knotty

The Smart seems to compare pretty good in crash tests to the other small cars. If I had the Smart, it sure would make a lot more room in my basement for the workshop.

knotty

uspspro

less weight = less inertia = weaker impact.

Smaller cars are no less safe than larger cars... Unless you're facing a monster truck or something.

The Smart has a nice shell that surrounds the driver. There is a youtube video out there where they crash the Smart into a wall at 75 or 80 mph. The car looks like hell, but you can still open and close the doors!!!

Also, I don't really like the idea... "Hmmm... I want to be safe so I'll get a big tank of a car so I can kill the other guy instead." So the other guy will get a big car too, and so on... sigh.

On another train of thought...

Think about all the hours you are out on your bike, with no structural protection. Should we stop riding because of this? Life can be dangerous. The most effective way to avoid incident are your decision making skills, and level of concentration when driving/riding. Of course they don't guarantee that the other guy won't screw up bad enough that there is nothing you can do... But I still think that they matter much more than any steel box.

40 Cent

Are you getting the bike rack?

Tylox

I test drived a Smart Car in SJ and REALLY wanted to love it, but...the transmission is absolutely horrible in these little cars. Each time the gears shift, the car jolts. The other downside is that to get a decently equipped model, you will pay 18k. I can get a nice honda civic in that range.

The good thing though if you still want a Smart Car, is to get on the waiting list at the dealership, they get about 6-12 vehicles in a week that nobody claims. I received about 3 offers to buy one 2 weeks after getting on the list.

redspoke

Well put. It's the age-old "Always a bigger fish" argument... When that discussion arises (it's always at work with my lazy SUV-crowd of coworkers) I say "If you crash into a wall at 50mph it's going to hurt A LOT regardless of if you're in a Yukon or a Prius". They think about it and then nod in agreement.

As for the Smart vs. Fit... Fit hands down. A Smart was motoring through our parking lot yesterday and it didn't get my attention by sight but by exhaust note... The things are really loud and putt-putty at low speed. Other things I don't like... GM has their hands on it so I question it's quality on all fronts. No thanks. It only has 2-seats. No thanks. It's ugly (subjective) No thanks. It should be getting 60-70mpg, it doesn't. No thanks. I see one on the road and immediately think it's one of those $5,000 35-mph electric golf cart cars (can't remember the name of them) until I verify a Smart logo on it (i.e. they draw wayyyyy too much attention for my liking) No thanks. My optometrist was driving one the other day and can get inside of it which was amazing... He's like 6'6".

Fit has Honda's extended history of engineering/reliability and build quality (Isuzu-made Passports being the exception) .
Fit has Honda's industry-leading resale value.
Seats 5.
Seats fold down for tons of storage if needed.
Very attractive car (subjective):
Above-average fuel economy for cars of that size/liter output. I asked a guy about mpg the other day on the automatic and he said he averages 31 every tank and drives it pretty hard...

Just my not-so-humble $.02

uspspro

Smart4Four has four seats.

I think the Smart with the dished rear wheels and nicer diffuser looks pretty nice.

I have seen those in Europe a bit. I saw a few 4-seat versions as well.

sweetnsourbkr

Maybe....

zonatandem

There goes your gas milleage with them bikes on the rack . . .

BigSean

My daughter has a Fit. I borrowed in one day to go to a race. It was a great car for race transportation. Can fit 2 bikes, trainers, extra wheels, ice chest with no problem. Its also a fun car to drive, its zippy around town.

I own a Honda Civic Hybrid. I can fit a bike in the back seat and there is plenty of trunk room. I recently purchased a roof rack so I will see how much it effects the mileage. But it is pretty easy to get mid 40's on the freeway, and mid 30's around town. On one trip back from Redding last year it avg. 51 mpg. Had to keep it under 70 to get that.

All things considered, I think the Fit is one of the best buys on the market. Atleast for what I need a car for. But my wife is the one driving the hybrid most and she loves it. I see the smart car as a commuter only, where as the Fit can be used for longer hauls with gear.

If you have to run premium in the smart car then I think you really save nothing cause you pay it out in teh cost of gas anyway.

