Let the Slaughter Begin . . .

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
You seem to forget that the ultra compact was not entirely a european phenomenon.
Nash Metropolitan

One of my neighbors had one of these well into the '70s.

 

[Banzai042]

Last time i was in europe was just a couple years after the smart car came out over there, and I remember laughing when I saw a long line of cars paralell parked on the street, and a Smart car just backed into a tiny space between two other cars. The crazy thing didn't even stick out past the other cars either. I do wonder about how well one of those will do in the US, given that it only gets 40 mpg according to Wikipedia, and we already have hybrids that do better than that (even accounting for EPA inaccuracies).

 

[Zebo]

Already many compacts are total death traps. I've sen lots of accidents and it's always the same - compact crushed, driver dead or seriously injured and Truck/SUV Driver is on cell calling for an ambulance.

"Smart" is "dumb"

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: GoPackGo
SUV and large vehicle drivers are usually WAY too aggressive. They think that since they have a big vehicle they own the road.

I own an SUV. I'm not aggressive. I don't believe that SUV drivers are any more or less aggressive than any other driver. I see people in their little Hondas cutting off semi-trucks all the time.

It's the driver... Not the car.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: Thump553


The car I remember was like the Isetta in that the front door was literally the front of the car and it was a two seater. It's possible it was a Volvo, at the time both Volvo and Saabs were essentially unknown, even to quasi-car buffs like I was.

And more . . .

BMW Model 600

Fiat Multipla

Peel Trident

Hienkel

Microcar Museum

 

[Zebo]

If someone has an unhappy marriage I have a "Smart" idea.

 

[BoberFett]

People will not stay away from small vehicles just because they're small. Look at how many millions of motorcycles are on the road.

 

[Zebo]

I don't even think about riding street bikes anymore or getting in compacts. I was almost killed at 21 riding a Vmax when this lady turned right in front of me. Broke 14 bones, talking compound fractures bones sticking out from skin, half my skin was removed from my body from slingin 200 feet accross asphalt. No damage to her. I swore from that moment on to put lots of metal and mass around me and my family.

Save yourselfs learning the hard way like I had to. Usually you get no second chances at speeds I was traveling. Gas is cheap price to pay for safty even at $12 a gallon.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Zebo
Already many compacts are total death traps. I've sen lots of accidents and it's always the same - compact crushed, driver dead or seriously injured and Truck/SUV Driver is on cell calling for an ambulance.

"Smart" is "dumb"

No, SUVs are dumb.

 

[SophalotJack]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk
BMW Isetta



I've seen both, rode in the Isetta - wheeled suitcase.

DUDE! Don't rag on Steve Urkel's car!

hehe, man that brings back some memories.

 

[Future Shock]

I love my SUV.

Of course, I DO know that it doesn't handle, brake, or avoid emergencies like my old BMW 325is did. So I leave a lot more space...And it's a diesel (so I get 26 mpg in real-world driving) with a manual, so it only gets 0-60 in 11 seconds or so - so I don't race away from stop lights...kills the mileage to do so anyway. The only really tricky thing about it is being a giant aluminum box means that it has a high wind cross-section, so if it's very windy it has a tendancy to get buffeted and need some hand-holding to keep straight.

Of course, most Americans don't WANT an SUV like mine, with Gore-Tex seat covers rather than leather, manual transmission, and slow-ish diesel. Most Americans haven't taken an off-road driving class to see how to really use their vehicle.

So I can't figure out if the problem is SUVs as a class, or the way that American's use them, drive them, and equip them...

Future Shock

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: Future Shock
* * *
Of course, most Americans don't WANT an SUV like mine, with Gore-Tex seat covers rather than leather, manual transmission, and slow-ish diesel. Most Americans haven't taken an off-road driving class to see how to really use their vehicle.

So I can't figure out if the problem is SUVs as a class, or the way that American's use them, drive them, and equip them...

Future Shock

Your SUV is definately an exception-an actual working truck. Frankly, I don't know if I've ever even seen one like that. Certainly none of the SUVs I've ever been in-almost universally they fall into the high powered, decked out to the max luxury vehicle category. The kind of ride where the owner would have a heart attack if it got scratched-hardly anything that will ever go off road.

The problem is so much with the SUVs, it't their owners and drivers. Remember when you a kid and it seemed like every Caddy owner drove as if the road was their private domain and either didn't signal at all or left their turn signal on forever? Well it's those clowns (or their offspring) that now own/drive SUVs (for the most part).

On the motorcycle /small car analogy, I think they are treated differently by other drivers. Most of my driving life I've tended towards small cars when I could (VW beetle, early Mazda GLC are two examples). I also owned and drove a motorcycle for about two years. There is a sizeable category of (bad) drivers who just don't see bikes. At least twice I had someone coming the opposite way do a left turn into my lane in broad daylight when the bike had its headlight on. I've never had a similar experience in a small car, which I have probably driven hundreds of times more often.

Personally I think we should implement a real stiff gas guzzler tax ASAP as a first step. Right now SUVs are essentially subsidized by exempting them from many safety rules-that should end immediately. If the vehicle is primarily to transport passengers, it should met all safety rules. The marketplace rules are presently distorted to promote SUV sales, in order to help the American manufacturers. That's got to change.

