Behind the wheel of a Smart car

Mercury News ^ | 6/23/08 | Bruce Newman

[weegee]

Who needs a car that can go from 0 to 60 in six seconds?

Yes it is better to cruise onto a highway and expect other drivers to slow down so you can merge in at 25MPH.

[commonguymd]

I bet all the women love a man driving one of these. What a great pickup car. lol

[MrB]

Haven’t you heard?

Having children is not eco-friendly.

[AnAmericanMother]

How can anything that small meet crashworthiness requirements?

It's not just a question of being crushed by a passing Peterbilt, as the writer archly puts it. You could be flattened by a Honda Civic in that thing. Also, the low profile puts your head right in the plane of impact.

I used to investigate MV accidents, and I have no desire to wind up on somebody else's clipboard at the morgue on account of trying to save a few bucks on gas.

Not to mention that the price of the thing is so inflated that it would take the entire depreciable life of the car to get your money back. You'd be better off saving the money up front and buying a Toyota Corolla or better yet an old Volvo four-banger with good crashworthiness AND mileage figures.

[21twelve]

“..what’s a woman to do when she needs to haul her five year old to the pediatrician and her 70 lb rottweiler to the vet?”

Keep the Odyssey and combine your trips to save on miles. (Dog medications and children’s meds can’t be THAT much different!)

[DoughtyOne]

That is hilarious. Good one...

[PBRSTREETGANG]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/60538/smart_car_crash/

[elmer fudd]

The Subaru Outback Sport is rated at 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, so if you get 40 mpg with it you'd probably get 50+ with a Smart car.

My dad gets phenomenal mileage with his cars too. He lives out in the country and most of his driving is done at 45 mph with hardly any stops.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I’m guessing they have to be a little safer than motorcycles, no? And a little nicer in inclement weather, too.

[RepoGirl]

D'oh! Forgot about that. My bad. ::Slaps head::

I guess I should do what any good, child-hating lib should do and strap her to the roof rack? I've got the bungee cords and duct tape.

[raybbr]

As far as smart cars go -- what's a woman to do when she needs to haul her five year old to the pediatrician and her 70 lb rottweiler to the vet? I don't see the three of us peacefully co-existing in one of those clowncars.

What about child seats. Those things are so big you have to have an SUV or van to use them.

[dalereed]

“but did it really have to take 13 seconds to get up to freeway speed?”

That Tonka Toy shoulden’t be allowed on the freeway!!!

[illiac]

I pick ‘em out of my H2.

[mnehring]

My wife is bugging me for a Mini Cooper; much cooler, a lot more pep, great gas mileage, and I won't be embarrassed borrowing it from her. (plus, if I put the front seat down, I can fit my golf clubs in it.)

If you want a tiny car, you might as well be cool about it.

[McGruff]

I actually saw someone driving one of these on the highway. Rush’s song ‘in a Yugo’ comes to mind.

[Joan Kerrey]

Should anyone want more zip my cousin says he can drop a 400 HP V12 engine in one of these. A little bit will stick out of some but it’ll solve you acceleration problems.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

There are a couple of these things running up and down I-270 in Maryland each day. They look exactly like clown cars.

[raybbr]

Ouch!

[higgmeister]

But that's sort of the point, isn't it? Who needs a car that can go from 0 to 60 in six seconds?

Most assuredly anyone that would like to go from 0 to 60 in six seconds DH!

[Army Air Corps]

Every time I see one in town (ther are maybe two where I live), my reaction is “It is sized appropriately for burial of the victim.”