Right. Consumer Reports magazine reviewed the Smart for Two and they gave it a lousy review. The said it got lower gas mileage then the Prius and it required Premium gas. If you want to save on gas, getting a Smart instead of a Prius makes no sense; the OP will end up spending more on gas.
I saw the Smart in Italy years ago, and at the earliest opportunity here in the U.S. drove one. Admittedly it was early-generation (for the U.S.), but it had years of market time in the EU.
In a word, it's a novelty whose charm wears off very quickly. The ride is uncomfortable, it doesn't hold enough, it doesn't generate a feeling of security, and it's very costly.
There is no reason to keep miles off of our '04 Prius. There are plenty of them now in package and document delivery, taxi service, etc. with 300k miles on them and statistically they're holding up better than their non-hybrid counterparts. I think it's due to (1) Toyota spent extra effort on quality for this innovation and (2) the hybrid system "unloads" the engine during initial acceleration, when wear and stress are high.
But if you feel compelled to pay registration and insurance on another car to reduce your Prius mileage, buy the Honda Fit. My daughter's Fit gets 36mpg on regular gas, and four people fit comfortably with space for small baggage. In fact, with the Fit's remarkable folding seat system, two people plus two bicycles plus camping gear can be accommodated. Try that in a Smart!
Never, never compare the Smart to the Prius. They're in different vehicle categories.
Ike
Let's see the Smart is cute. The Smart is less expensive than the Prius I want one
Now none of this makes much sense but that is just the way it is.
George
I drove the Smart two years ago, and saw it again at the Fair on Balboa this Sunday. Cute but uncomfortable! It costs about the same as the Yaris or Fit, gets worse mileage, seats only 2, rides like an egg rolling down the road, and collapses into a briefcase when hit. No chance... cute simply isn't enough.
Hired a Smart on holiday at the Great Barrier Reef. Drove well but high winds blew it about on the highway. Just a tad too small to feel safe in.
Ike wrote in news:g6m787$kth$1 @registered.motzarella.org:
Do a search on Youtube for a video from a British car show where they crash a Smart car into a concrete barrier at 50 - 60+ mph. It evidently has a great rollcage structure built in because the interior stayed amazingly intact, even one of the doors still opened.
The engine compartment did fit in a briefcase then though.
And the deceleration forces were probably enough to scramble your brain quite thoroughly, as it would in most any small car whacking an immovable object at that speed. Wearing a helmet would help immensely.
Now they just need to fix the suspension, switch it to regular gas.
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