Smart car a smart idea?

[stephen_c]

I am starting to see them around town.
It's been popular in Europe for sometime now,
but is the Smart car a smart idea for Canadians?

Some quick facts (N.A version):
800cc 3 cylinder turbo diesel engine. 40hp
0-100kph highway speed in about 20 seconds
3.5 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres
$16,000 for the coupe
$21,000 for the cabriolet convertible

[Euro Dollar]

Originally Posted by stephen_c

I am starting to see them around town.
It's been popular in Europe for sometime now,
but is the Smart car a smart idea for Canadians?

Some quick facts (N.A version):
800cc 3 cylinder turbo diesel engine. 40hp
0-100kph highway speed in about 20 seconds
3.5 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres
$16,000 for the coupe
$21,000 for the cabriolet convertible

i fucking want one NOW.

[Spoon]

Drove one in Victoria around the end of summer and couldn't believe i fit. I am 6'3" and had plenty of room. Not bad acceleration for the city but would not take it out on the highway ever. So for a second vehicle they are bad but not as my only one. Also they aren't sold in the States for another year.

[{dC!}]

Interesting ...

[e_BoY]

i think its a great idea. Cheap is the key word obviously. $12 of Diesal will land u about 300 something k. City driving is no problem. You coulkd also keep up in normal highway driving. Gets you from point a to b which is the only thing that really matters to some people. Or some people might want to buy it for their 2nd car as their "work car" as some people have to travel longer distantces to work and maybe they dont want to drive their normal car whether its becasue it takes too much gas or what not. All and all i think its a "smart" idea. yes pun intended

[Miss T]

good idea, but my biggest fear driving that would be getting in an accident. you and the car would be toast. :(

[stringbeans]

the way people are feeling about this car is the same way people were feeling back in the 80s when the honda civic first came out. and look at it now, one of the most popular cars around. i think this smart car is gonna hit it big.. just give it some time

[Jen-E-03]

Originally Posted by Miss T

good idea, but my biggest fear driving that would be getting in an accident. you and the car would be toast. :(

WOW that was my first thought too!!

[Carrie]

they are popular in europe because gasoline is two (sometimes three) times as expensive then it is here. and as long as it saves you money europeans don't care that highway driving sucks ass. they don't mind the extra 15 min drive.

[Carrie]

ps. i personally am scared of that little thing. maybe i'm just not adventurous enough for crazy future cars.

pps. i am waiting for flying cars though. i'll be the first to buy one of those!

[meth0dical]

in regards to the safety issue: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861/

Smart also likes to show off a 30-mph crash test between a smart coupe and a Mercedes sedan twice as big. "The passenger cell survived the collision almost unscathed," says spokeswoman Julia Knittel.

[omega_image]

wait till mod's come out for this car..........its gonna be a whole new generation of ricers

[tvmann]

I talk sometimes to someone on another board and he is near London England and has a SmartCar convertible, likes it a lot, he had the hardtop version for 3 years.

His car:


He's a laptop DJ (like me but with gigs, in London to boot) and of course there's plenty of room for the equipment in that car.

I made a videoclip for him from the Vancouver TV news, he says the price here is a little less than in UK:

http://members.shaw.ca/devon7/smart_car.wmv 5 MB, 2 minute video

[mux]

Man, Erin and I are both reaaaaaally interested in one of these, but my gear just wouldn't fit. Three flightcases full of stuff - won't fit in a small car like that. Real shame, too. :(

[PwInCeSs]

small and tacky
looks like a death trap :(

[IntakE]

those things are soooo funny looking, I saw one the other day when i was out with my friend and we laughed SO hard!.

[mapleleaf4ever]

Yah, it'll be a big hit if my '79 Mustang nails one of those suckers. 3200lb of Detroit Steel vs. 5lb of German Plastic... who'll win and walk away? You decide.

[kandy kid]

I saw these in England last summer when I was there. They're great for over there because gas (like someone said) is twice the price and they can fit into any parking spot, since it's next to impossible to find parking in some areas.
But I don't think they're all that necessary over here, everyone always goes nuts over gas prices but it's really not that bad and there's 489028439 parking spaces everywhere you go.

[Euro Dollar]

Originally Posted by mapleleaf4ever

Yah, it'll be a big hit if my '79 Mustang nails one of those suckers. 3200lb of Detroit Steel vs. 5lb of German Plastic... who'll win and walk away? You decide.

Man I wouldn't be too proud of your american cars... the fucking tincans break down on you before you know it... and lets not even start on the whole 'Fightclub' point of view...

[spunsugar]

I need to get me one. I watched a program on the tv about them and the crash tests weren't scary. neeeeeeed

[stephen_c]

~ quote ~
Canadians get diesel versions
Up north, meanwhile, Canadian drivers will get two-seater smart cars starting in September. In fact, they'll have two models to chose from that get around 70 mpg because they're diesels, not gasoline-powered.
~ end quote ~

Wise choice? Not every gas station sells diesel fuel especially in city centers.

[Akeel]

my 2nd car was a diesel and it was a bitch to find gas if i was in an area i wasnt familiar with.

[Hot Karl]

provided you don't have a family of 4, or anything like that.

pros:
parking
easy on gas
hotbox
system would pound
can it, wheels = stanley park fun

cons:
it's only con is if you're worried about what random strangers think. and if you are, you're a pussy anyways, so you'd never get the balls to stray from the pack.

[mapleleaf4ever]

Originally Posted by €uro Dollar

Man I wouldn't be too proud of your american cars... the fucking tincans break down on you before you know it... and lets not even start on the whole 'Fightclub' point of view...

Dude, you can bag on a Ford, Chevy or even Dodge and they'll run for a long time. Imports are Tin-Cans. Domestics up until the late '90s are Steel. My Car is reliable and didn't have any problems except for the shithead Punk that punched out my Ignition.

[Goat]

1. I'd be worried about asshole buddies picking it up and walking with it.
2. Bet you it's harder to work on then a castrated nun.
3. I wouldn't feel secure driving one of those. A single accident and you'd be dundo's.
4. That cars fine in a temperate climate like Vancouver, unlike 95% the rest of Canada; anywhere else and it'd turn into part of a snowbank, not to mention shit ass clearance;