BigSean

And on a side note, there are some Mercedes and VW's turbo diesels coming soon that will be closer to 100mpg. Just an automotive insider tip.

cantdrv55

What, no love for the MINI Cooper non-S?

sweetnsourbkr

The wifey likes the Smart more than the Mini.

x136 

On the plus side, you're slightly more likely do do a sweet wheelie under hard throttle.

Dunwood

huh? The Mini is clearly the better looking and better styled car, hands down......

Thanks to our over zealous EPA and CARB, our northern brothers have access to the Smart with the 75mpg diesel. We don't....my understanding is the EPA and CARB measure emissions per gallon and not emissions per mile.

BTW the Smart was developed with some big help from Mercedes, I don't know where you heard GM.

redspoke

From smartusa.com:

Production began in 1998 in Hambach, France. That same year, smart became a 100% owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz AG.


You're right. My bad. I was under the impression the Smart was a subsidiary of GM. I should have checked

On that note... Just about every model of MB is on Consumer Reports "Cars to Avoid" list. Obviously, after that GM goof, you don't want take my word for it.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class (V6, RWD) '01-02, 07; C-Class (V6, AWD) '06; CLK '03-06; CLS '06; E-Class (V6, AWD) '00-01, '05-07; E-Class (V6, RWD) '03, '05, '07; E-Class (turbodiesel) '05; E-Class (V8) '03-07; GL-Class (V8) '07; M-Class (V6) '00-02, '04-06; M-Class (V8) '06; R-Class (V6) '06; S-Class (V8, RWD) '00, '02, '07; SL '03, '05; SLK (V6) '05-06

Only the 2004 C-Class was on their "Reliable Used Cars" list.

MB has had a similarly poor track record to GM for several years, so I still say "no thanks".

Oh! Marco, Where's the Smart4Four? I don't see it anywhere on the smartusa website?

uspspro

For Four (Brabus Sport version):




In europe, I also saw one of these... a Smart roadster:

Rick@OCRR

It hasn't been mentioned, so I'll ask: How 'bout a used Honda Insight? I drive a 2006 Insight and I get 70 - 71 mpg if I put my bike inside (front wheel off), or 64-65 mpg with the bike on the rack (hitch rack).

No, they don't make new Insights anymore, but there are a few used Insights available . . . maybe one in your area. Mine has the CVT (constant velocity transmission) so there are no perceptable "shifts."

Go to: www.insightcentral.net for more Insight Info.

Re: EPA Milage numbers, for the CVT Insight they're 57 City, 56 Highway, but I always do lots better than that!

The Insight is light (1800 lbs.), runs on high pressure tires (mine are set at 46 psi) and is the most aero "production" car. They are also super-reliable, as are most Hondas.

Rick / OCRR

x136 

FWIW: Continuously variable transmission.

I kind of liked the Insight styling, as it looked like a modernized CRX. Unfortunately, as with most things I like, I wasn't even remotely in the majority in having that opinion.

I wish Honda made a non-hybrid Insight. An even-lighter model with a small I4 could have still gotten excellent mileage, and might've even crossed the line into "sporty".

Rick@OCRR

Thanks for the correction on CVT! I'd never driven a CVT before, and while I prefer the shift with clutch, the manual gearbox Insight couldn't get Car-Pool Lane stickers! Plus my wife voted for the CVT.

I kind of like the Insight's styling too, but it's for aero, not for eye-candy appeal. And yes, most folks would define that as "ugly." Still, I kind of like it . . . as you say, an updated CRX (with skirts!).

Re: Non-Hybrid Insight, this has been done, and there are threads over on www.insightcentral.net
Always by owers, of course, not by Honda (that I know of). In my dreams, Honda comes out hybrid Insight-like car with a "Tesla / Elise" looking sports car , and then I'd sell my Miata and have only one car!

Rick / OCRR

redspoke

So, looking at the license plates I'm assuming neither are available in the U.S. currently..?

reidconti

Nope. I've always loved the roadster, possibly because it looks like my car The ForFour has always been somewhat ungainly.

sweetnsourbkr

We'd buy an insight if it was available without a HUGE DEALER MARKUP and etc etc etc

markjenn

The fact they haven't been made since 2006 might limit availability too.

- Mark

reidconti

And there are none for sale locally on autotrader.

sweetnsourbkr