Is the Smart Car really that smart?
January 13, 2008
Kelly’s post on the Tata made me think about the Smart Car. I first saw one in Europe in 1999 and have been wanting one ever since. The car is supposedly made in an eco-friendly way (at least in Europe). It’s super cute, and I love that there is at least some chance that I can parallel park (I’m a little challenged in that skill). We’ve got a Prius for longer trips and commutes, so our second car doesn’t need much space…again, a plus in selling me the Smart Car as our second vehicle.
I have watched the difficulties of getting this car approved for introduction into the US market and now, I can finally get one. But I’m not going to. Why? Because to me, in this era of hybrids, electric cars and a quest for overall fuel efficiency, the Smart Car has entirely missed the boat. How can they design a car that small to only get 40mpg? And why? It’s downright irresponsible. My Beetle gets 35mpg. It’s already got the cute-factor. It’s got incredible convenience with the hatchback and foldown seats. I can fit 4 people and my dog into it without a problem.
So what are they selling me that I don’t already have? The eco-friendly approach to building the car in the first place (yes, that’s cool). The supposedly easy approach to recycling the pieces of the car (nice words, but I have little faith that Daimler will have recycling processes in place). The novelty of a new car body shape…and the cool factor of driving around something unique. That kind of cache doesn’t usually last long, and at a price and mpg rate that’s average at best, it’s not enough for me.
Stumble it!
Tags: , cars, fuel efficiency, green, product design, Smart Car, transportation
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January 13th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I wish it were better…it sure is a cute little rig!
January 13th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
this reply is not really meant at the article but the note written on the right…
u r right dude… it seems to be that mine isnt that good either.. hehehe..
gud thought on changing it onto a blog man… COOOL!! lol
January 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
this reply is not really meant at the article but the note written on the right…
u r right dude… it seems to be that mine isnt that good either.. hehehe..
gud thought on changing it onto a blog man… COOOL!! lol
January 13th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Looking for gmail :o)
Hellooo from Portugal !!!!
January 16th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
this’s the age of Time-Space continum
-::: it’s rapid-small :::-
:.: RadiaL-OVEr .:. forever :..
January 17th, 2008 at 4:15 am
As someone, who lives in city and doesn’t own a car, I’ve always felt that Smart might be good choice if I ever end up buying a car, since it would be convenient to park and since its so small it should be economical choice as well.
Your notion about its fuel consumption was real eye opener and shows how much I still have to learn, before I should think about getting my own car. Until then, I guess I keep on using public transportation, bicycle and car pooling stuff that we have around here.
January 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Sorry about my english, but i write from spain. I don´t know where you live, but in my city the first problem even more that the security in the streets, is the trafic. I don´t know if you have been more than 40 min. looking for a place to park, even two or three times in a day, and if you compare the two models in the webpages in spain, here the numbers are very different about how much they get. Almost the double km per l. So…
January 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
yes, writer from spain - I agree with you. The traffic congestion where I live is not good, but not at super-big-city levels either. And the reason I was so excited about the Smart Car was because of what I knew about it from Europe - it was small, cute AND had good gas mileage. Due to whatever requirements Smart Car had to make for the US market, they lost the most obvious benefit to standard US drivers. Sadness. Maybe I’ll just rent Smart Cars on my trips to Europe so I get my cute-car fix without having to buy the US-market-compromise.
January 19th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Oh yes! I want that car since 1998! I’m totally crazy about it, but it’s too expensive here in Croatia
Best,
S*
January 19th, 2008 at 7:49 am
I have a 52 one-way commute to work daily and am looking for a small car that gets good mileage (and doesn’t cost the earth!). This might have been my ticket until I saw your mpg figures. What a bummer!
Off to look some more…..
Maggie
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 am
Aren’t most of the Smart car’s sold in Europe diesels? I mean the VW Lupo gets up to 70mpg out of a 1.3liter turbodiesel. Heck, my ‘03 Diesel golf gets 40+mpg and it’s over 3000lbs and seats four.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:36 am
he smart car hits the street of America this winter. World travelers out there will probably recognize the mini-vehicle from the streets of Europe, where they can be found navigating narrow alleyways and parking in small spaces.