Smart Cars...

robeiae

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Just saw one pass by. And I couldn't help but laugh.

I know, I know: they're eco-friendly, they're more efficient.

But come on! If you're driving a car that a Mini Cooper could beat the snot out of, I mean...COME ON!

Maybe if the colors were cooler...
 
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Maryn

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I hear they just squeaked by in crash safety. How smart is that, huh? Huh?

I first saw one in Paris and thought it seemed okay for neighborhood jaunts and urban parking, but not for actual driving among F-350s and Hummers, which dwarf my mom-mobile.

Maryn, who doesn't want to die in a smart car
 

Jcomp

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Being 6'4" means I could never fold up into one anyway. It was bad enough driving an Escort around for five years.
 

Clair Dickson

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I think they look cooler than the boxy Equinox.

But I also think the so-called safety issue of being run over by other vehicles is NOT the SmartCar driver's fault. But, I prefer to put that blame on the folks who think mounting other cars is acceptable driving.
 

MattW

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I've seen them on 65 MPH highways. Scary.
 

Jcomp

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I saw one parked in my neighborhood the other day that had a sign on it stating "If this Smart Car's a-rockin'... a mosquito bumped into it..."
 

WendyNYC

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I see them frequently in New York. They might be great for parking, but, yeah, not gonna work for 2 adults+2 kids+1 dog.
 

rugcat

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If you live in a city like San Francisco, you can't take your car anywhere because it takes 45 minutes to find parking (or you can pay 20 dollars, and park in a lot 10 blocks away in the rain.)

For years, i had no car, only a motorcycle. A great solution, except in SF it rains most of the winter, and to be honest I'm getting a bit long in the tooth for zooming around on a two wheeler.

But a smart car? There's always a space you can squeeze into. Not a great car for the highway, obviously, but if I had the money I'd get one as a second car. Of course, that wouldn't be very eco friendly -- kind of defeats the purpose.
 

rhymegirl

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Stop making fun of my new car, Rob!

smartcar.jpg
 

MsK

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I think they are adorable and obviously much more eco-friendly then my SUV (smaller SUV), but I will not be driving a little car like that until all the Suburbans, Escalades and giant pickup trucks, etc... are off the road.
I've grown too used to being in a SUV and sitting a little higher up then most cars.
 

KTC

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Just saw one pass by. And I couldn't help but laugh.

I know, I know: they're eco-friendly, they're more efficient.

But come on! If you're driving a car that a Mini Cooper could beat the snot out of, I mean...COME ON!

Maybe if the colors were cooler...


They have been in Canada for many years now. We're all used to having them. A friend of mine has one and absolutely loves it.
 

KTC

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your mockery is so fitting when you wear that avatar.
 

KTC

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The guy I know who has one actually built and patented a smart-car garage too. It's amazing. He's a member here at AW...just not on very often.
 

She_wulf

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I hear they just squeaked by in crash safety. How smart is that, huh? Huh?...

Being 6'4" means I could never fold up into one anyway. It was bad enough driving an Escort around for five years.

I've seen them on 65 MPH highways. Scary.
I had to comment to clear up some misconceptions...

I dated a guy who crash-tested and test-drove the SmartCars before they OK'd by the EPA, etc. to import to the US.

First, the smart car cage (nicknamed "the walnut") was INTACT after being hit at 65 mph by a semi truck. Only a few cars, Mercedes, I believe is one, can boast that the passenger carriage maintains integrity under those conditions. What was making the smartcar raise eyebrows was the charging connections for the electric model. They didn't comply with US standards. (mostly plug config was converted from Euro set up to US and it was a crappy/hack way to do it.)

Second, I think top speed is 85 or possibly even 90 mph. The boyfriend commented it had about as much pick up (acceleration) as an compact Honda, and was better than most American-made compacts for acceleration.

The car imported is a hybrid, not full electric model. Due to heavy restrictions for user safety (regarding the plug configuration, shock grounding, etc.) the full electric won't be available until the charging mechanism is modified to comply with US safety standards. The Tesla (an electric sport coupe made in California) has specially designed grounding and shock/hazard safety features designed in that have passed US testing standards.

Oh, and this guy, was 5'10" and his buddy who was also doing the crash-test/road-tests was 6'2". He (bf) commented that the interior was roomier than he thought.

In "The Pink Panther" Steve Martin drives a smartcar. Steve is 6' according to his bio. There is even a line in the movie joking about how the inspector thought it seemed much smaller on the outside or something like that.

Of course, simply none of these reasons would make me buy a smartcar. It simply looks silly. The Tesla, on the other hand, is one heck of a car. Too bad it costs too much.
wallpaper_4982_300x225.jpg


Here's an idea... Tesla, make a sporty compact under 30K. That would make me consider electric.

A.
 
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rugcat

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I think they are adorable and obviously much more eco-friendly then my SUV (smaller SUV), but I will not be driving a little car like that until all the Suburbans, Escalades and giant pickup trucks, etc... are off the road.
I've grown too used to being in a SUV and sitting a little higher up then most cars.
That's why I hate SUVs. They started the arms race. The first ones were a little larger than the average car, giving a nice view of the road. Then everyone got one. Then the next generation had to be bigger, to regain the advantage, and so on, until driving a normal sized car in traffic amongst the behemoths made it impossible to see the road in front of you. Many people bought SUVs they didn't really want out of self preservation.

When gas hit 4 dollars a gallon, I thought the madness was over. But now it's back down, and the bloated will rule the roads for a while longer.
 

Clair Dickson

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Meh. I drive a rusted out bucket that's folding in half because I'm losing structural integrity in the subframe. Neat, huh? And I drive in SUVurbia. I'm not going to be scared wherever I go. Not worth it.

Besides, seeing all the SUV's on their sides, upside down and in the ditch this winter... didn't exactly make me feel like they're safer. At least in my little car I *know* I can't go very fast in snow, ice, etc. I'm not going to do anything stupid because I know I'm in a precarious position. If I were to get into an accident with this car, I would be SO screwed! The car would fold like an accordian. (Who needs bungee jumping for thrills?)

If Hubby's car was big enough for a family, I'd so buy a SmartCar for my little commute. But, since we're gonna need a four door car, and his is still pretty new, I'm relegated to driving the "family" car. I'm hoping for a nice big still-shiny 4-door Cavalier with less than 100k on it. Hey, a girl in my price range can dream, can't she? =)
 

Clair Dickson

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until driving a normal sized car in traffic amongst the behemoths made it impossible to see the road in front of you.

I'll make the argument that most people can't see the road when they're IN the behemoths. I had to drive a Ford Flex one day and I couldn't see where the hell the front ended or where the sides were and I felt like I was driving over both lanes. I checked the grill for little cars when I got to my destination... it was terrifying. I literally could NOT see small cars that were BESIDE me! Not cool. Not cool at all. (And, just for the record, I'm 5'7", not some short little lady.)