Mini "Smart" Car

[rstove02]

Smart Car

I remember a similar car being hyped during the Superbowl about 3 years ago or so. That one turned into a miserable failure. Think this time it's another company making the cars, but I really do not think that this one will do much better.

Wonder how a vehicle like this one would fair vs an F-150 or such in an accident.

Edit: Sorry somehow link got hosed.

 

[teclis1023]

They're huge in Europe.

But I agree, they really blow. The Smart Roadster is cool, though.

 

[Jeff7]

One reason the company waited so long to introduce it to Americans was that the U.S. wasn't ready for such a small car, said Jessica Gamarra, marketing specialist for Smart USA.

That's so unfortunate, too. We could put money into researching more efficient, smaller vehicles. Instead, the market is comprised of Neanderthal-like creatures, who realize that the days of chest-beating are long gone. To satiate that primitive desire, we have big cars, with loud exhaust systems and blaring stereo systems, and the idiotic notion that a car that burns through lots of gas, and churns out loads of exhaust is somehow "manly." If this is the standard to which being "manly" has dropped down to, I'll not only hand in my man card, I'll personally shred it.

Originally posted by: rstove02
Wonder how a vehicle like this one would fair vs an F-150 or such in an accident.

Well, how would a Hummer vs an F-150 go? If bigger is safer, then we might as well all just buy semi's. But what if a big semi is going up against a smaller semi? Maybe we should all just drive tanks. Then we'd be talking about gallons per mile, instead of miles per gallon. But just think of how many Ego Units per gallon we'd be getting.

 

[Fern]

I like 'em. I've seen them around Europe and thought they were pretty cool.

Fern

 

[StageLeft]

This thing is a pipe dream, pushed from time to time. They have them in Canada and I've seen quite a few of them in Ontario. They are a shameful, terrible little POS. For starters, they are not cheap, I think they are marginally cheaper than an econobox that can seat more people. They have better gas mileage, but slower than frozen poo. Supposedly they are ok in crashes, but let's get real the thing is smaller than Bush's IQ, there's no way you'd be anything but liquid gore if you got in a real accident.

Moreover, they handle not so well apparently and they are just not attractive to consumers in this country outside of metro areas where people don't go on the highway.

 

[ElFenix]

they've never been on sale in the US, at least not from their parent company directly. i think some have been gray market imported. mercedes is tight lipped about whether the smart unit has ever made money or not.

i don't recall that superbowl car hype.

 

[Harabec]

Failure in the US, maybe. Sensible cars have no place there.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
This thing is a pipe dream, pushed from time to time. They have them in Canada and I've seen quite a few of them in Ontario. They are a shameful, terrible little POS. For starters, they are not cheap, I think they are marginally cheaper than an econobox that can seat more people. They have better gas mileage, but slower than frozen poo. Supposedly they are ok in crashes, but let's get real the thing is smaller than Bush's IQ, there's no way you'd be anything but liquid gore if you got in a real accident.

Moreover, they handle not so well apparently and they are just not attractive to consumers in this country outside of metro areas where people don't go on the highway.

Probably better in a crash than a motorcycle, though, and people drive them.

The expensive part is a problem - they need to be made cheaper than a regular car, but possibly more than a motorcycle. A car is really far more space than anyone needs to get around most of the time. To get to work, what do you really need - your own body, and maybe a few extra items. Just a 4-door car has a whole lot of empty space in it, which you cart along every time you go to work or go grocery shopping. If it's warm or cold out, you're also using gas to heat or cool that enclosed space.

Initially, I'd be wary of driving one mainly for the fact that it would be new, and it would attract attention, primarily from the lower levels of society. Something like that would be a target for theft or vandalism.

Originally posted by: Harabec
Failure in the US, maybe. Sensible cars have no place there.

Unless they can make the engine sound louder than a tractor trailer with a bad muffler.

 

[StageLeft]

Probably better in a crash than a motorcycle, though, and people drive them.

People with deathwishes. Many are not even allowed to buy them; Mrsskoorb wouldn't let me get one and it doesn't work in snow anyway.

The reason why the smart car won't sell well is easy to see: how many people buy versas or fits? Not many--not compared to larger vehicles. Making a small one will not compel anybody who thought that the current compacts are already too small.

 

[rstove02]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Well, how would a Hummer vs an F-150 go? If bigger is safer, then we might as well all just buy semi's. But what if a big semi is going up against a smaller semi? Maybe we should all just drive tanks. Then we'd be talking about gallons per mile, instead of miles per gallon. But just think of how many Ego Units per gallon we'd be getting.

Hopefully that was not a barb at me but just wondering the physics of two vehicles of different sizes if they were to collide. I am certainly not trying to imply that an F150 is superior to the smart car due to mere size difference.

