I just saw my first Smart Car

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When I see one, all I think is "deathtrap". How is it that Smart is regarded as the automotive savior? It really makes no sense.

The 'deathtrap' attitude is equally as untrue as the people who claim the smart is the saviour of the car industry, and equally as misinformed.

In the Euro NCAP tests (Europe's independant safety tests) the fortwo gets four out of a possible five stars. The shape of the fortwo is actually a good shape for structural integrity - basically a sphere. When it gets hit from any angle it's designed so that the energy is transmitted around the safety cell, in the same way a crash helmet is designed to absorb and deflect energy away from the wearer's head.

TridionSafetyCell.jpg


In the smart, the wheels and suspension also absorb large impacts. Passive safety wise, they're a whole lot more stable than many large SUVs because they're lower and aren't as softly-sprung.

You'll see that even a crash testing organisation in the States has rated the car highly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz-s1sIoLhU

Also, 5th Gear in the UK crashed one of the previous shape fortwos into a concrete barrier at 70mph, and it still came out quite well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcuimw8ql_A

Fair enough, the smart may still not be as safe as a big SUV in an accident (as the guy in the video states), but you'd probably be better off than you would in many other small cars. And with the ratio of big to small cars decreasing, as I'm sure it will do in years to come, then it reduces the risk of being hit by some idiot in an SUV not looking where they're going 👍 And to be fair to it, as a city car then the likelihood of crashing at a very high speed isn't too much.

Reventón;3094541
Ok, so the sports cars from the 90's are dead. What's your excuse for the sports cars that have been in the last 7 years of this century? Ferrari, Lamborghini, & Porsche have no problem selling cars that are just as pointless as a SUV since they require even more fuel, and get terrible MPG.

To be fair, I doubt many supercars are used as daily drivers, and there are far fewer in general than there are SUVs, so it's unfair to compare their emissions or fuel usage.
 
Seeing videos of the crash test on the Smart I can't help but think "where are the crumple zones?" Yes that can won't fold in on itself but that really isn't a good thing. You need crumple zones in order to dissipate energy into the car instead of your body. I can't imagine a Smart is overly safe. I also wouldn't want to hit one either since they are so solid.

I see little point for Smart cars outside of large, congested cities like New York, London, Berlin, etc.
 
Seeing videos of the crash test on the Smart I can't help but think "where are the crumple zones?" Yes that can won't fold in on itself but that really isn't a good thing. You need crumple zones in order to dissipate energy into the car instead of your body. I can't imagine a Smart is overly safe. I also wouldn't want to hit one either since they are so solid.

No you don't. The safety cell in the smart is designed to remove the need for traditional crumple zones, the energy from an impact in the smart car passes front the point of impact around the safety cell. The entire cell dissipates the energy, and it does work.

I've seen a few of these that have been in fairly big accidents and its not uncommon to see 'wrinkling' at the rear of the car following a front impact, and personally I would rather be in an accident in a smart car than a Voyager (both 40mph offset frontal tests into a deformable barrier) .....

smart fortwo - 4/5
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Source - http://www.euroncap.com/tests/smart_fortwo_2007/303.aspx


Voyager - 1.5/5
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Source - http://www.euroncap.com/tests/chrysler_voyager_2007/277.aspx


.....because I've grown quite attached to my feet and legs and would like to keep hold of them.


Regards

Scaff
 
Well they are city cars aren't they though? It'd certainly get better fuel consumption figures in a town than an SUV would, and this is the environment it's designed for.

Like I mentioned too, it's the job of the safety cell to direct crash energy around the occupants, instead of absorbing it in a crumple zone. It does the same job a different way. In a crash in a normal car the energy is deflected along the sides of the car to the back. In the smart, it's deflected over your head through the a-pillars, down through the sills, through the floorpan... in a side impact, it does the same, channeling the energy up through the roof and down through the floor, around the front of the dash etc.

