The Smart Car is coming

The Smart Car is coming

Posted by Ecobabe on July 15, 2007 - 9:09pm.

My new (at the time) husband and I saw the Smart car when we were on our European Honeymoon in 2005, he feel in love with it, I thought it was silly looking. Since then I have learned that they really are "smart."

Mercedes-Benz sought out the idea of a subcompact car in 1993 and soon paired up with Swatch Group Ltd. to produce the Smart car. They are made at Smartville a really cool manufacturing factory that is ecologically free of harmful substances, uses painting techniques that reduce harmful chemicals, has its own biological waste treatment facility, and a heat recovery system on the premises.

As far as the car goes, it's a two-seater, has a 3-cylinder suprex turbo rear-mounted engine (whatever that means), and a 6-speed transmission. The best I could calculate is that it gets about 80 miles to the gallon.

It will be available in the US starting March of 2008 for approximately $12,000. Reservations are being taken now at http://www.smartusa.com/ for a $99 fee. Will you be the first on your block to own one?

probably not

by livinforthecity on July 16, 2007 - 10:12am

not big enough for bigger-than average people, plus no cargo space

so cute

by Vicki_R on July 16, 2007 - 12:19pm

I also fell in love with it when my husband and I were in Italy a few years back. They are so cute, especially for a city, but I wonder how they will do on highways? I guess they are like the mini and I see them everywhere. It's a great car to have if you don't need to carry a lot of stuff or tall people. I also wonder how safe it would be if you got into an accident. Would it just crumble up?

too small

by Monmac1 on July 16, 2007 - 1:05pm

Yeah These cars are GREAT for people in Europe and all the SKINNY Celebs. But did we forget that more than half of our population in the US is obese and everyone is not that small, personally I am 5'10 and I do not feel like squeezing in one of those little things.

tell me about this

by bumpy.be on December 20, 2009 - 9:40am

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Yes I have agreed with your post but I have asked you a question.

Is its <a href="http://www.buyautoparts.com/">car parts</a> are easily available are not?

different culture

by Vicki_R on July 16, 2007 - 6:31pm

My husband is 6'5 so I don't think we will be getting one for the family. I am 5'2 so maybe it could be my tool around town car one day. That would be a luxury though. You make a good point, I wonder how well they will do in the US. Different culture.

Comfort vs future

by Statuesqueone on July 16, 2007 - 8:53pm

Not sure why it's all about comfort, isn't that why we are in the position we are in these days with pollution and global warming? Haven't we all had too much of the good life and have been using our fossil fuels to the point where we are exhausting them? Whoever said the VW bug of yesterday was about comfort, it was about economy. Shouldn't today's cars be about doing less harm to the environment or are we all going to stay spoiled forever?

My husband is 6 foot 6 and I am 6 foot but I would entertain buying one of these Smart Cars if it meant helping the environment and reducing our carbon footprint. Even if it is for around town, every little bit helps, right?

another choice

by Vicki_R on July 17, 2007 - 6:05pm

The thing is, why buy a car if you can put your family in it. I have children and I don't know how practical it will be for two boys with a lot of sports equipment. I think the Smartcar is great for the right person and the right circumstances. Another choice we have.

Not for me

by Clementine16 on July 19, 2007 - 2:29pm

The smart car may be better for the environment but for me it is not practical. Like Vicki mentioned, I would not be able to fit my family in this car and therefore would defeat the point. I think I mentioned this before, but I am in the process of looking for a new car and hoping to find one that is a hybrid. I am trying to do my part but right now this would not be the car for me. However, there are a lot of people that would benefit from this vehicle. I think it's great that the car is coming and I hope others will see its usefulness.

I agree

by Vicki_R on July 22, 2007 - 6:58pm

I agree!

not for families

by jamble on July 31, 2007 - 8:10am

Smart cars aren't designed for families - they're designed for single people or couples who live downtown, use their car for short journies only and want to avoid car tax, congestion charges and high parking fees (there are special, cheap smart car parking lots in some cities in the UK).

I have seen quite a few on motorways here in the UK though, so they can reach a good speed - but I don't know how they'd cope with the much larger distances people cover in the US; they're designed just for city use really.

If you think the smart car is cool though just wait until you see the first Spart sportsers on the road - these are two seaters too but have a much sportier design and look fantastic IMO.

I also saw my first G-Whiz on a trip to London yesterday - these are so small you could probably fit one in the back of an average US pick-up truck! Do you have these in US cities? I read they were designed in California.

