tsxgoogs

Nice, I want one!

gtg710w

wow it is possible!!!!

godfather2

i've seen a few of these around downtown charlotte. i don't think they are worth it ... you will find that the smart four two gets about 10mpg less than advertised = RIPOFF

charliemike

Kinda like the Prius?

Moog-Type-S

Suite!

Moog-Type-S

...but you'd get a nice parking ticket for that move.

eclipse23

Crash survivability tests, i'd love to see the results. I could not feel safe in one of those.

hemhaw

Yup.

I like 'em, but not for $18K. or $15K. or $12K....

They are definitely not about the mileage, because that ain't so great, considering.

But they are a lot of fun, and (believe it or not) relatively luxurious on the inside.

I'm sure your folks will enjoy it - it sounds like they bought it for the right reasons - because they wanted it.

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

my buddy in germany has a diesel one. the thing handles like a go kart and it has pretty decent pick up. I didn't think I would be able to fit in there (I'm 6'3"), but I had to move the seat forward. There is actually quite a bit of room in there.

Mokos23

you can park that car anywhere which is nice. there is a youtube video where this guy in a smart parked his car in his living room cause he opened this back door, which has 2 actual doors, pretty funny.

phile

:ibcarbonmonoxidepoisoning:

cmschmie

Saw one a couple weeks ago. Some collegei-sh chick driving it.
I swear they start with a golf cart and go from there.

All in all. They seem pretty much pointless unless you live in a big (crowded) city and/or don't drive very far....ever

moda_way

Saw a bunch in Hamburg parked like that and thought the same thing... Could you imagine pulling that manuever in NYC or Chicago.

SPUDMTN

Exactly--they're thrilled.

Sarlacc

awesome boxer.


but how the hell can you call this thing a grocery getter

Sarlacc

I dont think so.

The car was designed to be able to park like that, dont know it its legal or not...though even it is I'm sure the cops never bother to check first and ticket anyway.

SPUDMTN

Have two boxers--the other one is white. They're GREAT!

As for the groceries: think a small trip to the market. Definitely not for Costco. Point is, this isn't a car for long-hauls.

Costco

I wouldn't be able to drive that thing around for very far distances, must be kinda cool I guess if it were a manual. Yup, definitely not for me.

synth19

^ parallel parking, head on.

eccjak

If I was living around downtown the city of Chicago I wouldn't mine having one of those instead of taking a taxi or the CTA to get around. Does the smart car have enough torque to get up hills or speed bumps?

Black Tire

start getting used to this sight with gas prices going up so fast these days.

Mokos23

that's what i want to know. i would also buy one, but since i live in the burbs, i would have to drive on a minor highway to get downtown, cause i don't want to drive a smart car on I90 or 94 going into the city due to all those semis!

is300eater

you can't go on the freeway with one of these, can ya? I've seen some of those higher end scooters on the freeway... why not these?

Gilgamesh

Nah...

[quote=honda]
*The 5-speed automatic Fit gets 27 city/34 highway mpg and the 5-speed automatic Fit Sport gets 27 city/33 highway mpg. Based on 2008 EPA mileage estimates... [/quote


And the 21k base Prius seems to pull off about 45 EPA...lets call it 40, on the highway, where the Prius is not as efficient.

Just saying...it seems that someone paying $11.5 to 16.5k (base ranges fo rthe 3 Smart cars) should expect a little more. Especially when $4k gets you more seats, same Fuel Economy and much much more utility.

Having said that, for a toy...sure get a Smart, I just don't buy the "It's a better DD" argument, at least not for the US.

SPUDMTN

Yes, you can go on the freeway.

I'm not sure why some are freaked out by the thought of driving one of these on a highway. Yes, they're small, but the Tridion safety cell is incredibly strong. Granted, there are safer vehicles out there, and yes, the fact of the matter is that the larger vehicle typically wins; but come on...

I'd be more worried about riding a motorcycle on the highway than one of these, yet people do that all of the time.


http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/...CRD&model=7473

Smart did pretty well considering its size.

I'm not saying I'd use one as a daily driver for a highway commute into town; but I certainly wouldn't feel nervous driving on the highway on occasion.

Infamous425

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJHpUO-S0i8

Gilgamesh

Dude...you crash any car head on at that speed and its over.

That said...I won't own a bike cause of other idiot drivers


I wouldn't own one of these because its bad enough in my Civic around here with these small penis dbags and their lifted trucks. I'm not worried about getting hit, so much as someone climbing over me, or pinballing me into the next car.

gtg710w

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So, it took them half a mile to get up to 30 mph, big deal.

