Smartcar or Dumbcar?

They've done surprisingly well in crash tests, but you can get a real car the same money.

Lauren_ snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (J J) wrote in news:3118-470950D9-2247@storefull-

3233.bay.webtv.net:

Almost ten years now. They went into production in 1998.

Smart is owned by Daimler.

Not "bad", just unsuited to American buyers' tastes. French cars sell well elsewhere.

I'll agree with that. You should see one at 80mph on the freeway. Looks like a speeding phone booth.

That link didnt work so well for me This one does.

"hls" wrote in news:s2dOi.2197$sm6.141 @nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com:

That's weird. I copied and pasted that link straight from my brower's URL window.

I just now tried it in two different browsers with no trouble.

I dont know why either. Did the link I posted take you to the same place?

Seems that I remember the 3 cylinder diesel in the Smart was a Daimler Benz motor. Is that how you understand it?

It may become a collector's item like a Trabant or Yugo.

"hls" wrote in news:y4fOi.58069$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:

The link works both ways for me. Same Web page comes up.

The Wikipedia page doesn't actually say. I did bit of Googling and found a bunch of other mentions of that engine, but with nobody saying who makes it.

Depends on if your newsreader is smart enough to include the final ")" character when you click the link.

"Noozer" wrote in news:A%uOi.3415$1y4.1557@pd7urf2no:

Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 2.0.0.7, and Mozilla 1.7.13 handles the parentheses just fine.

What does HLS use?

HLS uses the new and depraved shitteaux Windows Mail newsreader which comes with Vista.

Soon, I am going to either buy and ASUS eee PC or set up another computer with Linux..

That may be due to their lack of inertia. The lightweight smart car goes flying away at impact, relatively unharmed. Adding 200 lbs of human would throw off that "advantage" somewhat. I'd hate to see the accordian-ed carnage after a Mallachi crunch type accident.

Likewise, people also tend to bounce off of cars and go flying with minimal external damage, but it can wreak havoc on standard features like the spine, brain, etc.

Toyota MDT in MO

Color the Smart Car as being a horribly overpriced cutesy car in the USA. One can buy a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla for less and get a lot more car. I suspect the Smart will sell well to blonde 20- somethings in Southern California.

The car has had an unfortunate history in the USA with grey-market and authorized importers competing directly, virtually no service support, conflicts over which cars were warranted by whom, etc. The last I heard some large car dealer in or near Illinois was going to be the latest official importer. There were several lawsuits flying around at the time.

The Smart Car would make a lot of sense in a highly congested urban city in europe that allows parking sideways and on sidewalks. Those parking conditions do not exist (legally) in the USA.

I got to drive one last week. A couple from Canada have it as the runabout on the big motor coach they own. After folding myself into it and taking it around the lot I decided it was about like driving a Go-Cart that had plastic body work. From what I saw and how the materials felt I would NOT want to be in one involved with anything like a serious accident. I think a golf cart is safer!

One of the jokes about the old Isetta microcar was that your knees doubled as bumpers. Same with the Smart.

Comboverfish wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com:

You can't make those delete options?

"John S." wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com:

If our experience in Canada is any guide, the actual buyers will be

50-somethings with gray hair and a strong desire to project an "environmentally correct" image. The Smart is sort of a non-Prius with Prius correctness.

Our Smart owners often (always?) have a much larger vehicle occupying space in their driveways. The Smart is driven for image when cargo and passenger capability is not needed.

Nor anywhere in Canada as far as I know.

Only if your a Liberal. Or a member of the Nobel Panel!

innews: snipped-for-privacy@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com:

I haven't looked at the numbers recently, but one could get better mpg per passenger in a Corolla, Civic or Prius than with a Smart because the first three cars hold 4 people. And the first three cars could actually hold luggage.

I would modify your list of reasons as follows: The Smart is driven for image when cargo, passenger capability and passenger safety is not needed.

Sideways and curb parking was part of the advertising Smart advertising here in the USA. It may have been design to give the car a quirky european image, but that message was not communicated very well.