The point is, it's still taking the crash energy away from the passengers so that airbags, seatbelts etc can do their job. Like almost any modern car it also has a deformable steering column and pedals.

Before anyone asks, no I don't work for smart, I just happened to research the cars and the company for about a year to do my final year dissertation.

*Edit* Scaff beat me to it! :D
 
To be fair, I doubt many supercars are used as daily drivers, and there are far fewer in general than there are SUVs, so it's unfair to compare their emissions or fuel usage.
You'd be surprised how many actually are. But, my point was really asking what's his excuse for these manufacturers. It's like he has this idea that sports cars are dead with the 90's just because a couple of models went out of production. So the Supra, the Firebird, & the 3000GT are dead. That doesn't mean SUVs caused it. The Supra isn't even a good example. It was still doing decently before Toyota killed it off.
 
I just saw two this weekend, considering I haven't seen one outside of a dealership before. But they were in a downtown setting, with some narrow streets, and parallel-parking and/or "wherever-there's-room" parking opportunities. They look like gumdrops on wheels. Honestly, they were places where walking wasn't really a bad alternative; it's hard to say that in the middle of a Floridian summer.

I'd get a Honda Fit or Yaris (except it's ugly) for the money; it may be less trendy a name-plate, and far less attention-grabbing, but much more useful in every (financial, practicality, and performance) category. I don't think the Smart is unsafe, it did have to pass some of the toughest crash-testing in the world (maybe the toughest) to be sold here, but it does look like a 20-mph accident will ruin the unibody to the point where it will never be roadworthy at highway speeds...they just look like a toy car, but it looks like the whole package will get old really quick in daily use, as you can't haul much than a few day's groceries. A college student would have to really pack light for school, otherwise it would probably come in handy in places (depending on the varying degrees of nightmare the parking situation is).

Probably makes for an awesome golf cart with a few trunk mods.
 
I have seen 2 of them in person. Very small cars. The one I saw had an 18 pack of beer in the back and it took up almost the entire area. lol
 
Where I live, farmers might acidently run them over with their combines, tractors, etc. ,but thats probley not going to be a problem since there are none where I live.
 
Where I live, farmers might acidently run them over with their combines, tractors, etc. ,but thats probley not going to be a problem since there are none where I live.
Wow you must have a huge problem with pedestrians, cows, cyclists and bigfoot getting chewed up in combines then.
 
Honestly, they were places where walking wasn't really a bad alternative; it's hard to say that in the middle of a Floridian summer.

It seems like it'd be a good car for Miami, just the right size and fuel efficiency. After spending a week in South Beach with a Lincoln Town Car, I could appreciate something like the ForTwo. Particularly when it comes to parking...
 
Because outlawing them would be socialism. Or, perhaps more accurately, fascism. If you don't like them for X, that is fine. But some people may not care about X, and you have no right to force them to.

Hmmm. Well, i never said any car should be outlawed, unless it spontaneously has a habit of combusting or something. Are you implying this is what i said? No.

I merely wish the people who buy SUVs would think about the choice they've made, and the generally excessive wastefulness they've created, unless they have a damn good reason for owning such a vehicle. The Hummer is a great example. Here we have a vehicle that is capable of cruising safely into 2 feet of water...going off-road in very trecherous conditions, yet most Hummers never leave pavement. Most of the people who buy them never do anything cool with them, other than ride down typically safe American highways.

.....Most of them didn't start to realize until recently (with $4 a gallon gas) the downside of their purchases. Even tho i hate SUVs in general, i can respect some of their capabilities.

.....But the majority of them are nothing but a waste, despite all the commercials we've all seen of them towing boats and construction equipment...most SUV owners just drive by themselves, hauling their sorry ass to and fro to work.

I live in a ridiculously liberal (oh wait, "progressive") area with lots of hippie-yuppies, and all I hear is: "I want a Smart car. That's what this country needs". I guess people think they get 1000 mpg, and shoot rainbows out of the tailpipe. When I see one, all I think is "deathtrap". How is it that Smart is regarded as the automotive savior? It really makes no sense.

