The Smart
The Smart is a unique two-seater that was born out of a joint venture between Swatch and Mercedes-Benz. Swatch dropped out of the program soon thereafter, and the tiny carlets have been zipping around European cities for about 7 years now. The rationale behind the Smart was uniquely European. In Europe, cars have historically been smaller than in North America primarily because gas prices are so high, but also because European cities are rather dense and not always hospitable to larger vehicles.
Smart is designed to be parked nose-in when most other cars are parallel parked. It makes the most sense in an urban environment. Take it on the open road, and it becomes a pretty silly proposition, in spite of its reasonably good mileage. It is not a road-going car.
The smart fortwo will be launched in the USA with gasoline engines. The three cylinder engine has capacity of one litre and delivers 45 kW, 52 kW or 62 kW (61 hp, 71 hp or 84 hp). At the time the article was written the exact US engine model has not yet been determined. The vehicle has a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour. All engines are linked to an automated manual five-speed transmission from Getrag.
Smart has not been a big success for the company until recently known as Daimler-Chrysler, and a planned entry to the US market with a crossover was nixed in 2005, and the Mitsubishi-built forFour was quickly killed off. The forTwo is rather expensive for its size and utility - about $15,000, given that you can get a base Kia or Hyundai for a lot less.
In addition, most Smarts in Europe and Canada are sold with a tiny common-rail diesel engine, which gives it upwards of 60 MPG. The diesel will not be available in the US when Smart fortwos go on sale. We will instead get a 3-cylinder gas engine that will get about 40 MPG.
A Toyota Yaris pulls 40 MPG for about $11,000 and is on sale now. It even has a back seat.
Buffalo Rising posted about the Smart and a preview event that Mercedes-Benz of Buffalo is putting on. This comment stood out:
This is a fun car to drive. I had one for a couple of months when I was in Europe for business last year. Mercedes has had a difficult time bringing these cars to America, primarily because of the strong lobbying efforts of our legacy car manufacturers and labor unions. They pose a threat to the status-quo in American autombiles, they are the antithesis of the Hummer or Yukon.
I am unaware of there being any sort of “lobbying effort” to prevent the importation of the Smart by “legacy” car manufacturers or labor unions. Firstly, Smart was until recently owned by the same company that owns Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep. It doesn’t get much more “legacy” than that. Furthermore, while Smarts are the “antithesis of the Hummer or Yukon” (one’s a marque, one’s a model - but who’s counting), the reason they haven’t been imported to the US is that they’ve had disappointing sales in Europe, and the little company has never been profitable. Why expand into a very competitive market with a strange French-made car that is only practical in the densest of US cities when it can’t even perform well in its core market?
Silly people sometimes say silly things.
With that said, Smart will do well in cities such as Boston, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco where traffic is dense and parking is at a super-premium. It makes absolutely zero sense in Buffalo. Get a Yaris, Kia Rio, or Hyundai Accent - the last two cost less than $10,000, get great mileage, have back seats, and even a trunk.
If you want mileage, you can always opt for a hybrid Prius or Civic, or wait a year and pick up a proper diesel, which will easily top 40 MPG, and approach 50-60 MPG.
Terry Says:July 30th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
It does not look conducive to back seat frivolities……
BS Detector (aka Keyboard Warrior & Buffalo Hater) Says:July 30th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Have already seen one not too far from where I live.
Just another euro-shitbox appealing only to vapid, solipsist, self-absorbed, self-righteous enviro-freak “artists” who on prozac, viagra, and collecting SSDI.
BS Detector (aka Keyboard Warrior & Buffalo Hater) Says:July 30th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention this doesn’t even qualify as “euro-faggot.”
Only very old washed-out queens with mascara or highly militant lezbo’s might drive these. But your average happy-go-lucky fashion conscious homo probably wouldn’t be caught dead in one.
hank kaczmarek Says:July 30th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Just another euro-shitbox appealing only to vapid, solipsist, self-absorbed, self-righteous enviro-freak
That was far enough. Pundit’s own opinion–NOT a good car for Buffalo, and there are lower priced alternatives, if your wallet requires only a plastic shit-box of a car to get yourself around.
