Smart car, who is planning to get one?

I went to smart car dealership and apparently my husband & I need to schedule a test drive NEXT MONTH!!!

The demand is very high and we are looking into getting the "passion" cabriolet, something like this:




I just find out that the smart car CAN get on the highways and it is as safe as a E-class mercedes.

Anyone else here is planning to get one?

I saw one on the 10 fwy in LA last weekend, keeping up with traffic ok

saw tons of em in Rome last winter. It's cool for jaunts around town but I wouldnt want to take a road trip to Vegas in one

Aren't they still fairly expensive compared to other economy cars?

What is smart about the car? Do they talk to you? I do not want a car that makes smart-ass comments to me.

We have had one for 4 years or so for putting around a medium-sized city with small alleys. I don't think it's been driven more than 7 miles away from its base. I wouldn't recommend driving it on a highway. It's too weak.

I understand the limited usefulness of smart cars in tiny european countries where gas is an arm and a leg and streets are tiny.

But I truly hate seeing smart cars on this side of the pond. They look incredibly goofy, and are a real pest on north american roads because they're slower on highways. If you want to be ecologically friendly, get a hybrid where you can actually fit a few passengers inside. I would never consider buying one, and I'd be pretty embarassed to be seen in one. It's not exactly the manliest look.

Originally Posted by FidelCashflow

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But I truly hate seeing smart cars on this side of the pond. They look incredibly goofy, and are a real pest on north american roads because they're slower on highways. If you want to be ecologically friendly, get a hybrid where you can actually fit a few passengers inside. I would never consider buying one, and I'd be pretty embarassed to be seen in one. It's not exactly the manliest look.
Regarding the looks, I'd say many of the cars put out by our stateside makers are just as bad.

These cars appear ugly and unsafe. Perhaps, unsafe at any speed? if you get my drift.

A tiny under powered car? Haven't we had that choice since the 70's?

Originally Posted by masayako

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I just find out that the smart car CAN get on the highways and it is as safe as a E-class mercedes.

The salesperson at Kiton told AF that everything was handmade.

Originally Posted by FidelCashflow

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It's not exactly the manliest look.

I don't know. Whenever I see some guy in a Hummer or any other SUV I always think it's just penis compensation. So, if I saw a guy riding around in one of these, I would probably think "Damn! That guy's dick must be huge!"

I think it's a safer, more comfortable alternative to a scooter, but only in cities where that makes any sense (i.e., nowhere in America).
As far as masculinity is concerned, let's just say it makes me uncomfortable seeing a man in one...like having a stranger come out of the closet to me.

Originally Posted by Get Smart

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I saw one on the 10 fwy in LA last weekend, keeping up with traffic ok

saw tons of em in Rome last winter. It's cool for jaunts around town but I wouldnt want to take a road trip to Vegas in one

I rented one in Germany a few months ago-the romance quickly ended as I got blown off the autobahn. (hyperbole everyone). Seriously, I didn't care for the steering/turning radius. Also, the car rattled a lot. As far as safety-you can push the car over, i can just imagine what will happen if a "Humscalade" hits me on I-10? Gas mileage wasn't as good as what I expected, too. So, I will pass on the car, at least for now.

Originally Posted by Reggs

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if I saw a guy riding around in one of these, I would probably think "Damn! That guy's dick must be huge!"

So whenever you see a guy in a car you start to imagine his dick? Maybe the smart car is for you.

j/k

Originally Posted by masayako

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I just find out that the smart car CAN get on the highways and it is as safe as a E-class mercedes.

Perhaps if you hit an errant shopping cart in a parking lot at 10mph it will be as safe as a E-class benz. But I'm pretty sure if I rear-end that thing with a truck on the highway you'll feel it slightly more than if you were in an E-Class Benz just by virtue of the benz providing a couple of extra thousands pounds of steel to absorb the impact. Because of it's short wheelbase and tall frame, I suspect if you hit the smart car hard enough from behind it might roll forward. Car salesmen have been known to tell people what they want to hear in the name of making a sale.

Whenever I see a smart car in front of me on a one-lane road, I secretly want to rear-end it from behind just to see what happens. Maybe it's because they look like bumper cars for people who want to look environmentally friendly without actually driving a hybrid. They just irk me on north american roads for some reason.

I saw them all over Paris, France and they seemed appropriate.

Last week I saw the my first one in Houston, Tx. It was in the Highland Village area and it looked out of place.

The tags said the dealership was in Sugarland, a suburb of Houston.

While it's cute and the gas mileage is probably amazing, the car seems like a toy for the American market.