There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
I have two friends over 6' 3" that own Z06's and they fit in the fine. Plus, when they release the Z06 with super charger next year, I would vasoline myself up and use a shoe horn to get me in that thing!
There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
This is a German car, and Germans, I believe, are on average taller than Americans. Not as overwhelmingly fat, but then again that appears to be a uniquely American problem.
i just don't understand people who think the road is some sort of 24/7 monster truck rally, where anyone gives a flying poo how big your respective car is. same thing with morons who have calvin urinating on (insert logo of other generic truck manufacturer that no one other than you really cares about) on their back window. i mean, what the hell?
Smart previewed a diesel electric hybrid that gets 2.9L/100KM or about 80-100MPG depending on which gallons you're using. They're both faster/quicker than the current models and more economical...
I just saw a smart car in little 'ol Melbourne, Florida.
It should be called the "small car," for it is extremely small. The pictures don't really illustrate how small it is. Now, more that ever, I hold that a cheap hybrid is a much better value than a smart car for any sort of American driving aside from intra-city transportation in some of the northeastern cities. Of course, in New York you're probably better of using the Subway and in Boston you're better off not driving at all. It would work well in Washington DC, though, as long as you didn't have to use the Beltway.
Smart cars don't give you the freedom of real cars.. It's nice just being able to be sitting in my apartment in Phoenix on a saturday morning and haul ass to Las Vegas with 4 passengers for a weekend vacation.
Smarts are probably great for cities with high population density, but for the southwest US, I'd have to say no.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Perhaps better mass transit and more efficient roadways are the key to lower emissions in our 'sprawled' city.
EDIT:
I just realized I made a typo that makes my apartment look like a 4-door sedan... I'm not changing it, either.
There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
Actually, that's not true. I've spoken to people who have sat in them and they say they have an amazing amount of interior space.
Smart cars don't give you the freedom of real cars.. It's nice just being able to be sitting in my apartment in Phoenix on a saturday morning and haul ass to Las Vegas with 4 passengers for a weekend vacation.
Smarts are probably great for cities with high population density, but for the southwest US, I'd have to say no.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Perhaps better mass transit and more efficient roadways are the key to lower emissions in our 'sprawled' city.
EDIT:
I just realized I made a typo that makes my apartment look like a 4-door sedan... I'm not changing it, either.
This is exactly the kind of resistance the Smart will be facing in it's intro to the American car buyer. These small, efficient cars represent "unsafe at high speeds, sluggish, unable to travel long distance, unable to fit my giant butt in it". It'll be interesting to see how consumers warm up to these cool little vehicles.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Smart's seem liberally sprinkled throughout Toronto and surrounding burbs. They seem fine on the highways too, so I don't see why they wouldn't work for long commutes actually.
I do think that anyone looking at a Smart should probably look at a Yaris as well -- if the want a, quote, "real car"
But the fact that the smart is much smaller than a conventional car, is what makes it so interesting a proposition for some. Very easy to park and manouver.
In Canada we see a lot of the cdi versions -- which get very good mileage, but again, not leagues better than a Yaris or Prius...
Keep in mind though, that the drive-train of the Smart is entirely conventional. The next gen engines, possibly available next year, will up the milaegae -- the diesel-electric hybrid looks to be the winner there -- uping both power (esp torque) and range. Will be in the 80-100mpg range.
Smart has axed the forfour -- which was really just a conventional compact with (unsuccessful) smart car styling cues-- and is rumoured to be studying a three seat version for the next evolution of the car.
I wonder how they might lay out the seating in a 'forthree' model?
If the car gets too big, it ceases to be a smart, so it really has to stay within a 2.5 to 3 meter length.
They could seat one sideways behind the driver, who enters passenger side into a full size seat.
They could seat the driver alone up front, like a Mclaren F1 or BMW Z13 microcar concept. The pasengers travel behind you on either side, their footwells on either side of you. Personally, though I think this a departure from the smart philosophy, I'd love to see it. I think that's the ultimate Walter Mitty seating layout -- like being at the controls of a LeMans racer... Maybe that's the way to bring back the smart coupe/roadster?
And finally they could seat two up front and one in the back, centrally. Essentially seating the rear passenger on top of the engine bay, facing forward, but if there's enough length to accomodate one, they could probably just fit two back seats.
Toyota's European design studio fit 4 seats into a concept only 50cm longer than the smart. The Endo,see here
Smarts will be a failure in US because they're too expensive and will never be able to compete with the Japanese in terms of practicality and reliability.
Smarts will be a failure in US because they're too expensive and will never be able to compete with the Japanese in terms of practicality and reliability.
