Thoughts on buying a Smart car?

[archerships]

So, I’m thinking about buying a Smart car. I like the cars because they get good gas mileage (40+ mpg), they’ve been on sale in Europe for over a decade (so many of the bugs have been worked out), and they’re tiny. I mean, really tiny. A Smart car (106 in) is over 3 ft shorter than a Mini Cooper (145 in).

Thus, they can be parked almost anywhere. Which is a really big feature for someone like me. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I hate looking for parking.

Plus, they’re really cute:

The main disadvantage for me is their lack of cargo capacity. However, I think I’ve found a solution for that:

Also, with a stock engine, they also don’t have a whole lot of pick up and go. The stock engine only has 60 HP 71 HP, after all. However, if you swap in a 180hp Suzuki GSX-R1000 engine, the car can go 0-60 in 4.2 sec. and 12.4 in the quarter mile.

They’re due to begin sales in the U.S. in the first quarter of next year.

Anyone drive one of these? What are your thoughts?

Original: craschworks - comments

Comments

[coderay.livejournal.com]

My thoughts on these cars is that they don't look very safe. I haven't seen any data that indicates any level of safety, but I just can't imagine the passenger compartment surviving any significant impact.

Safety aside, the efficiency and convenience (except cargo) seem worthwhile.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are inherent limitations to how safe you can make it. Here are some crash results:

[kindofstrange.livejournal.com]

I love little smart cars for cruising around the city. I wouldn't own one if I was going to be commuting long distances on a regular basis, but for tooling around the city they're tough to beat.

I personally wouldn't be able to have one save for as a secondary vehicle. I always have want of being able to haul decently sized stuff and material, and would seriously dislike cutting out that option (renting a truck is still, in general, too much of a pain in the ass for spontaneous 'I found a cool thing!' recovery missions)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I plan to get a pickup eventually, as well. I also plan on getting a trailer for it.

[frogpyjamas.livejournal.com]

My first thought: Would not drive on freeway.

I think they would be primarily of use for San Francisco dwellers - do you come into the city that often that you need such a small car? Aren't all the suburban parking spaces regular sized?

[coderay.livejournal.com]

My experience with parking spaces in LA is that they are ALL too small. And I drive a Civic.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm actually in the city fairly often, and would go more often if parking weren't such a pain in the ass.

[kittles.livejournal.com]

mizalaina has one. She seems to LOVE hers. I rode in it and it seemed roomy enough.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[merccom.livejournal.com]

only a little over 40mpg??? at that size i would think they would get significanly better

>>>with a stock engine, they also don’t have a whole lot of pick up and go. The stock engine only has 60 HP, after all.

the model T only had about 20hp, the original VW bug had about 40.

>>>However, if you swap in a 180hp Suzuki GSX-R1000 engine

this is america jack! use a V twin with juice.

any idea what the price range would be?

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm surprised that the mileage isn't better. In Europe, there's a diesel engine available, which apparently gets around 60 mpg. I hope it eventually makes it to the states.

Prices range from $12 - $17,000 depending on features.

[vyus.livejournal.com]

i've already seen a couple tooting around Portland and environs.

man, I need a car or travel icon

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

A have an uberliberal-environmentalist who's been researching these and a couple of other options and I think I remember her saying she was disappointed to find out the mileage isn't nearly as good on average as people say... only under optimal conditions, rarely met? But I could be mixing it up with another car she mentioned.

This is also funny, because I finally bought my first car and it's an '03 Taurus. A frickin beast, it is. But it's ubersafe, I can park it, and drive my stuff across the country with it. My next car's gonna be smaller.

Re: man, I need a car or travel icon

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

Also, how tall are you? Her partner had size concerns - maybe it was the hybrids that didn't get reported return.

[nelliebelle.livejournal.com]

i wouldn't even get in that thing. i almost got rear-ended by an expedition today. good luck surviving that in one of those toy cars.

[olegvolk.livejournal.com]

Having compared my vehicle to even the Mini Cooper, I have to concur. Between minimal cargo capacity (not enough to fit my photo gear) and utter lack of safety...keep in mind that minor fender-benders shrugged off by larger vehicles would total this one, so the overall ownership cost might not be as low as expected.

[gentlemaitresse.livejournal.com]

As for safety, I figure it's gotta be at least as safe as my scooter, and you'd be more comfortable in inclement weather.

Then again, my scooter gets 100mpg.

But I can't haul a little trailer behind my scooter, either.

Darn these tradeoffs! Why can't anything be perfect?

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Agreed!

[waitingforoct.livejournal.com]

I have a co-worker who keeps threatening to buy one. Her family members in Germany have them and love them.
I keep telling her that size and safety-wise, they're no better than golf carts, and the way people run red lights around here, you'd be dead within a year (between myself and my husband, we've been rear-ended in the pick-up 3 times - we don't even bother getting the fender fixed anymore. In a smart car, that would be a total loss, I imagine)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Small cars dare less safe than many bigger cars it's true. However, it depends on what you're comparing it to. For me, this would be a "motorcycle-alternative", and compared to motorcycles, I think this would be much safer.

[mickasso.livejournal.com]

Everyone will expect you to sell Wii's, if you drive that around here. Could be dangerous during the holiday season.

O_o

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Do Wii salespeople drive Wii's?