Personally I strive to buy an economical car as possible. The last time I went car shopping (2000), I had the initial choice of a Corolla before heading to the dealership. However due to being 6' 6", I found getting in and out of such vehicle neigh impossible.

The two other models available was the Camry or the Echo (this was before the Prius). I was seriously considering the Echo over the Camry (both had larger driver clearance over the Corolla). Long story short I wound up getting the larger Camry (the 4 cylinder for better mileage) due to feeling "less safe" in the Echo vs the Camry. I live in Florida where is not not uncommon to get elderly people driving erratically in their Lincoln Towncar or Buick Skylark.

Long story short, I will try to buy an economical car as possible, but it might not be the smallest car on the lot.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

The idea that small cars can never be safe is pure bullshit. The Smart car has a number of innovations that make it a very safe vehicle (safety cage, engine that collapses underneath the driver in a frontal collision, lots of airbags, etc.) I object to the NHTSA and IIHS assertions that you pretty much need to drive a tank to be safe on public roads. Have these people not considered the high center of gravity that is more likely to cause large SUVs to roll over? Absolutely, people need to get away from gas guzzling SUVs.

I have sat in a Smart car, and it's actually quite comfortable and surprisingly roomy. Obviously you can't haul a lot of cargo, but for a commuter car/grocery getter, it's perfectly sized.

The problems I have with the vehicle are the price, performance and reliability. Compared to a base model Corolla, the Corolla blows it away. The Corolla is cheaper, more reliable, practically the same efficiency (40/53 mpg) and larger for more versatility. The Corolla may only be a 10 second car 0-60, but that's a lot faster than the 18-19 seconds for the Smart car, which might almost be a liability in certain panic situations.

The market really needs an inexpensive Smart-sized electric car. Fast, efficient, environmentally sustainable and small. The current iteration of the Smart car is trailblazing in making small cars a reality. It may not be the ideal solution yet, but it is setting the trend for the future.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

One reason the company waited so long to introduce it to Americans was that the U.S. wasn't ready for such a small car, said Jessica Gamarra, marketing specialist for Smart USA.

That's so unfortunate, too. We could put money into researching more efficient, smaller vehicles. Instead, the market is comprised of Neanderthal-like creatures, who realize that the days of chest-beating are long gone. To satiate that primitive desire, we have big cars, with loud exhaust systems and blaring stereo systems, and the idiotic notion that a car that burns through lots of gas, and churns out loads of exhaust is somehow "manly." If this is the standard to which being "manly" has dropped down to, I'll not only hand in my man card, I'll personally shred it.

Originally posted by: rstove02
Wonder how a vehicle like this one would fair vs an F-150 or such in an accident.

Well, how would a Hummer vs an F-150 go? If bigger is safer, then we might as well all just buy semi's. But what if a big semi is going up against a smaller semi? Maybe we should all just drive tanks. Then we'd be talking about gallons per mile, instead of miles per gallon. But just think of how many Ego Units per gallon we'd be getting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ygYUYia9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR6UozdBWRY


its not a problem

 

[yllus]

We've got a handful scooting around downtown Toronto, Canada.

 

[StageLeft]

A small car can be given safety features but it is a physical impossibility for it to be as safe as a similarly engineered large vehicle. Not only does it lack the size to crumple as much, but due to its lightness the simple physics behind momentum ensure that if Bob is in a car that weighs 2500 lbs and John is on one that weighs 4500 lbs and they hit each other head on, Bob's car will go backwards and Johns will merely slow, the end result being far more G on Bob.

I am DLing the youtube video anyway

EDIT: Yep, fvcked, although I wouldn't want to hit concrete at 70 in anything less than a tank anyway :0

 

[Sinsear]

REal big in Europe; all over the place when I lived there. I think the Smart Roadster looks pretty badass. Always thought I would be laughed off the roads having one here.

 

[Moonbeam]

The gas mileage is a joke. 40MPG. The Honda EX gets 39 and is a real car. The Prius gets way more.

 

[CellarDoor]

Originally posted by: rstove02
Smart Car

Wonder how a vehicle like this one would fair vs an F-150 or such in an accident.

I'm sorry, but this is just a terrible argument against getting a smaller car and I see it all the time. The chances of getting into an accident with an F-150 are much much much greater than they are if you had a smart car because the smart car is much more manueverable and has a greater ability to AVOID an accident.

It's like people being afraid to fly because if the plane crashes they'll probably die. Sure, but you're much much much much much more likely to get into a crash if you drive. Flying is safer.

