(Smart Car) A little hype for a tiny car draws drivers to Devon

Philly.com ^ | 31 August | Jeff Gelles

[flowerplough]

Park a VW Beetle next to a Smart car, and it's not the Volkswagen you'll want to call a bug. Alongside a Smart, a Mini Cooper looks like a Maxi Cooper.

Don't like to parallel park? Pull your Smart straight up to the curb. The Smart isn't much longer than some SUVs are wide.

If that last point is a wee bit exaggerated, maybe a little hype is understandable. After all, this is a car some Americans have been awaiting for years after seeing them navigate the narrow byways of France, parked nose-in against a Roman curb, or serving as Tom Hanks' unlikely getaway car in The Da Vinci Code.

Yesterday, a steady stream of Smart enthusiasts lined up in Devon to check out the tiny cars, which were in town as part of a nationwide Smart road show that is heralding the vehicle's planned U.S. debut in January.

[flowerplough]

$12-17,000 for a two seater that's capable of 40-some mpg? My old Pontiac gets 30 mpg with its V6 and an auto trans, so I'm not too interested in cutting it in half to burn one quarter less gas. Seems like a diminishing return. Article concludes with "Smart's target market is the early adopters .... who purchase products that make a statement about our society and the environment."

[sinanju]

“The name itself may not hurt, especially among Smart’s target market of the “creative class,” which it defines as “early adopters . . . who purchase products that make a statement about our society and the environment.”

“You’ve got to admit, naming it Smart was a smart idea. It kind of makes you feel good,” Nettleton said.”

______________________________________________________________

The stench of smug in our atmosphere can be overpowering at times.

I can see having a lot of fun with it but the only place I could take it seriously as a means of locomotion is if I lived in one of those european walled towns with tiny medieval streets.

[aristotleman]

This little car rocks. Negotiating city streets, shopping, parking, is soooooo easy. It’s like a great, perky bike. It’s not about mileage or the environment, it’s about ease of use and functionality. Also, it’s very comfortable -and I’m over 6ft tall.

[umgud]

12-17,000 for a two seater that's capable of 40-some mpg?

Buy two, one for each foot.

[ikka]

You do not need to understand the language they are speaking to figure out the "winner" of this crash between a Smart Car and a Mercedes S class ... which one would you rather be in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02eghIfyHP0

[ikka]

My Toyota Echo (since replaced with the Yaris) got 45mpg on the highway and about 38-40 mpg combined.

[Disambiguator]

These remind of something that's been around for a looooong time, but I can't quite put my fin...oh!

[aristotleman]

Then you understand the joys of the small car. Ever driven a Smart?

It’s like being a kid again. I would not crash in it at all costs, though.

[patton]

If I lived in NY or something, I would buy one in a NY minute.

[Rabble]

[Skibane]

I'm unimpressed with the fuel (non)economy, too. For a vehicle that's been hyped for years as an enviro-wonder, it's a pretty sorry showing.

As for crash safety, it would fare only slightly better than a large motorcycle - and the cycle would have a definite advantage in maneuvering out of harm's way in the first place. If I wouldn't consider a motorcycle to be safe transportation in most applications, I damned sure wouldn't consider THIS to be safe.

[peggybac]

This car makes me miss my old Honda CRX. What upsets me most is that these environmental wackos care more about the air than about you or your child’s safety. Get in an accident in one of those things and there’s a good chance you’ll be toast. I’ll stick to my gas guzzling SUV. But, I really, really miss my CRX. :-(

[goldstategop]

I love small cars and the price is perfect. Its the perfect around the town car. Obviously its not a first car but the Smart is just the kind of second getaway car what a couple would be looking for some together time on the road.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[buccaneer81]

I saw one three weeks ago while on vacation in Woodstock, New Brunswick.

[SIDENET]

How do you like your Yaris? I was checking out the hatchback model.

[buccaneer81]

This car makes me miss my old Honda CRX.

Your CRX was at least twice the size. The closest comparison would be an early '70s Honda CVCC.

[Peelod]

Smug Alert!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smug_Alert!

[SIDENET]

Get in an accident in one of those things and there’s a good chance you’ll be toast.

I'll have to look it up, but IIRC, the Smart Car did very well in crash tests. Its cabin can remain intact well beyond the point were crash forces are fatal to humans.

I also remember, that the Smart Car didn't fare too well in road test reviews. I believe that the acceleration, transmission, and noise level were the chief complaints.

[Lancey Howard]

"Smart's target market is the early adopters .... who purchase products that make a statement about our society and the environment."

What kind of people buy products to "make a statement"? Apparently some people go through life trying to impress others and worrying about what other people think of them. The only "statement" I want people to make (at least, the people I have to come into contact with) is that they practice good hygiene.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I think the mileage is a LOT better... They've been in Canada for a few years, and some folks are getting better than 100 MPG in these things...