We shall see. Japanese cars aren't as cheap as they used to be. If you want decent, cheap wheels it seems as though the two options are Korean and American. For the price of a smart car, a lot more American or Korean cars can be bought. If you're like me and you put on about 50-60 miles per week, with occasional weekend trips, the Smart would do for the day-to-day stuff, but I'd have to rent a car for any serious driving. So from a financial, practical, and environment perspective, there's not much sense to get a smart car for anyone living in a suburban setting, or even a town setting (like me).
It's too bad Corbin Motors went under, because I would much rather buy a Sparrow than a Smart if I were in that market. I think it's a much better day-to-day vehicle than the Smart is, particularly for the American market where it can be expected that an owner of a Smart (or Sparrow) would also own a normal car. I guess it was just too much, too soon.
I agree, and I applaud the attempt to change the way we think of 'transportation' in America. We are still using the "throw the kids in the wagon and hitch up the team of mules" concept. All we have done since then is chrome it, and replace the mules with cast-iron, aluminum sleeved V-8's. The advent of land yachts.
I goggled Corbin and loved the Merlin. It reminded me of the original really-cool car, the Morgan 3-wheeler, just a little jazzier.
I agree, and I applaud the attempt to change the way we think of 'transportation' in America. We are still using the "throw the kids in the wagon and hitch up the team of mules" concept. All we have done since then is chrome it, and replace the mules with cast-iron, aluminum sleeved V-8's. The advent of land yachts.
I goggled Corbin and loved the Merlin. It reminded me of the original really-cool car, the Morgan 3-wheeler, just a little jazzier.
Paz
Dude. The Corvette, Camaro, & Trans Am have had aluminum block v8's that get more than 30 mpg and over 320 hp at the wheels since 1997. No one, I am mean no one, has a better cylinder head design than Chevrolet. Quality of their cars is another story.
The problem is that we have failed to get smaller. Reduce weight and gain fuel mileage. Instead, we are freekn waste hogs and we like everything big. Imagine how much material we could have saved by having cars 2/3 the size they are now on average.
Even me, I have a 99 Z28 (400 hp at the wheels/29 mpg) and a dually dodge ram cummins turbo diesel (21 mpg on interstate). Both are pigs 2800 lb. and 8,000 lb. respectively. Not bad mileage for those weights. Just imagine if they were half as heavy. :-) I could really fly at the drag strip. hahaha
The Chineese are about to blow up on this concept of bigger is better crap. Maybe they will get over sooner than we will. Btw, how long can a government censor the web and everything they see? I would have figured it would not have lasted this long. Commie bastards.
Smarts will be a failure in US because they're too expensive and will never be able to compete with the Japanese in terms of practicality and reliability.
Don't they start out at under $15,000 US here in the states? That is pretty freekn cheap.
Comments
Originally posted by His Dudeness
There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
I have two friends over 6' 3" that own Z06's and they fit in the fine. Plus, when they release the Z06 with super charger next year, I would vasoline myself up and use a shoe horn to get me in that thing!
Originally posted by His Dudeness
There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
This is a German car, and Germans, I believe, are on average taller than Americans. Not as overwhelmingly fat, but then again that appears to be a uniquely American problem.
I wonder if they'll come to the USA
It should be called the "small car," for it is extremely small. The pictures don't really illustrate how small it is. Now, more that ever, I hold that a cheap hybrid is a much better value than a smart car for any sort of American driving aside from intra-city transportation in some of the northeastern cities. Of course, in New York you're probably better of using the Subway and in Boston you're better off not driving at all. It would work well in Washington DC, though, as long as you didn't have to use the Beltway.
Smarts are probably great for cities with high population density, but for the southwest US, I'd have to say no.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Perhaps better mass transit and more efficient roadways are the key to lower emissions in our 'sprawled' city.
EDIT:
I just realized I made a typo that makes my apartment look like a 4-door sedan... I'm not changing it, either.
So, given the option, would anyone here consider buying a Smart Car?
I would absolutely buy one! They are sooooo cool!
There's no way that an average size American could fit into one of those Hot Wheel cars. I'm six three, and couldn't do it. One of the reasons that I don't own a Corvette Z-06 is because of that.
Plus, if a ten speed biker hit you, you'd be toast in that smart car.
Actually, that's not true. I've spoken to people who have sat in them and they say they have an amazing amount of interior space.
Smart cars don't give you the freedom of real cars.. It's nice just being able to be sitting in my apartment in Phoenix on a saturday morning and haul ass to Las Vegas with 4 passengers for a weekend vacation.
Smarts are probably great for cities with high population density, but for the southwest US, I'd have to say no.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Perhaps better mass transit and more efficient roadways are the key to lower emissions in our 'sprawled' city.
EDIT:
I just realized I made a typo that makes my apartment look like a 4-door sedan... I'm not changing it, either.
This is exactly the kind of resistance the Smart will be facing in it's intro to the American car buyer. These small, efficient cars represent "unsafe at high speeds, sluggish, unable to travel long distance, unable to fit my giant butt in it". It'll be interesting to see how consumers warm up to these cool little vehicles.
