40 MPG SMART Car Arrives in U.S. (Glorified Go Kart)

AP via Yahoo ^

[Slapshot68]

"The Smart's base price is $11,590, and a fully loaded Smart Fortwo Passion convertible goes for $16,950. The 1,800-pound car gets 40 miles per gallon."

[Slapshot68]

“These are all the same people who said the Prius would never catch on.”

The Prius has two rows of seats and is competitively priced.

Apples and oranges.

[ThomasThomas]

I have seen larger motorhomes with enough room in the back for one of these. You could have a car to drive around with and don’t need to drive 45 because you have a car in tow on your motor home.

[Slapshot68]

“This is probably a great little car for people who live and work in the same metropolitain area”

I guess I can agree with that...except I still wouldn’t pay $17K for it.

[Cecily]

Why doesn't Honda make the CRX anymore? I had one in the 80's, and it got 50-55 MPG.

[bigred41]

I want one but I have a baby- maybe by the time he’s out a car seat they’ll be readily available. They would be perfect for the city!

[Bogtrotter52]

“Take you(r) standard Jeep.”

Decades ago I was stationed in Minot ND. My roomie bought a Suzuki jeep that had a 2 cylinder engine and topped out at 50MPH. But it LOOKED like a jeep. this was in 72 or 73.

[Restore]

I'm 6'2" and when I test drove it, I had to put the seat forward two notches from full aft. Paddle shifters very nifty, and while the car is electronically limited to 94 m.p.h., it sure seemed that it would get there pretty quickly.

As far as the safety, I understand that the Tridion cage will make it one of the safer cars on the road. Last month I saw a triple-fatal Suburban accident. It went off the road and was cut in half. Lengthwise.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

[SIDENET]

That car would be a lot better if it had a sweet little turbo diesel engine.

[Dead Corpse]

Not just “no”, but “H*ll no”...

[Hunterite]

You can only squeeze out so much efficiency out of the Otto Cycle engine (gasoline). The next step is to cut the seats out, cut the AC out, cut the radio out to wave to save weight.

This can be passed onto the ignorant as “engine efficiency improvements.”

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Needs some minor modifications.

[Scythian]

That’s what it takes to get 40 MPG, pathetic, I cannot believe that’s as far as mankind can get on this problem, how sad that we cannot shake this stupid fuel problem.

[paulcissa]

What kind of mileage do Mini Coopers get?

I'm turning 35-37 combined in a 2007 Mini Cooper S. 175 hp and way more fun to drive than a SMART.

[tcrlaf]

Does it come with a funeral plan?
You’ve already purchased the casket...

[ArrogantBustard]

Seriously. If I want a motorcycle, I'll get a motorcycle. (Actually, I'm doing just that ...)

Meantime ... "Oh, what a feeling!"

[ASA Vet]

Wouldn't want to drive one of those accros the Big Mac.

[Myrddin]

I saw a bunch of those "smart cars" in March, 2005 when I was in Rome. The vehicle makes no sense where I live. It's going to get hung up in snow and blown off the freeways where 75 MPH is the posted speed limit. Imagine sharing the road with a UPS triple trailer rig while driving this go cart. It's unnerving enough in an F150 pickup.