im moving out of urban sprawl land and going to a real city so I dont need a car.

I win.

3/20/2006 5:03:14 PM

montreal hates you.

don't lie to yourself.

3/20/2006 5:16:14 PM

fuck montreal

and cold weather and pseudo-frenchies

[Edited on March 20, 2006 at 5:20 PM. Reason : !!!!!!!!!!!!]

3/20/2006 5:19:07 PM

$25 thousand fully loaded?

Let's see what I could get for less than $25 Grand.

Mustang convertible


Mazda 6


If you like gas milage, a Civic Hybrid, 50 mpg


If you like small cars, a Mini Cooper


I would so much rather drive any of these things, not to mention a Used BMW 3-series or Audi TT.

And all of the cars that I mentioned have 4 seats. No way would I ever drive a vehicle with only 2 seats.

3/20/2006 5:20:34 PM

whats the gas milage on the mini, that might be a decent smart car alternative
although ive heard a few bad things about it
about a year ago i had to help a practically new mini up gorman st. cause the transmition completely busted

3/20/2006 5:39:11 PM

if you want mileage, get yourself a cycle.

3/20/2006 5:40:38 PM

Quote :

"Let's see what I could get for less than $25 Grand. Mustang convertible"

Not the one you have pictured. That GT convertible will start around 29

3/20/2006 5:42:33 PM

Part of the Smart Car's appeal isn't just its gas mileage, it's its size.

In most places in NC, something that small is not right for most people. However, if you live in a big city (like NY or something), you rarely push your car to 85 mph, and the small size makes maneuvering around and parking much easier.

I usually go above 85MPH at some point during the day while driving, and I personally would hate to have that be an upper limit.

3/20/2006 6:07:20 PM

^ what roads do you drive on, the autobwn

3/20/2006 6:08:58 PM

Quote :

"whats the gas milage on the mini, that might be a decent smart car alternative"

I don't think it is that great, ~30 mpg or so. I know someone who has a Mini Cooper S, it performs really nicely, but he said that it still used as much gas as most coupes.

Quote :

"Not the one you have pictured. That GT convertible will start around 29"

Yeah I just noticed that it was a GT, but you can get a V6 convertible for under 25, and a GT coupe for right at $25.

Quote :

"^ what roads do you drive on, the autobwn"

When I drive on 40 I get to at least 85 every time I'm on it, and that is with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. To get to 85 with that smart car you would have to have your foot to the ground the whole time. I had an 87 Blazer that had a spedometer max at 85. Luckily I could bury the needle if I needed to.

3/20/2006 6:18:44 PM

dude, 85 isn't that fast. if you are traveling daily on an interstate, or if you travel out in rural areas, i can see hitting that speed daily.

hell, when i had my sportbikes, i broke 100 pretty much daily.


but again, even if you travel at 75-80 daily, you will be thrashing that car. it would be good for commuting around town, but that's about it (although you'd have to buy a lot of groceries not to be able to put them in the passenger seat).

Quote :

" but you can get a V6 convertible for under 25"

you'd have to be a real faggot to have a V6 convertible mustang...that means you can afford the GT, but didn't get it...and if it's just a convertible that you want, get something besides a Mustang (if you aren't gonna get the V8. the only real thing that it brings to the table is hp/$ ratio...if you're gonna buy a pony car, make sure you get the ponies).

[Edited on March 20, 2006 at 6:21 PM. Reason : asdfasdf]

3/20/2006 6:19:14 PM

yeah popin 100 in the vette on an on ramp is SOP, and i only gave about 30 for it (used of course, but still).... piss on that little car...

[Edited on March 20, 2006 at 6:22 PM. Reason : ...]

3/20/2006 6:21:42 PM

I'm with Mango. No way I'd pay $15-25k for a Smart Car considering the full size alternatives at that price. You aren't going to save that much in gas, and I wouldn't take that car on the interstate either. Would much rather just buy a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord for $25k. Pretty decent gas mileage, comfort, room, safe, and reliable. And on top of that, I wouldn't look like I was driving a clown car.

3/20/2006 6:36:02 PM

^ you'd save roughly $700 a year on gas, thats $7 grand over 10 years
i agree it would be nice if it were $10k then it would be really attractive

3/20/2006 6:42:05 PM

Quote :

"you'd save roughly $700 a year on gas, thats $7 grand over 10 years"

there are safer ways to save 7k in 10 yrs, and you dont have to deal with drivin that slow little thing.

Maybe in New York or something, but not here, im tellin ya, those things are gonna get destroyed on interstates.

