YACT: 2008 Smart Fortwo

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Gooberlx2

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=119682

I'd seen one of these in Denver already before I moved out to Florida. Kinda quirky and definitely unique. The article doesn't mention gas mileage.

smartusa.com give us this from their FAQ:
9. What is the gas mileage of smart?
Engineering and testing continues to take place on the vehicle that will be produced for the United States. The vehicle is designed to achieve 40 plus mpg under normal driving conditions and current standards.

Is it just me or does that seem awfully low for a car like this? Doesn't the Toyota Corolla already get that kind of mileage? I cannot fathom any other compelling reason to buy one, especially when the get-up-and-go is going to be lacking and the starting price point seems more expensive than it should be at $11,000.
 
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JeffreyLebowski

Lifer
Aug 23, 2000
15,509
1
81
Well remember, Emm Pee Gee is the newest buzz word/phrase/acronym, so that in itself demands a higher price tag even if the car doesn't get the best mileage, it's all in the advertising and what celebrity they can pawn a few of these off on to endorse it.
 
S

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
I'm going to assume they mean average a little over 40mpg. Right now, the only cars that do that are diesels and hybrids.
 
Gooberlx2

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
Well remember, Emm Pee Gee is the newest buzz word/phrase/acronym, so that in itself demands a higher price tag even if the car doesn't get the best mileage, it's all in the advertising and what celebrity they can pawn a few of these off on to endorse it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's true. Maybe they'll feature a super turbo-charged version of it in a summer blockbuster next year.

...though to be fair to the Mini, it is a good looking and fun car to drive.
 
L

Lonyo

Lifer
Aug 10, 2002
21,938
6
81
Choice: Spend $11k on a high mpg Smart, or...
Spend $3k on a second hand larger car with worse mpg, but not enough to get rid of the $8k you saved.
 
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Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
Originally posted by: Lonyo
Choice: Spend $11k on a high mpg Smart, or...
Spend $3k on a second hand larger car with worse mpg, but not enough to get rid of the $8k you saved.
Click to expand...

In all fairness, that's the same argument you use in buying new versus used.
 
D

DarkKnight69

Golden Member
Jun 15, 2005
1,688
0
76
Yea, it will be sold by mercedes or chrysler, it is a 800 CC turboed diesel engine.

cdi engine data.
Displacement: 799 cc
Net power: 40 hp @ 4,200 rpm
Net torque: 74 lb-ft @ 1,800 - 2,800 rpm
Acceleration, 0-100 km/h²: 19.8 seconds
Maximum speed³: 135 km/h

4.2 litres per 100 km (That is 56 mpg for you american folk) Combined highway and city!

Canadian MSRP is $20k.

We have had them in canada since 04...
 
halik

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
0
Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
Yea, it will be sold by mercedes or chrysler, it is a 800 CC turboed diesel engine.

cdi engine data.
Displacement: 799 cc
Net power: 40 hp @ 4,200 rpm
Net torque: 74 lb-ft @ 1,800 - 2,800 rpm
Acceleration, 0-100 km/h²: 19.8 seconds
Maximum speed³: 135 km/h

4.2 litres per 100 km (That is 56 mpg for you american folk) Combined highway and city!

Canadian MSRP is $20k.

We have had them in canada since 04...
Click to expand...

My bike puts out more hp than that thing :D
 
Dr. Detroit

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,464
869
126
Remember, new EPA ratings come out in 2008. So expect 10-20% worse fule economy on all 2008 cars in 2008. I'm assuming these numbers reflect the new EPA standards so its MPG will probaly be much better than Corollas and on par with Hybrids at half the cost of a Hybrid.

Nice thing about the Smart is the ease of parking. These are not meant for highway driving and long commutes. Meant for city folk in places like San Francisco, Chicago, and Manhattan.


 
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Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Remember, new EPA ratings come out in 2008. So expect 10-20% worse fule economy on all 2008 cars in 2008. I'm assuming these numbers reflect the new EPA standards so its MPG will probaly be much better than Corollas and on par with Hybrids at half the cost of a Hybrid.

Nice thing about the Smart is the ease of parking. These are not meant for highway driving and long commutes. Meant for city folk in places like San Francisco, Chicago, and Manhattan.
Click to expand...

The actual mileage is the same, it's just the EPA numbers are more accurate for real world driving conditions.
 
S

Strk

Lifer
Nov 23, 2003
10,197
4
76
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
If the speed is capped at 90mph, why the hell does the speedometer go to 160???????????????
Click to expand...

It has Euro plates on it, so I'm going to assume the speedometer is in kilometers.
 
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Black88GTA

Diamond Member
Sep 9, 2003
3,430
0
0
Something like that might work in Europe, where at least a majority of the other cars on the road are the size of a Corolla or smaller. Here, all it would take would be a 10mph impact with a cellphone-yammering twat in an H2 to punt that little piece of sh!t across 4 lanes of traffic like a kid kicking a soccer ball. I mean, might as well get a bike and at least enjoy the ride.

I'll stick with something that's not a 1500lb 70hp speck, thanks.
 
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Black88GTA

Diamond Member
Sep 9, 2003
3,430
0
0
Originally posted by: DarkKnight69
0-60 of 19.8, what is wrong with that?
Click to expand...

That is painfully, dangerously slow. If you ever had a need to accelerate in a hurry - for example, you are stopped at a light and someone is coming up FAST in your mirror and not stopping - you'd be SOL. This actually happened to me once - I mashed the gas and got the F out of the guy's way, he ended up in a ditch a ways in front of me. He walked away, but his car was destroyed. Turns out he fell asleep at the wheel. If I were in something like the TD Smart, I would not have been so lucky.

But that is the turbodiesel motor for the European market. The ones here appear to have a bit more reasonable 0 - 60 of 13.3, which is still slow but not THAT bad.
 
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PeeluckyDuckee

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2001
4,464
0
0
Acceleration is ok for city driving only, take it on the highway and you automatically put yourself and others at risk. Imagine a short merging lane, you don't have 20 seconds to get it up to 100km/h.

I put safety over MPG and lower cost of vehicle.
 
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