Just Saw My First Smart Car - Gave it 10 for Cuteness!

[leftyladyfrommo]

It was really, really cute. And really, really small.

I drive a Toyota Yaris and it is pretty small - but I bet that little Smart Car was 3 feet shorter. Nothing there but a front seat and a motor.

I read that they get about 36mpg. And I don't know anything about reliability.

My Yaris gets 36mpg and I have room in the back to put stuff - or I can put the seat back up and seat 4 people.

And, surprisingly to me, my little Yaris has been good about getting around in the bad weather we have had here in KC this winter. I really think its better on ice than my jeep was. And its good in snow - don't think it would do too well in very deep snow just because it is so little and so close to the ground.

[Enrique]

1. if I drove one of those, mean kids would laugh at me

i'm 6'3"

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. You would need a sunroof.

But the person driving the one I saw was a pretty big person.

I have a feeling those cars were meant for big cities - KC is so spread out that you have to drive on the freeways to get anywhere. Not so sure those little, tiny cars would do so well there.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. You could go for the more Urkel-esque Isetta

A car that commands respect on the road!!!

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. Oh, man. How cute is that?

It's kind of like a skate board with a roof.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Only 36mpg? That can't be right. Our subuaru gets 28-30.

[Bake]

6. I'd hate to get hit by a beer truck in one of those.

Or an Excursion. Or any big heavy thing.

Bake

[GoneOffShore]

7. They're very reliable

And you see huge numbers of them in Europe - even on the motorways, being driven at 130 to 150 kph. I'm sure they're fine at that speed, it's the stopping from that speed I worry about.

And hey, if it gets stuck in the snow, 4 strong guys could lift it out.

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. Really! They could just pick it up.

Too funny.

[TheMightyFavog]

9. IIRC Euro Spec Smarts get better gas milage

Somewhere in the ballpark of the mid 40s due to the fact they have different engines. They're even coming out with an even more efficient turbodiesel later this year, and there's talk of a hybrid Smart in the next two years.

Unfortunately unless you import one yourself or try to find a gray market importer, there's very little chance of driving one of those here.

[grace0418]

10. Those little, low to the ground cars do better on ice than bigger cars, I think.

Our Civic does way better on ice than our Subaru Outback.

[MissB]

11. There is one at the local dealership that is light pink.

Absolutely adorable.

We have the world's smallest garage, but dh and I believe that we can fit three Smart Cars in there. Sideways.