3/20/2006 6:52:28 PM

but the main idea is a country of 300 million cant keep driving gas chugging cars, we should make drastic improvements in gas milage and also smaller cars
the benefit would be
less wasted limited feul, less polution, smaller parkinglots, smarter people, less groceries people buy cause they cant fit it in the car therefore healthier people, etc

3/20/2006 6:58:22 PM

i'm not buying into the "healthier" or "smarter" people thing

(i'm not hating on small cars...i have an S2000, and had a 1st gen Miata before that)

3/20/2006 7:05:44 PM

isnt it the whole tragedy of the commons deal.... unless EVERYONE (or vast maj.) go to streamlined living, youre just screwing yourself by getting something so small, slow, dangerous, gay, etc...

3/20/2006 7:10:30 PM

yeah thats true, we may also be screwed regardless of what we do, or they may come out with some hydrogen fuel cars soon but still i think you'll be smarter for getting a fuel efficient car

3/20/2006 8:02:41 PM

making hydrogen takes energy

3/20/2006 8:12:01 PM

you can get 50+mpg in a 25 year old vw rabbit diesel. that's what america needs (more diesels)

3/20/2006 8:24:51 PM

running on biodiesel.

Quote :

"dude, 85 isn't that fast. if you are traveling daily on an interstate, or if you travel out in rural areas, i can see hitting that speed daily. hell, when i had my sportbikes, i broke 100 pretty much daily."

you guys are saying this like it's a GOOD thing. going 15 over hte speed limit is grounds for losing your license, not to mention dangerous, and very rarely in nc does the speed limit hit 70. you DEFINITELY shouldn't be going 100. ANYWHERE.

3/20/2006 9:23:32 PM

3/20/2006 9:51:31 PM

DirtyGreek, it's just more internet braggadocio and classic chest-thumping.

vroom vroom. i'm so eTuff.

3/20/2006 9:54:04 PM

ive mentioned it before but...

me cruising at 75mph on I-40 (west of raleigh) puts me in the top 95% of traffic flow. a lot of people claim do do 85+ all the time, but I hardly ever see it

If those SMART cars are electronically speed-limited rather than drag-limited, they might get somewhere And they have plenty of space for groceries

3/20/2006 9:58:04 PM

http://www.brentroad.com/photo_photo.aspx?user=16908&photo=415431



[Edited on March 20, 2006 at 10:51 PM. Reason : dammit..]

3/20/2006 10:50:28 PM

cruising speed for me is about 83, im only occasionally the fastest person on the interstate and when i am it isnt by much

3/20/2006 10:53:49 PM

yeah most of the time at night on I 40 i run around 80 and have people tail me/pass me...

my problem with those cars is that you know people will drive them on big roads like any other car, and from what i can tell, they arent supposed to do that.

I just cant see the value in the gas milage savings, unless everyone is driving those. your in pocket savings will be offset by finding someone to work on the damn unususal thing; hidden costs will kill.

and... you cant tell me that thing is fun to drive

3/20/2006 11:05:51 PM

i'll believe it when i see it

this is the third time that they've planned to do it, but daimler keeps killing the deal

2005 was supposed to be the first model year for the smart suv

i hope it happens this time and that they release the roadster - i'd buy one tomorrow

3/20/2006 11:27:11 PM

Smart Roadster.. I want

[Edited on March 20, 2006 at 11:36 PM. Reason : err]

3/20/2006 11:35:49 PM

I drive a full-sized chevy van
gets about 20 mpg highway, which isnt bad considering she's got 280k miles on 'er
but yeah, usually I'm the only one in it, so I'm one of the worst as far as being 'over-automobiled'

I dont like small cars, dont fit in them (length for me, rather than width). The only thing I dislike about my van is that it can be hell to merge in heavy traffic if the passenger side mirror gets pushed in..
a smart car could probably fit in the back of my van.. anyone see the dimensions on one?

'be kind of worried driving a car that size on the interstate with the tractor trailers, though it might fit under the trailer if worst came to worst

3/20/2006 11:56:05 PM

you would definitely not want to drive a smart car on I40 or anything were the speed limit is over 55 or you can come into contact with an 18 wheeler - you really just feel like you're in small plastic bubble when you're in the things that doesn't keep them from the really cool

just horribly unsafe feeling

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 12:13 AM. Reason : cvn]

3/21/2006 12:06:34 AM

DIMENSIONS
Weight: 1588 lbs
Length: 8'2.5"
Width: 4'11.5"
Height: 5'

Quote :

"Why is the Smart car so safe? The tridion safety cell forms the core element of the body of each smart car. It is manufactured exclusively from high-tensile steel and creates a cage-like safety structure for the occupants. The tridion safety cell makes the smart city-coupe one of the safest of small cars with regard to its crash safety characteristics. This has been confirmed by numerous crash tests conducted in Europe."

