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SMART ugly is on her way to the USA

Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

By Houston1stWordOnTheMoon
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TheNiche

TheNiche

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I can barely get one of my legs and one of my arms into this jiffy pop driven death trap :lol::lol::lol:

2dln8uc.jpg

There'll be small set of crazy folks willing to put their lives on the line in the name of their enviro-religion. Probably fewer here than in the northeast and in the SF Bay Area. Natural selection, I suppose.

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RedScare

RedScare

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There'll be small set of crazy folks willing to put their lives on the line in the name of their enviro-religion. Probably fewer here than in the northeast and in the SF Bay Area. Natural selection, I suppose.
But what about the safety question? Americans believe the best way to survive an accident is to have a large, heavy car. Will U.S. buyers plunk down money for a car that is small and clad in plastic body panels?

First of all, Keogh said, the car will be built with Mercedes technology, known for its safety innovations. Every car will have stability and traction control, ABS and BrakeAssist. They will also have front and side airbags and a protective seating system. But the core of the car's safety is provided by the smart's "tridion safety cell," an extremely strong steel structure that prevents anything from intruding into the cabin. This safety cell is designed to work in conjunction with the seats, the seatbelts and the airbags.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialrepor...61/article.html

And, at a price of around $12,000, with fuel economy of 60 mpg (70 mpg diesel), it will also appeal to those who do not worship at the altar of the US Dollar.

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TheNiche

TheNiche

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http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialrepor...61/article.html

And, at a price of around $12,000, with fuel economy of 60 mpg (70 mpg diesel), it will also appeal to those who do not worship at the altar of the US Dollar.

I'll gladly pay more for a car that can better withstand a hit from RGV's pickup, thank you very much. I can't speak for yourself, evidently, but my life is worth more than gas money.

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editor

editor

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I'm gonna crush one of these pods with my Ford F-350 FX4. :lol:

Hope you enjoy your time in jail. Say "hi" to Bubba for me.

I'll gladly pay more for a car that can better withstand a hit from RGV's pickup, thank you very much. I can't speak for yourself, evidently, but my life is worth more than gas money.

So what do you drive? A Sherman tank? A Greyhound bus? What exactly is it that you tool around town in that can take a hit from an F-350 at 55 MPH and not cause you harm?

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dalparadise

dalparadise

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Anyone who's been to Paris knows the market for these cars. Manhattan or SF would be perfect. You can even park them head-in, three-up into a standard parallel parking space.

Cramped Euro cities with small streets and lots of traffic are littered with these things. For 99.9% of American cities, they are completely impractical. I'd never take one on a freeway or even something like Memorial Drive. Wrecks above 30-40mph are going to be ugly. But, in places like NY and SF, inner-city fender benders at 5mph will be no problem and they'll go a year on a fill-up, not cost much to park and beat the subway, so...why not?

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TheNiche

TheNiche

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Hope you enjoy your time in jail. Say "hi" to Bubba for me.

So what do you drive? A Sherman tank? A Greyhound bus? What exactly is it that you tool around town in that can take a hit from an F-350 at 55 MPH and not cause you harm?

It isn't about preventing all harm. There's only so much that can be done, afterall, and in the most extreme circumstances, nothing is good enough. I recognize that.

But this little pip-squeak of a car looks like it would just disintegrate. With a regular car, at least there's usually a fair bit of metal between you and either the front or back bumper...enough equipment so that engineers can creat crumple zones in some spots and reinforcements in others to ensure that you aren't as likely to be impaled by the steering column.

With the pip-squeak, the crumple zone is your abdomen.

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dbigtex56

dbigtex56

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But this little pip-squeak of a car looks like it would just disintegrate.

And you can tell this due to what....x-ray vision?

It's called engineering. I'd sooner take my chances in this vehicle than the pre-Nadar deathtraps.

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TheNiche

TheNiche

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And you can tell this due to what....x-ray vision?

It's called engineering. I'd sooner take my chances in this vehicle than the pre-Nadar deathtraps.

Some things don't require expertise or superhuman powers to figure out. This is one of them.

And we aren't talking about pre-Nader deathtraps. Lets keep it apples to apples, please.

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westguy

westguy

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It's not weight, its the center of gravity which causes vehicles to roll over. In SUVs this is very high, despite the excess weight they carry. If you want a large, safe vehicle, drive a minivan. I personally don't want to be behind the wheel of one.

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ricco67

ricco67

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Oh, I guess I won't mention the higher than expected deaths in SUV's over the long run. :) Seems like people's sense of invincibility is brought back to reality as soon as they swerve on a highway.

If I don't move outside the loop, I'd buy one just because they'd be more practical.

You also forget that death's have occured in every type of vehicle for a variety forms of stupidity.

