I recently saw in the news where the Smart group is launching their ForTwo models here in the US this year. A dealer network has recently been announced, even though it seems a bit spread out.
I got to looking into smaller cars as I may be in the market in the next year or so. I will have limited funds to get a smaller car to complement my Caprice for my driving needs. You really can't beat the Caprice in terms of durability and comfort for the kind of driving that I do, but at $3-4/gallon with a 50+ mile commute some days, it gets expensive.
Truth is, car prices even for the smallest/cheapest of vehicles has been going up quite a bit as of late. The Korean offerings used to be under 10k for the base models, but now that isn't the case. Whether this is because of exchange rates, inflation, or just improved quality among smaller vehicles is anyone's guess and can be argued all day long. (This is a bit OT though)
My question is this: How will it do here in the US? What about the future of similar cars of this class? It clearly fulfills a need as gas is expensive and smaller cars are easier to maneuver in urban environments. But will Americans buy them? We are used to larger vehicles as some, like myself, are pretty tall and are more comfortable with the leg room. There is also sort of a cultural norm in that "bigger is better" when it comes to perceptions of vehicles, people equating sheer mass with safety. Then there are also the technical specifications. Although it is pretty capable for most driving, it is limited to a max speed of 90mph, which some might see as pretty anemic. Interstate driving is pretty common, so I don't know how that might be viewed.
So, will this catch on, linger around as a small niche, or go the way of the Yugo?
I got to looking into smaller cars as I may be in the market in the next year or so. I will have limited funds to get a smaller car to complement my Caprice for my driving needs. You really can't beat the Caprice in terms of durability and comfort for the kind of driving that I do, but at $3-4/gallon with a 50+ mile commute some days, it gets expensive.
Truth is, car prices even for the smallest/cheapest of vehicles has been going up quite a bit as of late. The Korean offerings used to be under 10k for the base models, but now that isn't the case. Whether this is because of exchange rates, inflation, or just improved quality among smaller vehicles is anyone's guess and can be argued all day long. (This is a bit OT though)
My question is this: How will it do here in the US? What about the future of similar cars of this class? It clearly fulfills a need as gas is expensive and smaller cars are easier to maneuver in urban environments. But will Americans buy them? We are used to larger vehicles as some, like myself, are pretty tall and are more comfortable with the leg room. There is also sort of a cultural norm in that "bigger is better" when it comes to perceptions of vehicles, people equating sheer mass with safety. Then there are also the technical specifications. Although it is pretty capable for most driving, it is limited to a max speed of 90mph, which some might see as pretty anemic. Interstate driving is pretty common, so I don't know how that might be viewed.
So, will this catch on, linger around as a small niche, or go the way of the Yugo?