Originally Posted By DAR I know it's supposed to be "good for the environment" but it's really just a glorified golf cart. And you're telling me if you're taking on anything more than a motorcycle you're going to survive a crash.
Originally Posted By Ursula It has a roll cage unlike your usual sedan. They seem to do well in crash tests and they are pretty cute for getting around my area. They are also very easy to park.
Originally Posted By beamerdog They are very cute, indeed! Yup, not aiming to ever drive one on the interstate.
Originally Posted By barboy ///Must ... resist ... must ... resist ../// You must have an iron will to lay off Dar's ripe zit thread title as it is just begging to be popped!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom The Smart car which is a joint venture between Benz and Swatch ( watch company ) was designed as an alternative to the motor scooter in European cities like Paris and Rome. The trend has grown. The initial concept was that the door are color interchangable, if you get tired of white doors simply trade them out for yellow. The car itself is very safe. Probably safer than your typical car, it simply bounces off things when there is a collision. After a crash the car is assumed to be totaled and must be replaced ( and yes there are plenty of totaled Smart cars around ). Its basically a disposable vehicle. For what it is.. its a very practical vehicle. Is it going to save our environment, nope you have to look to the Prius for that.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss ^^The best vehicle for around-town transportation is a bicycle. Quiet, non-polluting, inexpensive to buy and maintain, good exercise, etc. If you're a bit lazy or out of shape, there are electrically-assisted models. For short trips, they're as fast (and in bad traffic, faster) than a car.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo They are fantastic in congested European cities that have small roads and not a lot of parking. The US has very little to compare to as the roads are much wider and the parking is plentiful. They are designed to get you from 1-b over fairly short distances, that's it. And they do that well, being safer than a motorcycle.
Originally Posted By grlweatswchpstx I'm waiting for the Aptera.. <a href="http://www.aptera.com" target="_blank">http://www.aptera.com</a>
Originally Posted By trekkeruss How often does someone need to load 2x4s? Rarely to never. The Smart isn't aimed at people living in Texas or Montana, who like to have a gun rack in the rear window. It's for peeps in urban jungles with congested streets and crappy parking.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>The best vehicle for around-town transportation is a bicycle. Quiet, non-polluting, inexpensive to buy and maintain, good exercise, etc.<< Looked into getting a bicycle to ride to work. Determined that either I'd have to take a route about a mile out of my way, or be squashed about 50 times between here and there on the first attempt. So I drive.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Yep, Bikes are very popular in European cities, but I have seen so many near and fatal accidents in London, no thank you. Plus it rains all the time here
Originally Posted By DyGDisney A Smart Car makes sense if you work in the town in which you live, and only need to get around town. My husband says he sees them on the freeway almost every day during his commute, this is where I wonder if it's safe. I mean, does it really bounce off the front of that Suburban that just rolled over it?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Can you all a load of 2x4's in it??? NOOOOOOOOO >>> Such an odd comment. How often does the average American need to haul around 2x4's? Those that do have a frequent need for such a thing are not the target market. But to infer that the whole idea of a Smart car just because you can't haul a load of 2x4's is silly.
Originally Posted By alexbook ^--This is how we've gotten in trouble. Most Americans buy a vehicle big enough to carry the maximum amount of stuff they think they might someday need to carry.
Originally Posted By Mr X Which is highly illogical from a financial standpoint, isn't it though? The money saved on gas alone would more than pay for any occasional truck rental one might require for those "shopping spree! let's get a load of 2X4's!" kinda days.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Which is highly illogical from a financial standpoint, isn't it though? >>> It certainly is. We were told here a few years ago by an LPer that they just had to have a Ford Excursion or some other "largest of the large" SUV because it was the only vehicle that would accommodate their annual family pilgrimage to WDW. I think a great many people justify large cars due to a once-in-a-blue-moon need such as going to WDW in the summer or needing some sheetrock once every 3 years for a home improvement project. It's not just an environmental issue. There's also the issue of increased foreign oil dependency. But even beyond those things, it's amazing how much of a financial burden people will put themselves in in order to drive a very large automobile that they only very occasionally actually have the need for. I think the average owner of an Excursion could easily save $10,000 a year or more just by driving a more sensible car, when you consider depreciation, fuel, and insurance savings. And that's after taxes - it's probably more like $14,000 in gross earnings being spent. Even if you had to rent a big truck one or two weeks a year for the family vacation to WDW, or pay for an occasional delivery, you'd be far better off financially with a more reasonable car. But most people don't look at it that way. They "need" the Excursion. As they say, it is a free country. If people want to spend their money so disproportionally on a big car, then that's a choice they can make. I just think that a great many people that do so don't realize just how much extra money they're spending, and if they had a choice between $10,000 of after-tax money and keys to a sedan for a year vs. keys to an Excursion for a year, a great many of the people would take the cash and the sedan. But instead, people justify and rationalize to come to a different decision.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Can you all a load of 2x4's in it??? NOOOOOOOOO<< Can it make up for my small "manhood"??? NOOOOOOOOO Can it make me feel like a tough guy barreling down the highway? NOOOOOOOOO Can it support the carcass of the deer I just slaughtered with a high-powered rifle near my cabin since I'm "getting back to nature?" NOOOOOOOOO Can it give me enough room for my stetson hat? NOOOOOOOOO
