car will hold up on the mean streets and how occupants will fare if nailed by a Hummer.
Smart fortwo Crash-Test Results Show You Don’t Have to Die to Save Gas | Autopia from Wired.com
 
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