Why always the homosexual references? It detracts from the times when you say things that actually have some ring of truth or logic to them? I’m not homosexual, so it’s something I don’t think about a lot. You can’t seem to stop thinking about them.
Fed-Up in WNY Says:July 30th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
It’s a funny looking car. I think the mini cooper is a lot cooler.
BS Detector (aka Keyboard Warrior & Buffalo Hater) Says:July 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Why always the homosexual references? It detracts from the times when you say things that actually have some ring of truth or logic to them? I’m not homosexual, so it’s something I don’t think about a lot. You can’t seem to stop thinking about them.
LOL! Oh please, you know it’s meant “tongue in cheek.”
And frankly, people I’ve seen driving these automotive specimens Pundit likes to show us happen to look like a stereotype.
But seriously, if it truly offends you, I’ll stop. I mean that. I respect all your opinions I’ve read on this thing and I happen to agree with just about all of them. So consider it done.
Paul Says:July 31st, 2007 at 7:08 am
pundit, this has really gotten annoying. Every day i log on to your site i see insulting posts by BS detector. He has virtually highjacked your blog. I’ve had enough, moderate the jerk. This site has become quite tiresome.
ryan Says:July 31st, 2007 at 7:45 am
I love BS Detector’s comments!
Mike from Grand Island Says:July 31st, 2007 at 8:29 am
Thanks for stopping BS detector. The concern I have is that this medium will not grow as it should if a wider audience is not engaged and/or solid content is absent. I like the pundit’s site because he puts a lot of thought into his postings.
Is the smart car safe? I wouldn’t want to get smacked by a Grand Marquis doing fifty if I was in the smartcar.
When driving in my Ford Mondeo at 150km per hour + I was passed by a smartcar and thought Oh my god, why in the world would you drive a car that has little bitty trailer tires so fast? If you want to kill yourself fine. But when you fly out of control and take a couple of bystanders out that’s no fair. I guess guys will still try to be macho even when driving that car.
Alternatively, I would like to try a Peugeot 407 Coupe. Closest I’ve seen them is in Mexico.
Also, I drove an Alfa 156 in Europe and was impressed by the handling. I think they’re up to modelnumber 159 now. Those aren’t bad to dive - not sure about the repair bill.
Ken Says:July 31st, 2007 at 8:34 am
I saw a Smart last summer in Niagara on the Lake. We actually stopped and looked inside. I thought it looked pretty cool.
I wouldn’t want to be in one on the Queen E, but we have to start somewhere.
Tom Says:July 31st, 2007 at 9:15 am
Fed-Up in WNY,
The Mini-Cooper looks kinda big parked next to the Smart!
Mike from Grand Island,
Were you going downhill when you got passed by the Smart? I thought it’s top speed was only 145km/h! I took a ride in my cousin’s in Italy, and was impressed. I’d do 90 in it, it only weighs something like1600 lbs. It’s got all the tire it needs! Now put me in a minivan at 90 and I’m scared!!!
hank kaczmarek Says:July 31st, 2007 at 9:37 am
BS Detector—It’s hard to determine tongue in cheek from postings in many cases.
I can see in some areas we’re on the same wavelength.
There used to be a number of homosexuals and their supporters posting here, and even if you disapprove of the way they live, it’s not their fault that they feel the way they do. They don’t make comments about straight people (and there’s plenty enough that could be said) so I try to keep those references, tongue in cheek they may be, out of the debate. They serve no useful purpose.
NO, I’M NOT going over to the dark side of Liberalism. It’s just real-life knowledge spending time with a large number of homosexuals while working in a jail, and watching most all of them die from HIV. Just people.
Frieda Says:July 31st, 2007 at 10:05 am
Oh please, anyone who knows all those gay terms has to be gay.
Fed-Up in WNY Says:July 31st, 2007 at 10:10 am
Tom, I think the mini cooper looks more Eurpoean than the smart. I, myself am a classic kind of gal and would prefer a Mustang
chesucks Says:July 31st, 2007 at 10:13 am
This glorified golf-cart better get the hell out of the way when my F-350 comes rolling along.