Yeah, me too. I think the SmartCar has its place, but on American roads? I personally would decline a ride in one if i were to be going on any sort of typical highway with semis and whatnot. Even in a city, i would be gritting my teeth the whole time as i rode shotgun in a SmartCar. :scared: I don't care what the statistics & reports say...i'd be freaked!

Reventón;3094541
Ok, so the sports cars from the 90's are dead. What's your excuse for the sports cars that have been in the last 7 years of this century? Ferrari, Lamborghini, & Porsche have no problem selling cars that are just as pointless as a SUV since they require even more fuel, and get terrible MPG.

Okay, but realize that the people who buy Ferraris, Lambos, and Porsches are generally rich or well-off in some manner. This sort of person typically doesn't need to worry about gas prices, and can often choose to have more than one vehicle. Often, they might even have an SUV, along with their exotic sports car...money to this sort of person is secondary; they're quite content with showing-off, and care more about their status-symbology than conservation or simple transportation.

The average Joe, on the other hand, moved (generally) from smaller vehicles to larger ones during the 90's. Stats can prove this, but i'm too lazy to get them today. :guilty:

BTW, no American companies are losing that much sleep on their SUVs. Our dealers in Texas have no problems moving the Expeditions or Tahoes off their lots.

...well good for you. However, this isn't what i've been reading in the local papers up here. It's not what i've recently read in Motor Trend or Car & Driver articles about the current state of American car-ownership. I've been reading accounts of people freaked out by the recent gas prices. Then they try and sell their giant gas-guzzling walruses for something more fuel-efficient, only to find the market for SUVs has suddenly dwindled. And then they're stuck.

...plus, you're in Texas! Not to place a sterotype, but it seems folks down your way really love their trucks and truck-based utility vehicles. :D
 
If your SUV isn't covered in mud, you have no right to own it.

Thank you. I would add if you're not in the habit of carrying large amounts of people, or things, or using it for your job in some way, or hauling something other than your own ass, your SUV is nothing but a waste of space.

Back on topic. I read something interesting today about the SmartCar. In San Francisco, it is actually legal to park more than one SmartCar (or suitably small vehicle) in a single parking space, as long as the parking meter is fed.

This is done to avoid the dreaded "motorcycle syndrome", in which someone parks a small vehicle in a normal-sized space, wasting an entire parking spot, and annoying those who have larger vehicles that would fit more efficiently in such a spot. 💡

The only thing is, if the parking meter isn't fed, both vehicles can wind up getting parking tickets! :mad:
 
If your SUV isn't covered in mud, you have no right to own it.

We have a Suburban and most of the time it's in use it's hauling seven people. Try doing that with a Smart.
 
If your SUV isn't covered in mud, you have no right to own it.

Parneilli Bone
Thank you. I would add if you're not in the habit of carrying large amounts of people, or things, or using it for your job in some way, or hauling something other than your own ass, your SUV is nothing but a waste of space.

DID YOU COMPLETELY MISS MY POST??

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3093635&postcount=52

Come off it with your holier-than-thou bull**** and just try to drive whatever you drive year-round here. Believe it or not some people ACTUALLY GET INCLEMENT WEATHER unlike those of us in the mid-Atlantic. And god only knows where HACKr is located because like most GTP members he's decided to have some fun with the location field.

I hate when this discussion comes up. You people have no right to tell ANYONE what to do with their money, especially because you have ABSOLUTELY NO perspective. We got snow October through May this year. Has it ever snowed in Maryland? Christ.
 
Come off it with your holier-than-thou bull**** and just try to drive whatever you drive year-round here. Believe it or not some people ACTUALLY GET INCLEMENT WEATHER unlike those of us in the mid-Atlantic. And god only knows where HACKr is located because like most GTP members he's decided to have some fun with the location field.

