Chrysler rethinking Smart car in US on MSNBC.com

Darn you Daimler/Chrysler and your wishy-washy ways! The one advantage would be the price would likely fall dramatically from what it is now through these official "dealers" that Zap set up. I had seriously considered the car but after seeing what these dealers were charging (around $25G) and the fact that they only get 40MPG after being "Americanized" I decided to go with either the Toyota Yaris HB or Scion xA.

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Reply to
seerialmom
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thats 40mpg EPA, right, which is rolliong road. Therefore its not really taking into account the cars weight, or aerodynamics. The smart also has a really good crash structure. The Yaris is all cheap argie steel, as will the toyota xA (and argentine steel is cheap, yes, but not the most consitant of quality)

i did drive a yaris a few years back in the UK, wasn't impressed by it, had a smart as a hire car there too, felt much more respnsive. Also, if chipped, i think they can manage something like 135mph.

Reply to
flobert

I'm presuming when you say "rolling road" you mean highway; so yes.

40MPG is considerably lower than the 57MPG I believe the "unAmericanized" Smart gets. I agree about the crash-worthiness of the Smart, it's obvious from the test videos I've seen. But when it comes down to it; for almost half the price I get a bigger (more spacious) car that gets the same MPG when buying either the xA or the Yaris. And with the xA airbags are included ;)
Reply to
seerialmom

I think he means a car on a treadmill, not actually being driven. This deosnt account for weight or aerodynamics.

Reply to
RM

This business of chipping is, I think, irrelevant. You can also buy the Brabus Smart which, in the UK, costs twice what the basic version costs.

I have driven both the basic Smart (deliberately chose for the test drive, even though I was offered various souped-up versions) and I must say I prefer the Yaris (speaking as a great Mercedes fan). The Smart is very spacious for the two people but has no other room except for a shopping bag, whereeas teh Yaris will fit more luggage and people, and did not feel badly made. Also the Ford of Europe Fiesta and Focus are better value for most people.

The Smart is definitely an urban car. It sells well in Paris and Rome and, probably, London, but that is not sufficient to make the car a commercial success. All product extension measures (Smartforfour, cabriolet etc) have failed to turn the fortunes of the car round. Its original idea was good, I suppose, but the reality turned out to be unfavourable. Let's not forget it was a Swatch idea, with DC being drawn in as the car-manufacturing partner.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

Isn't one advantage of the Smart car is crashworthiness? That should be worth a few extra bucks to people buying a small car.

Reply to
Art

Focus is old in the tooth, common, and boring nowadays. 7-8 years ago, yes it was new, stylish, but not any more. I've also had extensive experiance with mk 2, 3, 4 and 5 fiestas, and i can safely say i never want one.

Oh, it does sell well in london too. also, remember the smartfour is not a smart car, iirc its a rebadged suzuki, diahatsu or somesuch.

Reply to
flobert

Thanks for the clarification. EPA is never the same MPG during "real world use"; I probably get higher than the 42MPG my Festiva "supposedly" gets because I keep a steady gas pedal and avoid fast stops/starts. It'll be interesting to find out "if" Chrysler decides to bring those here how it'll change the cost. I won't buy one since I'll have been in my Yaris or Scion xA for at least a year by then.

Reply to
seerialmom

The styling of the Focus has become blander but it is not considered a 'long-in-the tooth' vehicle here. Its handling is among the best in class, so the journalists tell us and my own experience with at as a rental is pretty good. (Same for the smaller Fiesta and the larger Mondeo.)

The Focus and its predecessor have dominated/topped the UK sales charts for decades.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

Reply to
seerialmom

No, its nothing like destroying cpus by overvolting them. Its either adding an interface chip, chainging the input and output values, or replacing the chip entirely. The PC equivilent would be changing the cars OS.

Reply to
flobert

Is the Mondeo still being made? Mondeo (Europe) = Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique (U.S.). Contour/Mystique are not in production.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

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The mondeo that the contour/mysteque was based on was replaced at least 3-4 years ago by a new one, which kept in line with the 'new edge' styling on all fords in europe nowadays (which started with the focus)

Reply to
flobert

The Yaris is a 4 seater, with a bit of a trunk. The Yaris could be ones only car; it can hold two people and their golf clubs.

Reply to
Spam Hater

They blow off the road as well, at well below that speed. I was just in the UK. Many Yaris's, very few Smarts.

Reply to
Spam Hater

I just rented a Focus SW for 3 weeks in the UK. I really liked the form factor, a comfortable car for 4 adults and great luggage capacity. I was 1.6L 5sp and gave us 35 I-MPG for 1,000 miles of about 90% highway. The only concerns we had were very high road noise and difficulty parking with it's very low hood line.

Reply to
Spam Hater

Yes in the UK. Hertz offered me the Mondeo or the Focus SW as mid sized. We chose the Focus SW for it's great luggage capacity.

Reply to
Spam Hater

I'm assuming thats UK gallons, not US (4.2l for a UK one, about 3.8l for a US)

higher road noise is generaly true for all EU spec cars. harder suspension, different road surface (somewhat) plus it seems we brits don't care so much about a little car noise. i for one have crunched my starter more than once when i've had the drivers door open, and didn't hear my van running - guess thats why they actualy put a tacho in a vehicle with a slushbox.

Reply to
flobert

dirty? no. modern diesels aren't dirty, but anyway, bugger me if the fourtwo smart has a 3cyl turbo petrol (gasolene) engine in it. 50, 61, or 74hp (brabus)

Reply to
flobert

Reply to
General Schvantzkoph

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