Even SUVs get good milage in phoenix because our road system is actually efficient. Amazingly enough, the addition of this "light rail" system (which we supposedly got world-acclaim for choosing) will increase emissions dramatically.
Uh.....? But, uh, well....uhhh, what?
I do think that anyone looking at a Smart should probably look at a Yaris as well -- if the want a, quote, "real car"
But the fact that the smart is much smaller than a conventional car, is what makes it so interesting a proposition for some. Very easy to park and manouver.
In Canada we see a lot of the cdi versions -- which get very good mileage, but again, not leagues better than a Yaris or Prius...
Keep in mind though, that the drive-train of the Smart is entirely conventional. The next gen engines, possibly available next year, will up the milaegae -- the diesel-electric hybrid looks to be the winner there -- uping both power (esp torque) and range. Will be in the 80-100mpg range.
Smart has axed the forfour -- which was really just a conventional compact with (unsuccessful) smart car styling cues-- and is rumoured to be studying a three seat version for the next evolution of the car.
I wonder how they might lay out the seating in a 'forthree' model?
If the car gets too big, it ceases to be a smart, so it really has to stay within a 2.5 to 3 meter length.
They could seat one sideways behind the driver, who enters passenger side into a full size seat.
They could seat the driver alone up front, like a Mclaren F1 or BMW Z13 microcar concept. The pasengers travel behind you on either side, their footwells on either side of you. Personally, though I think this a departure from the smart philosophy, I'd love to see it. I think that's the ultimate Walter Mitty seating layout -- like being at the controls of a LeMans racer... Maybe that's the way to bring back the smart coupe/roadster?
look here
And finally they could seat two up front and one in the back, centrally. Essentially seating the rear passenger on top of the engine bay, facing forward, but if there's enough length to accomodate one, they could probably just fit two back seats.
Toyota's European design studio fit 4 seats into a concept only 50cm longer than the smart. The Endo,see here
Smarts will be a failure in US because they're too expensive and will never be able to compete with the Japanese in terms of practicality and reliability.
We shall see. Japanese cars aren't as cheap as they used to be. If you want decent, cheap wheels it seems as though the two options are Korean and American. For the price of a smart car, a lot more American or Korean cars can be bought. If you're like me and you put on about 50-60 miles per week, with occasional weekend trips, the Smart would do for the day-to-day stuff, but I'd have to rent a car for any serious driving. So from a financial, practical, and environment perspective, there's not much sense to get a smart car for anyone living in a suburban setting, or even a town setting (like me).
It's too bad Corbin Motors went under, because I would much rather buy a Sparrow than a Smart if I were in that market. I think it's a much better day-to-day vehicle than the Smart is, particularly for the American market where it can be expected that an owner of a Smart (or Sparrow) would also own a normal car. I guess it was just too much, too soon.
It's too bad Corbin Motors went under...
I agree, and I applaud the attempt to change the way we think of 'transportation' in America. We are still using the "throw the kids in the wagon and hitch up the team of mules" concept. All we have done since then is chrome it, and replace the mules with cast-iron, aluminum sleeved V-8's. The advent of land yachts.
I goggled Corbin and loved the Merlin. It reminded me of the original really-cool car, the Morgan 3-wheeler, just a little jazzier.
Paz
I agree, and I applaud the attempt to change the way we think of 'transportation' in America. We are still using the "throw the kids in the wagon and hitch up the team of mules" concept. All we have done since then is chrome it, and replace the mules with cast-iron, aluminum sleeved V-8's. The advent of land yachts.
I goggled Corbin and loved the Merlin. It reminded me of the original really-cool car, the Morgan 3-wheeler, just a little jazzier.
Paz
Dude. The Corvette, Camaro, & Trans Am have had aluminum block v8's that get more than 30 mpg and over 320 hp at the wheels since 1997. No one, I am mean no one, has a better cylinder head design than Chevrolet. Quality of their cars is another story.
The problem is that we have failed to get smaller. Reduce weight and gain fuel mileage. Instead, we are freekn waste hogs and we like everything big. Imagine how much material we could have saved by having cars 2/3 the size they are now on average.
Even me, I have a 99 Z28 (400 hp at the wheels/29 mpg) and a dually dodge ram cummins turbo diesel (21 mpg on interstate). Both are pigs 2800 lb. and 8,000 lb. respectively. Not bad mileage for those weights. Just imagine if they were half as heavy. :-) I could really fly at the drag strip. hahaha
The Chineese are about to blow up on this concept of bigger is better crap. Maybe they will get over sooner than we will. Btw, how long can a government censor the web and everything they see? I would have figured it would not have lasted this long. Commie bastards.
Smarts will be a failure in US because they're too expensive and will never be able to compete with the Japanese in terms of practicality and reliability.
Don't they start out at under $15,000 US here in the states? That is pretty freekn cheap.