March 4, 2008
When DumbPeople Look at SmartCars
The sudden appearance of a Smart in our neighborhood got us thinking: perhaps this parking solution will bring an end to our car-free lifestyle. We conducted a quick feasibility study in our neighborhood, with the following discouraging results:
Number of Smart-friendly sub-9' parking spaces: 5
Number of these not already occupied by a 13' car: 0
Undaunted, we stopped by SmartCenterSanFrancisco, in the Mercedes dealership at 8th and Bryant (running words together seems to be part of the SmartCarMarketingPlan). During our brief stay, a steady stream of people best described as "Americans" arrived in small boisterous groups with the apparent intention of mocking the innocuous FourTwos (that's the model name) on the showroom floor -- their incisive commentary included such gems as "it's a glorified golf cart!" and "that's retarded!" The long-suffering and apparently very, very patient sales staff offered to make appointments for test drives.
And speaking of patience, you'll need it if you want a Smart of your own: you can plunk down your $11,590 today, but according to the sales folks, it'll be up to a year before you get your car.
Or you could plunk down an extra $5910 and get one on eBay.
P.S. We first heard of the Smart way back in 2005, when the Bay Area's alternative vehicle manufacturers Zap! announced a deal to convert and distribute the cars in the U.S. Daimler's decision to market the cars itself provoked a still-unresolved lawsuit from Zap.
Thanks to davity dave for the photo from Flickr.
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My motorcycle doesn't like Smart Cars, they fit into the same parking spaces.
I'll hold out for a Toyota IQ. it has room for 4 (as long as one of the four is a child).
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9885687-1.html
Smart cars have been around for much longer than they've been in the US. I saw my first Smart car in Europe back in 1996 (although I think they were first manufactured in 1993). Sadly, we're so behind the times in many ways!
Seriously, I don't understand the appeal of the SmartCars. They're not particularly fuel efficient (Priuses and Civic Hybrids get better mpg), they're not all that safe (despite having a sturdy roll cage, they don't have any kind of crumple zones to absorb accident impact), and they're slow as anything. Why is there a 1 year waiting list? Who is buying these?
Dear Mr Bandito, I'm not a PR flunky for Daimer Benz, but I must take exception.
They are extremely fuel efficient (Piouses and civics are notorious for not meeting their sticker numbers, and hybrids are stupidly wasteful in terms of the resources it takes to build and dispose of them). They are safe, with the rollcage you mention negating the need for crumple zones. And if you've driven in traffic in a European city you'll know they're ridiculously fast.
The only drawback I can see is that they're probably not that good for fucking in. But necessity is the mother of invention and all that.
bandito?
"loser"
Who's buying these?
Not you.........
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s
I've passed one of these by in Gilroy, they're really speedy. Seems like they have good acceleration. I believe that they have a top speed of 95 mph.
If you're looking for a possible lawsuit injury settlement I suggest walking by this Mercedes dealership. These SmartCars zip in and out of the parking lot with little regard to pedestrians. I haven't quite figured out why. Perhaps the drivers think the car is so nimble it can out pace a person on the sidewalk. Or maybe they think since the car is so small it won't hurt a person if it hits him or her. Or maybe the test drivers are just assholes.
Wow, I didn't mean to anger anybody. And they still don't strike me as that safe, fizzandpop. Sure, the roll cage will protect the occupant from being crushed. However, the g forces the occupant will experience when coming to a dead stop after an accident will be far worse in a car that has no hood or trunk to "crumple" and thereby absorb some of the g forces. Also, I can't imagine you'd be as safe in a SmartCar if you were hit by a large SUV like a Tahoe . . . I could see the SmartCar getting knocked a helluva lot further than a heavier, traditional car.
And spysea . . . loser? No need to call me names just because I questioned the appeal of the car.
I've been on the FourTwo waiting list for two years .. at this point I am doubting I'll ever get one?