Cute but...

by BlueVega on August 22, 2007 - 4:54pm

Its a cute car. I saw it on the news recently. But it's too small. I would drive it by myself with caution and wouln't put children in it. They claim its safe because of the reinforced cage like the race cars have but we will see how well they do on the roads with consumers.

great for parking

by Harley on August 22, 2007 - 6:17pm

For city traveling they are great especially for parking. you can fit into the tightest spaces. I saw them in europe and people just pulled right into spaces with no problem. The minis seemed to have done well, so the smart car may have a chance.

just saw it first hand

by Vicki_R on August 23, 2007 - 3:07pm

I just saw the smart car first hand and actually sat in it. Rea cute, but REALLLL small. Only two people can fit in it and there is not a lot of room for groceries or other bags. It would be perfect for city drivers needing to fit into tight spaces. The rep said it is not a hybrid and gets around 40 miles to the gallon. I liked the look of it, but wonder about the safety, even for adults!!!

love it

by jo44 on August 24, 2007 - 5:25pm

we live in a suburb of Kansas City and have owned a Smart Car in for a year and a half. i LOVE it. my husband is 6'4" and fits comfortably, my 5'3" fits very well. i can fit LOTS of groceries (I have 4 kids that come home from college) if packed well. in fact i was able to put a 86 gal rainbarrel in it and deliver it to a friend. it is my daily driver, from home to work (about 16 miles rt) and it drives well @ highway speeds. I am very cautious when there are high winds but no more so than when I drove a mini-van. we actually average 38 mpg with mostly city driving (less than 50 mph). we would buy another one!

cannot believe

by dancingqueen on August 25, 2007 - 1:19pm

I too saw the smart car recently and I cannot believe you fit all that in there. My husband is 6'5 and I think he would feel uncomfortable. Where do you put all the groceries? The car I saw had a very tiny space behind the seats. I know the car comes in a convertable if I'm not mistaken. Do you know if there is more room in the various types? Love to hear you like your car. Do you mind me asking how much they cost?

This is a fun car

by Kamil on June 30, 2009 - 11:56am

This is a fun car for two, just the 2 of you out to the shopping mall. Pick some snacks on the way to the movie hall and zoom around the city center not adding too much to the chaotic traffic and zip back home in time for dinner with your parents.

www.vividracing.com/blog/tag/techart

I use chocolate bell

by patric548 on July 9, 2009 - 5:24am

I use chocolate bell peppers in stir fry, philly steak onion and bell fry, salads, with veggie dips,or just eat them raw they have a sweet taste that is pleasing to the pallet. I have used the seeds and am now growing 15 plants. I have only found them once at the flea market here in Florida at the beginning of the summer. They are delicious so if you can find them definitely buy a few.

buy degree

Looks kinda cramped. But

by suzettemarks on July 9, 2009 - 11:28pm

Looks kinda cramped. But neat tho.

-Regards,
Suzette Marks, Health and Fitness / Weight Loss Writer:[Colon Cleansing][Resveratrol Supplement][Acai Berries][Eye Creams][Mineral Cosmetics][Green Tea and Weight Loss].

Arguably the key component

by Kamil on August 4, 2009 - 2:48am

Arguably the key component of your car's brake system, the brake caliper operates just like a small hydraulic clamp designed to grip the brake rotor and bring your car to a halt. If you have ever seen or worked on a brake caliper, you know what we're talking about. The brake caliper is a U-shaped device with a piston or pistons on one or both sides of the U. The brake pads ride on top of the brake caliper pistons, and the rotor spins in the channel of the U. When you hit the brakes, high-pressure fluid is channeled from the master cylinder down to the brake caliper where it pushes the piston or pistons inward. Brake Calipers

Cheap new cars

by nisha on August 12, 2009 - 2:58am

We can now find you the best deals for the new car you are looking for by searching across our panel of manufacturer dealers across the whole of the UK.

The Cars for Clunkers

by tomjenny on December 17, 2009 - 1:49am

The Cars for Clunkers program sounds almost as "successful" as the FEMA credit card debaucle from Hurricane Katrina relief efforts!
Automotive Sales Leads

This car is such a small

by Kamil on August 25, 2009 - 4:50am

This car is such a small one and I have seen it on the street in the city and its kind of cute. Indian car maker Tata Motors has brought its own small car regarded as the cheapest car in the world at roughly $2,500 but I really am not sure its safety standards are up to the mark.

Kurt

Bearings

Automotive.....

by seden on August 25, 2009 - 5:08am

It's a two-seater, has a 3-cylinder suprex turbo rear-mounted engine (whatever that means), and a 6-speed transmission. The best I could calculate is that it gets about 80 miles to the gallon Buy Citroen Xsara Picasso

Really i am impressed from

by zenty on November 27, 2009 - 1:12am

Really i am impressed from this post....the person who create this post he is a great human..thanks for shared this with us.i found this informative and interesting blog so i think so its very useful and knowledge able.I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article Windscreens Birmingham

The smart car is a new

by topsites on December 15, 2009 - 8:57am

The smart car is a new model of small, light weight car produced by Daimler-Benz. These cars are at times called micro cars, and outstanding to the very small size of the vehicle, some people have increased concerns on its safety.

Best Regards,
Car Shipping

Smart cars

by samuel.walsh84 on December 27, 2009 - 1:15pm

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

Nowadays many smart cars are available in market.

However road accidents have increased as the no. of cars on roads has grown multiple times.

Whiplash compensation claims are one of the most common personal injury claims made by people involved in road traffic accident. A whiplash injury is caused by a sudden forwards and backwards movement which causes the soft tissue of the spine to stretch.

Looking to make a Whiplash Compensation Claim? Our UK solicitors work on a no win no fee basis and you keep 100% of your compensation for whiplash injury.

Whiplash Compensation Claim

Not Big

by samuel.walsh84 on January 15, 2010 - 4:58pm

It is not big enough for bigger-than average people. In addition to that it has no cargo space.

A Rental Car