[hawver.livejournal.com]

That car looks like a SUV escape pod. Personally I'd buy a used civic hatch for half the money.

[ch.livejournal.com]

i had written them off as too whimpy, but if i can swap in 180bhp motor in (and get it smogged, $#(@#! through carb for street legal use) then i'm game again. that sounds like good fun to me.

i still wouldn't want to get in a wreck in one versus, say, my durango (which is not all that big as far as trucks go).

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[girlvinyl.livejournal.com]

Seems dangerous unless you can commit to keeping on surface streets only, at reasonably slow speeds.

My bf previously had a Mini Cooper and that thing was incredibly safe. Safer test ratings than many SUVs and pickups, so small doesn't always mean sacrificing safety. [or alliteration]

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[portia.livejournal.com]

If one of your main reasons for wanting one is for ease of parking, wouldn't you then defeat that purpose by hauling a trailer around?

[crasch.livejournal.com]

If I planned to have the trailer hooked up all the time, yes.

[nder.livejournal.com]

There's a handful of them around here, and I've talked to a few of the owners. Overall they love it, for ease of getting around, the milage, and effortless parallel parking (you just drive into the spot, no backing in usually). The visibility's pretty good, as you do sit high enough up.
For myself, I want to get one once I move to an area I won't be commiting mass genocide while driving. It's the right size for me, cargo concerns can be abated thru rental, or trailer as you've shown, and I've been a hatchback person all my driving life ( my favorite car is still my Festive 4 speed, which easily did everything i needed it to and far far more).
Impact wise, yes, it's a hardframe- but the other vehicles you're likely to incur probably aren't. they'll eat your limited mass, and that's probably alot of the thinking behind it- anything large enough to pose a threat to you will have adequate crumple area, or be able to deflect you. It's a fairly nimble little car, and is small, so if you're not an oblivious driver who just careens into things, you're more apt to be able to get out of the situation in the first place (Which is also why I like to drive smaller motorcycles, as they're lighter and can be flicked more easily, saving your ass).
They've sold how many Smartcars worldwide? :)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info!

[smjayman.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine is an automotive journalist and has driven a Smart several times. He has said repeatedly that he'd get one if he needed a small commuter, rather than get a hybrid or other small vehicle. Indeed, it is not as safe as a bigger car. That said, what are your other choices? If it is this or a motorcycle, the Smart wins in terms of safety. Smart vs. big ass SUV, sure, the SUV wins, but are you going to buy something that big and feed it the gas it wants?

I drive a Corolla most days. It is probably the least impact resistant car I have owned, aside from an old Mazda I used to drive like 20 years ago. The Corolla is cheap to own and operate, and it gives me a level of protection that I'm comfortable with. Everything's a tradeoff. How many of us will get into full frontal 70+ MPH collisions? I submit that in any vehicle coming from 70-0 at a high rate of speed will be detrimental to the occupants.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, I think that this car has many of the advantages of a motorcycle (small footprint, good gas mileage), without as many of the disadvantage (protection from slides, no helmet required, weather protection, greater cargo space, greater stability).

As you say though, everything requires tradeoffs.

Why not just go with a motorcycle (or a trike)?

[danlyke.livejournal.com]

Given the lack of crumple zone, I'm not sure I buy any safety arguments that separate these from motorcycles or similar vehicles. With a motorcycle you can get whatever performance questions you've got resolved with a stock vehicle, parking becomes even easier, you could still tow a trailer (think "Goldwing"), and when traffic's really bad you can lane-split.

And you can laugh at 40MPG.

Insurance may cost a little more, so you should look at TCO, and there may also be some weather issues (I recently saw a "two steering wheels trike" that's production that should answer some rainy season concerns), but if you're already willing to forgo the crumple zone, don't limit yourself to four wheels...

Re: Why not just go with a motorcycle (or a trike)?

[crasch.livejournal.com]

Lane-splitting is an advantage, I agree. And stock bikes have better handling, better acceleration, and are easier to park. But I disagree that they're as safe as a Smart.

A motorcycle is inherently unstable. Thus, you must constantly be on the look out for road hazards (gravel, oil slicks, ice). They're smaller, so you're less visible. Should you crash, you've got no protection from road rash, other than your leathers. No roll cage. No safety belt.

Plus, you have no built-in cargo space. No weather protection. You have to wear a helmet, boots, and leathers every time you ride. You can't carry a passenger unless they're wearing gear too. And the MPG's of a motorcycle aren't that much better. A Honda Nighthawk 750, for example, only gets 41/48 MPG city/highway.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/MotorcycleFuelEconomyGuide/Honda.htm

[thebitterguy]

Hey. Just found your post during a Google.

I have a Smart, and I think the safety concerns are a bit overblown. The car is a big huge rollcage.

I've had one for three years now, and have driven it on the highway pretty much everyday in that time. I don't think I've ever felt unsafe. Admittedly, I don't know if you need ABS & ESP in your location.

[almond-tiger.livejournal.com]

The new minis aren't as small as the old ones, so I'm not sure which you're comparing it to. Regardless, it is a freaking small car. I saw it all over in Britain and it was beautifully parked almost anywhere. We have a couple around town here and their owners are quite happy, though I wouldn't recommend highway or winter driving.