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TheNiche

TheNiche

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Oh, I guess I won't mention the higher than expected deaths in SUV's over the long run. :) Seems like people's sense of invincibility is brought back to reality as soon as they swerve on a highway.

If I don't move outside the loop, I'd buy one just because they'd be more practical.

You also forget that death's have occured in every type of vehicle for a variety forms of stupidity.

I'm not necessarily talking about SUVs...I never even mentioned them.

I've already acknowledged the latter part of what you said.

Just bear in mind, though, that I'm less concerned that I'm going to swerve and flip than I am that RGV isn't going to see me when he changes lanes and will just run over me. Same principle as bikers have to deal with.

Many people are bad drivers. S*** happens. And I don't want to be riding around in that little death trap when it goes down. Look at a photo closely. Can you blame me?

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editor

editor

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Wrecks above 30-40mph are going to be ugly. But, in places like NY and SF, inner-city fender benders at 5mph will be no problem and they'll go a year on a fill-up, not cost much to park and beat the subway, so...why not?

I'm with you about the low-speed wrecks.

When I had my car, here's how the expense broke out:

Insurance: $50/month

State registration: $130/year ($11/month)

City registration: $75/year ($6.25/month)

Parking: $230/month

Gas: $30/month

Total: $327.35/month. Back then I had a $280 car payment, so it was $607.35 a month for the car. Now I have an all-you-can-ride public transit pass that costs me $55/month. About every other month I'll rent a car for $34/day for trips to places I can't get to on regional rail or Amtrak.

So, essentially I'm saving $555/month by not having a car. I actually saved almost twice that because my wife had a car, too.

I work with people who are spending $400/month on gas to commute to work. They insist it's better because they have more freedom.

And as an aside -- Last month I was in a rental car driving through the next state when my wife saw a state trooper in the median and urged me to slow down. At first I did, but then after we passed him I thought to myself, "Why? What is he going to do to me?"

Assuming he didn't want to be a jerk and chuck me into jail for no particular reason, he would just write me a ticket. I'd pay the ticket and that would be that. IT'S NOT LIKE MY INSURANCE RATES WOULD GO UP! They can't -- I don't have auto insurance. Since I don't have a car, I don't need it. It was then that I realized that the real reason I was always worried about getting caught speeding wasn't that I feared paying the fine -- it was what it would do to my insurance rates. Now -- no insurance = no fear in the back of my head.

I'm off the insurance merry-go-round, as well as the gas, maintenance, parking, and monthly payment merry-go-rounds.

Anyway -- the point I'm eventually trying to make is that I think these cars won't be great for real city-dwellers like me. I think they'll be good for people who live in parts of cities that are somewhere between urban and suburban. Places where there are single-family homes and lots of parking. In Houston, that's just about everywhere except right in the heart of downtown. So, no, this car isn't great for Houston. But it would be great in places like Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Houston, and others that have this middle ground.

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editor

editor

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How much does this Smurf weigh, i bet i can flip it over, seriously.

What's your point? One guy can flip over most sub-compact cars, especially now that they're all made of plastic. Get enough guys together and you can roll any car.

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Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

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How much does this Smurf weigh, i bet i can flip it over, seriously.

They dont weigh much at all and they are highly dangerous and unstable at high speeds. They are more for the European market with the exception of Germany--reasons should be obvious there--Think Autobahn ;)

If i get behind one of these puppies and blow my horn it would probably shatter ;)

Lincoln Navigator is my ride. I feel much safer in my gas guzzler than i would in this thing but that isnt even a possibilty as i wouldnt even fit in one of those cars :lol::lol::lol:

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MidtownCoog

MidtownCoog

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Been there, done this thread.

Other than the fact that this car is coming to the US this thread is a repeat from months ago.

I saw on in Montrose about six monts ago.

So, essentially I'm saving $555/month by not having a car. I actually saved almost twice that because my wife had a car, too.

Now you just pay for her Choo's!

If it ain't one thing, it's another.

jimmychoosandals.jpg

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Guest Marty

Guest Marty

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Been there, done this thread.

Other than the fact that this car is coming to the US this thread is a repeat from months ago.

What the name of the other thread?

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Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

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I have no idea, but I think it was in 2004.

I'll post of picture of me next to one in Leister Square if I can find it again.

At any rate, some Asian dude in Montrose has one.

Thats interesting. According to the Daimler/Chrysler website, the makers of the car, it will not be available in the USA until the first quarter 2008. They will have to undergo some modifications for the US market. Pretty typical with non American built cars.

smart dealerships are expected to be announced in the second half of 2007. Dealers selected for smart stores must demonstrate a passion for the brand, commit to new and non-traditional dealership processes and have a proven record of outstanding customer satisfaction, as well as other criteria. Vehicles will be available in the USA in the first quarter of 2008

http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Nov06/02_smar..._Agreement.html

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