Comments on: Things considered a big deal in Europe but not in the States – Part 3: the Smart Car

By: smart car

smart car — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:34:45 +0000

The 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.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:57:50 +0000

I saw these right when they first came out while I was visiting europe and thought they were the coolest things ever.

I live in WI and just saw one here at a taco bell and was so excited to see they were availible…then I saw it was a canadian licence plate.

By: jen

jen — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:01:01 +0000

I would love to be able to check one out in person. I live in New England my big concern would probbaly be how it performs in snowy conditions.

I’m so looking forward to a day when I can afford to trade in my current car for something greener that can handle snow.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:34:59 +0000

I like the idea of the smart car, but I’ll also say that as long as everyone else is driving huge SUVs and trucks, I wouldn’t ride in one. Can you imagine getting him in one of those?

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:04:25 +0000

I’ve had a diesel smart for over 2 1/2 years in Canada and i love it. First off I have to take issue with the owner from Ontario. You can do your own maintenance, I do, it uses standard metric wrenches and a set of torx drivers will come in handy.
smart hasn’t released much, if any information on servicing of the older models but there is a lot of support on-line. As I understand it, a service manual must be available for any car sold in the US, so expect to see one for the new 451 models (2008’s), for those that like to DIY. Many, many people do their own oil and filter changes, brake pads etc, I do, and no, it hasn’t voided my warrantee.

I’m over 6 feet and have more than enough room in the car, in fact I have never pushed the drivers seat all the way back. Sitting higher than many other small cars makes a big difference. When you are driving you don’t feel you are in a small car until you see your reflection in a building, that can be a bit of a shock.

The smart isn’t for everyone and I’m sure they aren’t expecting to coax all the SUV or minivan drivers to buy one. But, there are over 30,000 people in the US that have put down a deposit to reserve a 2008 fortwo, so there is obviously a demand. The smart is merely another option to those that don’t need a big car or who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

By: Grayce

Grayce — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 22:15:44 +0000

I have a smart car and it is great. It is the most fun vehicle that I have ever owned. I use it to commute on the highway and around town. I much prefer it over my Honda Civic. When I sit inside it I don’t feel like it is small. it’s very roomy inside. It rides very high (much higher than my Civic). The hatch area is very roomy, I use it for grocery shopping all the time. I even take it to Costco. it easily fits 2 30 lb bags of dogfood and a case of pop (with room to spare).
There was comment about it not being able to go up the hills in Austin, well that is just crazy. Plenty of Canadians have driven their smarts through the Rocky mountains, no problem!

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:15:08 +0000

The Mercedes Benz smart fortwo is one of the finest and safest cars ever built. I have already bought two of them and would never drive anything else. I drove mine from one end of the United States to the other and back again for $100.00 in fuel. What a fantastic highway car even at speeds over 100 MPH.

By: ac

ac — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:54:34 +0000

Constance:

Stoplights are in fact NOT triggered primarily by weight, but by metal deterctor-like devices. Ever notice those big metal rings near itnersections- yep, thats them!

By: ac

ac — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:52:26 +0000

no. no it won’t. not in LA it won’t. I wish I could drive that but the chances of being run over are very high.

By: Lys

Lys — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:02:41 +0000

I have been in the UK for the last two years, and Smart Cars are my favorite. I will be t he first in line to get one, and I don’t feel like they will be a problem on the roads. Maybe they will create more driving awareness?