The Elio is bigger than the Jetta in height, front wheel track, and wheelbase. It’s about the same as most compact cars in those dimensions. It has a roll cage and air bags. It is on track to get a 5 star safety rating. It’s not as safe as a Hummer but comparable to many vehicles out there today.
I guess if you are living in the mid west and need to “haul” stuff up and down those highways this is not the car for you.
However, here in the DC-Boston Corridor, the commutes are pretty short and the speeds are pretty tame. There are a lot of trucks and SUVs driving around that have no business on the streets.
A small commuter car—whether it be electric or a small thing like this—is just whats needed.
No, you are not going to use it on weekends to go to the country or go camping. You are not going to load four kids into this either.
But, if I am driving in from the Boston suburbs, I am not hitting more than 40 MPH anyway. If I am driving in from 495, it might be scary on the highway—but no scarier than a motorcycle.
I have a big Silverado that I use for work. I also have a motorcycle. As long as it isn’t raining, I would do short haul/commute trips with the MC. Really, for about 90% of us, I would think the need for storage/cargo space is pretty limited. A couple of bags of groceries and a brief case are about it for most of my trips that do not require the truck.
But, I have a 650cc motorcycle and the best I’ve been able to get is about 52 MPG. And no, I am not aerodynamic. But does that account for 25 extra MPG?
With a roll cage, environmental contained space (heat and AC) this thing looks fine. The Smart Car looked OK, but it just did not look comfortable for a big guy like me (6’, 240)
I also would wonder how this thing would do in cross wind conditions.