I hate when this discussion comes up. You people have no right to tell ANYONE what to do with their money, especially because you have ABSOLUTELY NO perspective. We got snow October through May this year. Has it ever snowed in Maryland? Christ.

👍 X 1,000
 
The only reason I posted my opinion was to see someone blow up like that. M5Power, you have brought me inexplicable amounts of joy. And yes, If you're driving in the snow and crap like that, your SUV will indeed get slush and mud and various interesting things on it, so my opinion still stands.

I might add that I would never be seen driving a Smart car and I derive no joy whatsoever from the location field. I'm getting hungry.
 
The only reason I posted my opinion was to see someone blow up like that. M5Power, you have brought me inexplicable amounts of joy. And yes, If you're driving in the snow and crap like that, your SUV will indeed get slush and mud and various interesting things on it, so my opinion still stands.

So if you drive through a mud puddle after it's rained you're okay...
 
DID YOU COMPLETELY MISS MY POST??

Yes. I admit i skimmed thru this thread and picked thru the opinions i wanted to address. But i'm running around the house cooking dinner, and stuff...and now i'm about to go to bed and have returned to your post (which i read in its entireity) CALM DOWN please.

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=3093635&postcount=52

Come off it with your holier-than-thou bull**** and just try to drive whatever you drive year-round here. Believe it or not some people ACTUALLY GET INCLEMENT WEATHER unlike those of us in the mid-Atlantic. And god only knows where HACKr is located because like most GTP members he's decided to have some fun with the location field.

Wow. I'm making you nervous eh? Because some of the things i've addressed touches a nerve? Hmmm? Am i making you think or am i just making you sick? Or both? :lol:

Look. I think you've completely missed some of MY posts, M5; specifically the part where i say there is a time and place for the SUV. IF you are using it in a manner with which it is designed, more power to you. MOST people do not. Most people are wasing extraordinary amounts of fuel by driving these land-yachts, without thinking of creative ways to use them.

I hate when this discussion comes up.

Then why participate?

You people have no right to tell ANYONE what to do with their money, especially because you have ABSOLUTELY NO perspective.

I have a right to post my opinion. And you have a right to ignore it if you choose. Which most SUV-owners have been doing up till recently. :)

We got snow October through May this year. Has it ever snowed in Maryland? Christ.

Actually now that you mention it, NO. It snowed (real snow) exactly once this entire year. We usually get several feet of snow, but this year, it amounted to inches. And i was disappointed. We barely had a winter, matter of fact. Most people would say "great", but i am the oddball who happens to love cold weather i guess. Global warming? I would like to hope that's not why it rained more than it snowed here. We'll see about next winter.....

However, when we had actual real winter, the SUVs would triumph when the people who drive them actually know what they are doing. By this i mean: many people assume that just because they have 4-wheel drive, they will be fine. They will never get stuck! Some folks pay no attention to the fact that 4-wheel drive only affects traction. When it comes to braking or lateral movement, an SUV can be just as helpless as an ordinary car...and that can mean plenty of accidents in any sort of vehicle, be it car, SUV, van, etc.

Now if this discussion is too much for you to handle, maybe it's time for you to step aside. Have a drink. Whatever. I'm posting my opinions just like you're posting some of yours. Personally, i'd rather chat about the SmartCar; because even tho i would never buy one, and i'm terrified to ride in one...i'm also a bit fascinated by them as a car-enthusiast. The SmartCar: that's what this thread is supposed to be about.
 
I've never closed a thread before, but i'm closing this one. As Sage said earlier, this has become a discussion about environmentalism more than it has about the silly SmartCar. I'm partially to blame, i admit. I have no problem admitting to this, as i am very opinionated on this topic. But i have a feeling this "discussion" will just go on and on and i wanna close it before a mod does.

Now if anyone wants this thread re-opened, just PM me. Maybe i'll try to stay on topic. But as of now...*click*
 
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