If you already have a MCS and a SUV and you're looking for another car (so you don't have to use the SUV, to save gas), which one of the two that you're going to choose.

a used '06 Mini Cooper convertible or a new smart fortwo passion cabrio.

 

for an around-town runabout to save gas, smar fortwo is probably the way to go if you already have an mcs

but the mc is a 4-seater and more useful, like for grocery, etc.

 

There is no way I would pay $17K for a 3 cylinder car. The 2 cars are like comparing apples & oranges

 

I too think it's comparing apples and oranges. While cute as a button and fun to drive, the fortwo is really a car that's designed to zip around a city and only occasionally jump onto the open road. And while the same has been said about MINIs, it really holds true for the fortwo.

When I was in England, you rarely saw them where I was stationed in Lincolnshire County (think midwest - lots and lots of open and generally flat space), but you saw them all over the big and bigger cities such as Manchester, Nottingham, London, etc. And while they are mostly capable of DC/Baltimore metro area highway speeds, you really have to work the engine to get to and maintain those speeds.

I would consider a fortwo as a second car if I used it as a commuter car and didn't have to hit the bigger highways such as 495, 95, 50, etc., and then have a MINI as a weekend car, and for 'big haul' shopping! (And if I need to haul bigger, either convince a friend with a truck/SUV to help me, or rent a U-Haul van/truck for a day! )


-Paul!

 

I agree with Paul. The Smart is definitely a car for city streets, and parking on sidewalks. (*officer, it's a moped, not a car!*) Heck, you could probably pull a Smart up on the sidewalk in DC, take off the license plate and drape some advertising over it.... and no one would care. Sadly, DC is anti-smart, there is a parking law that requires your right wheels to be parallel to the curb... so no backing a Smart in perpendicular!

I think the MINI Cabrio is a safer and more practical vehicle. But the Smart is very unique. Another possibility would be a classic microcar, like a Fiat 500. Or, if you lived near water and needed a speedboat too, one of these:



Or perhaps this:






Or the classic:





Someone built a boat from a Camero convertible... it drives on land ok as well.

 

The fortwo is more like an enclosed motor scooter than a car.

 

Now if you glued two Smarts together, you might have half of a real car...

 

See I really do like the idea of the Smart car but the US version has been ruined w/lower gas mileage. I just can't see dropping $12K-$17K for a really slow car (0-60 in 12 sec) that gets only 40MPG Get the mileage up to 55-70 & I will consider one

 

You left out of the facts to be considered that you also have two kids.....

Go for the MCS as it will allow flexibility in your future.

 

Without having driven, or even seen the release version of the 08 Smart it would be hard to come to any conclusions about it.

One aspect of it for me, though, is that in SF there are many tiny parking spaces all over that the Smart could probably fit in (parallel - I'd have to check measurements and poke around the city to be sure though) whereas otherwise it is often not only harder to find a space but the alternative spaces are metered and have a shorter time limit as well. For an around town car this can make a difference and just make things easier fwiw.

So, bottom line, IMHO it all depends on being able to see and try the car (as with any vehicle, gotta try it to form an opinion about driving it) and what your living circumstances are - ie needing to carry 4 people eliminates 2 seaters as a viable option. Aside from it being subjective though, another thing I would consider is simply trying something different - Minis are dandy but having something different to drive, since you already have one, can be fun

 

Top ten reasons to get a Smart car over the MINI ...

1. People will see it and go "Ooh and Ahh", rather than "hmm, another clown car" (thats a joke).
2. Probably few will be seen on the road in this area ... too much money ... so you got something unique
3. MINIs are cute. Smart cars are SUPER cute
4. Gas mileage ... Smart car wins
5. Thing "regular gas"
6. They just look like fun.
7. Speed is relative ... all the comments about the smart car being too slow ... well lots of people say the same thing about MINIs ...
8. Smart cars got super cute itty bitty wheel
9. Smart car got more room for driver/passenger (see the video on their website where the big guys couldnt get into a MINI but could get in the Smart Car) .... and the Number One reason to get a Smart Car...
10. Captain Kirk would get a Smart Car ... shove it in the Klingons face and tell them HE got the BEST gas mileage while firing his phasers ... Picard would get a MINI and try to NEGOTIATE that the MINI was the better car while the Klingons were shooting at him.

