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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / October 2007Smartcar or Dumbcar?
At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it has NO mercedes engineering or parts. The thing is made in France by some unknown start up company with zero experience in making cars. France has a history of making bad cars. So bad they haven't been imported to the US for decades. Engine is in the rear below the very small trunk space. They couldn't get the rear hatch to open. After much pounding it opened and appears to be flimsy plastic. Consumer reports tested it and said it may be one of the worst cars ever. A much smarter buy would be one of the mini cars made by experienced car builders like: Honda, Mazda, Toyota Sirus, Mazda. But it is good for laughs. > At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the > mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > But it is good for laughs. They've done surprisingly well in crash tests, but you can get a real car the same money. > They've done surprisingly well in crash tests, but you can get a real car > the same money 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 >> They've done surprisingly well in crash tests, but you can get a real >> car the same money [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > minimal external damage, but it can wreak havoc on standard features > like the spine, brain, etc. You can't make those delete options?  SignatureTegger >>> They've done surprisingly well in crash tests, but you can get a real >>> car the same money [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > You can't make those delete options? Only if your a Liberal. Or a member of the Nobel Panel! SignatureSteve W. Near Cooperstown, New York NRA Member Pacifism - The theory that if they'd fed Jeffrey Dahmer enough human flesh, he'd have become a vegan. Lauren__C@webtv.net (J J) wrote in news:3118-470950D9-2247@storefull- 3233.bay.webtv.net: > At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the > mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it > has NO mercedes engineering or parts. The thing is made in France by > some unknown start up company with zero experience in making cars. Almost ten years now. They went into production in 1998. Smart is owned by Daimler. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile) > France has a history of making bad cars. So bad they haven't been > imported to the US for decades. Not "bad", just unsuited to American buyers' tastes. French cars sell well elsewhere. > Engine is in the rear below the very small trunk space. They couldn't > get the rear hatch to open. After much pounding it opened and appears to [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > But it is good for laughs. I'll agree with that. You should see one at 80mph on the freeway. Looks like a speeding phone booth. SignatureTegger "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message > Almost ten years now. They went into production in 1998. > > Smart is owned by Daimler. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile) That link didnt work so well for me This one does. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Car "hls" <hls@nospam.nix> wrote in news:s2dOi.2197$sm6.141 @nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com: > "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Car That's weird. I copied and pasted that link straight from my brower's URL window. I just now tried it in two different browsers with no trouble. SignatureTegger > "hls" <hls@nospam.nix> wrote in news:s2dOi.2197$sm6.141 > @nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com: [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > 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? >> "hls" <hls@nospam.nix> wrote in news:s2dOi.2197$sm6.141 >> @nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com: [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > I dont know why either. Did the link I posted take you to the same > place? The link works both ways for me. Same Web page comes up. > Seems that I remember the 3 cylinder diesel in the Smart was a Daimler > Benz motor. Is that how you understand it? 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. SignatureTegger >>>>> Smart is owned by Daimler. >>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >>>> >>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Car > The link works both ways for me. Same Web page comes up. Depends on if your newsreader is smart enough to include the final ")" character when you click the link. >>>>>> Smart is owned by Daimler. >>>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile) [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Depends on if your newsreader is smart enough to include the final ")" > character when you click the link. Internet Explorer 6, Firefox 2.0.0.7, and Mozilla 1.7.13 handles the parentheses just fine. What does HLS use? SignatureTegger >>>>>>> Smart is owned by Daimler. >>>>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile) [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > 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.. > At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the > mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > But it is good for laughs. It may become a collector's item like a Trabant or Yugo. > At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the > mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > But it is good for laughs. 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. >> At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the >> mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > 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! SignatureSteve W. Near Cooperstown, New York > >> At a local mall they had 4 Smartcars for people to test drive on the > >> mall parking lot. The rep said that Mercedes has invested in it but it [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > - Show quoted text - One of the jokes about the old Isetta microcar was that your knees doubled as bumpers. Same with the Smart. > 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. 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. > 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. Nor anywhere in Canada as far as I know. SignatureTegger > > 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 [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > "environmentally correct" image. The Smart is sort of a non-Prius > with Prius correctness. 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. > 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. 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. > > 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. > > Nor anywhere in Canada as far as I know. 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. > -- > Tegger |
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