http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/tic...627&ID=5828465

 

I look forward to seeing Smarts on the road....they have a lot of cool things going for them that I think folks will really get into.

One thing that has always bothered, though, me was the apparent physics of the fortwo. Given it's short wheelbase, the car seems quite tall and prone to very SUV-like instability in cornering and such. I'd much prefer a lower center of gravity, but again, that's just looking at it...it may be more stable than it appears.

 

I saw quite a few Smarts in Montreal last weekend, seemed very stable at freeway speeds, but I wouldn't want to tango with a large truck with one. :impatient

 

These are great commuter cars and are very popular in Europe where almost every other car is small. From what I've heard the pricing is around the mid-$20K mark. For that you can buy a nicely loaded MC or an MCS with a package or two. But I agree with COOPERation, not sure I'd want to compete with the LARGE SUVs and trucks we have on the roads in this country.

 

Smart car crash video.... I would rather be in this than an SUV in an accident after seeing too many SUVs flipped and ripped in half...








Too bad they arent bringing the smart roadster here...

 

Isn't that what a lot of people say about MINIs?
We were in Berlin last month, and I was surprised by the number of SMART cars I saw. It was really funny seeing them parked sideways in parallel parking spots (they are really that short).

 

Even with a MINI, I wouldn't want to go even one round with a truck or an SUV.... It all comes down to mass - the one with the most mass wins. I rather prefer the maneuverability of the MINI to avoid the opportunity to go a round with a truck or SUV. For me, driving the MINI around trucks and SUVs is not unlike driving a motorcycle around cars - you have to be on your defensive driving game....

 

Indeed...that's just crazy!! They really need to make the whole line available. I get so tired of this pickiness towards the U.S. market! I wanted an EB/W Cooper...............but NO!!!

 

The New York Times had a good piece on it today -

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/28/au...28daimler.html

Interestingly, they call it "high priced" at a current European price of $11,250 at current exchange rates. I can't see them selling it for that little here but if they did I would probably pick one up for occasional use.

The crash safety is really rather good from videos I have seen and the mileage is unbeatable. This should be a killer of an urban vehicle and even reasonable for the suburbs - for true rural use, it may be an upward climb though...

The performance and handling is not even remotely close to a MINI - though I think you buy a SC for other reasons...

B

 

Yes, for a head on collision, the most important thing is mass--but head on collisions are relatively rare. Most crashes are offset--and weight isn't as important here. That's why the Mini scored higher than the F-150 on the NHTSA crash tests for the (most common) offset crash--you have a better chance of surviving in a Mini than an F-150 for the majority of crashes, as strange as that may sound. The new F-150's have supposedly been improved, but the Mini was actually safer in the most common type of crash than a huge pickup truck.

Haven't seen any crash data on the Smart yet.

 

Do you honestly think that a MINI is going to survive a crash (pick your crash - head-on, offset, or side-impact) better than a higher mass vehicle that crashes into it? The ratings you cite are for like-to-like crashes, not differential mass crashes.

 

I go to Europe a lot and see those things everywhere! I agree, they should bring the whole line over as I have seen somthing like a little panel truck/car, something akin to the future MINI Traveler.

 

Call the Mini Center in San Antonio and ask them to fax you some copies of the Mini/Pickup accident pictures they've got on display there.

Some owner was t-boned by a full-size pickup wearing a heavy-duty aftermarket bumper complete with a nice, big winch on the front. The Mini survived, the occupants survived and walked away. The driver of the pickup went to the hospital.

 

The MINI may not survive better but in many cases you will.

 

And was the pickup driver wearing their seat/shoulder belt? I would tend to doubt it.

 

I saw Smart cars in Canada when I was there a month ago. I'd buy one. I ride bicycles in traffic (with a helmet, of course) too, so I'm not one to shy away because of what "might" happen in an accident.

Small, good on gas, easy to park - yep, I like it.

 

I hear you can easily replace body panel/skin, changing the color scheme of your car...including clear!!! That is brilliant!!

 

I can just hear the masses now...
"That thing electric?"
"You build that thing yourself?"
"What's that there, them Mini Coopers?" :D

 

For the best forum check out www.smartclub.us. It will be out soon, and will be produced by RotorMedia, which is the parent of the best forum I've ever been on (Focaljet).

http://forums.focaljet.com/team-pit-...-new-site.html

-Cody

 

I test drove a fortwo in South Scottsdale a couple weekends ago. It was from a Zap! dealership. What a joke that car was!!! The suspension was MUSH! It took nearly three seconds for the automatic tranny to change gears! I felt very unsafe in that car...and the car did not inspire confidence at all. And to boot, they wanted 25k for it! Hokey smokes bullwinkle!

FWIW, the largest car I've ever owned is my 2002 Dodge Neon. I've owned small cars all my life and even learned to drive in one (Datsun 310GX). I wonder what the roadster would drive like. If it drove half as well as it looks, I'd probable consider getting one.

 

I tend to doubt it, too.

However, I have been t-boned before. In that instance, I was in a '91 Range Rover, and was hit by a Honda Civic. Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but the damage to the Rover was severe, and the tweaked frame was never quite set right, even after three months in a body shop.

That a Mini could take a hit from a vehicle so much larger and heavier than itself and survive as well as it did says a lot about its crashworthiness.

 

I saw a more complete version of the first crash test on another site. The Smart was knocked over onto its side & backwards. The crash dummies "survived" but it wasn't exactly confidence inspiring.

 

We've had Smart cars in Canada for a little while now. Last summer when I was thinking of what car to buy (I was orginally going to wait until I was done university to get my MINI, but after hearing about the 07 changes, I ran out and got one) but anyways, I test drove one... Not the greatest thing to drive. I drove the automatic because I didn't know how to drive standard at the time. The car lurched forward during gear changes and had a "cheap" feel to the gear box. You could also feel the back of your seat vibrating because the motor is right behind. I asked the dealer about this and they said "oh, don't worry, it's just because the car has about 35,000 kms on it!" Well if this is how it will drive after 35,000 kms... I'm not sure how happy customers will be!

I am also sad about the lack of smart roadster! I drove one when I was in Germany and liked it a lot. Drove much nicer than the smart fortwo.

As well, there's been mention that they're updating the smart (in Canada at least) and giving it more of a luxury pricetag... Haven't heard much more about that yet...

 

Hunh, the Smart cars are already here right now, well in most states anyway.

Not sure how Zap is going to take this story.

 

Yup, it's not just mass. Fifth gear did a great show where they did a offset head on between to similar model cars, but one form the eighties and one newer. They were demonstrating how much better cars from the last few years are at keeping a rigid occupant zone and how much better the current energy absorbing systems are than those from even 10-15 years ago.

So you could well be better in a new MINI than a early 90's SUV... There are MANY variables, but the improvement in the none collapsing occupant structure and better crushable zones are a larger part of it than you'd think.