Fed-Up in WNY Says:July 31st, 2007 at 10:32 am
“glorified golf-cart” That’s too funny.
Mike from Grand Island Says:July 31st, 2007 at 11:08 am
That smart that passed us had to be modified. Believeme, my wife and i just looked at each other when it passed and shook our heads. We were sure that was going to be a burning wreck just around the next corner.
Not sure I’d like the F350 either save for hauling my boat or some lumber…I had the excursion and that is the same superduty basics. Drove terribly. They put the seat in unlevel so after a day in the driver’s seat your back was out of plumb. The thing rattled like crazy. But it loved carrying a load. Fill it with people and cargo and it was happy. Parts are cheap (brakes - 7500 lbs go through brakes fast). My kids liked it too and were sad to see us part with it after five years.
BS Detector (aka Keyboard Warrior & Buffalo Hater) Says:July 31st, 2007 at 11:29 am
There used to be a number of homosexuals and their supporters posting here, and even if you disapprove of the way they live, it’s not their fault that they feel the way they do. They don’t make comments about straight people (and there’s plenty enough that could be said) so I try to keep those references, tongue in cheek they may be, out of the debate. They serve no useful purpose.
NO, I’M NOT going over to the dark side of Liberalism. It’s just real-life knowledge spending time with a large number of homosexuals while working in a jail, and watching most all of them die from HIV. Just people.
Read you loud & clear.
And to those of you who want me “moderated,” all I have to say is “Nyet, komrades!” Hillary ain’t in the White House yet.
And it proves how you really feel about free speech. If it isn’t lock-step with your own “standards,” you want it banned. You’re commies to the core. Nope, I’m not going anywhere.
One thing I never said to BP yet was that I for one appreciate his providing a truly free sounding board to express ideas and opinions. Even though we probably disagree on most, he’s willing to tolerate most of what I have to say. That’s true liberalism. The rest of you are Liberal Inc. liberals….just filthy commies, socialists, losers and “progressives” hiding behind benign sounding labels. But you’re oppressive and dictatorial at your cores and you know it. Be men and women enough to admit it.
Irony here is that most of you useful idiots will be among the first to be sent to the gulags once you get what you think you want.
Thank you Pundit, and to hell with the commies. For the latter, I think I’ll hang around longer. I will leave only if the rightful owner of this blog, Buffalo Pundit, asks me to. No questions asked, no protest, I’ll just go and never return.
The rest of you commies know where you can shove your sanctimoniousness.
steve Says:July 31st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Homosexuality. Communism. Liberalism. Censorship. Free speech. All this over a car? And BP accused me of a jacking a thread?!?
As for the glorified golf-cart — at least a golf cart has room for the clubs. When I was a kid I had a go-kart that was as big as this.
Can’t see buying a brand new vehicle that looks like the middle car in a three-car pile-up. It makes my Altima look like a land yacht.
Jill Says:July 31st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
I had one of those cars fly by me on the 290 a couple of months ago (I was doing 60-ish). It had Ontario license plates. Hopefully they were coming from close to the border - I can’t picture long rides in that car being very comfortable!
Are those the same cars like the one used in the Wii commercials?
dave in Rocha Says:July 31st, 2007 at 2:26 pm
When I was in Paris a couple years ago I saw these everywhere. Makes a ton of sense in cities like that. I’m actually surprised to hear that they aren’t selling well in Europe based on how many we saw.
As for the fear of getting “smacked by a Grand Marquis doing fifty”, I don’t think that’s ever a concern if you’re using the Smart the way it was intended; on city streets. Of course you’ll see people try to use these on highways and the results could be ugly, but I don’t think that should reflect poorly on the cars themselves.
And yeah, 15,000 for these in the US is waaaay too much.
JBH 27 Says:August 1st, 2007 at 10:48 am
Clearly no one posting on this site has really researched the smart fortwo. You are all just posting comments based on the way it looks. It shares a lot of great standard features with most luxury cars. Also it has great safety feature and is environmentally friendly. So please people, before you continue to bad mouth a product that you obviously know nothing about, at least go to the website and read up on the car. www.smartusa.com