oldnslow Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPNM Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 That is awesome. Nice you can make fun of yourself when, maybe, others are making fun of your car. Just hope they don't leave the key in it and the little kids think it's theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phirewriter Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Frankly, I always thought that it looked like one of these I just can't imagine how any mature, grown adult would even WANT to be seen in one. Gas mileage or not - you can't help but look like a dork driving it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 They actually don't have *THAT* great of a gas mileage, but they sure make a statement (and I suspect that's what most owners are after). In Europe, in urban setting, this little cars actually make sense. But seeing one on an American interstate, sandwiched between several 18-wheelers, just doesn't seem right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsuperdan Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 If someone lives in a city, works in the city, and rarely leaves the city, then a smart car makes a lot of sense. They are cheap to buy, they are dirt cheap to run, fuel economy (especially when they had a 3-cyl diesel) was really really good. They're easy to park just about anywhere. Perfect city commuter car. However, if you are 6'6" like me, then don't bother. You won't fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell C Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Somebody's so-so photo alteration found in Google Images. I'm wondering if this would end up being the length of a regular car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 1 hour ago, iamsuperdan said: If someone lives in a city, works in the city, and rarely leaves the city, then a smart car makes a lot of sense. They are cheap to buy, they are dirt cheap to run, fuel economy (especially when they had a 3-cyl diesel) was really really good. They're easy to park just about anywhere. Perfect city commuter car. However, if you are 6'6" like me, then don't bother. You won't fit. Cheap to buy? Compared to what? The seem to cost in a range of mid $20k US. I just got a 2019 KIA Soul (MSRP $19k US) for $17k. A much more useful small car than Smart for Two. and I'm getting gas mileage in low 30MPG range. Diesel fuel is also much more expensive than gasoline (at least in U.S.). No sale! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 I'm not sure of this is the same smart car but when i was at college the cops in aberdeen (scotland) had one as a patrol car. It was probably more for visiting show and schools than any practical cop use. It always made me laugh (with not at) when 2 big cops got out and one road cone filled the boot (trunk). I cant find a pic that will let me share it here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsuperdan Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 8 hours ago, peteski said: Cheap to buy? Compared to what? The seem to cost in a range of mid $20k US. I just got a 2019 KIA Soul (MSRP $19k US) for $17k. A much more useful small car than Smart for Two. and I'm getting gas mileage in low 30MPG range. Diesel fuel is also much more expensive than gasoline (at least in U.S.). No sale! Compared to everything! The new ones are electric and are available in Canada for under $30k. Find another new electric car that is cheaper. The last year of using fuel in a smart car was 2017, and a brand new base model coupe could be purchased for just under $15k. You could not purchase another brand new car in Canada for less money. In 2013, I leased three of them for one of our clients at $12300 CDN. And diesel fuel is on par with gasoline prices here. With the benefit of higher efficiency. Is it the best small car out there? Not in my opinion. Your Kia Soul is a great option, and my dad had a 2016 Soul EX that I actually really enjoy. Would consider one myself if it could be had with a manual transmission. Hyundai make a better and cheaper vehicle than the smart, and I personally would rather buy a slightly used VW Golf for the same price as a smart. But it's still a great option for many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 I see a lot of them here in downtown Brooklyn - mostly rentals that you can hire with an app...they're about 40 cents a minute as I recall. They're always parked for weeks on the streets around me until someone else rents them The NYPD have a bunch too - those and Priuses. I had the use of one of these as a company car for a couple of months - I used to commute 40 or 50 miles each way to work and the boss gave me the company's little runaround Smart to use for that. It lasted 7 weeks of 65mph freeway cruising before the trans gave out and I went back to my regular car. It was a drop top too - awful car for long rides but kinda fun around the city as long as your friends don't see you When it would snow the primitive traction control would kick in all the time and make it impossible to get it out of my drive - but with the fuse removed it would donut pretty well on a slippery parking lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Also, a Peterbuilt front grill looks mighty big when it's 6 feet away from you at speed and all that's protecting you from it is a thin cloth roof and a squidgy plastic bumper ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spex84 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 So if I want to avoid looking like a dork, I'd better get one of these, right? I've always liked the Smart car...I don't necessarily want one, but they're offbeat and useful in an urban setting. Safety-wise--meh, all the used cars I can actually afford (including the one I'm driving now) have terrible crash ratings anyway. If I based my next car purchase on the notion that I need to "win" in a crash...jeez, I'd need something that can pulverize a Peterbilt! I remember seeing a Smart Car crash test back when they were new; I was actually impressed at how well it did, considering. I imagine they'd be a heck of handful in bad weather though...4" deep slush and that short wheelbase would be nasty. Dry roads and short trips is what they're really made for, and that's OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 We don't need smart cars, but we definitely need a LOT more smarter drivers the way I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phirewriter Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Smart Car crashes... Sorry couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsuperdan Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Here's another unSmart thing to consider, https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/12/nhtsa-probes-smart-fortwos-keep-bursting-flames/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spex84 Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 To bring this 'round I tried to find a video of people crashing Little Tykes cars in offroad downhill races, but apparently Barbie Jeeps are the ride of choice for that particular sport. Oh well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Most cars have there uses that are better then others. The problem for me is the insurance cost we have here in MI. Twice the Average rate her in the USA. So any money I would save on gas would go to plates and insurance for the year. So an extra car just to drive back and forth to work is out of the question. I have meet a guy that had one. He is a truck driver and he drives his smart car to and from work. He likes it for that but said his Ford Festiva was better on gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredRPG Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 On April 10, 2019 at 9:56 AM, iamsuperdan said: 2016 Soul EX that I actually really enjoy. Would consider one myself if it could be had with a manual transmission. Hyundai make You can get a soul with a six speed manual, I have one. Fun little car to drive, not a drag race winner, but if you stay in the right rpm range it can squirt through traffic pretty quick. I usually get near 30 mpg around town and as much as 36 highway without my canoe on top (-5 for that) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscool Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Speaking of Smart Cars? Uh, I'd rather not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CabDriver Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 (edited) On 4/10/2019 at 12:26 PM, CabDriver said: I see a lot of them here in downtown Brooklyn - mostly rentals that you can hire with an app...they're about 40 cents a minute as I recall. They're always parked for weeks on the streets around me until someone else rents them And as if by magic, someone renting one of them on my street this morning. The app unlocks it somehow, and you use a keypad to start it with a unique number generated by the app: At 40 cents a minute I think I'd rather just take a cab, but whatever works for people I guess! And a shot of the app, in case anyone's curious - you just pick the blue dot nearest to you, and tap it to reserve the car and start using it. There's more of the little suckers around here than I realised! Edited April 12, 2019 by CabDriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordairgtar Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 19 hours ago, CabDriver said: And as if by magic, someone renting one of them on my street this morning. The app unlocks it somehow, and you use a keypad to start it with a unique number generated by the app: At 40 cents a minute I think I'd rather just take a cab, but whatever works for people I guess! And a shot of the app, in case anyone's curious - you just pick the blue dot nearest to you, and tap it to reserve the car and start using it. There's more of the little suckers around here than I realised! Kinda like a cockroach infestation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSNJim Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 We're pretty well infested with Car2Go here in DC, but not all are Smart cars. I've seen Mercedes CLA cars too. They are typically all white with the square logo on the doors. I don't know what it costs or how to rent them, but they're out there. Apparently they have Mercedes GLAs also. Every so often I'll see two Car2Go Smart cars parked nose to tail in what you would think of as one parking spot. Not all street parking has marked spaces here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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