Smart Car = Stupid

And your basing this assertion on the Smart Car?

Guess what? Each year in the US, homicides increase with the amount of ice cream consumption.

Ice cream=murder.

Well, they offer the Smart here in various colours, as Forfour, Cabrio, Roadster ... . Might bem you'll get the larger selection in the U.S. as well.

I'd feel safer on a motorcycle.

Oh, you meant that the Smart is a "green" car? Correct. It isn't. And no-one ever claimed it was.

It's just a small city car.
Some like that.

Might be. But according to test by the NCAP, the Smart isn't that bad at all - any car is better in tests than motorcycles, though.

It is a good car for many European cities with their often narrow street and small parkinglots.

Watch this test and you will see this car is sooo much safer than a motor bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

And you pay less in (multi storey) car parks.

Most motorcycles have the power to get out of their own way and avoid clumps of traffic.

Yes, I've seen just now a couple of crash test for motorcycles.

like haul around a smart car?

I dont' think smart cars are worth it either. However, I think the number of trucks in the US is absolutely ridiculous. I know so many people with trucks and SUVs, that never have the need to haul anything. I also know people who have nice big trucks, that won't haul anything because they don't want to risk scratching their truck loading/unloading something.

If you haul stuff regularly, by all means get a truck. My dad has one we use to haul motorcycles, pull boats, etc. Because he has one, I will NEVER need one. The once or twice a year I want to move something that won't fit in my car, I just borrow the truck from him.

Therefore, I think it is stupid to suggest getting a truck over a smart car. If someone is in the market for a smart, they probably aren't thinking they need to haul things, so why get a big gas guzzling vehicle? A better suggestion would be a small coupe. I have a '99 Cavalier that cost 7k years ago, and still drives fine, and gets 32mpg on road trips.



Couldn't disagree more.

You might feel safer, but no way would you actually be safer.

But. . .but. . .they're so cute. . . .


There's a long waiting list to get one in this area but the ticket price (if you want a radio and air conditioner) is about $17k, not $20. Great gas mileage. And there is surprising head room and leg room inside too--at least as good as my Subaru. Safety compared to most cars? Probably not so much but they're still safer than a scooter.

When my daughter was younger and saw one of these for the first time in Germany, she said: "Look Mom, they have baby cars!" and from then on, it was doomed as baby car.

They're cute around town, but I would not attempt to drive one here in southern California where there are too many Hummers on the road. I'd be dead meat in no time.

Just remember, its crash test ratings that matter, not size. For example, I drive a '99 Cavalier, which got a 4 star rating in all but drivers side impact, where it got 1 star.

I couldn't find complete ratings for the smart, but I do see that it got 5 stars for drivers side front crash, and five stars for side crash. However, it got 3 stars for passenger front crash.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/autos/smart_fortwo_iihs_crash_test/index.htm

I just hate the unneccesary cycle of people buying bigger vehicles so they can be bigger and 'safer' then everyone else. Causing everyone else to get bigger vehicles to be 'safe' against you. Pretty soon, everyone will be driving a Canyonero


If your in San Diego, it doesn't matter anyways. Crashes aren't bad at 5mph, and thats all the faster interstate traffic goes there anyway

Four stars by the NHTSA-rating, 4 stars with the (European) NCAP rating .... same result as e.g. the Subaru Legacy (but pedestrians are safer when getting involved in an accident with the Smart).

Hah! When was the last time you visited San Diego? Being German, I simply have to speed and sometimes I get carried away at 80+ mph, but I am
certainly not the only one - everyone is speeding here. What makes it so
dangerous though is that 1/3 of the drivers don't even have a license or
insurance for that matter. Another 1/3 is so old, they put a lot of trust in
God while driving quite erratically. So, it's basically a no win situation
out here

I do drive a safe German car, yet it's not nearly as big as some other SUVs
and I need a bigger car to pile up my kid and her friends into it.

The Smart is made by the very same company of your safe car

I guess its been about 2 years now since I've been there (used to live in Cardiff by the Sea). I guess when it wasn't rush hour, traffic would fly pretty fast. The many wasted hours of me sitting in stop and go traffic twice a day overpower all other memories though.

There is rush hour and traffic jams in Omaha, but it's nothing like a big city. And in my daily life now, I get on the interstate maybe 2 or 3 times a month.

I know Walter, it surely is safer than a Fiat but still too small for me.

Nick, I've never been to Nebraska, but it couldn't compensate living close to the Pacific.
I love living close to the ocean (LJ) and don't have to fight traffic on I-5 which is bad, admittedly.
I drive 52 to the east county for work and I drive usually against the traffic,
so I have no complaints.