 

[CellarDoor]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
A small car can be given safety features but it is a physical impossibility for it to be as safe as a similarly engineered large vehicle. Not only does it lack the size to crumple as much, but due to its lightness the simple physics behind momentum ensure that if Bob is in a car that weighs 2500 lbs and John is on one that weighs 4500 lbs and they hit each other head on, Bob's car will go backwards and Johns will merely slow, the end result being far more G on Bob.

I am DLing the youtube video anyway

EDIT: Yep, fvcked, although I wouldn't want to hit concrete at 70 in anything less than a tank anyway :0

Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

 

[rstove02]

Originally posted by: CellarDoor
I'm sorry, but this is just a terrible argument against getting a smaller car and I see it all the time. The chances of getting into an accident with an F-150 are much much much greater than they are if you had a smart car because the smart car is much more manueverable and has a greater ability to AVOID an accident.

It's like people being afraid to fly because if the plane crashes they'll probably die. Sure, but you're much much much much much more likely to get into a crash if you drive. Flying is safer.

Like I said before I was not using it as an argument or proof of superiority or inferiority, but as a hypothetical scenario.

 

[rstove02]

Originally posted by: CellarDoor
Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

Wasn't there a study that found that there is over an 80% chance that sometime in your life you will be in an automotive accident, no matter what you drive or how good you drive. Certainly is not inevitable, but it would be probable.

* Disclaimer *
The 80% I mention is not to be treated as gospel. If one was to find a link to such a study to directly reference, then thanks.

 

[StageLeft]

Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

This depends on what you perceive as a motivating force in your getting in an accident. I believe that for me I'm more likely to get sideswiped, t-boned, rear-ended, etc. than by doing something that I'd have control over, and since the smart is no sports car and I'm, I have to say, not a professional racer, there's only so much I can do to avoid an accident in even a miata that I couldn't do in a bulky SUV.

Wasn't there a study that found that there is over an 80% chance that sometime in your life you will be in an automotive accident

That's it? I've been in 7 and those were before I was 25.

 

[CellarDoor]

Originally posted by: rstove02

Originally posted by: CellarDoor
Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

Wasn't there a study that found that there is over an 80% chance that sometime in your life you will be in an automotive accident, no matter what you drive or how good you drive. Certainly is not inevitable, but it would be probable.

* Disclaimer *
The 80% I mention is not to be treated as gospel. If one was to find a link to such a study to directly reference, then thanks.

I'm not saying that you won't get into a car accident, but that the expected number of accidents you'll get into when driving a larger vehicle like an SUV will be much greater over your lifetime. You'll also be more likely to have a head injury.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: CellarDoor

Originally posted by: rstove02

Originally posted by: CellarDoor
Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

Wasn't there a study that found that there is over an 80% chance that sometime in your life you will be in an automotive accident, no matter what you drive or how good you drive. Certainly is not inevitable, but it would be probable.

* Disclaimer *
The 80% I mention is not to be treated as gospel. If one was to find a link to such a study to directly reference, then thanks.

I'm not saying that you won't get into a car accident, but that the expected number of accidents you'll get into when driving a larger vehicle like an SUV will be much greater over your lifetime. You'll also be more likely to have a head injury.

Well, the safest vehicle to be in in a multi-car accident is a full size SUV, minivan, or full size sedan, these are statistical facts (much touted by somebody on OT who used to do so, I don't have the link on hand). In single-car accidents I think the numbers are kind of similar, but small cars are demonstrably inferior in multi-car accidents.

 

[CellarDoor]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: CellarDoor

Originally posted by: rstove02

Originally posted by: CellarDoor
Your problem is that you view getting into an accident as inevitable, not avoidable. You're much more likely to get into an accident by driving a larger SUV-type vehicle. They are less safe.

Wasn't there a study that found that there is over an 80% chance that sometime in your life you will be in an automotive accident, no matter what you drive or how good you drive. Certainly is not inevitable, but it would be probable.

* Disclaimer *
The 80% I mention is not to be treated as gospel. If one was to find a link to such a study to directly reference, then thanks.

I'm not saying that you won't get into a car accident, but that the expected number of accidents you'll get into when driving a larger vehicle like an SUV will be much greater over your lifetime. You'll also be more likely to have a head injury.

Well, the safest vehicle to be in in a multi-car accident is a full size SUV, minivan, or full size sedan, these are statistical facts (much touted by somebody on OT who used to do so, I don't have the link on hand). In single-car accidents I think the numbers are kind of similar, but small cars are demonstrably inferior in multi-car accidents.

I am well aware of this. Once again, you are looking at accidents as inevitable, not avoidable. By driving an SUV you are much more likely to be involved in one of those multi-car accidents.

Edit: I won't argue against minivans or midsize sedans. They are among the safest cars on the road.

 

[Aimster]

I saw one on the road.
Has stickers all over it promoting some website.