Now I Want this Cute Little Smart Hybrid Car Coming to US in 2007

No they haven't. Not hybrids.

Graham

Yeah... I guess it could be compared to having nearly a 4x8 sheet of plywood laying lengthwise in front of you. I sometimes get squirrely just sitting behind the wheel of the PowerHawk..

JT

The only way to beat it is to do what I did. Refurbish an old Gen 2 Honda Civic for a total investment of less than $1K and get 40+ mpg in mixed driving and probably well over 50 mpg on the highway.

JT

(I'm not cheap... Ah's frugal!)

This is something I'm debating abt.

Does it really make sense to have specialized vehicles for different kinds of trips?

IOW...... a city car or scooter such as for three mile trips....and then a bigger car for the long distance highways trips?

Could it be that having a highway car and using it for all trips makes for better economics than owning specialized vehicle and having to maintain different vehicles, have multiple insurance policies, etc?

I once flew from Dallas to Austin. I was surprised when I got on a full size jet to make this "hop". We no longer got up to altitude when it seemed as tho we were starting the decent down.

I asked someone why they did have much smaller commuter jets for such a trip and the answer was that it is more effective to have only one jet.....maintain one set of parts..... one set of mechanics....etc.... than have multiple jets and the assorted "infrastructure".

Is this true? Could it really be more cost effective to use one highway car for all trips rather than have separate specialized vehiclea?

Consumer Reports is near me, and they have an "in" at the local NBC affiliate. Every so often when it is a slow news day they throw in a special Consumer Reports spot. They recently did a test drive of these "city" cars. They pegged them as almost impossible to drive, scary brakes, and while they "meet" the crash test specs, you would not want to be in one, when hit with anyything bigger than a four year old on a tricycle.

Chrysler was not the only Airflow type. Vovlo produced the Carioca.

Hachiroku ???? wrote:

I think it was snipped-for-privacy@email.com who stated:

And some say my xBox looks silly . . . .

Interesting that two cars in different parts of the world would be so similar!

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I forgot about you guys. Before my HDD 'hiccuped' and scattered my data all over the place, I was sub'd to the Stude group. You guys know those cars!! Damn!

If you look through the posts, back about 20 years ago I used to pass one of these with a For Sale sign on it to my way to work. Boy, I wish I had had the money for it! He wanted $5000 or so back then! (it was in decent shape. The paint could have used a buffing, and it was about 95%...)

How old is the pic? That's a fine looking car!

He don't know me well, do he? ;)

I have: A Scion tC I just bought. It gets drivein in the rain...only when it has to, because I don't wnat to drive my...

'88 Supra "SportRoof" (Targa) in the rain. Bsaically because the roof leaks, but also because I don't WANT it getting wet!

So, on those days, I drive my...

'92 Grand Voyager. AWD. Mostly rain and snow. It goes on the road in November when the Supra comes off, and vice-versa in April. I was running all three, but got sick of owing my soul to the Ins Co. ($1925 for all three...)

I traded a '92 LHS for the Scion. I think I should have kept it, but I also had my...

1985 Toyota Celica GTS. I ran this car daily for 3 years (except in the snow) until I got the Supra and decided to quit fixing the Celica. Sorry I did. It was a good car!

So, the Scion is for longer trips (7 miles or more), the Supra is a "Summer Beater" the van is a "Winter Beater" (I was playing in a band when I bought it, but our guitar player hasn't been heard from since July...)and for driving those 3 mile trips, since it really IS a beater much more than the other two.

Now, about the "Hachiroku" (Corolla GTS Twin Cam) I have sitting in my backyard, awaiting restoration...

I think if I was going to get a short hop vehicle, I might break down and get a moped. Other than that, the 93 Corolla does just fine.

Charles of Schaumburg.

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The pic was taken in the 1990's. I've had the car since 1966.

JT

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If I wanted a car that impressive, I'd go for one of the prewar Mercedes on a truck chassis. I think they were called 770-K's Especially if it had been registered before the war under the German system as 1A-148485.

Charles of Schaumburg.

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Dayum!

Interestingly during Bill Clinton's first term as governor in Arkansas, one editorial cartoonist portrayed him as a child on a tricycle. . . . .

Charles of Schaumburg

If that jet was full for the trip, it makes more sense to run two flights a day with the seats full (150 people at a shot), than a dozen flights with smaller planes that only hold 25 passengers.

Just look at the Passengers To Crew Costs ratio for openers, then the seat-miles per gallon of fuel burned, and the seat-miles per maintenance dollar. The little plane only gets to divide the costs among 25 passengers, but the bigger plane divides them among 150.

The airlines aren't going to deliberately do things in a way that loses them money.

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Check out the current issue of Consumer Reports-they had a very low opinion of the Smart. For what you get it is grossly overpriced IMHO for what little you get. Once upon a time I had a Geo Metro and loved it, so I am forgiving of small cars but not forgiving of the Smart. Save your money.

So am I not sure if you are agreeing with my observation or not?

Would you say that there is SOME merit...sometimes.... to having one vehicle and use for all trips vs higher efficient MULITIPLE vehicles?

I'm not saying I be live this or not....I really don't know. Id just like you guys opinions

If I remember correct.... the flights was maybe half full..... but VERY short.

I bet its only a few hundered air miles between Dallas and Austin yet we were in a 727