 

[Sunner]

Maybe Swedes are different, but I find the biggest dangers/annoyances on the road to be(and as much as this is likely to get me flames by all kinds of people, it is not intended as flamebait, I'm 100% serious):
- SUV drivers, not because they're agressive, but because they simply can't drive, there are so many of them that never signal, can't park or even reverse, or just generally drive like complete dimwits.
- Luxury sedan drivers in their 30's to 50's, these make up probably 80% of the way too agressive drivers I see, complete maniacs, frankly I hope they die in single accidents before they hurt someone other than themselves with their reckless driving.
- The snails, for some reason most of them seem to be driving Renaults or Citroens, staying in the outer lane and driving so ****** slow it drives everyone else crazy, and while not against the law or anything, they do upset the traffic rhythm an awful lot, and that's dangerous in itself.
- Women trying to reverse in any type of car, ugh, don't get me started, I don't understand why, but they just can't do it right, I guess most of them are just missing the reverse-your-car gene.
Granted, if they back into me(and they have) nothing tends to happen since they're going so damn slow, but they definitely pose a health risk to me, since they damn near give me a heart attack when I have to wait for 5 minutes while they try to reverse into a parking spot, blocking the road.

 

[BoberFett]

Nah, Sweden sounds just like the US, LOL!

 

[CaptnKirk]

Weeeeellllll , My wife likes them, "it's so cute, like a toy car - it would be perfect for me to zip around town in".

My comment - "and it doubles as a coffin".



Well, maybe we could get two, one for each foot . . . .

 

[Emos]

Hmmm...perhaps the Smart Car may be slightly safer then expected. The chassis can withstand quite a bit of kinetic energy. However, the passengers would still be roadkill based on this test.

Smart Car crash test

 

[GeNome]

Originally posted by: Future Shock
I love my SUV.

Of course, I DO know that it doesn't handle, brake, or avoid emergencies like my old BMW 325is did. So I leave a lot more space...And it's a diesel (so I get 26 mpg in real-world driving) with a manual, so it only gets 0-60 in 11 seconds or so - so I don't race away from stop lights...kills the mileage to do so anyway. The only really tricky thing about it is being a giant aluminum box means that it has a high wind cross-section, so if it's very windy it has a tendancy to get buffeted and need some hand-holding to keep straight.

Of course, most Americans don't WANT an SUV like mine, with Gore-Tex seat covers rather than leather, manual transmission, and slow-ish diesel. Most Americans haven't taken an off-road driving class to see how to really use their vehicle.

So I can't figure out if the problem is SUVs as a class, or the way that American's use them, drive them, and equip them...

Future Shock

I definitely think this is the main problem with SUV's, or, I suppose, their owners, these days. It ticks me off to see some rich 30-something soccer mom chugging around the suburbs/city in a Hummer. WTF? I mean, sure, get an SUV. But only if you're going to use it like an SUV. I don't have a problem with them if I see them doing some off-roading somewhere.

Of course, who's going to drop 40K+ on a truck and then go drive through some trees with it?

 

[Rogodin2]

Speaking of 'Smart', Saabs, and crash tests. I found this video-75mph Closing speed head on 50/50 offset-note the non breach of passanger compartments.

Rogo

Saab Head-On

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Emos
Hmmm...perhaps the Smart Car may be slightly safer then expected. The chassis can withstand quite a bit of kinetic energy. However, the passengers would still be roadkill based on this test.

Smart Car crash test

That's nice. But head on with a 8000lb Truck both traveling 50MPH the "Smart" hits an equivalent brickwall @90MPH while the truck hit an equivalent brickwall at 10MPH in this accident. (see SMART going backwards in your video demo and the Mercedes "driving" though the Smart, only it would more so in my example)

No subsitute for mass.

I'm sure Semis and Cement trucks have terrible crash test results but I'd rather be in one hitting anything from telephone poles to that 8000 truck even so.

Bottom line: it's the instant deceleration that kills you in an accident and heavier vechiles decelerate much less when hitting lighter vechiles.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: GeNome


Of course, who's going to drop 40K+ on a truck and then go drive through some trees with it?

Happens all the time. Go to Moab, Glamis, Rubicon etc there are 100k vechiles there gettiing tweaked regularly. Rubicon you can't even make it though w/o 20K in suspension work and electric lockers.

 

[GeNome]

Originally posted by: Zebo

Originally posted by: GeNome


Of course, who's going to drop 40K+ on a truck and then go drive through some trees with it?

Happens all the time. Go to Moab, Glamis, Rubicon etc there are 100k vechiles there gettiing tweaked regularly. Rubicon you can't even make it though w/o 20K in suspension work and electric lockers.

Ok, Ok, you're right. I meant the average soccer mom who needs to drive two kids around.

 

[Future Shock]

Originally posted by: GeNome

Of course, who's going to drop 40K+ on a truck and then go drive through some trees with it?

Of course, that's part of the problem - my SUV is a Land Rover Discovery LR3...which costs something like $50,000+ in the US. Because in the US, you can only buy the top-line HSE model with all the trim and options - dual sunroofs, full leather, all the electonic gadgets, DVD navigation system, handsfree phone, etc.

In contrast, my UK Discovery has cloth seats that I put Gore-Tex covers on, manual seat adjustments, no sunroof, single-disk CD player, no washers for the headlights, no heated seats, etc. Other than the air-suspention, it's a STRIPPED truck - that happens to look classy on the outside, and is built well. So I paid comparitively little for it (exchange rate differences and VAT make the cost difficult to compare...but you can spend more for a small Freelander high-spec model than I did on my Discovery). So do I take it off-roading? Greenlaning certainly, rock climbing it's not equipped for (no sliders). Because it DIDN'T cost that much...

Future Shock