Smart car...

[Ducati]

I was at the Mercedes Benz dealership in Richmond to replace yet another hood ornament that some cretins had ripped off, and saw the Smart car.
As I am looking at replacing my girlfriends Sunbird soon this car appealed to me. I asked the prices:
Coupe - $16,400
Convertible - $20K
Three cyl. turbodiesel, that consumes 3.5 litres per 100 km. My 5 cyl. turbodiesel consumes 10.3 litres of fuel in 100 km, which works out to the low 30 mpg range, so the Smart must be even more economical than the Honda hybrid or the Toyota Prius by a fair margin.
If I am spending $100 a month now, the Smart should cost me $30. Incredible!

Now suddenly the soon-to-be-released Scion xB has competition for my curiosity.

So, I have to ask - what does everyone think of these cars?
Bear in mind, that I am looking for a Chicks Car that I would not be embarrased to drive (hence, we will not be buying another Sunfire) and ultra-economy and reliability is a big consideration.

However, looking at that 3 cyl. turbodiesel, It is pretty cramped and difficult to access - unlike my old reliable 5 banger. I wonder how difficult it would be to do oil changes?

[1badPT]

I like the Smart Roadster but its not scheduled to be availble here for a few years yet. The Smartfortwo is decent for economical commuting, but I'd hate to have it as my only vehicle (imagine a long road trip :barf: or trying to bring home groceries etc).

[Redlyne_mr2]

As a daily driver it would be great and for the fuel it uses you cant loose. It also has a little bit of pizzaz which is nice, its alot more than your average jbody and from what ive seen the quality and fit and finish is superb. I could really care less what kind of car gets me to work and back but it's nice to know Id have something unique and efficient with the smart car. All the money you save on fuel could go towards your weekend car/bikes..those are the rides that really matter

[Weapon_R]

I really like it too - and at those prices, it seems reasonable. The only drawbacks are its size and unusual looks - it will take a little bit of guts to pull up to traffic in one of those :)

[That.Guy.S30]

seriusoly i wouldnt. i dont know where you live but here in calgary there are a hell of alot of trucks out. and theoretically speaking its not goin to put up much of a fight aginst a ford f150. its a nice car though

[thich]

i want brabus smart roadster :D

[C4S]

I like it ! and it looks so Cute !

so .. for $16,900 ? that is so cheap ! but I guess, with options, PDI .. will be near $20K ? still .. even less then a Honda Civic !

:thumbsup: the convertiable is so nice too yeah ! cute !

he he . but my heart is still set for the coming Mini Cab ! :thumbsup:

[Ducati]

Yes, the Smart is unusual, but I would still drive one.
This chick is unusual, but I would still fuck her.

[CKY]

^
omg wats wit that ass??!!?!:eek:

back to the topic i think the smart car is too small for calgary, maybe more urban cities like van or toronto, but not here, when i saw it at the auto i felt like that it was so small i can just kick and it'll fly a few back

[izzoblitzo]

I sat in one at the car show last month. Although it wasnt as small as I had thought.. it was still roomy all the least. One concern though, is safety. This car was pretty tiny.. and the front end is alot smaller and inclined than the typical car in this class. With all the SUV's and trucks in Calgary, how safe is this car matched up to a typical suv in a crash?

[Stratus_Power]

Originally posted by izzoblitzo
I sat in one at the car show last month. Although it wasnt as small as I had thought.. it was still roomy all the least. One concern though, is safety. This car was pretty tiny.. and the front end is alot smaller and inclined than the typical car in this class. With all the SUV's and trucks in Calgary, how safe is this car matched up to a typical suv in a crash?

i was talking to some Mercedes Mechanics couple weeks ago while they were fixing our Rx. he said that the Smart car is as safe and rigid as any other normal smart size sedan out there ( ie civic, SE-R), which is still relatively unsafe against SUV/Truck, but not as bad as u think it is

[Xtrema]

Yet to see some crash data but one thing I do know, Smart won't release these 2 variant in the US. I think it's because the engineer knows it WILL fail NHTSA tests.

Instead they'll introduce the bigger fortwo and forfour as Smart cars in US.


With the short hood, I'm 100% sure that any head on over 60kph will result in some foot/leg injuries that you won't find in Civic or Corolla.

[1badPT]

Great, now I'm going to have weird dreams about women with 3 ass cheeks :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Ducati]

Talk about The Beast With Two Backs...
Ahem, I digress...anyhoo -

My concern with any car I buy is serviceability by the owner (Me!)
Will I be able to change the oil in my driveway? How cramped will it be? You should see the engine compartment in the Smart - talk about an exercise in compact packaging.

The Two place Smart is the one I want as a commuter being that it is so frugal, however the Mini SUV version really intrigues me.

[Ducati]

Yes, it is true - the Canadian Military is getting new German technology from Mercedes to replace their aging Iltis jeeps.

Bet you thought we were getting the Gelandenwagen?
No, not quite; it's the Canadian Military, remember.

[1badPT]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

btw, are those teeth painted on the grille??

[Ducati]

Yes. Like the P41 Warhawk.
Dont understimate those little cars. They are coming out with a Smart to take on the WRX.

[1badPT]

Actually, no joke, small light cars have done really well in rally circuits in the past. The original Minis used to be all the shit as far as rally cars were concerned.

[Ducati]

Here is the Smart Roadster. It looks very cool IMHO. Probably no gymkhana sprinter, but looks better than the original Smart.

[mo_virgin]

You can even Buy them from a Vending Machine!!!

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/advice/specialreports/smart.invasion/smartville.500.jpg