[Edited on March 21, 2006 at 12:09 AM. Reason : ]

3/21/2006 12:07:25 AM

no chance i could fit in there. i don't mind if small people want to drive small cars... or even people who like small cars driving small cars... but i'm a truck/suv/big car person and i'm willing to pay to be able to have that luxury.

3/21/2006 12:15:56 AM

yeah - if you're over 6'2" they won't really work out

3/21/2006 12:23:04 AM

that graph looks the same as most all modern cars if you do the research, and more meat to the car means larger crumple zones and more safety... and that round bitch looks like it would roll forever... but there again, it looks fine for slow drivin....

and thats all ya gonna do in it

3/21/2006 12:28:02 AM

yeah the small crumple zone would make me nervous for sure

3/21/2006 1:00:40 AM

Just don't have a wreck. Problem solved. DUH!

3/21/2006 1:17:28 AM

Quote :

"people ride bicycles and mopeds and motorcycles around on the same roads as trucks, so I don't see any reason this is any worse."

People don't ride bicycles and mopeds in the middle of a lane on I-40. They also don't ride them at 65mph. As inconsiderate as truckers and people in SUVs are at "owning the road" now... I don't think I'd take my chances at getting knocked off the road, flipping end over end, and rolling into a ditch. Maybe they could come out with a special crowbar that is sold separately so you can dig these things out every time you get caught in a semi's wheel well.

Quote :

"someone post the video of that car hitting a cement wall at 70mph. that was amazing. the cars frame didnt bend and the doors actually still opened and shut properly. Amazing stuff."

And here I was thinking that they made cars crumple (to a certain extent) on purpose to absorb some of the impact. So these little jobbers pretty much translate the full force of the impact to the driver then? Nice. I'm glad the frame holds up. What about my spine?

Quote :

"$25 thousand fully loaded? Let's see what I could get for less than $25 Grand."

I was thinking "Cheaper car and an olympic sized pools of gas to make up the difference in fuel economy"

BTW. Don't they already have full sized cars that get 60mpg?

3/21/2006 8:07:17 AM

those are fairly popular in the UK - and they're SO tiny! you can def fit about 2/3 in a regular parallel parking space, and they're ace for city driving with the small streets - they look kinda ugly but i don't care

3/21/2006 9:19:19 AM

Quote :

"And here I was thinking that they made cars crumple (to a certain extent) on purpose to absorb some of the impact. So these little jobbers pretty much translate the full force of the impact to the driver then? Nice. I'm glad the frame holds up. What about my spine?"

exactly what i was thinkin

3/21/2006 9:45:58 AM

the civic hybrid, although a civic, would be a much much better buy than a smart car if you're looking for a combination of gas mileage and utility at that price.

the only thing the smart car has going for it is ease of use in big cities.

3/21/2006 9:47:57 AM

Smart Coupe

3/21/2006 10:13:40 AM

i don't like small cars
or real big women
but somehow i always
find myself in 'em

3/21/2006 10:22:30 AM

when gas hits european price levels

maybe these will catch on

3/21/2006 10:28:21 AM

Quote :

"when gas tax hits european price levels maybe these will catch on"

3/21/2006 11:16:33 AM

^ First, yes, europe pays out the ass not for raw oil but because they tax the shit out of it. Thx you.


2. dunknow about you, but after reading this thread I have the same conclusion as when I saw the car, and think it's what ya'll are getting at...

It's a good idea...it's not for everyone.
I haul shit regularly , not to mention people, on a far more frequent than 2x a year basis.
That, and I hit the interstate less this year and laast than I used to, but still, an 85mph car will absolutely suck on I-95 or I-85. Depending on area/time of day (read not rush hour and not Virginia), you're going to want higher speed albeit not *constantly*

And yeah, driving a car with the pedal to the floor the entire time is anything but grand.

however, for a commuter who hits 440 or even 40, the speed would be fine. and if you wanted to take US 1 instead of 95 and add a few hours to your trip, well, I think you'd manage.

3/21/2006 2:45:35 PM

they arent going to try to sell this to triangle sprawl people

3/21/2006 2:47:39 PM

^ oh i guarantee stupid rich bitches from cary will think its cute and drive it all the time to see their liberal ass friends at unc, and thus fuck it up for the rest of us

3/21/2006 3:17:01 PM

last time i checked the speed limit for the highway was 65mph. not 80mph.

3/21/2006 3:32:40 PM