And one serious reason ... with the MINI it would probably be hard to not "mod" it and throw money at it.

With the smart car, its purpose built for economy and ppl would probably not throw money at it (I'm guessing).

 

Perhaps the lower mpg is due to making the car better suited to the US driving conditions Emissions probably has something to do with it as well, dunno

 

Chows, good list! But I have to take issue with #7. The smart *is* a slower vehicle. And yes, folks do say that about a MINI, but even my '04 CVT could get up to 100+ MPH without too much trouble. A quote directly from the smartusa.com FAQ states "The top speed of the smart fortwo is approximately 90 mph". That to me means that the engine is really working to get to 90 MPH, which makes me question how well can it can sustain beltway/I95 speeds. (And yes, while the posted speed is 55, we all know that unless there's heavy traffic, you're a speed bump at 55!)

But who knows? I'm sure that the folks in charge of smart USA had to consider this... Maybe it can speed along at realistic interstate speeds without problem! And while I'm not realistically considering purchasing one, I'll definitely be in line to test drive a USA spec one when they're out!


-Paul!

 

I dunno, it just kinda sucks that we won't have access to the Smarts available in other countries that get the really good gas mileage

 

Paul, the whole list was just "joking"

Well except for the Captain Kirk/Picard thing

To be serious for one second ...

The entire issue of not "fast enough", and I know a couple of ppl are concerned about that. Well, you can't have it both ways. The fact is, to get better mileage, you got to give up performance.

I've had several cars, no more than several, with a top speed of "maybe 100" and thats going downhill with the wind behind you ... ranging from a 65 bug (well my wife's), Toyota Tercel, even our 1981 BMW 320IS had a top speed of a whopping ... 105. And recently, a 2003, 4 cyl Rav4 ... I doubt it could do no more than 90. In every case, it just didn't matter. The car did what it was designed to do.

I would grant you that getting up to speed for onramps ... you would think its an issue but it never really was. Someone wants to zip by ... go right ahead but that defeats the mpg thing. How about acceleration? I guarantee a MC could accelerate quicker than my I4 RAV4 but there was never an issue on merging.

Im not buying the "speed" thing. I'm also thinking the car is meant for an about town runabout ... commuting in traffic thing. Road trip ... take your MINI!

 

we're thinking of getting one strictly for saving gas. If I want to go fast, I drive my S.

 

i didn't know they're $17k. in that case, not really worth it.

 

\

No they are $12K. $17K is for the tricked out cabrio

 

I plan to keep both MCS and the pathfinder, and getting a small third car.

I'm looking at the smart cabrio or a used 06 Cooper convertible.

My MCS will still be my daily driven, the Pathfinder is for hauling grocery stuffs. The third car will be my commuter when I don't need a fun to drive car or big car.

Both smart and MC conv has got cute and wow factor. I love that.

 

That is correct except I think 17k is the base price for the cabrio. Not the "tricked out" cabrio. But the base cabrio does already have as standard equipment the things that would be upgrades on the very base passion. We still don't know all of what options are going to offered and how much they will be. I do see that leather is an option on the cabrio but I don't think they say how much the leather will cost.

Otherwise I agree. I don't know what the least expensive convertible on the market is now here in the US but I have to think $17k would be way less expense than the next cheapest cabrio.

 

Would a Vespa scooter be cheaper, and more fun for the city?

 

An underpowered little scooter in amongst traffic is not for moi, thanks - would prefer a motorcycle in that event, but honestly wearing a helmet and such is not comfortable or desirable for me to go out around town shopping or eating out, etc, most of the time (not to mention no place to carry stuff).

 

I for one think a Vespa scooter around the city would suit Marina's Italian image beautifully.

 

As soon as I move to Annapolis full time I am gonna buy an original Vespa..
BTW a Vespa 250 cc w/ a few mods is not too slow trust me and that was a few years back..

Once you have a Vespa you will be surprise how much you can transport..
I used to carry my GSD a friend and an overnight bag and travel 30 miles each way to the beach everyday for a couple of months .. a lot of fun !!
of course life in EU is different and people adjust....

 

somehow, I just don't see Paul on a Vespa, driving on 50