BENDER08

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v6cord2k5

iTrader: (1)

when do the signs of steroids appear? the dog has more grunt than that shoe box.

I dunno about parking like that... door DENTS anyone?

phile

WTH is that thing impaled?!

LuvMyTSX

I was shocked to see another Smart car last night on my way to the gym. That's the second one in 4 days.

SPUDMTN

Smart Center Portland received 25 in one shipment this past week. That's a huge amount; these cars have just been trickling in, in the past.

LuvMyTSX

I just find it funny because I live nowhere near a big city. I'm in the burbs where a Smart car isn't really necessary. People are just buying them for the "cool" factor, I think.

In case anyone is from the area, the first one I saw (this past Saturday) was in Hillsborough. The one I saw last night was in Montgomery.

Infamous425

im surprised at how well it took the hit

stright-(paint)balling

put a nice drop or 400 lb chick or buddy in it plus 19s and that shit would be tight j/k

stright-(paint)balling

however my dream fun car is a Smart with a Hyabusa engine in it. they got videos of this on Youtube. you wanna talk about a sleeper and half.
it's badass

Ken1997TL

I see them all over Portland now

Mokos23

so have they taken it really to grocery store at all yet? i wonder how many grocery bags you can fit in that car.

SPUDMTN

Well, I made it home this weekend for Mother's Day and had the opportunity to check out the Smart. I'll post the additional pictures first, then I'll dive into the review.

















In person, the Smart is pretty dorky looking. It's not pretty by any means, but the size and silly "grin" of the headlights can't help but make you laugh. It's freakin hilarious when there's someone in the car. I give a

I rode home with a friend this weekend and was picked up in the Smart. My small duffle bag and backpack fit pretty tight in the back. Since this is the cab version, you're really limited on the trunk opening. The soft-top can be raised a bit after you let down the "tailgate". This works okay, but there's hardly any room in the back--about just as deep as my duffle.

Getting in, this thing is incredibly roomy. There's tons of headroom and the seat goes WAY back--I'm not too tall (5' 10" or so) and there was plenty of room to move the seat back. Both seats adjust only four ways, but are positioned nicely and actually fairly comfortable. They are nicely bolstered and prove to be supportive.

Interior is well laid out and features pretty good materials. There is a lot of Mercedes switchgear in the car, and a lot of tiny features from MB (like the "changing lanes" feature of the turn signals--one press of the stalk gives three blinks of the signal). There are heated seats, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, an alarm system with interior motion sensor and tow sensor, tire pressure monitoring, ESP, brake assist, etc. Overall, you get quite a bit in this little car. here.

The drive is interesting. It starts with the ignition located on the center console in between the seats (like a Saab). With a quick twist of the key, the engine cranks until it starts. With the engine right behind you, there's no mistaking the thing is starting or running. The starter sounds like a lawn mower and the idle of the 3-banger is pretty course. It's not ridiculously loud in the cabin, as the engine is well insulated...but still. The majority of the time, it runs at fairly low RPMs, and the engine runs pretty harshly. When cruising on a road with elevation changes, the car is constantly searching for the right gear--which brings me to the transmission.

The transmission is a 5-speed automated manual. Cool, right? Well, if you're thinking of something similar to BMW's SMG, you'd be right. Shifting in the Smart is molasses slow, whether in fully autmoated mode or using the steering-wheel paddle shifters. It takes probably a good second for the shift to be completed. On top of this, to make the smoothest shifts, it works best to let up on the gas when during a shift. Because there is no real driving involvement--the lag time sucks all the excitement out--and because automatic shifting features painfully obvious "release gas-engage clutch-shift-release clutch" you really get all the bad characteristics of a manual and an automatic transmission. The transmission sucks--big time. I give a crowdful of here. And that's an understatement.

The suspension is nicely tuned and handles quite well. It balances a good ride with decent handling characteristics. With the short wheelbase, it feels like a go-cart, and because of this can transmit some road irregularities rather harshly. For its size, it feels planted on the road, and not as light as it really is. Overall, not too bad; no major complaints, no major praises.

In the end, however, I still just consider this car a novelty. The size proves no compelling argument and proves to limit the car's all around driveability. The mileage is good, but should be better considering the cars' size and dismal performance (over 12 seconds from 0 to 60). It'll be fun to drive on the occassional visit home, but nothing more than that; there's no way I'd consider getting one.

But my parents are happy with it, and that, I suppose, is the only thing that matters. I've already made a bet on how long it stays in the family, though I'll keep you posted.