smart car: What's the point?

[Vic Vega]

A couple people at work have these. They're tiny in person, like a golf cart with doors. That doesn't bother me though, I have no problem with small cars.

Looking at the EPA mileage report for the car though, low 30s in town is the expected rate. There are larger and, uh, safer cars which meet or exceed that number.

Also... I saw a Fiat 500 parked at the grocery store today. That car was NICE as small cars go. Bigger than a smart but smaller than a new Mini.

 

[SSSnail]

They're there so that the owners can compete with the prius owners for smug-nest award, they're like gang wars here in San Francisco.

 

[vi edit]

Where I live they are pointless and frankly...I'd fear for my life. Where they actually serve a point is in very dense downtown areas where these things can back into a parking spot, be 1/3 as long as a Suburban and stick out less from the curb than the Surburban is wide.

 

[zerocool84]

They're there so that the owners can compete with the prius owners for smug-nest award, they're like gang wars here in San Francisco.

This

They're nothing more than a status symbol.

 

[exar333]

They would be handy for living in a cramped urban area where parking is at a premium. That's pretty much it. The MPGs combined with the 2-seater setup really limits the usefulness (and value) of the car.

 

[exdeath]

Typically expressing opulence and smug superiority would be having the biggest, fastest, newest, most expensive trendy car. But a 600 HP Mercedes gets 7 mpg and doesn't have any green cred. And green is trendy right now.

So the way to be holier than thou and still be trendy with green smug at the same time is just the opposite: pissing contest to spend the most money on the least amount of car. As if to say "I can afford to throw money away on an inferior and more expensive trendy pointless piece of shit". And when you point out your Nissan gets 45 mpg, is faster, more luxurious, more green, and costs less, they can point out to you that their Smart is made by Mercedes and therefore still better than your Nissan as they attempt to drag race you in their supposedly green ride.

 

[exdeath]

Aside from my sociology analysis of the smug factor, and the fact that its over priced and over hyped for what it is, I think they are neat in the same minimalistic utilitarian way that an old VW Bug is cool.

If the price didn't include status tax, it would make a great fun little $10k micro car.

 

[KentState]

I like them. More gas for me

 

[IcePickFreak]

Yeah don't think you're going to find a better mpg car for cheaper really. Best suited to big cities where space is a premium. Of course there's plenty of idiots on the hwy and back-road county hwys - long as they drive the speed limit or stay out of the way, I don't really care.

 

[SSSnail]

The funny thing is, those stupid cars still take up a full size parking space, and be charged just as the same. They're annoying as hell on the road, like gnats.

 

[Bartman39]

The wife thinks they are just plain cute...

Me I`m scared to death to think what would happen if I hit one with my 2500HD...? :hmm: Some how just dont think it would work out to well...?

 

[brblx]

too small, too expensive, not enough benefit. prolly why i've only seen two or three on the road.

most people would much rather drive a japanese subcompact. for good reason- they're bigger, cheaper (when similarly equipped) and the there's not a whole lot of difference in fuel economy.

edit: curiosity led to some googling which led to me seeing claims that the euro model still had the same 70hp 1L engine, but got 60mpg. what the eff?

 

[Pariah]

They make more sense in Europe where the car was initially released, and cramped Asian cities. Not so much here in the US, unless you live in the city and rarely leave it. I see quite a few of them around here, and it's older white women driving them practically every time. It seems that it appeals to the prototypical slightly strange old white woman who has no male companion but lives with 10 cats and owns a bunch of Apple products. The car is more of a cute fashion accessory to her than a mode of transportation.

 

[Uhtrinity]

They would be handy for living in a cramped urban area where parking is at a premium. That's pretty much it. The MPGs combined with the 2-seater setup really limits the usefulness (and value) of the car.

Pretty much this. They are small two seaters with no advantage other than parking. For the size I would expect 2X the mileage.

 

[Pariah]

edit: curiosity led to some googling which led to me seeing claims that the euro model still had the same 70hp 1L engine, but got 60mpg. what the eff?

Apples to oranges comparison. The European rating use the Imperial gallon which is 20% more than the US gallon.

 

[zerocool84]

Apples to oranges comparison. The European rating use the Imperial gallon which is 20% more than the US gallon.

Plus stricter safety and emission regulation over here.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I could see the appeal, but yeah, overpriced, not that efficient, not that well put together. It'd be kinda cool to modify, but the amount you'd have to do to make it worthwhile would make it even worse value.

I'd go for one of those Tango T600s instead. Or the Fiat 500.

Anyone know when Gordon Murray's city car is supposed to go on sale?

 

[exdeath]

They make more sense in Europe where the car was initially released, and cramped Asian cities. Not so much here in the US, unless you live in the city and rarely leave it. I see quite a few of them around here, and it's older white women driving them practically every time. It seems that it appeals to the prototypical slightly strange old white woman who has no male companion but lives with 10 cats and owns a bunch of Apple products. The car is more of a cute fashion accessory to her than a mode of transportation.

Asshole deserves to have his car smashed. Left no maneuvering room for others to get out of or in a parallel park spot. Thats the same thing as someone who parks 1" away from another vehicle and prohibiting entry.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Great car if you live in areas like San Francisco -

if they got 45 - 50mpg they would make a lot more sense to commuters. They are only selling about 400 units a month so not a lot of folks are buying. I see multiple every day on my commute to Oakland.

 

[Doppel]

Wikileaks actually published an article that proves this car was brought over to North America at the behest of the US government purely as a psychological study into just how big a piece of sh*t will people buy if packaged properly?

The car is a complete clusterf*** of failure for people in North America who have higher speeds, greater commute distances, and don't live on top of one another like in Europe. The car is expensive, unreliable, slow, unsafe, small, not actually very good on gas, and its transmission is apparently among the worst--Consumer Reports I think said it is _the_ worst they'd experienced.

If by above sales are 400/month, well that's only about 5k americans/year who should be taken by the state and put into group homes.

 

[KentState]

I see quite a few of them around here, and it's older white women driving them practically every time. It seems that it appeals to the prototypical slightly strange old white woman who has no male companion but lives with 10 cats and owns a bunch of Apple products. The car is more of a cute fashion accessory to her than a mode of transportation.

That's pretty much my general observation. I would also like to throw in that I see a lot of fat men driving them as well. How in the hell does a 400lb guy fit in one of those?

 

[Vetterin]

This says it all: Yes, that is a Smart!

 

[Zap]

That's pretty much my general observation. I would also like to throw in that I see a lot of fat men driving them as well. How in the hell does a 400lb guy fit in one of those?

You ever seen a clown car?

 

[dpodblood]

That's pretty much my general observation. I would also like to throw in that I see a lot of fat men driving them as well. How in the hell does a 400lb guy fit in one of those?

I also see a lot of huge dudes driving these tiny things. What gives with that? Personally I would rather have a Fiesta, or a Fiat 500 if I was looking for a small car. At least the Fiesta can fit an entire zebras head.

 

[A5]

Wikileaks actually published an article that proves this car was brought over to North America at the behest of the US government purely as a psychological study into just how big a piece of sh*t will people buy if packaged properly?

The car is a complete clusterf*** of failure for people in North America who have higher speeds, greater commute distances, and don't live on top of one another like in Europe. The car is expensive, unreliable, slow, unsafe, small, not actually very good on gas, and its transmission is apparently among the worst--Consumer Reports I think said it is _the_ worst they'd experienced.

If by above sales are 400/month, well that's only about 5k americans/year who should be taken by the state and put into group homes.

You're going to have to link to that leak, because right now you sound like a crazy person.